With every step that she takes feeling a strong gust of wind following all around her causing her long blonde hair to flow freely with the wind ignoring the sound of leather jacket flapping keeping her eyes forward as she looks around her surroundings unable to resist a look of shock forms across a young woman's face.
Shock that couldn't even begin to describe what she is truly feeling inside. Feelings that even she couldn't begin to describe. But what she did know was shock was easily the strongest feeling at the moment.
Shock from seeing the carnage all around her. Even if it was slowly being cleaned up. Carnage that she had briefly heard about a short year ago but didn't look more into.
But now? Now she looks all around her surroundings to find absolutely nothing. No neighborhoods. No more homes needing to be redone and renovated in the hopes of having a new owner.
No more rundown apartment buildings that had been rented out to those that were barely making it by. Old small company stories that had been battling against the bigger names now non existent.
Instead all she could see through the sand clouds that are soaring through the air is nothing. Nothing but ash. Nothing but the memories of what was once The Glades.
Memories she would always cherish. Always cherish the memory of learning to drive using these streets and neighborhoods as her own personal playground. Just like how she had passed down her knowledge to another in what she considered to be the driving lessons from hell.
The memories of walking down these streets invading every single store that she could possible with another happily behind her while she dragged a less than willing occupant inside to only exit out with numerous bags of different kinds of clothing.
Memories that she knew seemed so childish now as she looks around through the clouds of dust thinking only about one thing. Thinking about everyone that had been affected by this tragic event.
All the families that would never be whole again. Every single individual that had been scarred from what had taken place here. Not only physically but mentally as well.
A thought that only makes her briefly close her eyes for a brief second as she unclentches her hand that had seemed to clutch into a tight fist unaware to her knowledge before slowly as she opens her eyes to look to her side a confused look forms across her face when she sees another staring off into the distance.
Turning her head to look where he is looking as she sees some kind of large billboard through the clouds of dust in the distance with her interest only picking up reaching out just as she gently takes Oliver's hand within her own instantly without putting up an resistance keeping her eyes forward Laurel feels herself being lead through the clouds of dust towards the sign.
A sign that seemed so familiar somehow. A sign that she knows she had seen somewhere before. But where.
With each step she takes as she watches the clouds of dust being pushed away to reveal a wide billboard off into the distance that looked as though it could be seen for miles suddenly Laurel comes to a drastic halt bringing Oliver to a stop.
A message across the billboard that instantly makes her snort in disgust as she instantly recognizes the color coating belonging to a certain company. A company that has been n the spotlight of many news articles and magazine articles for years.
The very same company that has experienced some inner turmoil for the last couple of years. Turmoil that had first started with the reported disappearances of it's CEO and his rightful heir. The same heir that had once again rekindled the flames of turmoil within by trying to change the direction of the very company that had already changed into something much different than its former self.
A company that was being viewed as some sort of savior. As some sort of knight in shining armor that would put its resources into helping rebuild what had been lost here. But deep inside she knew this wasn't the case.
This company wasn't doing this out of the goodness of their hearts. They weren't doing this for the citizens that had lost so much on that given night. No this was being done in a way to gain more power.
Power to be able to really take control of the city. Not only through the financial side of things but also in the means of a full takeover. Even if the citizens of the city didn't realize it yet. A means to control each and everyone of their lives.
A sickening thought but a much more sickening thought was to whom was orchestrating the whole thing. A woman that she didn't think could get any lower.
But in her eyes she had. Had gotten so low to the point of taking advantage of the situation in front of her for her own personal gains. Personal gains of gaining even more power. To even go to the point of declaring herself the right person to lead the city.
A statement that has lingered into the hearts of many of the citizens throughout the city. A situation that had sickened her. Not because of the citizens of the city for siding with this rising tyrant.
No she understood why they were following after this shepard as though they were only sheep. She was playing to their weaknesses. She was providing a means to live.
No it was sickening to her knowing truly what this woman really was. She wasn't a savior. She wasn't this loving mother that she has been painted as. No she was in her mind a disgusting woman.
A woman that would take advantage of any situation in the means of helping herself. A woman that always seemed to have the need to control all those around her. Including her very children.
Children that were always monitored. Children that she had a need to contain and think that she knew what was best for them.
A situation that had made her spring into action cutting this tyrant off before even more damage could be done. But a tyrant that was still lurking. A tyrant that she knew had to be stopped before it was too late. Even if it came by her own hands.
The very same feeling that she could feel coming from another. Not just by the grip that he has on her hand as he stares up at the billboard. Not just by the sound of his voice whenever the topic of his mother has come up in conversations. No it was also because of his eyes.
Eyes that tell her so much. Could tell her what he truly was feeling deep inside. Could tell her things when he couldn't say them outloud. The very same that are staring a hole straight through the billboard with the very same emotions that she is currently feeling inside.
Emotions that she could feel the previous day when they had intentionally interrupted an ongoing rally being held for Moira Queen. The same ones that she would often feel whenever her name would even come up. But the strongest is what she is currently feeling radiating from his eyes.
Rage. Pure unadulterated rage. Rage of listening to even more lies being spread. Lies of promises that would be broken. Rage that is only being fueled by a fire deep inside that continues to be dosed with gasoline.
Gasoline dosing up years of pent up anger. Anger of not being able to control his life. Anger from being stranded in unknown territory away from his loved ones facing horrors too horrible to possibly imagine.
Anger that she has seen brief glimpses of from time to time. Glimpses of a man that was ready for war. A man that was willing to put his body on the line in order to feed the beast inside. A man that shows no fear.
But anger that was and would never be directed at her. Something that would often make her smile inside knowing no matter what she would never be on the receiving end. Instead she was the switch.
The switch to extinguish the fire with just the simplest of touches. With the simplest of kisses. A responsibility that she would never take for granted. Never take advantage of knowing fully well he has the same effect on her.
How just by the feeling of his arms wrapped around her could cause her anger to fade away. How gently he touches her skin with such delicaticity as though she is the most precious thing to him could cause her anger to evaporate instantly.
A feeling that she knew he was feeling now as she gently interlocks their fingers together without taking her eyes away from the billboard.
But a feeling that she knew wouldn't last for very long as she looks away from the billboard to look off into the distance to see piles of rubble that is being cleared out by a couple of bulldozers while the designs of a couple of buildings are being brought to life by a couple of construction workers.
Buildings that she instantly knew were the very same ones that were being advertised across the billboard's ad. Buildings that would bring in an new age of lifestyle. And with that lifestyle allow another to gain even more power unaware to every citizen's knowledge.
The promise of living space. A wide spread of condos being developed and created to help house everyone that had been affected by The Undertaking. Condos that would be clean and ready to be moved into once they were finished.
Living space that would provide immediate protection with twenty four hour surveillance. A sense of security in which none that had called The Glades their home had ever experienced before.
But security that would come at a cost. The cost of their freedom. The cost of their free will. Free will that would be stripped away from them once they had called one of the condos their home. If the reports she had read about were any indication.
Reports of it being a gated community with several security features to be added from id cards to even having to surrender any firearms or weapons before entering into the grounds leaving the citizens totally defenseless if something was to happen.
A scene that she would just have to wait and see how it would play out before jumping to any conclusions. But as for now? There was still some exploring that needed to be done.
Snapping out of her thoughts with the slightest of tugs as she slowly takes the lead reaching into jacket pocket just as she glances down at her cellphone to see it already in its GPS mode without any hesitation slowly Laurel leads Oliver away from the billboard and back through the clouds of dust.
With her eyes occasionally glancing down towards her cellphone making sure to follow the route it is providing ignoring the constant gushes of dust that seem to be flowing through the air on this fall afternoon closing her eyes slightly hoping to avoid any from getting into her eyes after a couple of minutes of walking through the clouds suddenly Laurel comes to a stop bringing Oliver along with her as she stares off up ahead at a sight that she had seen a few times in her dreams.
A sight that she never wished she would see in real life. The sight of destroyed buildings being reduced into nothing more than giant piles of scrap metal.
Piles that looked as though they stretched for miles. Sidewalks that have been reduced to craters. Destroyed vehicles that looked as though they had been melted under intense heat.
The very sight she had often seen herself walking down in her dreams. A sight that had become an reality. An reality she wished she could fade away. But she couldn't.
Glancing over towards Laurel's face as he sees her looking around their surroundings masking up the emotions she is feeling inside behind a blank look giving her hand the gentlest of squeezes slowly moving forward Oliver makes his way forward not feeling any resistance coming from her.
Taking a good hard look around his surroundings as he takes in the scene before him feeling nothing but a mixture of emotions from anger to guilt inside just as he leads Laurel around a large pile of burnt metal instantly as he sees a small monument in the center of what was once The Glades coming to a drastic halt a look of interest comes briefly across Oliver's face before it instantly vanishes with a blink of an eye as he resumes his march not catching the curious look briefly across Laurel's face.
Curiosity that quickly starts to bubble up to the surface once again as she inches ever so closer to the monument before just mere seconds later as she comes to a stop a couple of feet away from the monument to see it resembling the vietnam memorial instantly Laurel's eyes go as wide as saucers.
To all those that lost their lives be forever remembered….
A monument that instantly makes her feel as though she had the wind knocked out of her. Not by the monument itself. But instead of every single name she sees inscribed on the memorial. Line after line of names that stretch out across the entire monument.
Some names that she instantly recognize as she glances across the monument. Names such as Felicity Smoak. A tech specialize working at Queen Consolidated that she had met briefly.
Names such as Lucas Hilton. Her father's former partner. A man that she had looked up to as a second father figure.
But a man that had been lost. Just like so many others. Just like so many innocent lives that never knew what hit them before it was too late.
The very same names that Oliver stares at with a look of shock across his face as he remains glued to his spot while out of the corner of his eye slowly Laurel moves all around the monument grazing her fingers across the smooth granite wall before them.
Shock from every single name that he sees across the granite wall. Names that go along with the faces that he has seen often in his dreams. Dreams about families walking down a sidewalk before they would instantly disappear within a flash.
Dreams of watching Laurel inside of a park pushing a blonde haired boy no older than three on a swing set before instantly the sky lights up and the sound of her screams is heard echoing through the air.
Horrifying dreams that he has often had ever since he had seen the reports of what exactly happened that night. A night he would forever remember. Forever remember as the night his life had been turned upside down. A night that would change him forever.
Skimming through the countless names that he sees closing his eyes briefly as the sound of countless screams start to echo throughout his mind reaching out as he gently places his hand against the granite wall to stare into his reflection taking a deep breathe slowly Oliver bows his head down as he closes his eyes.
" I'm sorry."
Taking slow and steady breathes as he hears nothing but the sound of gust of wind soaring through the air suddenly as he feels a pair of arms gently wrapping around him from behind that he instantly knew who they belonged to without opening his eyes reaching down gently Oliver covers their hand with his own.
Crack! Crack….
Throwing caution into the wind with a clear mind keeping her eyes focused on her opponent in front of her as she flips back a wave of her sweaty blonde hair over her shoulder that seems to shine from the light radiating from above adjusting her grip around the handmade wooden staff in her hands without any hesitation bursting from her spot with her eyes focused on her opponent's face with blazing speed Laurel sends a high staff strike intended for her opponent's head to only feel her staff striking against another.
Whirling the staff around as she sends a low strike down that hits nothing but her opponent's own without any hesitation as she rears back to deliver a well placed kick to her opponent's stomach causing them to stumble back a few feet without giving them a chance to react Laurel sends a sweeping low strike indeed to knock their feet out from under them.
Seeing the sweep coming instantly as he leaps up into the air over towards Laurel with his right knee raised up high suddenly as he feels Laurel blocking his attack with her wooden staff causing his knee to strike against the staff with tremendous force just as he sees her stumbling back from the force with her staff clearly broken Oliver quickly has to duck his head from an incoming strike.
Spinning around as she gets into a fighting stance wielding a half of her broken staff in each of her hands instantly as she sees Oliver throwing a high staff strike of his own in her direction reaching up Laurel quickly blocks the staff strike causing the loud crack of wood striking wood to echo through the quiet river setting they had decided to train at on this given day.
A situation that could be found happening for a couple of hours each and every day. Days of intense training occurring between two individuals looking to better the other.
Training that slowly but surely has started to pay off. Pay off in the terms of their physical states. States that looked as though they could fit for hours. Could fight without ever being winded.
Could fight without allowing their emotions to control them. Something that each were still fighting to achieve. But progress that was being made.
Just like their techniques. Techniques that were drastically improving. Improving from being one dimensional to becoming a complete fighter. To not always be on the offensive leaving themselves clean for an attack but to be able to defend themselves.
Defend themselves against any weapon that would be pulled on them. Defend themselves in any situation that they might find themselves in. Situations from being outnumbered to even being injured.
With lighting fast speed as he blocks a low counter strike being dished out by Laurel keeping his eyes focused on her leaping back as he sees Laurel charging forward at him gripping his staff tightly instantly Oliver throws his staff up to block a high strike by Laurel followed by another.
Keeping her feet planted and her eyes forward rearing back as though as if she was a windmill as she sends strike after strike in Oliver's direction to feel nothing but her staff remains striking his own with tremendous force in a sudden move releasing her staff remains taking a page out of his own book bursting from her spot Laurel sends a high knee strike directly into the middle of Oliver's own causing the staff to instantly snap in half.
Stumbling a few feet back discarding the staff remains in his hands off to the side snapping his hands up as he blocks an incoming high kick without giving her any chance to react with lightning fast speed Oliver kicks Laurel's leg out from under her.
Feeling herself leaving her feet as she waits for the impact of her back to hit the dirt ground suddenly as she feels a pair of arms catching her snapping open her eyes a brief smile comes across Laurel's face as she looks up to see Oliver smiling down at her.
Keeping the smile across his face leaning down as he presses his lips gently to her own to feel her hands automatically wrapping around the back of his neck just as he gets lost into the kiss Oliver opens his eyes when he feels Laurel breaking off the kiss.
" I almost had you that time."
Letting out a chuckle as he nods his head slowly Oliver rises up to his feet bringing Laurel up with him.
" But almost doesn't count."
Staring directly into his eyes as she sees Oliver's lips curling up into a grin letting out a huff unable to keep her lips from curling up into a smile shaking her head gently Laurel wiggles herself from his embrace to make her way to stand by the edge of the river's shore.
" I'll end up beating you one day."
" But you already have pretty bird. I have no problem admitting that while i may have the advantage in terms of unarmed combat when it comes to weapons you are superior."
" And if i don't have a staff in my hands i'm defenseless. I'm nothing without it. Sure i can handle myself if it's just another street thug without needing to use my staff but against someone that has combat training?
I don't stand much of a chance."
Shaking his head as he hears Laurel letting out a sigh slowly moving from his spot reaching out gently Oliver wraps his arms around her from behind.
" You're being too hard on yourself. You're much better than you are giving yourself credit for."
Letting out a sigh reaching down as she gently interlocks their fingers together Laurel can't help but smile at their reflections in the water.
" You really think so?"
" I know so. If i didn't have years of training already under my belt, I can honestly say that you would get the better of me quite easily. You still do.
You also have to remember winning a battle doesn't always involve having to have the most skill. It involves outsmarting your opponent."
" When did you get so wise?"
Shrugging his shoulders leaning down gently Oliver kisses the side of Laurel's neck before he looks back down towards their reflections.
" I guess you're starting to rub off on me."
With her smile only widening shaking her head leaning back gently Laurel pecks Oliver on the lips before slowly Laurel wiggles gently out of his embrace.
Taking a couple of steps forward as she puts some distance between them glancing over her shoulder as she sees Oliver staring at her with an interested look suppressing a smile instantly Laurel snaps around and slowly gets into a fighting stance.
" Again and this time no holding back."
Letting out a chuckle as he nods his head slowly without taking his eyes away from Laurel's own slowly Oliver gets into a fighting stance.
Feeling a hand tightly covering her mouth suppressing her screams despite her best efforts as she looks down in horror as her boyfriend lays down barely consis on the ground with blood noticeably pouring out of his mouth to the cold ground below as a group of hooded figures take turns kicking at his rib cage while a few others look on with smirks and grins across their faces a lone brunette girl looks at the scene with hot tears trickling down her cheeks.
Tears that keep trickling down from her bloodshot red eyes as she listens on to their attackers taunting them while her boyfriend lays defenseless to the never ending onslaught of kicks and punches being delivered his way.
A situation that she still couldn't believe they had found themselves in. A situation that she never saw coming. But in the back of her mind she knew this could happen. Knew that this came with the risk of lurking out over here at night.
Something that she had often did for so many months. So many painful months when the pain was to much to bare needing her to have her release. The release of a drug that has somehow found its way back into the city.
Get her release off of Vertigo. An act that she would have been disgusted with herself for so many months ago. But now? Now she needed it. Now she craved it.
Craved the feeling of not feeling anything. Craved how it made her feel. Craved how the pain would stop. Even if it was for a short period of time.
A release that has all started once she had woken up inside of an hospital room. A moment she would never forget. Never forget the moment her life had been turned upside down.
A moment that seemed to stop time all around her as a bombshell had been dropped on her. The bombshell of what had happened as she was driving home through The Glades.
The bombshell of a explosion taking place that had completely destroyed The Glades. An explosion that she had barely escaped from along with her boyfriend. An explosion that her family was less fortune to escape.
Family that she would never get to see ever again. Never get to see their smiling faces again. Never get to feel one of her mother's heart warming hugs. Never get to talk to her younger sister again.
A moment of realization that has made her burst into tears so many times over the past couple of months. Months that were too painful to bare. But months that had instantly started to get better thanks to a small drug.
A drug that her boyfriend had been experimenting with along with their friends for a while. An addiction that had quickly become her own. An addiction she had been disgusted with herself at first the moment she felt the effects of the drug running through her veins.
But disgust that had quickly died down with every dose that had coursed through her veins. An addiction that would lead to this every single week. Lead to her being lead through the shadows of the night by her boyfriend to his supplier through some of the ruffer neighborhoods left standing.
Neighborhoods had would often have her staying close to her boyfriend's side once she had caught the stares of nearby men that would always send a chill up her spine. The very same chill she had felt on this night but decided to ignore.
A big mistake on her part. A mistake that has lead to this. Lead to her being left defenseless as the same eyes that had been lurking at her from afar are now staring at her with lust filled eyes. Eyes that instantly terrifies her as she knows what their intentions were for her on this night.
Keeping her eyes focused on her boyfriend hoping to catch the attention of a wander as she lets out an ear piercing scream to only hear her scream being muffled from the hand covering her mouth instantly as she feels the man's grip around her waist tightening from behind without a second thought in a sudden move rearing back the brunette bites down hard on the thug's hand causing her to hear him letting out a scream before instantly she feels herself being flung into the side of a nearby dumpster with tremendous force.
Suppressing a scream as she feels a cut opening up on her side from hitting the corner of the dumpster gently covering her wound looking up as she sees a couple of the hooded figures slowly making their way over towards her stumbling back slowly the brunette shakes her head.
" Please! Please stop!"
Instantly as she feels right arm being roughly grabbed with a jerk as she is pulled roughly to her feet without having any chance to react the brunette snaps her head to the side when she feels a backhanded strike landing clean against her cheek before mere seconds later as she feels herself being thrown chest first into the dumpster with force suddenly the brunette's eyes widen when she hears the sound of her belt buckle being undone.
" Please…."
" Shut up whore or i'll gut you here along with your boyfriend!"
Suddenly with a tug as she feels her jeans being tugged down to her knees feeling her tears intensifying snapping her eyes shut the brunette buries her face into the dumpster.
Licking his lips as he looks down to see the young woman in front of him trembling in fear glancing over his shoulder as he sees his friends looking towards the scene with smirks across their faces with a smirk of his own reaching down slowly the hooded figure starts to undo his belt buckle.
Rearing back as he gives the young woman's ass a swat causing him to see no reaction coming from the girl shaking his head reaching down as he grabs a hold of the straps of her white panties suddenly the man comes to a stop as the hairs on the back of his neck stick up.
Feeling a pair of eyes watching him turning his head to look towards the other end of the alleyway as he glances through the darkness seeing nothing but glimpses of the fall moonlight hitting a few areas of the walls unaware to his knowledge his friends look on with confusion.
" Are you going to do it or not?"
Ignoring his friend's call as he lets go of the young woman's pantie's straps staring into the darkness just as he is about to turn his head back towards the girl instantly before he has a chance to react the man's world goes completely black when an arrow comes soaring through the darkness.
Instantly as he watches his friend's lifeless body flop down to the ground in a heap causing the sound of a sickening snap to echo throughout the air rearing back just as he scrambles to grab a hidden knife from the back of his pants suddenly just as he hears the sound of a low whistle echoing through the air the man's world goes black when he feels a sharp object piercing through his hood and into his chest with tremendous force.
Trembling in fear as she hears the sound of screams echoing through the air remaining glue to her spot as she keeps her eyes tightly shut to hear the sound the bodies falling all around her just as her body starts to shake viciously peaking her eyes open suddenly the brunette's eyes snap open when she sees her attackers laying motionless on the ground with each sporting an arrow sticking through different parts of their bodies.
Glancing all around her as she looks down to see each and everyone of her attackers staring up at her with lifeless eyes slowly backing up from the scene reaching down as she pulls up her pants suddenly the brunette comes to a drastic halt when she feels a pair of eyes watching her.
With her body trembling in fear turning her head to look over her shoulder as she sees a figure dressed in an emerald hoodie staring directly at her with an arrow cock while a blonde haired woman stands by his side just as she releases a breathe instantly the young woman stumbles back when she sees the archer lowering down his bow.
Keeping her eyes focused on him as she sees him turning his attention towards the blonde haired woman by his side snapping her head back forward as she looks back over towards her boyfriend to see his chest rising and falling just as she turns her head to look back at her saviors suddenly the brunette's eyes go as wide as saucers when she sees them nowhere in sight.