Part 8
Star City
Watchtower
Oliver was fast asleep on the couch trying to get some much needed rest. The pass few days had been pretty hectic everything from the devastating attack on Metropolis, to Clark killing Winslow Schotts to the announcement that he had made to the entire world as Superman. Oliver knew Clarks heart and intentions were in the right place and he would stand by him no matter what, but just how far was Clark willing to go for world peace? He was worried. More worried than he ever has been about Clark. Who had been working non-stop patrolling the world making sure everyone abided to his declaration. He was sure it had been days since Clark had eaten or slept. How long would Clark keep this up?
Oliver hadn't talked talked to him, not since the moment he saw Clark rip Schotts heart out. And the two really hadn't talked. They had stared at one another, but nothing was ever said. Clark left as soon as he knew Schotts was dead. The last time the two had actually spoken was when Clark learned that Lois had been taken and needed his help to find her, before that the two talked about Lois being pregnant. Clark had been so happy then and now, ….now that was just a distant memory that will never come to be.
"Ollie..." Victor annouched very directly as if he were in distress as he tried to wake him friend up from his slumber. He hated to wake him, but this was something Oliver needed to hear. Something everyone would need to hear. "Oliver. Wake up!"
"Huh..." Oliver mumbled as he slowly opened his eyes to find Victor staring down on him. "Victor? Wh-what is it? It's two in the morning."
"Chloes on the discrete line." His face saddened hating to have to bring this on him now. Things were bad as they were, but now they had gotten ten times worse. "Somethings happened."
"What?" Oliver exclaimed as he sat up not liking the tone in Victors voice. Something bad had happened. But what could be any worse than what has already happened. "What is it? What happened?"
"You should talk to Chloe?"
"I'm asking you!" Oliver exclaimed.
Victor sighed heavily. He had received enough bad news to know that he hated giving it just as much. And this was just about as bad as bad news could get. "Jayna is dead... And Mia was taken hostage?"
"What..." Oliver couldn't believe what he was hearing. This had to be some kind of dream. He cried out in his mind pleading for himself to wake up, but this was no nightmare. He got up and rushed to the com to talk with Chloe, "Chloe..."
"Oh, Ollie. It's so good to hear your voice..." she cried.
"Jayna's dead?" Oliver asked not even believing his own words. It couldn't be true. There could be no possible way the young twenty-six year old woman, who nine years earlier along with her twin brother had become members of the League.
They like Clark had been sent to earth before the destruction of their home planet. The two had to defend for themselves and could only count on each other. They decided to enroll into school so they could learn about earth culture and be able to blend in, but no one really bought the story they had come up with and eventually they had to move on and go into hiding. That is until they got wind they may not be the only non-earthlings living on earth. They had come to Metropolis where they wanted to help out the Blur. And after a lot of hard training they had become full members of the league and an added bonus with the help of him and Chloe, they came up with solid proof identities for the twins.
Born on June 18th 1992, Zan and Jayna Kelt. Their parents Xzander and Jaxx died in a house fire on Sept 5th 2006. They were in the system for two years, until they emancipated on their 17th birthday. There were files and everything. Everything they needed to have a life on earth and not worry about someone finding out the truth about them. They even had a new family. People they could count on, no matter what. ...But now one of them was dead, because she had followed an order he had given.
"...They bursted into the room. With guns. She protected us, so we could escape," Chloes voice crackled. "They shot her Oliver. She died in Zans arms..."
Oliver didn't know what to say. What was he supposed to say? There was nothing he could say that would change what happen. "...And they took Mia?" he asked with his heart breaking over the loss of Jayna, but even more so for Mia. He had taken the young street girl under his wing, got her away from a life they would have likely killed her by now, but now his good intentions for saving her from a life of death may have only been traded for another life that put her in grave danger.
"We don't know," Chloe cried. "She fought them off, so Zan could help us escape?"
They didn't even know if she were alive or dead. Which made it all the more worst, a part of him hope they she was dead, because he didn't even want to think about what they were doing to her now. While the other part of him wanted her to still be alive, because she meant the world to him. She was like a little sister to him and he would do anything for her. "Do you know who it was? Did you see their faces?"
"No. They're were wearing mask, but they were good. Whoever they were, they were trained for this."
Oliver glanced at both Victor and Bart who were standing before him waiting for order. Victor had contact Bart the moment Oliver got online with Chloe and told him what was going on. Oliver locked eyes with Bart. "I'm sending Bart to come and get you guys. I want you home."
"Oliver, I want to be with you more than anything right now. ….But it's not safe." She hated to say it, but she knew she was right. She had been at this long enough to know when something was a good idea, even when it's something you want the most. "Whoever these guys are. They wont stop. They're trying to get to you, through us. …...We can't come home."
Oliver didn't want it to be true. He didn't want to agree to it, but he knew she was right. If they came home to Star City, they would become an easier target. It wasn't safe for them. Not until he stopped whoever it was that was after them. "Are you at the safe house?"
"We're here now,"
Oliver sighed heavily, knowing what that meant. He looked at a photo of him, Chloe and their son sitting next to his computer. He picked it up trying to recall happier times. Back before everything changed. "How long do we have?"
"Less than a minute, before it become active. No one will be able to get in or out," she answered softly "No communication."
Back in 2009 three underground safe houses lined with lead had been developed, just in case they had not been able to stop Zods army and plans. The safe houses were stock piled with supplies and things people would need to survive. Once active they would have thirty minutes to deactivate until the time lock was set. The time lock was set for five years, meaning that for five years anyone inside would not be able to leave.
"Is Robbie awake?"
"He's sleeping..."
"Tell him that I love him," he cried.
"Of course," Chloe cried. "I love Oliver …..and please don't forget about what I said about Clark."
"I wont. It's going to be okay, I promise," he told her with a heavy heart. "I love you Chloe..." No answer. "Chloe?" No answer. The line was dead. Oliver bowed his head down sighing.
"I'm sorry Oliver," said Victor as he gripped his friends shoulder.
"Maybe I could flash over there, see if there is a way to get them out," exclaimed Bart.
"No," Oliver turned to them. "Chloe knew what she was doing. She wouldn't have gone in there if she didn't think she had to. They'll be safe in there. Once all of this blows over and things go back to normal will get them out of there." He would not let his family remain the next five years underground. He would find a way to fix things and then they would be a family again. "...But for now," Oliver locked eyes with Victor. "Find me everything you can about the men who broke into my home." He had to know, he needed to know if Mia was still alive, because if she was she was probably in a lot of trouble.
"I'm on it," exclaimed Victor.
After Victor had left Olivers eyes fell onto Bart. The young street kid who he had taken under his wing after he caught him trying steal a meal in Star City. Bart had come a long way since then. Oliver trust him with his life and knew he could count on him no mater what. "Have you been able to find him?"
Oliver had asked Bart to do several sweep around the word to see if he could find where the one member of their team, the one who could have likely prevented all of that's happened in the last few days from ever happening. But ever since Metropolis fell, Booster Gold aka Michael Carter has been MIA.
"No," Bart shook his head. "I've looked everywhere. I don't know where our Goldilocks is."
"Dammit!" exclaimed Oliver as he slammed his fist against his desk. He heard Bart tell him that he was sorry. Oliver sighed heavily. He turned to Bart with a faint smile. "It's not your fault. He's the one that's failed. Not you."
"Maybe something happened," replied Bart.
"Yeah," Oliver answered. "He chickened out and flew the coop. I don't know why I ever let Clark talk me into letting Booster join the team."
"Maybe Bart is right," exclaimed Kara as she blued in. "Booster may have a perfectly good reason that he wasn't able to tell us what was coming."
Oliver got right into Kara's face. All the anger and stress of the last few days, everything that had happened, everything he had been holding back was rushing out of him. "If he has such a perfectly damn good reason then why hasn't he returned one of the hundred messages I've left him." He looked her hard in the eyes. "...And you. You should have known this would happened. After all that time you spent in the 31st century. Can you honestly tell me you didn't know this was going to happen?"
"I can't believe you just said that!" exclaimed Kara, not believing what Oliver was accusing her of. After all these years of working together. Did he really think that little of her? "You think if I had known about Metropolis, Lois, about the men who went after Chloe and your son, that I wouldn't have tried to do something."
"You know, it's getting a little too hot in here for me," stated Bart uneasily as he started backing away. "I think I might drop by the farm and see how Conner and Courtney are doing." With a quick flash Bart was gone, before anyone could notice he had left.
"I don't know," Oliver crossed his arms again this chest. "You tell me. You're the one whose been playing G.I. Jane with your cousin. Where is he by the way? Victor said he called him before he got me up."
"He's in Africa..." Kara answered not liking where this was going.
"Detaining another corrupt power hungry dictator," exclaimed Oliver almost mockingly "While Chloe and my son lives were in danger. Does he even care about Jayna? Or that Mia's dead body could be lying in some ditch right now?" He looked Kara hard in the eyes. "Do you even care?"
"Of course I care!" cried Kara. "And so does Clark! ...He's just-..."
"I know," announced Oliver harshly. "He's going through a tough time right now." He sighed heavily, knowing he had been way out of line for getting on Kara's case. It wasn't her fault. "We all are..."
Kara smiled a faint understanding smile, knowing that everything that's been going on has been especially hard on Oliver. He had been the one to witness Clarks turning point. The point where he broke free of any restraints that had once held him back. "...You have to believe me, I really didn't know any of this was going to happen."
One look in her eyes and Oliver knew she was telling the truth. She didn't know. Not that he needed that reassurance to begin with. He should have known from the beginning that Kara never would knowingly let something like this happen. Not to Clark. Not to any of them. She would have done everything in her power to stop this. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have accused you like that, I'm just..."
"Worried about your family," Kara finished. "You're not the only one."
"How's Conner?"
"I told him to take a break, spend some time with Courtney at the farm." To tell the truth she wasn't all that worried about Conner. She knew he was hurting over the loss of Martha who was like a mother to him, but he had Courtney who was helping him through it. "He's hanging in there." She was more concerned about...
"...And Clark?"
"I don't know..." she cried softly. "The only thing I do know is I can't leave his side. I'm afraid of what may happen if I do. ….If any of us."
"Hey," Oliver answered softly as he consoled her in a friendly hug. "None of us will ever leave Clark. We'll get him through this." He brushed away a falling tear from her cheek. "I made a promise to Chloe and I intend to keep it."
Singapore
Queen Residence
Victor stood outside of what remained of the home that Oliver and his family once shared. Nothing was left of the beautiful cottage. Only a pile of rubble. It was a grim sight indeed. Victor was grateful that Zan had been able to get Chloe and little Robbie out when he had, but it didn't leave much hope for Mia.
Victor scanned the area, but could find no trace or remains of a body. Which meant that there was still a chance that Mia was alive, but meant that whoever had broken into the home had taken her with them. He continued to scan the area hoping to find something they may have left behind that would tell them who had taken her and killed Jayna. No one takes a member of their team, their family and gets away with it. There would be justice. And he would not stop until he had it. Then he spotted something that looked to be pinned to a tree. He walked through the rubble towards a tree that had stood behind the home. There he saw what appeared to the the remain of an arrow and a folded piece of paper. Victor pulled the arrow our and a quick scanning of the arrow with his eye, the data he received reveled that this arrow was not one of Oliver's arrows. He unfolded the piece of paper that reads
'No lovers, No allies, No disciples'
V.
Victor taps into his com to alert Oliver of his findings. "Oliver. I've found something..."
"What did you find?"
"Guns weren't the only thing they brought along," Victor annouched still holding the arrow in his hands. "Someone shares your taste in weaponry. They left a message. Doesn't make much sense."
"Let me guess. No, Lovers, No allies, No disciples..."
"Yeah!" Victor annouched surprised that Oliver had gotten it word for word. "How'd you know?"
"I'll explain later," answered Oliver. "I'll see you when you get back."
"Ollie what's going on?"
"I know who has her and I'm going to bring her home. That's all you need to know for now. Arrow out."
Star City
Abandoned Warehouse
Oliver dressed in his arrow gear walked around the dark gloomy warehouse that was giving us a serious haunted vibe. Oliver looked around every concerned ready for any surprised that may come his way. "I'm here! So why don't you come out of the shadows so we can talk. Unless of course, your a coward."
"Coward!" exclaimed Vordigan as he came out of hiding with Mia tightly in his clutches. He pressed the tip of an arrow from his crossbow against her neck. "The only coward here is you Oliver. Had you done what you should have nine years ago. This could have been avoided."
Oliver was supposed to kill Vordigan the man who taught him nearly everything and the last part of his training was supposed to kill his teacher, but Oliver had refused not wanting to turn into the man Vordigan had become. He quickly ready his bow and arrow at his former teacher. "Let Mia go! This is between you and me."
"You're going to have to kill me first!"
"So I can become a murderer like you," answered Oliver as much as he would like to be done with Vordigan he wouldn't sink down to his level. "I think I'll pass."
"Hmmm?" laughed Vordigan devilishly. "Even your blue friend has it in him. You did see him rip out my former executives heart?"
"He wasn't himself," Oliver answered firmly knowing he couldn't let Vordigan get inside his head. He couldn't allow himself to be manipulated. Not again.
"It's a shame it has come to this. He actually did me a favor by taking out the mindless worm."
"I'll be sure to pass on your thanks when I see him," answered Oliver. "Now let Mia go."
Vordigan smiled a wicked smile not yet releasing his hold on Mia whose hands were bond together so she wouldn't be able to try anything. He had trained Oliver and knew that after the last time he had adopted the young girl. Oliver would have made sure that Mia would never find herself in that situation again. "It is unfortunate the predicament I am in. He would have made an excellent pupil your friend. All that power without the restraint, doesn't take no for an answer."
"What are you talking about?" demanded Oliver. "What does he have to do with this?"
"You had such promise Oliver, but you broke the one code you should never break," annouched Vordigan. "You revealed your true self to the eyes of the world and made yourself vulnerable."
"It may not have been my finest moment, but what's done is done," answered Oliver not letting his former teacher find a way in. "Now what about Superman? What does he have to do with this?"
"Do you really think that after all these years that I would show up out of the blue?" he annouched. "If I wanted to kill you, I would have done so a long time ago."
"So why come now? Why come after my family?"
"I was hired by an old friend of yours," he grinned. "Seems they don't share my likeness to your blue friend. They want to know his identity and for you to bring him in. I almost didn't accept the mission, but the offer they gave me and to chance to see you again was too much to refuse."
"I must be drawling a blank, because none of my friends would be talking to the likes of you," answered Oliver. "Not even the ones I've pissed off."
"Oh forgive me," answered Vordigan with a sly cunning smile. "Maybe I should have said an old acquaintance. You too haven't been friends since you were children and even then it was a rocky relationship from what I remember that you had told me."
"Lex!" Oliver's heart skipped several beats as he realized just who Vordigan had been hired by. He couldn't believe it, but at the same time it shouldn't surprise him. Lex has always been trying to find a way to bring Superman down and with no card to play against the Man of Steel he had come after him to get to Superman.
"Present Lex Luthor!" Vordigan corrected his former student. Then he narrowed his eyes on a terrified Mia who had been struggle to get free, but had not been able to get her bound hands free. "Now tell me who he is ….or I will rip apart your precious pupil piece by piece keeping her alive until I pull her heart letting her see it beat its last beat before her final breath."
Oliver eyes locked with Mia, he knew she was trying to be strong, but at the same time she was scared out of her mind and he was just as scared. He knew very well that Vordigan wasn't joking he would do all that if he didn't get what he wanted and even then his own words can't be trusted. He needed a plan and he needed one now. Damn Clark! For not answering his call. How was he supposed to save Mia and keep Clarks identity safe at the same time? Then he saw a dark figure moving in the shadows, but made sure not to let his former teacher know they were no longer alone.
"I'm surprised your former C.E.O., didn't disclose Superman identity to you," annouched Oliver wanting to distract him so his comrade could get the jump on him allowing Mia the time she needed to get away and for him to make his move.
"Schotts kept your friends identity to himself."
"Hmmm," smirked Oliver. "Much like our current President, if you knew who -excuse me, I mean what he is. You wouldn't take orders from him. It would be beneath you."
"The only thing beneath me is whatever I saw in you," he hissed.
"The felling is mutual," remarked Oliver grinning. "Hope you brought along a pair of ear plugs..." Oliver then clicked the com in his ear that also worked as a blocker from Dinah's loud heart wrenching screech. He thought that it would be a good idea if each of the team members had that equipped with their coms, especially when they were on a mission with Diniah.
"Wh-what..." hissed Vordigan having no idea what the hell Oliver was talking about, at least until it was too late.
Black Canary SCREECH, echoes throughout the room causing Vordigan to loose his hold on Mia, Mia was on the ground feeling the effect of the screech ringing in her ear drums. Oliver quickly swept to her rescue and placed the extra com he had brought along in her ear. He then unbound her hands.
"You all right?" he asked her.
"Ask me tomorrow," she answered.
Oliver then went over to his former teacher and kicked his weapons away. He nodded to Dinah letter her know she could stop. He pointed his ready his arrow pointing it right at Vordigan who was down on his knees, blood draining from his ears.
"They've made you weak!" hissed Vordigan. "Had you completed your training you wouldn't of needed help."
"That's where you're wrong," Oliver knelt down in front of Vordigan as Mia and Dinah stood behind him. "We're stronger as team. And if you ever go near my family or a member of my team again..."
"What? You'll kill me?" Vordigan mocked not impressed by Olivers words. "We both know if that were true, you would have done so years ago."
"Oliver, come on. Let's go," Mia said as she gripped Olivers shoulder. "He's not worth it."
"So we just let him go?" exclaimed Dinah not liking that plan. Vordigan was a monster, a murderer. He didn't deserve to live. "He's already killed one of us. He would have killed you. What's to stop him from trying again?"
Oliver was conflicted. He knew that Dinah was right. That Vordigan would keep trying just for the sake at getting back at him for him turning his back on him. And he couldn't arrest him, he was already at odds with the law and he was sure that Lex would waste no time in getting his Dark Archer assassin out of prison. He would be so easy to shoot his arrow right through Vordigans heart. It would solve a lot of problems. His friends would be safe. His family would be safe.
Could he really kill him and everything would be okay? Clark had killed Winslow Schotts, a man who had killed millions. People were actually happy that Superman had killed the man responsible for the deaths in Metropolis. So why shouldn't he do the same with Vordigan?
"Do it!" Vordigan hissed. "I know you want to. I can see it in your eyes. The Oliver I know is still in there."
Oliver was readying to pull the trigger to let the arrow loose, until he saw an image of his young son and Chloe. No! They wouldn't want him to. Not even Lois would want him to. He couldn't stoop to that level. Not again. The last time nearly destroyed him. "No!" Oliver lowered his weapon. "I'm not a murderer."
He backed away, Mia followed grateful that Oliver hadn't done it, but Dinah stock behind staring her dark beating eyes down at Vordigan. She wasn't as forgiving. This man had killed Jayna, killed one of their own, a member of their family. She couldn't let him get away with that. She looked to Oliver. "Maybe you can't..." before Oliver could say anything Dinah started blaring her loud screech into Vordigans face.
Vordigan screamed out in pain as blood drained out of his ear as Dinah's screech became louder and louder with each passing second. Oliver had to act quickly he whacked Dinah hard across the back of her head knocking her out cold. Vordigans body dropped to the ground unmoving. Oliver knelt down next to her former teacher feeling for a pulse. It was faint, but a quick look over told him that Vordigan would survive.
"He'll live," Oliver told Mia over his shoulder. He then placed his eyes on an unconscious Dinah he sighed heavily. "Come on let's get you home." He picked her up and carried her out with Mia walking close to his side.
After getting Mia and Dinah situated at Watchtower. Oliver told Mia there was something he need to take care of and he would talk to her later. He knew this probably was the smartest plan he has ever come up with and that if Clark knew what he was doing he would ream his neck for it, but at the present moment he really didn't care. Beside it wasn't like Clark was the golden boy he once had been.
Washington
White House
"That was very low Lex!" exclaimed Oliver as President Lex Luthor walked into his chambers alone. "Even for you."
"Oliver Queen!" annouched Lex with a sly smile as he closed the door behind him. "I've been expecting you."
"I'm sure you have."
"I understand that a member of Justice League lost their life," Lex answered all smoothly. "You have my condolences"
"Condolences my ass!" exclaimed Oliver. "You set this whole thing up"
"Tell me what does one become when they lose the one thing that connects them to the world," annouched Lex.
"Wh-what?" exclaimed Oliver not seeing where this was going. Lex wasn't making any sense.
"You see that's where I made my mistake the first time." He gave Oliver a cunning all knowing smile. "I went about turning him all the wrong way. What I should have done was taken care of her." He got right into Olivers face staring him down. "And this time. I did!" The grin he had on his face was a grin that Oliver wanted to rip off his face and smack the living daylights out of him. "And I thought I would poke some fun at you. I didn't even have to do anything. They came up with that idea all on their own." He stared deeply into Olivers eyes. "Disgusting isn't? How grown men sworn to protect innocents would be so willing to attack a young helpless boy."
The more Oliver stared into Lex's eyes. The more he saw something else. Something that scared the hell out of him. He could feel his heart racing and pounding rapidly against his chest. "Dasrksied!"
TO BE CONTINUED