So here it is folks. So sorry it took so long. It's been crazy busy. I really do want your opinion and I realize that this is a bit different but it popped into my head a while ago and wouldn't go away. That said I am an Olicity supporter the whole way. Please review! Oh and I am really sorry for any spelling or grammar mistakes as I am finishing this after a very long day late at night. Sleep is over rated

Chapter Three: The Third Time They Met

The Third time he had met her was in a back alley way, right inside the glades. Why she was there he didn't know. He just knew she was in trouble.

He had been out patrolling as the vigilante when he heard the noise below him. Looking over the side of the building he saw that two guys had a young girl backed into the dark corner of the ally way. At first he thought of walking away. He was on a mission after all but his conscience wouldn't allow it. He turned back to the situation around him trying to figure out his next move when a familiar voice drifted up to him.

"Let her go!" Her voice was strong but he could hear the very slight tremor of fear in it.

"I said, let her go!" Her voice had become louder and more force full as she moved a little further into the ally way. Oliver stood at the top of the building ready to interfere if he was needed. But seeing as how he was new to the whole vigilante thing, he wanted to stay as invisible for as long as he could. The two men turned from the girl they had in the ally and looked at her.

"Nothing going on here that you need to worry about. So why don't you mind your own business and keep walking girl." This man was the shorter of the two but was a stocky man. He was one who was use to throwing his weight around.

"I'm not going anywhere considering you have a fourteen year old girl backed into a corner like that." He heard the sheer determination in her voice as she stepped even further into the ally and Oliver suddenly felt the fear for her. He tightened the hold on his bow, praying that these men would get the hint. Apparently they didn't as the taller of the two men stepped closer to her and crossed his arms over his chest.

"She shouldn't be out here if she doesn't want to play. But you can play too if you want." He had taken a step toward her meaning to intimidate her. She stood her ground, not moving and sending them death glares. The shorter of the two men stepped away from the girl and a step closer to his partner, the girl in the corner forgotten.

"Listen lady, I said get lost. We don't need your kind of trouble. This isn't your business now leave!" He had moved even closer to her, trying to intimidate her into doing their biding. Yet she still stood her ground but what the two men failed to notice and what Oliver had a very clear view of was the fact that during all of this, she had moved ever so slightly so that she now stood between them and the young girl. She was also holding a bat that was very cleverly hidden behind her back. He had to smile at her gumption and need to protect this girl. He stood at the ready with his bow if need be. Then she spoke.

"She doesn't seem to be having fun. Probably because you have done nothing but terrorize her, just like you have most of the young girls in this neighborhood." Short man took a tentative step toward her and the smug smile slid from tall man's face, her hand visibly tightened on the bat she held. Oliver felt his body tense and he readied himself to jump in.

"I don't know what you think you know girly, but I told you to mind your own business." Short man snarled at her.

"You want to know what I know about you and Slim Jim. Really bad nick name by the way..." She said as she gestured to the tall man. "I know that you have been going after young girls...no kids in the glades. I know that there are certain people who don't like the fact that you are doing this but haven't done anything for whatever reason and I know the two of you think you can continue to terrorize them. You know they have a name for the two of you? They call you the perverts of Gray Street. Kind of fitting considering you like little girls." If she was trying to get these guys riled up, it was working. The question was why was she doing it. She was walking into a very dangerous situation preparing for battle. The two men, both seemingly very angry went to attack her, Oliver prepared to jump in and she went swinging, her bat that is.

Oliver moved to jump down just as the two men started to advance on her. She brought the bat out and started swinging first connecting with a knee and then a head. The taller of the two men dropped to the ground holding his head and the shorter of the two lay holding his knee as Oliver dropped down behind them silently. She didn't see him at first but the young girl behind her did. She gasped out loud which caused her to look up with a jerk of her head. Oliver put his finger up to his lips in a quiet motion as he approached the two fallen men with his bow drawn.

"You crazy bitch!" The short man yelled at her as he struggled to get to his feet. "Now you're going to pay for that!" He surged to his feet only to be knocked down again. This time however it was with an arrow that flew into his hand pinning it to the wall behind him. He let out a blood curdling yell as his partner tried to stumble to his feet. Oliver readied another arrow and prepared to let it fly but before he could she swung the bat again hard, hitting him once more. This time it connected with a shoulder and he fell down again with a yell that mirrored his partners.

"Stay down!" She yelled at the two withering men at her feet. "The next time you attack a girl, remember some of us fight back!"

Oliver wasn't sure rather to be worried or laugh. He knew she had spunk but not like this. He hesitated for a minute before he lowered his bow and held his hand out in what he hoped was a reassuring gesture to stop her if she decided to take a swing at him. He took a step toward them making sure to keep his face hidden in the shadows and asked her in a deep gravelly voice. The last thing he needed was to have her figure out who he was.

"Are you hurt?" She didn't answer him for a minute just stared at him so he asked again. "Miss. Ryan, are you hurt?!" This time she seemed to snap out of it and answered him immediately.

"No." She still stared at him as if she could see right through him and if he didn't know better he thought he saw a flicker of a knowing smile on her face. "How do you know my name?" she asked still watching him as he finally turned away and his attention was focused on the terrified men shrinking away. He didn't want to answer her so he hauled the taller of the two men up so that he could look into his face and instill the fear of god into him.

"Wait...wait. We were just having a little fun." The man's eyes were huge as he looked at Oliver in fear.

"You and your partner have failed this city!" He inwardly cringed as he said these words in a soft, forceful voice but it always seemed to shake people to the core. It was cheesy he knew, but it worked. He could hear her behind him comforting the young girl who could be heard whimpering. He didn't like the fact that these low lives where going after kids. He liked it even less that somehow she had gotten mixed up in all of this.

"Please don't kill me! It was all his idea. He said it was only for fun. Scare some of the locals you know. No harm done." Oliver could barely contain the sudden urge of rage that pulsed through him. This was what was wrong with this city. People like this who thought that no matter what they did there was "no harm" He was on the verge of driving an arrow through the man's eyes when a voice behind him spoke up.

"Killing you would be too easy. You see basically you have two choices, turn yourself over to the police or I could turn you over to your employers who I know for a fact is not fond of your nightly activities." Oliver froze for a minute not taking his eyes off from the two men but worried about what she was mixed up in. The short man who still had his hand pinned to the wall looked up at her with fear.

"You wouldn't dare! They'll kill us!" He tried to pull his bleeding hand free with no luck. "Who are you anyway? You don't know anything!" He was shaking in fear desperately pulling at his hand causing the blood to flow more frequently down his arm.

"I know more than you think and besides I'm not the one with my hand stuck to the wall. The girl you tried to attack tonight was your boss's young niece. I'm guessing when word gets back to uncle then your worthless life is going to mean even less and the two of you will be hunted down like the dogs you are." Oliver was almost afraid to look at her but he could hear the determination and anger in her voice. So what's it going to be boys? Police or do I make a call to the big boss? I'm guessing my friend here is going to give you a lot less of a choice than I just did." Oliver, who hadn't moved from his position, tightened his hold on the tall man who started to shake his head and crying. Crying?! Really?! I guess that is what the fear of god really does. He was suddenly really impressed with her cool demeanor and seemingly fearlessness.

"Please, we will go to the police just don't call boss. I don't want to die tonight" He was sobbing. "We didn't know, we really thought she was just some dumb kid. Please! I don't want to die!" Oliver resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the ridiculously pathetic excuse for a man. He shook him to make a point.

"Then make a choice!" He growled in his face and let go of the man causing him to fall to the ground in a heap.

"All right, we will go, just don't kill us. Don't tell." He clamored over to his partner and worked on pulling the arrow from his hand. "Come on Larry. We need to go." Oliver hear her snort with laughter behind him and he suppressed a smile at her reaction.

"Really? Larry and Slim Jim? Those are some names you got going on there. Sure to strike fear into the minds of your many victims. You boys are going to be just fine in prison. Oh and if you think that you can just walk away, guess again. The cops are already on their way and if I find you not turning yourself in, I'll make that phone call." Both men immediately straightened up and half ran, half stumbled out of the ally way and around the corner. Oliver half thought of following them but didn't want to get caught by the police himself. He then turned to her melting himself into the shadows of the building. He noticed how her face seemed to suddenly turn stark white and she visible was shaking. He approached her but stopped just out of reach. Afraid that she had been hurt but then realized that her bravery was a front and she was absolutely terrified.

"Are you all right Abigail?" He used her first name this time but she didn't answer. Instead she reached behind her and grabbed the young girls hand and spoke to her in a calming voice.

"Amanda Listen to me, you need to go to the police, maybe even your uncle but whatever you do don't tell anyone you saw me or him here. Do you understand me?" She said nodding in his direction. The young girl nodded but asked in a confused voice.

"Why not?"

"I'm after something bigger and if they think I was involved in this then too many questions will be asked. Questions I can't answer right now. Do you understand?" She asked the girl again. The young girl looked at Oliver and nodded in his direction.

"And him? What about him?" He was ready to give an answer and take off when she spoke for him.

"This city needs someone like him. They just don't know it yet." She said this while looking at him and as the girl agreed before running out of the ally way going in the opposite direction. They stood like that for several minutes before she spoke.

"You never answered me before. How do you know who I am?" Oliver stiffened and tried to form an answer but thought of a differ approach.

"What were you thinking taking on these guys? You could have been killed."

"But I wasn't."

"You could have been."

"Once again I wasn't"

"Stubborn"

"It's been mentioned."

"Why?'

"Why what?"

"Why would an intelligent girl like you get mixed up in something like this?"

"Someone has to do something. You are avoiding my question. How do you know me?"

"You're avoiding mine. Why are you here?" She breathed out an exasperated breath.

"Someone has to."

"Has to what?" He kept probing.

"Care. Someone has to care and someone has to do something. Things in this city are falling apart and someone has to do something. Do you know how many unsolved crimes there are? How many people don't have answers or closer on what happened to their loved ones? People can't live unless they let the dead rest. It's as simple as that."

"That simple?" He asked her not really believing it.

"Yes that simple." He looked down for a minute and then back up at her. She was shifting back and forth on her feet and looked very tired, almost defeated. He knew he had to leave but was finding it difficult.

"I think this city needs you. I think you have the ability to change it but only if you change yourself first."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Oh come on, anyone with half a brain can put two and two together. If you're not careful someone else is going to figure you out. We can't have that." He could almost hear her eyes roll and he stepped further into the shadows. He needed to stay hidden to finish his mission and he could not let her find out who he was. He had forgotten about her memory thing and her ability to pick up on detail. Much to his dismay she had probably had him pegged from the time he had dropped in on her.

"I don't know what you think you know Miss. Ryan but meddling in dangerous issues will only get you hurt or worse."

"I've already been hurt worse than you know. Not much more can happen to me." She answered him in a small quiet voice. He suddenly had an urge to chase away this girl's demon but continued to back away instead. She seemed to sense this and stepped a little closer to him so out of necessity he strung his bow and fired at the wall behind her. It was far enough away that she was in no danger but enough to distract her as she watched it fly into the wall and in bedded itself. When she turned back around he was gone, safely from her sight once again on the roof top above her. He looked down at her from above and watched as she looked around and then he noticed a small smile forming on her lips. Then she spoke.

"No worries Oliver Queen. Your secret is safe with me." She then disappeared around the corner and into the night. He had heard her utter those words before and again wondered what had been her life. Maybe she was right, this city needed to be fixed but he had to do it his way and little by little. In the meantime he would need to be unseen by her and find out everything he could about Abigail Ryan. Somehow he knew their paths would meet again and he was afraid as to what it might bring. Until then he would remember his mission and the fight he had to fight. The fight for his freedom, his sanity and his need to make things right. Maybe she was right, someone had to do it.