Anon- Yes similarities are funny right, and to answer your question no Cheshire will not be with the original Roy in this fic but please keep reading, I am enjoying writing this fic and had a night of non stop typing, loving this story as it develops in my head. Just hope others will enjoy it to…
…...
Speedy groaned as his eyes slowly began to open, a harsh light above him had him quickly reconsidering though. Lifting his left hand he shielded his eyes and blinked away the fuzziness. As a yawn rose in his chest and he stretched his mouth open, his jaw cracking in protest. His body ached all over and felt as heavy as a truck, he had been sleeping for a while. Turning his attention to his surroundings he slowly tried to sit up but found him self pausing as he tried to place weight on his right hand.
Looking to his shoulder he swallowed deeply before lowering his field of vision, his stomach turned at the sight that met him. A bandage was wrapped around his bicep but it didn't continue down his arm, just above were his elbow should have been the bandage stopped. His lower arm was gone. He panicked, the machines that he was hooked up to began to 'beep' and blink wildly.
"It'd be best if you calmed down", he took in deep, quick breathes as he looked around the room to find the source of the voice. The room was white and smelled of sterilization but what caught his attention was a man sitting at a bench. Grabbing his bicep with his left hand he shook as he tried to relax, what had happened to him?
"Who are you?", he shook his head as small lights flared in his vision, he was hyperventilating and if he wasn't careful he would lose consciousness. The man seemed to cease what he was doing and stood slowly, he was small for a man. Roy focused on him and his appearance, black pants, a white button up that was covered by a sleeveless green vest and when he turned Roy caught sight of a red bow tie. His aged face was calm as he offered a slow smile, his auburn hair was neat and well kept a ring of gray showing his age yet again.
"My name is Professor Anthony Ivo", Roy narrowed his eyes as he thought about the name for a moment. It seemed so familiar to him, but at the same point his memories seemed jumbled. Gripping his head with his hand he tried to make sense of things in his mind.
"What happened to me?".
"You were taken by the Light three years ago", Ivo clasped his hands in front of him, watching the young hero carefully.
"Th-three years?".
"Yes, you were being held in a cryo-containment pod beneath a research center", Roy lifted his eyes to the professor.
"No one came looking for me?", his hand returned to his damaged arm as he looked down at his lap.
"They didn't know they had to, you see Cadmus is known for its spectacular ability to clone people. You were replaced by a pre-programmed Roy Harper or Red Arrow as he goes by now", Roy grinded his teeth as he listened to the man speak.
"I remember you now, you are Professor Ivo a scientific and technological genius….but your no good guy…', he sighed, 'So I guess my next question should be….What do you plan to do with me Professor?". A smile crossed the older man's face as he unclasped his hands and came closer to the bed, shutting off a few of the machines he looked at Roy.
"I don't plan on doing anything to you. I am the one who saved you", Roy raised an eye brow at the Professor and then looked down at his missing arm.
"Why?".
…...
Jerking upright Red Arrow looked around wildly as he took deep breaths, his skin was slick with a layer of sweat. It was another nightmare. He had been having them regularly lately, whenever he closed his eyes to rest. Falling back onto the mattress he groaned and touched his side carefully, a bruise had developed from the run in with the thugs in the alley.
Glancing around the small hotel room he felt his pulse slowing as he reassured him self that he was in no danger at the moment. Last night he had slipped in from the rooftop entrance and found a vacant room he could crash in. Without street clothes he couldn't wander in the front door and request a room without raising suspicion or unwanted attention. Rolling out of bed he made his way to the bathroom, he was in desperate need of a shower.
Standing in front of the mirror he removed his domino mask slowly and watched as his blue eyes were revealed. Staring at him self he couldn't help but feel like a monster, here he was traipsing around in someone else's body. He didn't have his own identity, he was created to replace someone else. Who was he?
Shaking his head he began to pull off his uniform the thoughts being pushed to the back of his mind. Turning on the hot water he stepped beneath the stream and felt his body instantly relax. Grabbing the soap and a wash cloth he worked up a lather and then set the soap aside. As he wiped the cloth over his skin he felt as though he was washing away all the past few days events. He couldn't forget that he was a clone but he could quiet his mind of the thoughts so he could see to the task at hand. Finding the real Roy Harper.
Washing his hair quickly he shut off the water and snagged a towel from the near by rack. Securing it around his waist he stepped out and grabbed a smaller towel to dry off his hair. With the white cloth draped over his head he headed into the bed room to dry off and decide upon his next plan of action.
"Well hello Hero', he froze and tore the towel off his head only to see Cheshire sitting on the window sill. Lunging to his right he reached out but was met by air, with a soft curse he looked to the villainess only to see her holding his bow. "Looking for something?".
"Yes an explanation as to why you are stalking me, this is getting unhealthy Chesh", he smirked at her as she clenched his compressed bow.
"I like to keep an eye on my toys and it's Cheshire", she spoke, her voice like silk as she stood and walked towards him. Roy would be lying if he said that she didn't make him nervous. Sure he was a teenage male and it was normal to have physical attractions, but to be physically attracted to a girl who on multiple attempts tried to stab, impale, or kill him? He was sure their was something wrong with that.
"Your toys?", he growled, he had been a puppet for long enough and her referencing him as such irked him. She tossed his bow on the bed as she passed it to get to him, but this time he was not showing his back to her. Backing till he was sure the wall was only inches from his back he watched her with hard eyes.
"Well toy", when she was a foot from him her head tilted to the side and for the first time he wished she did not wear that damned mask. "Blue..", she whispered, her voice so soft that Roy had almost missed it.
"What?".
"Your eyes are blue", she sounded lost for a moment but a harsh knock on the door had them both break from their thoughts.
"House keeping!", looking back to Cheshire Roy growled when he caught sight of her at the window.
"Gotta run", her voice held amusement and Roy was the one tilting his head now, until he noticed the towel she held in her hand. "So the curtains do match the carpets, interesting", looking down he grinded his teeth and was about to yell at her when he noticed she was gone.
"House keeping, this room is being used without hotel permission!", rolling his eyes he snatched up his uniform from the bathroom and then his boots, bow, and quiver. Nothing like scaling the side of a building in the nude, he was so glad his life was normal.
…...
Kaldur typed away at the holographic computer in the main training hall while Robin sat on the floor a few feet away doing the same on his wrist computer. They had been working for a few hours to find traces of were Red Arrow had disappeared to after leaving Oliver's the past night.
"Any luck?", Wally asked as he entered, chewing on a candy bar while tossing a water to Robin.
"Facial recognition programs are slow but by sectioning off the major cities between two computers I think we have a good chance of locating him sooner", Robin said while catching the water and handing it to Kaldur who accepted with a quite thanks.
"He is hard to find when he does not wish to be found", the atlantean said as he cracked the bottle and took a sip.
"The sooner we find him the better, his memories may hold clues as to were the real Roy is being held", Wally looked down at Robin and couldn't help the thought that entered his mind.
"If he is still-".
"Don't say it.", Robin growled while looking up at the speedster.
"Sorry, just voicing what I know we are all thinking", Kaldur sighed as he watched the screen flip through images of people, trying to find a match to Red Arrow.
"It is unsettling to think that they took Speedy so easily and replaced him without discovery for three years", the boys turned their attention to approaching foot steps. Artemis and Zatanna both offered small smiles before assessing the screens and what the others were working on.
"He went missing?", Artemis asked as Wally moved around her, the body language between the two was easy to read but the others were preoccupied with the mission.
"Oliver said he stormed out last night and has made no attempts to contact him or Dinah", Zatanna kneeled by Robin and looked over his screen.
"I could try to use my magic to locate him?", she offered and Robin smiled at her.
"Have I ever mentioned how amazing you are?", she couldn't help the blush that rose to her cheeks as he looked at her with admiration.