Chapter Four

Oliver stood on the rooftop waiting for Captain Lance. He had called Lance up and asked him to meet with him. His old team still had the cellphone that Lance called when he needed the Arrow. Oliver thought it only right that he let the man know he was back and give him a way to contact him.

From behind him, he heard a door open and some shuffle on to the gravelly roof. He turned sideways and looked at Captain Lance through his peripheral vision.

"Hello, Detective," he said using his voice modulator to change the sound of his voice. "Thank you for coming."

"Our mutual friend had told me that you were gone and then you should up to help defeat Brick. I guess you are back," Lance said.

"I was detained out of town," he said. Oliver reached into his leather jacket and took out another cellphone. He tossed it to Lance, who caught it.

"What's this for?" Lance asked.

"My team and I, including our mutual friend," he said and thought of Felicity for a moment, "have split for now. This phone has my number programmed into it. If you want me then use it."

Lance nodded. He took a deep breath then and spoke up, "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course, Detective," he said.

"Have you split from you team because Laurel has taken the place of her deceased sister. I know that Sara is dead," Lance said. The sadness in his voice was heart wrenching. Oliver could understand it.

"I'm sorry, Detective," Oliver said.

"You loved her, Oliver, didn't you?" he asked.

Oliver closed his eyes and sighed. Lance was intelligent man, so he was bound to guess his identity. Oliver took down his hood and turned off his voice modulator. There was no reason to keep pretending now.

"Yes, I did love Sara," he said. "I didn't want her to go back to the league."

"Do you know who killed her?" Lance asked.

Oliver knew that it was a drugged Thea under the influence of Malcolm Merlyn, but he couldn't let Lance know that. Dealing with that, with her death, was his burden.

"I am working on it, Captain Lance," he said.

Lance nodded his head then said, "Call me Quentin, Oliver."

Lance and Oliver stood there for a moment staring at each other than Lance spoke.

"You didn't answer my question: was it Laurel taking Sara's place that has caused this split between you and your team?" he asked.

"That is one of the reasons," Oliver admitted. "There are other reasons, too."

"I'm worried about her, Oliver," said Lance. "She's not Sara. She doesn't have Sara's training. Putting on a costume doesn't make you ready to fight criminals in the street."

"I am worried about her, too, Quentin, but my former team will protect her and take care of her," Oliver said.

"I hope so," sighed Lance. "I can't lose her, too."

"You won't, sir," said Oliver.

"Maybe sometime you, as Oliver Queen, and I could go to this Chinese place Sara liked and talk about her," Lance said.

"Anytime," replied Oliver.

Oliver pulled up his hood, lifted his bow, notched an arrow with cable line attached to it, and released the arrow. Oliver ran to the edge of the roof and swung away from the building. Lance shook his head.

"I don't know what happened on that island, but it must have been something," he said to himself.

Arrow

Felicity stood by the computers along with a technician monitor the exo-suit, as Ray tested it. Before putting it on he put on a one-piece suit that reminded her of the suits that athletes wear that do the luge. The headpiece acted as a mask, which assumed Ray. The suit itself was made of a special Kevlar weave that made it bullet resistant. Once he was in that suit, two techs helped him on with the exo-suits. Now he was testing it for comfort, flexibility, and agility.

Felicity kept her eyes on the computer that monitored Ray's medical status. His heart was slightly elevated from being exited, but otherwise he was fine. I could have used something like with Oliver, she thought. Oliver. Damn, Felicity, this is no time to be thinking about Oliver. You made a choice, so you have to live with it.

"I want to test some of the weapons systems," Ray said.

"Okay," Felicity mumbled, as she was now irritated with herself for thinking about Oliver.

"Here goes nothing. I'm going to test the stun setting," said Ray.

He lifted his left gauntlet, aimed, and fired at one of the inflated clowns. Firing the hard light weapon, the weapon released a short burst, which it the clown. The inflated clown exploded into pieces.

"Okay, if that is stun then my higher settings will take down this building," remarked Ray.

Felicity looked at the computer that monitored the weapons. The data on the firing of the hard light weapon started to scroll. She needed to study the information to see what went wrong.

"I need to study the data to see what went wrong," said Felicity.

"I could test the miniaturized Gatling gin that fires non-lethal ammo," Ray said.

"No, I don't think so," Felicity replied. "I think we should study the data we have and make sure that you don't kill anymore defenseless clowns."

"But I hate clowns," complained Ray.

"There is a heavy bag. Why don't you test your punch strength?" she offered him.

"Good idea. I knew there was a reason I hired you," he said with a smile.

Ray walked over to the heavy bag. He set himself then he threw a right handed punch at the heavy bag. The heavy bag broke off its chain and split, as it landed on the floor. Felicity looked at the computer.

"That was 900 PSI," said Felicity.

"Is that good?" asked Ray.

"Chuck Liddell was measured at 400-500 PSI," Felicity told him.

Ray smiled then said, "Okay, I'd that is pretty good. What's next?"

"You could get on the treadmill and check to see how it feels to run and how fast you can run," she offered.

"Sounds like fun," he said sounding like a little boy.

"I'm also going to want to check your defensive systems," Felicity. "They are as important as your offensive systems."

"Okay, okay, but let's play a little first," Ray replied.

Arrow

Again, Oliver and Tatsu started training early in the morning taking a break at nine AM for breakfast then continuing. Once again Oliver's katana lesson could be judged by the number of wounds covered with the salve that Tatsu brought with her. By noon he had eight such wounds. As they finished up an extended sparing match, the doorbell interrupted their training.

Oliver grabbed a towel, which he put around his neck, then walked over and opened front door. Diggle was standing there.

"Hey," he said.

"Dig, come on in," said Oliver.

Diggle followed Oliver into the refurbished factory. He looked around the large first floor and noticed the newly put down wood floors, the extensive training area, the Maserati and Ducati parked inside the factory by the freight doors, and the freight elevator that would take you up to the next floor. The walls were painted and off-white and there was nothing on them. It was austere and Spartan, and it made Diggle smile since it was completely Oliver.

"Tatsu has been training me," Oliver said.

Diggle looked at his friend and all the wounds covered in salve and chuckled to himself.

"I can see you've been training," said Diggle.

Oliver shrugged then said, "What can I do for you, Dig?"

"I'm here to invite you and Tatsu to dinner. Lyla is making spaghetti and meatballs. Plus, Sara is missing her Uncle Oliver, and I have a favor to ask you," said Dig.

Oliver looked at Tatsu and asked, "Dinner?"

"It is fine with me," she said.

"Dinner it is," said Oliver. "What's the favor?"

"Lyla and I are getting remarried and I want you to be the best man," he said.

Oliver was slightly taken back for a moment then a sense of relief and happiness for his friend warmed him.

"Of course, I'd be your best man," he said. "Who else could be?"

"No one, man," smiled Diggle.

Oliver smiled then said, "I'd hug you by the salve smells and you definitely don't want to get any on you."

"It works in healing the wound and stopping the bleeding," Tatsu defended her salve.

"And smelling horrible," Oliver grinned.

"I don't need the hug," said Dig then he looked around. "Can I have a tour?"

"The second floor was just finished and is basically wood floors, a kitchen and bathroom put in, and sea green walls. There are two beds and nothing else. I need to buy Japanese scrims and some furniture," explained Oliver.

"I'm not surprised, Oliver. You do like things sparsely furnished," smiled Dig.

"The third floor is right now being wired and setup for extra security. Once that's done, I've hired an IT person to setup computers for me and then I'll keep my Arrow gear on that floor," he said.

"Don't forget to buy chairs for people to sit on," said Dig.

"I know. It needs the human touch," admitted Oliver.

"It needs a woman's touch," added Tatsu.

Both Oliver and Diggle looked at her. Diggle wanted to shake her hand. She was right in that he did need a woman's touch and that woman was Felicity, but they had managed to screw up a relationship that ran heavy on repressed feelings for each other.

"Maybe you can decorate the place for me," said Oliver to Tatsu.

"It should the woman you love," Tatsu said.

"That's not going to happen," growled Oliver. He looked at Diggle and growled, "I do not want to talk about Felicity, Dig. She made it clear that she doesn't want to be loved by me."

Tatsu looked as if she was about to argue with him, but Diggle interfered.

"Don't bother trying to talk any sense into him. He's the most stubborn person I know," said Diggle.

Tatsu laughed then said, "He is the most stubborn person I know, also."

"Maybe I've survived this far because I am so stubborn," Oliver said.

"No, that is not it. You are also lucky," Tatsu said.

"I like her," Diggle grinned.

Oliver knew it wasn't worth arguing with either Diggle or Tatsu, so he decided to change the topic.

"How is Laurel doing?" he asked.

"Her wound is healing and she's due at the foundry at six for a training session with Roy. He is going to work on her baton work and bo staff. We are going to get her trained up, Oliver. Don't worry," Diggle said.

"Her father is worried about her, too, Dig. He met with me, as the Arrow last night," said Oliver. "He knows that the Arrow is Oliver Queen, too. He wants to have dinner some night to talk about Sara."

"Is he angry with you?" asked Diggle.

"No, Dig, he just wants to talk about her with someone else who cared about her. I told him to call me when he wants to have dinner," said Oliver.

Dig looked at his wristwatch and sighed.

"I have to get going. I have to pick up diapers and some other things for tonight. I expect you at the apartment at seven. Roy might show up later after training with Laurel. He wants to talk to you," said Diggle.

"He can talk to me whenever he wants to, Dig. My door is always open for him," said Oliver.

"You tell him that, Oliver. He'll appreciate it," said Diggle then he turned to Tatsu. "Tatsu, I look forward to seeing you tonight."

"It will be a pleasure," she said.

Oliver watched Diggle leave. Diggle was getting married and he was going to be the best man. At least love and the possibility of happiness were there for some.

"This Felicity loves you. I could see it in her eyes," said Tatsu.

"I don't want to talk about her," said Oliver.

"She has made the wrong choice. In time, she will see that. Offer her patience and understanding," she said.

"I'd give her my life. Patience and understanding is easy," said Oliver.

Tatsu smiled then said, "Then it will work out."