The Green Arrow

by novarion

Oliver Queen returned home to Starling City with only one goal, to save his city. His journey one marked with love, loss, and so much more. Witness his rise from playboy to hero.

3. Chapter 3

A/N: Chapter 3 is here! Apologies on it taking so long, my graduate program got a bit busy on me. Thank you for the reviews! I also now have this posted on Ao3 under this new name. The reason for the name change was that I couldn't have my old one on AO3 so I had to choose a new one. I changed it here because honestly I was tired of my old name.

Enjoy the chapter!

The Crusade:

The Dead Shot

Oliver Queen was in his base at the factory. It had been too long since he last trained and put himself through his paces. He had been forced to take care of some of the logistics of his operations and time had been sparse. His archery skills he had made sure to keep sharp, he couldn't let that slip. Oliver had used the grounds of the Queen mansion to train his movements and stamina and now was using the items scattered about the factory for strength and conditioning. He'd found a sledgehammer and was currently taking it to a larger sized tire.

The shipment of arrows and flechettes Oliver had ordered arrived earlier that day and he was once again properly equipped. Utilizing the channels he'd been taught to order them had been the frustrating part. Now that it was set up though, any future order should be easier. Oliver had also used the time to modify his quiver, he had added an attachment for his bow when it was unnecessary to have in hand. The bow was left as is, for now. Any changes made he felt would hinder the power, something he did not want to risk.

Oliver walked over to the desk that held the computers and reached for the book that contained the list. The Archer, as the media and SCPD had taken to calling him, would be going out. James Holder would be his target, a man who had allowed housings to burn down by using defective fire detectors. People had died, and tonight he would be held responsible for his actions.

[Break]

James Holder was on the terrace of his penthouse, phone in hand as he spoke to someone. Oliver crouched on top of the roof, out of sight as he waited for the man to finish. The conversation seemed to be about his next moves now that his lawsuits were done, the name Unidac mentioned towards the end as he hung up on the person. Oliver would have to research that later, see if any others from the list seemed interested. Now was his time though, Oliver quietly slipped off the roof and made his way behind the man and pulled out an arrow before letting his presence known.

"James Holder, you have failed this city." The Archer called out; his bow string taut as the arrow waited to be released. Holder swiftly turned around and his eyes went wide as he realized what was happening.

"I don't know what you're talking about, I haven't done anything." He responded, and the Archer could hear the fear in his voice as he tried to remain calm. He let loose an arrow that tore through the man's robe and warranted a yelp of terror from Holder.

"The men, women, and children who died in those fires because of your negligence would beg to differ." The Archer growled out as he notched another arrow and aimed it at the man. "

"I won't do that, I'll be ruined and..." Oliver heard a gunshot then felt the ballistic blow by him and connect with a wall. He watched in horror as Holder began to bleed from his chest and fall forward into his pool.

The Archer turned on his heel and searched the building across the street and saw the flash of a muzzle. He moved quickly to get out of the way but was still grazed by a bullet against his shoulder. A few more shots rang out before the gunman stopped. Oliver looked over at the pool and watched the body of James Holder sink as blood seeped out into the water. He stood and looked once more at the building across from him and contemplated going over to search. Sirens made his choice for him as he decided it best not to get caught up with the SCPD.

[Break]

Oliver sat at his desk in the basement of the factory, the book he'd left open now held the scratched-out name of James Holder. Oliver was stitching up the wound from the bullet as a frown marred his features. He'd been stupid to not go for cover immediately, but the assassination of Holder had been a surprise. The man had made enemies, that was not up for debate, but Oliver did not think any could hired an assassin. A very professional one at that, he'd obviously hoped to leave no witness. That was once thing Oliver could be glad for, he was alive, and this new player could be dealt with.

Oliver stood up after he finished, the needle and thread he'd used in a tin bowl. He needed to clean it before he headed home. Once he was up though he started to feel different and before he can stop himself, he falls to the ground. Oliver knew this feeling, poison. That's why the assassin had left, he felt his job was done after he had been clipped. The poison was the issue now though, Oliver stumbled over to his case that held his bow and opened it. The bow was quickly removed before he fished out a wooden mortar and pestle and a couple of pouches. Oliver removed some herbs from each and put them in the mortar before crushing them with the pestle. His eyes were hazy now, he needed to hurry. Hands fumbled around for the water bottle he'd brought with him and once found he poured some into the bowl. Olive stirred it some before he swallowed the whole of it.

The natural remedy he had ingested would take time, but it would work. Oliver slumped against the desk before he once again fell to the floor. His last though being how nice his bare back on the cool concrete felt as darkness took him.

Flashback

Oliver Queen briefly woke as he felt his body jolt from a harsh landing. He looked around to find he was now in a cave and the man who had shot him earlier stood over him. The hooded man knelt beside Oliver and said something before had hand wrapped around the arrow protruding from his shoulder. The man said something once more, his tone one of command yet care, as he held up a piece of bark. Oliver just looked at him in confusion, the man spoke in another language and not one he had failed out of. Oliver opened his mouth to ask what he said when the bark was shoved in his mouth. He was confused for only a couple of seconds as the man then pulled out the arrow. Oliver screamed over the bark in agony as he clamped down on the bark.

Oliver glared at the man as hard as he could through his pain and the man merely turned away. The man in the green hood tossed aside the arrow before he busied himself with something. Oliver attempted to sit up and yell at him as he spit out the bark only to find he did not have the energy. Instead, he voiced his questions from the ground.

"Why did you shoot me? Why are you helping me?" his voice was coarse, and Oliver realized just how dry his throat was. The other man looked over at him and sighed before he turned back around.

Oliver took the man's silence as a chance to look around the cave. It was… small? He didn't really have a bases to judge it from. As he looked around Oliver realized he truly had no idea how he would even use the space. His room back home was always set up for him, a designer hired for the exact purpose. Not for the first time did Oliver feel scared at the idea of having to find a way to survive. He had no idea how to go about it, at the moment all he could remember was the movie Castaway and what Tom Hanks had to do to survive. And now there was this man who had shot him and taken him back to his cave.

Oliver was panicked, and the more he considered his situation the worse he got. His breath came quicker and quicker, his muscles tensed in ways that exhausted him further. Oliver felt as if his heart would explode out of his chest, he heard movement and saw what appeared to be two hooded men now heading over to him. He scrambled backwards, his fear propelling his movements, as the men got closer. Oliver hit a wall and realized he had nowhere to go. His body shook as the men knelt before him and reached out. Oliver felt his arm raised and a hand placed on his chest while the men placed his hand on theirs. He felt the steady rhythm as the men slowly inhaled and exhaled, his own breathing changed to mimic his. Oliver's vision slowly focused back, and the men changed to one.

The man who had shot him helped to calm Oliver down through this breathing exercise. He didn't know how long they stayed that way, but soon the man pulled away. Oliver realized he had pulled his hood back at some point and he could clearly see him now. The man seemed to be Asian, his hair and beard long and wild as if he'd been here for years. The Asian man turned back to Oliver and offered a small bowl with water and helped him drink. Oliver went to grab and gulp but his hands were batted away, and the water went with them. Another bowl was brought up and the man pulled his shirt to the side where his wound was, and the man began applying something. It felt cool against his skin, and Oliver looked down to see some sort of sludge being applied over the wound.

The man was rough with Oliver, moving him back and forth as he applied whatever it was to his front and back. He was given more water from time to time, never allowed more than a little at a time. Once the man was done, he left Oliver alone with one last sip of water. It was only moments after that Oliver felt himself slip into unconsciousness.

End Flashback

Oliver woke to a dull pain in his shoulder, and sluggish as he attempted to stand. The table next to him proved invaluable in this endeavor and he took his time as he regained his bearings. Oliver walked over to his phone, he needed to see how long he'd been out and hoped it wasn't too long. The time read early morning, and he had several missed calls and texts from Diggle. The man had given trust and Oliver had inadvertently broken that trust tonight. He needed to apologize, and more than that he needed to get home.

[Break]

Thea Queen waited at the front entrance of Queen manor for her mother. She'd had her license revoked months ago and was having to rely on her and others to get around. It was annoying to say the least, her senior year and she couldn't even drive to school. She had been pulled over so much for speeding and reckless driving that it had been hard to overlook. Her friends would usually come get her, but Thea had gotten on their bad side to speak by taking a small break for partying.

As much as she hated it, Oliver's words about their dad had bothered her. Her dad had always doted on her and been proud of her achievements. He probably would have been tougher on her than her mother. Therefore, Thea had decided to limit herself to the weekends to hang out with her friends in that regard. It was a compromise, and not one she was completely happy with. It had given her the time to spend with family though. Oliver seemed to be around a bit more the last few nights himself, last night being an exception. He hadn't opened up to her or their mother but he was enjoying himself she supposed. They would watch movies he had missed or play games; they were a family again. Then yesterday he had kept to himself and been gone all night. Maybe one night out wouldn't hurt?

"Alright, the driver should have the car pulled around." Moira announced her presence. Thea gave a jump, as she had been engrossed in her thoughts. "Sorry Thea, I didn't mean to startle you." Her mother apologized. Thea waved her off and made for the door. Oliver opened the door just as Thea was going for the handle, jamming her hand.

"Ow!" Thea yelped. Oliver came around apologizing profusely and tried to check on her hand. Thea pulled it back and told him "It's fine, I'm going to be late for school.". Thea walked past him without another glance.

Oliver looked to his mother, an apologetic look on his face.

"You were gone all day yesterday, we missed you." Moira said, her tone one that had him grimace.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be out so long." Oliver's response and lack of further explanation had Moira shaking her head. He felt for her, but also hoped to not have another riot act. Diggle had torn into him on their way home and Oliver could tell he'd been worried for his safety. With how often the bodyguard had made remarks about his possible activities, the worry was understandable. But now Oliver's mother was beginning to follow Thea and he had something he wanted to mention to her. "Before you leave," he started, stopping his mother in her tracks, "I was hoping I could impose on you and Walter tomorrow about an idea I had."

"What idea would this be?" Moira asked him. Oliver had her curiosity and knew she would appreciate what he said next.

"A business venture, I'll explain more tomorrow." Moira nodded, her eyes wide with surprise. She left quickly after that; Thea did need to get to school still.

Oliver let out a breath, that had been an unfortunate run in. He had wanted to speak to her at breakfast, even offer to take Thea to school. As he made his way up to his room, he thought on what he would need to do to make it up to Thea. Whatever it could be would have to wait though, the assassin from the previous night came first. It was important to see if it was just the one target or if the assassin would be staying in town.

For now, he could get an hour or two of sleep before he needed to be ready to meet Tommy at the factory.

[Break]

Detective Quentin Lance walked around the terrace of the now deceased James Holder. The man's private chef had called in that morning after she found him in the pool. Holder had been pulled from the pool and was now being examined by their forensics' guy. As Lance looked around, he couldn't put a finger on what bothered him about this one. An arrow had been found but there was obvious gunfire damage. There had even been a call in about gunfire that night. The arrow showed that the Archer hadn't changed his M.O. and no gun had been found so far. Quentin didn't like what this was leading to.

"What have you found so far?" Quentin asked the forensics guy.

"Well, he didn't drown, this wound here suggests a gun." The scientist stood up as he addressed the detective. "No wound by arrow either, but there is a hole in the robe I bet came from one." Quentin chuckled but was still discouraged by the assessment.

The sound of footsteps made him look back at his partner approaching. He'd stayed behind with the chef to interview her. The exasperated look on his face told Quentin all her needed to know; the woman didn't know anything other than finding the body. Anything Archer related had become tiresome but this one he could tell would be more so.

"He was here, but it seems like someone else was too." Quentin told his partner. "No gun has been found but Holder was definitely murdered by a gunshot."

"Maybe he wised up, got with the times." Hilton joked. Quentin didn't take to it. That would be best case scenario, but not likely.

"No, there's purpose in the bow. He wouldn't ditch it." Quentin said. Hilton nodded his agreement. No matter what, this was messier than either wanted. "We'll have to take a look at what Holder was involved in, besides the obvious."

[Break]

"A nightclub?" Tommy questioned as they walked around the old steel factory. "Scratch that, you want to run a business?" Tommy's incredulity made Oliver wonder just what his friend expected to do for the rest of his life.

"Well, for now it's better than going to work at QC." Oliver replied and got a gesture of agreement from Tommy. "Besides, we've spent enough time in them to know what's fun." Tommy whirled around and looked at his friend like he was crazy.

"WE?!" Oliver was taken aback at his reaction. "You want me in on this thing too?"

"I don't know if you remember, I was gone for a few years and the only party I've been to is the one you threw." Oliver told him. Tommy relented at that and just walked around some more. "I need to do something Tommy, more than what I used to." Oliver's words seemed to make an impression on his friend as he slumped his shoulders briefly before straightening up.

"Dad has been more insistent that I find something to do with my time." Tommy spoke up. "Alright, fine, but if we're gonna do this you need to see what the current scene looks like." Oliver nodded at his point, it made sense and he supposed his friend wanted one last hurrah. "We'll hit Poison, it's one of the hotter spots. Good idea to see how we could beat it."

"Business meets pleasure?" Oliver tried to joke and was curious at the way Tommy's face constricted. "Something I should know about Poison?"

"Heh, well it's owned by Max Fuller…" Oliver blanched at Tommy's reply. That was not good.

"Max Fuller?" Oliver asked getting a nod from his new business partner. "The same Max Fuller whose fiancé I slept with?" A chuckle could be heard from behind, signaling that Diggle was listening in.

"Yes, fiancé, which means not yet married." Tommy said, trying to make it sound better. Oliver couldn't let himself by with it though.

"At the rehearsal dinner." He reminded his friend. A water cough could be heard from the direction Diggle was in. Oliver turned around and could see the man bent over as he coughed out water from the bottle he was holding. "You alright Diggle?" he called out to the man who just waved him off. Tommy caught his eye as he turned back to him, and they broke down laughing.

Oliver couldn't be particularly proud of what he'd done to the soon to be husband. From what he recalled, while the wedding was postponed, they did end up married. Perhaps he could try to set things right, if there was such a thing, if he ran into Max.

"Let's just hope Max plans to take the night off." Tommy said after they had calmed down. "I'll go and make sure we get on the list, and I guess tell my dad about my new job."

"You're not an employee, you're a partner." Oliver told his friend as he left. They shook hands and Tommy took his leave, with a parting word to Diggle.

"Try to keep that stuff on the inside man." Tommy called out to a very annoyed Diggle.

Oliver walked around a little more, he was mapping out a tentative floor plan. The club would be a perfect alibi for where he spent his nights. And the bunker below would be hidden well enough for his purpose. Oliver felt Diggle approach and thought he'd get the other man's opinion.

"What do you think?" Oliver asked him.

"I'm security, not a business analyst." Diggle answered, but he relented at the exasperated look from Oliver. "I suppose with your history a club makes sense, but do you really expect the typical club crowd to come down to the Glades?"

"A club opened by Oliver Queen and Tommy Merlyn? They'll be lined up around the building." Oliver responded. Admittedly, Tommy's name would probably be the bigger draw as of right now. Oliver had been gone too long and hadn't spent any time back in the game. That was partially why he invited his friend to join, he also just couldn't picture doing something like this without Tommy. "It'll work Diggle, and then maybe we can make things better."

"Gentrification you mean. The 'white' knight riding in to save the commoners." Diggle pressed, his inflection on 'white' coming out as if he might have the color wrong. Oliver could hear what he wasn't saying, but Diggle would have to ask him directly for an outright answer.

"I thought I had made a better impression than that." Oliver said. "Admittedly I would like for it to be more. There's enough room around here for more."

"More, sir?" Diggle questioned.

"The thing about nightclubs is that they only run at night. The daytime provides opportunity for those who actually live here." Oliver informed his bodyguard. Diggle scrunched up his eyebrows in thought, Oliver wondered what was going through his head. He hadn't been able to talk to Tommy about the other side of his plan, how they could use their proceeds to fill more than just their pockets. "Why don't you head out, I want to walk around a little more."

Oliver stepped away from Diggle at that, he had things to do in the basement.

[Break]

This little café had become a favorite of Laurel and Joanna, they made sure to have lunch together every couple of weeks here to get their fix. Laurel was currently picking at her pasta salad and tried to listen to Jo, but her mind was a million miles away. She had finally gotten back into her apartment the day before and found herself thinking back on that night ever since. Oliver had risen to the occasion, and fear had taken hold of her in the moment. She had always thought to be the one to act, to save herself. But when the moment came, she faltered, she had even run into Oliver's arms once it was all done. Laurel's thoughts were interrupted though when Jo's hand waved in her face.

"What, why, stop that." Laurel told her friend who continued to wave her hand in Laurel's face even after attention returned. Joanna pulled her hand back after it was batted away and gave Laurel a concerned look.

"Laurel, are you ok?" Jo asked her. "You've been in another world all lunch."

"Sorry, I just got back to my place yesterday and… it's been an adjustment." Laurel told her.

"I can't imagine." Jo stated. "I've had some heat in the past but nothing like that, I'm sorry I brought that on you." Jo reached for Laurel's hand as she said this and gripped it tight.

"Jo, it's not your fault. Emily needed me." Laurel replied, and that was that. People needed their help, and they had promised to do that no matter what. The two women unlatched their hands and continued their meal.

"You know what, we need a night out. A proper girl's night." Jo announced. Laurel was shocked at her friend. They hadn't done something like that in months. Which now that she thought about it, was far too long.

"I'll bring the wine?" Laurel asked, to which Jo looked thoughtful for a minute and nodded as she added on.

"A bottle of white would make a good pregame." Laurel's eyes widened at the lawyer's remark. This was going to be one of those outings. She grinned back at her friend as they began talking venues.

[Break]

Oliver slunk into the alley by Holder's place, he didn't particularly like coming back after the night before, but he needed evidence. The poison in his blood had been too diluted to analyze with his capabilities. The assassin had left evidence though, he just had to find it. This reason was why Oliver scanned the building for impact damage. He was glad he had a radius to work from, the lower level seemed to have more damage than he expected. Oliver eventually spotted what he was after though and climbed his way up a drainage pipe to where he would find a bullet.

The bullet was deep, the gun the assassin used was powerful. If Oliver had to guess, he would say custom modified to fit their usage. The pocketknife he kept with him was used to dig out the bullet from the brick. It took a moment, but the bullet came free, and Oliver quickly put it in his pocket and took out a swab that replaced the bullet. He didn't want to chance the poison leaving any residue in the ballistic hole. As he removed that and placed it in his pocket, Oliver slid down the pipe and left the alley.

[Break]

The computer shone on Oliver as he looked at the list of Interpol's most wanted. The bullet and swab he'd taken had been enough to add to what he had to analyze the poison, revealing it to be curare. That had narrowed his search for assassin's as only a handful used it, and from there only one used guns. Floyd Lawton, a.k.a Deadshot, a man reputable enough in his chosen field, an assassin for hire. His list of kills was long enough to give Oliver an insight to his clientele. Holder was too small of a fish to bring Lawton here, he had to be a part of a larger contract. There would be another, if not more, victims of Deadshot.

As Oliver continued down the list of confirmed and presumed victims of Lawton one name in particular caught his interest, Andrew Diggle. A frown marred his features as he looked at the name. John's brother, the realization hit him hard. Google gave him the report easily enough along with the obituary. Andrew had died while protecting his client, having worked for the same company John does. While John had made his suspicion known there wasn't any clear indication on if he'd be amenable to either joining or turning a blind eye. If he took Lawton off the board, that could go a long way with the man. Oliver would need to see how he felt about his brother first though.

For now, that left figuring out how to deal with Lawton. Oliver needed to find him, get a measure of him on even ground. He had no way of finding him, but others would. The Bratva, Oliver had hoped to put more time in-between his usage of them. At the same time, starting with something small would help in creating a relationship with them outside of the reputation he'd already built up. He had already been made aware of their location and cover for Starling City, it wouldn't take long to get there from the factory.

[Break]

Detective Quentin Lance was annoyed. Ballistics had come back with nothing helpful, which meant they would need to cast a wider net for the shooter. His partner had gone to ask their captain for use of other departments' databases. A proper professional, that's what it meant. Quentin hated when this happened, they could never seem to get to the suspect in time. China White the other week being an example. Some were obvious in how they operated, but this guy had either never been here before or just knew how to keep out trouble.

"Quentin!" Hilton called out from the other end of the precinct. "We've got another." Quentin moved out of his chair quickly to join his partner as they rushed to the new crime scene.

[Break]

Oliver entered the mechanic shop, the front for the Starling City Bratva chapter. The garage was sparse for a working day, even if it was towards the end of it.

"Can I help you?" an older Russian man asked. Oliver approached him before he answered.

"I'm here to speak with Alexi Lenov." The Russian language came out just as easy as it had with Raisa. He had taken to conversing with her in her native language to keep sharp. The man looked at him speculatively and with slight surprise. Another man climbed out from under a car and held a hand behind his back. The obvious implication of a gun being at the ready.

"What business do you have with Alexi?" the first man responded back in Russian. Oliver made to move his arm, but the first sight of movement seemed to be the signal the new man was waiting for as he pulled the gun.

Oliver adapted to moment, as he snapped his hand towards the gun hand. The man's wrist was twisted in an awkward angle, the pain forcing him to loosen his grip on firearm. Oliver used his other hand to tear the gun away and punch at his would-be attacker, sending him to the ground. The firearm was quickly stripped down and its parts scattered around the garage. Oliver looked at the man across from him, he'd not moved a muscle while his associate was dispatched.

"I will look past this, only once." Oliver spoke, once more in Russian as he pulled his shirt collar away to show a tattoo. "Now, show me to Alexi."

"Of course." The man responded and beckoned Oliver to follow. He led him behind a door and began to descend a flight of stairs before he spoke to the younger man again. "You have our apologies for your treatment. It is not often we are visited by a captain, especially an American one."

"I understand, which is why I gave leniency." The Russian turned to Oliver and nodded as they arrived at the bottom of the stairs before he stood at a table.

"I am Alexi, how can I be of service?" Alexi revealed. Oliver gave a once over of the man and chuckled.

"Information, particularly on an assassin by the name of Deadshot. I was in the middle of business with an interested party when he… interrupted." Oliver answered. He could've lied, said he was in need of an assassin, but that brought in too many questions. A half-truth would suffice.

"I will make inquiries; our operation and influence are limited here though." Alexi responded. "This one is on us for our earlier mistake, a favor for us will be required in the future."

Oliver nodded at Alexi's words. "Understood." He had been prepared to square a favor, but he would not look a gift-horse in the mouth and knew they would still have to check him out. They would be surprised by what they learned. This is how the Bratva worked, and he would not burn this bridge easily.

[Break]

"Thank you, Raisa, you can go home for the night." Moira told their housekeeper who thanked her before she left. Moira turned her attention to the newly arrived detectives and gestured for them to sit as she sat beside Walter. "Now what can we do for you gentlemen?"

Quentin Lance took the offered seat while his partner decided to stand. Hilton always refused to sit unless they were in it for a long haul. "Well, we're here because of the death of Carl Rasmussen."

"It's a terrible loss, Carl was a titan." Walter said. He looked to his wife who seemed to share his assessment of the man.

"A titan who was planning on bidding at an auction tomorrow night for Unidac Industries, the same event we have you listed as attending." Hilton responded.

"And the second planned bidder this week to be removed from the competition." Lance added, as he kept his opinion of the situation to himself.

Moira's eyes cut sharply to Quentin; the man's opinion of her family had been made well known in the past. "And are you implying Walter had something to do with that, detective?"

Lance turned his gaze to Moira, not surprised by her response. "Just that your husband also seems interested in the company."

"The company has made some groundbreaking research and development in alternative energy. They are in receivership, and the liquidation auction is tomorrow. There are many prospective buyers, if I was removing the competition, I'd have a lot of killing to do in the next twenty-four hours." Walter cooly responded.

"We're just making the rounds with the interested buyers, letting them know to be careful." Hilton replied.

Moira scoffed before she commented. "I feel overwhelmed by the SCPD's concern for our safety."

Walter stood up at that and added "I will speak with the auctioneers, let them know they might want to beef up their security."

Lance stood up with him and nodded before he spoke again. "Well, if you need us, we're only a 911 phone call away." At that both detectives took their leave.

[Break]

Oliver and Tommy were followed by John Diggle as they moved past the line to get into the club Poison. Oliver and his friend were already getting a few appreciative glances from the women in line and Tommy seemed to be encouraging it. Oliver wasn't sure how he felt about it, on one side it had been a while on the other the mission. He also didn't have the desire for an empty one-night stand, something that had already ruined his life once before. A relationship was the only course, or more likely friends-with-benefits type of situation, and there was no one that fit that bill. Oliver hadn't gotten out in that regard enough to come across someone, and even if he met someone tonight would he want to pursue anything?

Movement brought Oliver out of his thoughts as he saw Tommy walk ahead of Diggle to speak with the bouncer. Oliver followed suit and brushed by John as he and Tommy entered. He overheard the bouncer say something to Diggle before his bodyguard called out to him. A glance back showed Diggle being blocked by the bouncer, something he heard Tommy snicker about.

"Is there a problem?" Oliver asked as he approached the bouncer. It was comical to see Diggle blocked by the bouncer, who was at least a head shorter and obviously less impressive in build. He could actually see the annoyance of his associate in the situation, that put an actual smile on Oliver's face seeing the larger man break for once.

A clipboard was flashed in front of Oliver's face before the bouncer spoke up, "He's not on the list, can't let him in unless you vouch for the guy."

Oliver smiled wickedly over at Diggle, having decided on a little mischief for the night. "Guess he was trying to slip in with us, look like it's the back of the line for you buddy." The exasperation was clear on Diggle's face as he shook his head before giving him a pointed look and moved to join the line. Oliver fished out a bit of money before handing it to the bouncer. "His cover charge for when he makes it back up."

Hands clasped onto Oliver's shoulders as he felt himself pulled into the club. Tommy turned him around and lead him in before he said anything. "Now let's see what we can get up to without big brother over our shoulder."

"He's just doing his job Tommy," Oliver started, Tommy waving him off, "and remember, we're here to scout not get trashed." His friend nodded at that, and Oliver was glad to see he that Tommy seemed serious about their presence in the club.

They moved further in and to the bar, Tommy saying they at least needed to blend in. Oliver conceded to his point and had the man order the least sweet drink on the menu; he had no taste for those anymore. Once a drink was placed into his hand his eyes began to move across the clientele of the club. The dance floor hadn't yet heated up, it was early though, and people seemed to be more setting up camp. The interior was lit well enough, maybe a bit too bright for his taste.

Tommy tapped Oliver on the shoulder and leaned in, "The use of space is something I always hated about this place, the second floor is barely functional." Oliver looked up to get his friends point and had to agree. It was barely anything more than to walk on, with an office taking up an entire side of the building. Most of the other doors seemed reserved as VIP rooms. As his eyes drifted back to the first floor to survey the room his eyes caught another's.

[Break]

Laurel and Jo had decided to hit the town early, both wanted to take advantage of their night out. Poison was settled on for their start, always easy to get into early. They had been here about 15 minutes and already sent drinks that they had accepted graciously. Neither of them were on the prowl as it were, not tonight at least. That didn't mean they couldn't enjoy a free drink though. [Blank]. Laurel turned her head away to keep a laugh from reaching the surface, her eyes searched for anything to keep her attention from Jo's predicament. Her eyes caught the last pair of eyes she wanted to see that night, Oliver Queen's.

Laurel's breath caught in her throat, why out of all the places and times to run into another was it here. This was a night to forget, to just be Laurel and enjoy a night out with her best friend. To her surprise though, Oliver made no move to approach her. He just held up his drink and nodded towards her in acknowledgement. Laurel held up her own drink and nodded in return… and that was the end of it. Oliver turned back to who looked like Tommy and the two seemed to get carried away in their own conversation. As she took her eyes off the two men and returned to see what her friend was up to, she locked eyes with Jo's, whose own shown only concern. "I hope that guy didn't give you any trouble?"

Jo scoffed before she answered. "He was no issue, how are you with that?" she gestured with her head to the men she'd taken her eyes off.

Laurel had been worried at first, but Oliver's actions had told her that no interaction would be had that weren't instigated by her. "I'm good Jo." Her friend searched her before a sigh left her and she nodded.

"Ok, well let's see how long before someone traipses up to you for your hand tonight." Jo joked. Both women burst out in giggles at that, and their night continued.

The two women laughed, danced, and drank their night away. There was no lack of male attention between the two at first. Once they finished a set of drinks another would soon take their place with another man's attempt to "romance" one of them. Jo was in the lead on how many times they'd been hit on, though Laurel wasn't far behind. While both had dressed for their competition Jo had had the opportunity to change after she saw Laurel. Approaches had slowed down now though as the men in the club started to pick up on the fact neither were interested. There had been one time where a pair of drinks made it to them without any name associated, Laurel had been the one to realize who it had come from and found Oliver shortly after in the crowd. Once more nothing more than a nod shared.

Laurel had searched Oliver out a few times over the course of the night, partly to make sure a distance was kept between them, partly to see how his night was going. What surprised her was that it was more common to see him, and Tommy engrossed in conversation, only once had she'd seen a woman on either's arm and she was quickly sent away. Her mind ran away with ideas of what the two were up to. If they were on the hunt for someone in particular, or if they were trying to avoid someone. A myriad of thoughts ran through her head, so when she went to find them once more, she was surprised to see Oliver talking with an attractive woman.

[Break]

The night had gone well so far in Oliver's opinion. He and Tommy had at least come to a consensus on what not to do with the club. While Oliver had been out of the game for some time now even, he questioned the layout of the place. Tommy was quick to point out that there weren't many options to choose from right now. A couple of places had closed or changed in preferred clientele. With their work done, so to speak, Tommy had allowed himself to be dragged to the dance floor by a pretty blonde. As he looked out onto the dance floor his friend seemed to enjoy his dance partner. He'd also been glad to see that Tommy had the forethought to stay on the opposite side of floor as Laurel and her friend.

That had been a shock to both men, Tommy mentioned that it wasn't often Laurel partied like this. Oliver had sent them a drink with no pretenses, something his friend agreed with. Tommy's response had also been curious, he didn't know what to expect with what he'd learned about his oldest friend and former paramour, but it wasn't this. He held an indifference to the woman, one that didn't seem to be out of malice or hurt feelings just… indifference. If anything, Tommy seemed more captivated by Laurel's friend, not that he blamed him. The woman, Joanna if Oliver remembered correctly, was dressed to catch your eye. Both women in fact seemed to by dressed to attract an audience. Which was surprising when they turned away every man that approached. Oliver eventually figured out their little game and laughed hard with Tommy when he pointed it out. They had since taken to a game of their own, one that had them direct a man their way every now and then. So far, they hadn't been caught.

Come to think of it, it had been at least 20 minutes since they last sent one over. Oliver began to search out a target at the thought. The crowd had grown in the club, so there was now no lack in targets, but he knew better than to send a drunkard their way. In his search he found John Diggle as failed to blend into the crowd. The man was obviously wanted to give Oliver space while keep a guarded eye on him. Oliver appreciated the effort, even if it was unnecessary. He gave the broad man a slight wave that seemed to annoy him at being noticed and Oliver couldn't help but chuckle. His search continued though, and Oliver was quickly exhausted by the choices. So, Oliver decided to move on to people watch, a far more entertaining endeavor in his mind. A familiar face halted his entertainment though and Oliver couldn't help but call out to her, "Mckenna?!"

The woman halted in her steps and turned to him, and his curiosity was confirmed. Her eyes went wide as she saw him and approached quickly and brought him in for a hug and half screamed his name. Oliver returned the hug briefly before she pulled back to speak to him. "Oliver, I can't believe it." She left his arms and swatted him playfully before she continued. "I thought you'd have made a grander reentrance to the club scene, stretch limo with music blaring and stumbling out with a girl on your arms." She joked and Oliver couldn't help but laugh with her.

"I think any entrance I made would pale in comparison to yours at Tamale's." Oliver bantered back. Mckenna's eyes went wide and seemed about to say something when Oliver added "Where did you get that horse from anyways?" Her jaw dropped completely at that, and Oliver smirked at her. He took a quick glance around and saw John shrink back into the crowd.

Mckenna finally seemed to collect herself before she said anything back. "If that cop wanted it, he shouldn't have left it alone." The two laughed at the implications, though Mckenna's seemed to have a bit of worry to it before she moved the conversation forward. "Seriously though, Poison is the last place I expected to see you. Honestly after that welcome home party I didn't think you'd be on the circuit at all?"

Oliver raised an eyebrow at her comment. "Why do you say that, wait you were there?" he asked her.

"Please, it was a good show but most definitely a show. And there was no way I was missing that." She replied.

Once more Oliver found himself surprised at her. He didn't recall seeing her that night, and almost wished he had. The rest of the night would have been far more interesting than just watching Tommy try to pawn him off on girl after girl. "Just needed time, I guess. Why didn't you say hi?"

"Well after seeing you have to deal with your sister, Laurel, and then the detective Lance, I figured you had enough familiar faces for one night." Oliver nodded at her words. Mckenna wasn't wrong in some ways, Tommy's attempt had at least been funny. "Glad to run into you tonight though." Her smile was genuine with her words, and Oliver couldn't help but return his own.

"Can I get you drink?" Oliver asked her. He couldn't deny seeing an old friend wasn't nice, and she seemed to have the same thought. His question though was met with hesitance and Mckenna did a quick glance about the room before she turned back and nodded at him. "If I'm keeping you from anything…"

"No!" she quietly exclaimed. "No, just a club soda for now though. Long night ahead and all." Oliver could tell she wasn't being completely truthful but found that he liked the mystery and wanted to solve it.

The two friends found themselves at the bar and reminiscing on old times. Oliver kept an eye on how she moved and how she looked around the place. While he had positioned his body towards her, she had the side of her frame towards him, open to the rest of the club. Her clothing was also less… enticing than he remembered her wearing in the past. She also nursed her club soda, also unlike the woman he knew from 5 years ago. Eventually he caught on though and chuckled at his realization. She seemed unaware of his new knowledge though as she attributed his reaction as she recounted a story from after his departure. When she finished, he leaned in towards her ear to whisper his findings. "So how long was it after that did you join SCPD?"

Oliver could see that he had surprised her, Mckenna's breathing hitching twice, once when he moved in and the second when he spoke. It took her a moment to find her words, but she did answer him. "About a year and a half, what tipped you off?"

Her annoyance was on full display as she set her drink down and combed over her appearance, obviously her biggest worry. "It wasn't your clothes," he started, and he head whipped around and showed disbelief, "well not just your clothes, your whole demeanor really. It probably doesn't help that I've caught my bodyguard in similar circumstances tonight." She sighed at his words before she nodded.

"I'm usually better at this, you just caught me off guard." Mckenna said and flashed him a genuine and brilliant smile.

Oliver gave her a smile of his own and was about to reply when he felt a familiar should grab and heard the voice of Tommy. "So, I see you've run into the new enemy." The jest was clear and with the way Mckenna rolled her eyes at their new conversationalist not a new one. "Does Oliver need to worry about your handcuffs?"

"Only if he's been bad." Mckenna jested back at the man and sent a wink Oliver's way. He had just taken a sip of his scotch when she said it and Oliver found himself choking up on the small amount of liquid.

Tommy quickly patted Oliver on the back as he laughed at the situation. "Well by all means let me leave you two alone so he can get himself taken into your custody. Oliver, coughed more at his friend's response, how did he get here?

"Unfortunately, I've spent more time than I should have with Oliver. Back to the prowl I go." The newly revealed cop said before she sauntered off, giving Oliver an appraising look that he wasn't sure was for his benefit or Tommy's. Oliver just watched her disappear into the crowd before he turned back to his friend.

"Your evil, Merlyn." He said simply. The conversation had been nowhere near there, at least Oliver thought, and now he had no idea how to talk to Mckenna if he ever did again. "Done with the blonde?" he asked quickly to move them from his situation.

"Yeah." Tommy chuckled out. "Figured we could head to one of the smaller venues, check out their situation." Oliver nodded at his friend's idea and the two began to close out their tab.

"Big brother!" Thea's voice echoed through Oliver's head as he spun around and saw his sister approaching, drink in hand and give him a hug. Her little friend from the morning before his hearing trailed behind her and gave him what he was sure she thought was a flirty wave. He shivered in disgust before addressing his sister who had gone off on some tangent. "...and that's when we ended up here, saw you with the fuzz, and came over after she left."

Oliver let out a sharp breath in annoyance, again he knew he could say little against her actions without being a hypocrite. He did the same at her age, and at least she wasn't completely wasted. He glanced around to make sure Mckenna was gone and when his gaze caught Tommy's face, he scrunched his brows in confusion. What came out of his friend's mouth surprised him more though. "Thea, I thought we agreed you weren't coming to places like this after I had to bail you of that situation?"

Oliver may not have known what Tommy talked about but from how Thea reacted he knew it was the wrong thing to say. His sister's eyes went cold as she turned towards the dark-haired man and her response was just as cold. "You don't get to judge me Tommy, especially with what you were up to while Ollie was gone." She was hurt, that was obvious, and she wanted to hurt Tommy back. Oliver had an idea of what Thea meant to expose, and

"Thea, why don't we head out?" Oliver said as he reached to take her hand. She ripped the appendage away before he could grip.

"Need some help?" another voice called out and Oliver blanched at Laurel's form as she approached. This was not good. "Thea why don't…"

"Oh, look who it is Tommy," Thea began.

"That's enough Thea!" Oliver interrupted harshly. "You don't need to call out others on how they grieved." Oliver looked over at Thea's friend when he spoke next. "I think you two need to go."

Leah grabbed onto Thea and had to drag her away. The remaining three with an approaching Jo stood in an uncomfortable silence. No one seemed to know what to say, it was obvious what Thea was getting at and both Tommy and Laurel were confused on how Oliver knew. Jo pulled at Laurel, and she trailed after her friend, eyes never leaving Oliver. Oliver turned away from Laurel to look at Tommy who seemed about to say something when someone else beat him to the punch.

"Oliver Queen, as I live and breathe." Max Fuller stood to the side of the two, a heated gaze directed at Oliver. The night it seems had taken it's turn and would only get worse.

"Max, good to see you. How have you been?" Oliver asked to try and keep things civil.

"Happy you died." Was the response he got, and he knew this was going to be far from civil. "Follow me, with him." Max told the guys next to him and they followed their orders.

Oliver was pushed into an empty VIP room, covered only by a curtain. Oliver briefly wondered how expensive these things were to not have someone in it at this time of night. He turned back to Max and the two bouncers he tried civility once more. "Come on Max, we don't have to do this."

Max venomously responded, "You slept with my wife."

Oliver couldn't help but hear Tommy's rebuttal from earlier in his head, he knew it was probably best not to say that now though. "And I'm sorry about that…" The punch came swiftly, and Oliver took it with acceptance. He deserved that, and Max never got his vindication back when it happened.

Tommy rushed in at this point and got between the three men and Oliver. "You want to get to him you'll have to go through me Max." Oliver was appreciative of his friend's response but knew that it would be easy for the bouncers to do so. Max's gesture for them to do so was met with the response that he expected but also chuckle at. "Oh, they are so going through me."

The two men roughed up Tommy a bit to get through him and Oliver was torn between actively fighting the assailants or phoning it in. Diggle was around here somewhere; he doubted his bodyguard would let them get assaulted. So, Oliver took a few hits and swung wildly at the bouncers and counted down till he would be forced to make his move. A glance up at Max saw the man with a twisted smirk on his face, he was enjoying it.

The curtain was tossed aside, and Max crumpled to the ground and cried out as someone attacked him from behind. When they heard their boss cry out a bouncer turned to see Laurel take Max by the back of his head and shove it down to the ground. With his boss taken down the bouncer went to grab at Laurel who snapped her own hand out to grab him first. She twisted his arm, slipped her foot out of the heel she wore and struck out with a kick to the sternum. The bouncer was caught off guard and stumbled back into the couch of the VIP room. Laurel turned to the other bouncer who gaped at her. She crouched towards him and used her hands to balance herself as she struck out with her legs to kick his knees out from under him. The man crumpled to his knees and Laurel used her momentum to launch a knee to his face.

Oliver looked at Laurel in shock, this was not the same woman who hid in his chest only a week before. When he thought back though after the shock of the break in, she seemed poised to join him in an attack. This was what she was like when she wasn't shaken up, and he wondered where she learned to fight like this. Laurel was caught up in the moment though with her success on the second bouncer. The other one had gotten up and was ready to put her in her place. Oliver prepared to launch at the guy when Diggle rushed in saw what was happening and put the bouncer back onto the couch with one hard punch to the face. Jo walked in after that and surveyed the scene. She turned to Max and asked him a question. "As a lawyer I believe any further actions would not be in your best interest."

Max sneered at her before he looked at all of them and announced, "You're all banned for life, get out of my club." He walked out quickly with one bouncer trailed behind. The other one, the one Diggle had punched, got up and gestured for the group to leave.

The group made it outside without any comment. All of them looked at each other before they burst out in laughter except for Diggle. The situation was absurd, and none of them could believe what had just occurred. Oliver composed himself first and a breathy chuckle asked Laurel, "Where did you learn to fight like that?"

Laurel took a minute to calm down, the question slightly sobered her up before she answered. "I started going to a gym in the Glades after I opened my practice. Figured I should be prepared just in case." Oliver nodded at the response; it made a lot of sense. "It also helped as a form of therapy." There was the truth of it in Oliver's eyes. Her anger and hurt needed an outlet, so she found one. "We're even by the way."

[Break]

The group separated from there, the girls hadn't wanted to join the boys when Diggle mentioned food. The ride to wherever Diggle planned to take them was quiet, Tommy at one point seemed to be on the verge of words before the bodyguard cleared his throat and stopped him. The car eventually stopped at a place on the border of the Glades, just close enough to still get good response from the police. The two men of means stepped out to the sight of a Big Belly Burger, both looked surprised as the larger man walked them in and waved over at a female that tended the serve line. "Who's the girl?" Tommy asked.

"My brother's wife." Diggle replied and gave a pointed look at the man.

He held his hands up in a surrender motion and said, "Eyes to myself, got it." Tommy then moved to find an empty booth and sit down.

Oliver took a moment to consider what he had found out earlier that day. She would be a widow now, and all because of the man currently in town. "She's not wearing a ring, where's your brother?" the question came out smoothly, he was curious of the response he would get.

Diggle took a moment to answer, the grief and anger very prevalent in his face and eyes as he thought of the man in question. "Died on duty. Go sit with your friend, I'll get you two something." He moved over to the counter and Oliver took the man's advice and slid into the booth opposite Tommy who was deep in thought.

"How did you find out?" He eventually got out. Oliver though was deep in his own thoughts about Deadshot though and missed Tommy's meaning. "About me and Laurel, you knew, how?" his clarification made sense now, along with his mood.

"The morning after my welcome home bash, I went to apologize to her about what I'd said, overheard the two of you." Oliver informed his friend who looked stunned. "She was right by the way, neither of you owed me an explanation."

"I do, Oliver. I…" Tommy urged and searched for the words he wanted. "I wanted it to be more." He admitted. Oliver looked at his friend with clarity of that morning, he had tested the waters. "She doesn't though, I think we both heard how clear she was about things that morning." Tommy grabbed at a ketchup bottle on the table and began to fiddle with it as he spoke. "Once I realized that, I felt angry. At her, you, but mostly myself. I knew what we were doing was wrong, I knew why we were doing it, and I still let myself get caught up in it." Tommy looked up at Oliver as he continued to talk, and Oliver stayed quiet to let his friend get this burden off his chest. "At first it was a drunken mistake, then just a way for us to feel something, eventually though I was trying to win her over. I think she figured me out though, she stopped it not long after. I latched on, and that's why I continued to go after her and that morning was a jealous attempt of seeing if we could be something more."

"Jealous?" Oliver asked. Tommy cut his eyes away briefly before more spilled from him.

"Of what was obviously still there. I saw the way she looked when she walked in and saw me, knowing that you would be there too. She may hate you, but I think in some way she still loves you too. Then she came to the party, and I thought you two were went off for a hate fueled romp and I wanted to know from her." Oliver slightly raised his eyes at Tommy's remark. When he looked back, he could see his friend's point. It could have been construed as that, especially with the little interest he showed in "getting laid" later at the party. "What she said, as I sat on it, sobered me up to the truth. She and I don't work, would never work, and I needed her to be cold towards me to realize that. So that's why I said I owed you an explanation, because to me it was far more than just sex and I need to say this, I'm sorry."

Oliver was silent, he took time to form his thoughts. Diggle brought their food over at that point and gave the two a curious look, the seriousness of the situation unexpected. He could see the worry in his oldest friend's eyes though and knew he had to speak. "I accept your apology. I appreciate you being honest, even if I still think it unnecessary. We're good Tommy, you grieved in the way you knew how." Tommy released a haggard breath that he'd kept held, nodded, and began to dig into the burger and fries. Oliver looked down at his own meal and didn't know where to start, he knew he had more to say though. "I do have two things to say though." Tommy looked up mid-bite panic in his eyes. "First, I think you need to talk to Laurel about this, she could help you move on better I think." Tommy swallowed hard at his words and nodded his agreement and waited for Oliver to continue. "Second, you're going to need to talk to her anyway to get her on your side and even help if you're wanting to pursue that friend of hers."

Tommy gaped at him and quickly replied, "How did you know?" Panic seemed to seep back into the man as he scrunched his eyes obviously to remember if he'd been obvious.

Oliver chuckled at the man's antics before he assuaged his fears. "You weren't obvious about anything." Tommy breathed out a sigh of relief at that. "We've just been friends, if not brothers, long enough for me to know you. No matter how many years I missed out on."

"And what about you?" Tommy countered after a second to collect himself. Oliver shook his head in confusion. "You've changed a lot, brother, but I know when you like a girl, and you were definitely vibing with Mckenna." Oliver once again turned his thoughts back to the events that took place prior to everything going downhill. He had felt comfortable with Mckenna, she seemed to have no expectation, just acted like she was catching up with a friend who she hadn't seen in a long time. Then the flirting she had done as she left threw him even more. Did she want something? "Sent her your number on the car ride over, I'll send you hers too unless you want to see if she makes the first move?"

Oliver thought for a brief moment and came to a decision. Before he could respond however his phone rang, the screen lit up with the decryption algorithm he used for his other work. He could play this off though, so he looked up at his friend and gave him a look that portrayed the old adage 'speak of the devil'. Tommy chuckled and gave him a wink before he got up. Oliver waited till he was a few feet off before he answered. "So, I checked out?" Oliver asked in Russian.

The voice of Alexi on the other side chuckled before he answered. "You did, I'd be interested to hear the story of how you got on Anatoly's good side." Oliver stayed quiet; he couldn't say too much right now, not with how he was having to speak. "Floyd Lawton, that is the man you seek. I can give you his last known address from a previous time in Starling City."

"Let us hope he is a creature of habit." Oliver responded. Alexi rattled off an address before the call was ended. Oliver looked around the restaurant, he needed to slip away.

[Break]

Oliver stopped on top of the building across from the location he'd been given for Deadshot. The survey of the outside of the building he'd done proved it to be a good location. Seemingly abandoned but enough power still going to it to be usable. With it being three stories there was no lack of places to store or hide should the cops make a random sweep. He would also need to be cautious of any traps the man had laid out, hopefully he would catch him by surprise though. It was time to move in, the night wasn't long enough tonight.

[Break]

Floyd Lawton hunched over a table that showed a set of blueprints and a laptop next to them. He had his plans and orders, as curious as they were. He wasn't one to question things, as long as the payment came. He walked over to the table that held his rifle, stripped for now as he preferred it before a job. He wanted to account for every piece. It was all there, ready to be put together and used the next night. For now, sleep sounded best. Lawton exited the room to cross the hall to his bed. As he reached for the door knob his hand stopped. Something felt off, he looked down the dimly lit hallway both ways to no sign of a disturbance, but he couldn't shake off what he felt. He lowered his hand to the piece he kept on his hip; his fingers itched to take hold of it. The sound of a hiss is what made him pull it and dodge to the side just in time to miss the projectile that passed him. The shadowy figure of the Archer overtook the hallway and Lawton brought his arm up to fire.

Oliver moved into a room as he saw his target raise his arm, Lawton was a sharpshooter, he wouldn't be unarmed. His suspicion was proven correct when he heard the sound of a single gunshot, a warning. He gripped the handle of his bow tightly, a minute more was all he needed to arrive at the room Lawton had been in, the tighter space would have been more advantageous to Oliver. He would just have to make the space work in his favor. He knocked an arrow and swiftly curved his body around the door frame and let loose the arrow in the ceiling. The arrow let off a small explosion and the ceiling came down onto Lawton, who dodged back into the room he'd entered the hallway from with a grunt of pain. Whatever injury the man had taken wouldn't be enough.

Oliver quickly moved down the hallway to the room to try and keep a small distance between the two men once in the room. He slowed as he got nearer and peeked around the corner only to move back as another gunshot rang out and the door opposite was marked. He ducked down as another went through the wall above him. Oliver took a flechette from his armguard and peered around to throw it at the gun the man held. The sound of objects as they hit the floor signaled to Oliver that he hit his mark.

He rushed in as Lawton bent towards a table and tackled him into it. A computer and another firearm hit the floor next to them and Lawton was able to grasp onto the weapon and brought around to fire at Oliver. The wrist of the gunman hit the middle of the bow as the Archer held it over his head as he knelt. The shot intended for his head rang out and dropped debris and dust around them. Oliver stood up abruptly forcing Lawton to arc his gun arm widely around him. Oliver swiped his leg across the man's face but cursed his luck as he landed next to the other gun he'd been disarmed of.

Lawton took hold of the gun in his other hand and whipped around to shoot at his assailant who rolled out of the way and towards the laptop that had clattered to the ground. Another round of fire shot out and sparks flew from the electronic just as Oliver let loose another arrow that caught the man across the top of his shoulder. As Lawton dealt with his injury the Archer picked up the computer before another shot echoed the room and Oliver felt a bullet hit his shoulder. The situation had turned, he needed to get out. While there was no window in this room Oliver knew the one next to it had one. He surged forward and crashed through the rickety wall, more gunfire sounded through the building, but none found purchase on him and through the window he leapt and fell from the second story. Oliver had escaped and dealt a blow to the assassin.

Flashback

Oliver shifted uncomfortably on the cave floor beneath him. His head rested against a live preserver. As he moved to readjust his mind registered the unfamiliar surroundings. The young man's eyes shot open to see an unrecognizable figure asleep close by. A quick glance around told his brain he was in an unfamiliar place and situation. Only one thought occurred to him, RUN.

Oliver moved to get up and pain shot through his upper body, he cried out softly and his eyes landed on the figure across from him again. Fear overtook him and he shot up and towards the exit. He had never moved so quickly in life, his feet took him out of the cave and into a forest, the sun beaming through the canopy of the trees. Oliver had no idea where he was going, no idea where he had been, the only thing that made sense was to get as far away as possible as fast as possible. He was halted in his escape when he tripped over something on the ground and tumbled forward.

Nothing registered for a moment as he dizzied from the motion and emotional stress that had overtaken him from the moment he woke. Unadulterated terror took over him as the green canopy he'd been looking at from his back was overtaken by black strands. A net surrounded him from under the leaves and grass around him and lifted him into the air. A silent scream overtook him, as his body folded up. Oliver scratched and grasped at the ropes that hung him in the air, but they would not give. Finally sound seemed to come from his as he let out the loudest word of his life, "HELP!"

END FLASHBACK

The next morning was a busy affair for Oliver, he needed to meet his mother and Walter about his business concept, and he planned a visit to Ms. Smoak to see if anything was salvageable from the laptop he took from Lawton. The damage the machine took from Lawton frustrated him, had it been intact he would have had no issue with it. The destruction was another matter though. He needed someone with a bit more talent.

Oliver walked into Queen Consolidated's I.T. division and headed straight to Ms. Smoak's office. She was chewing on a pen and seemed almost bored with whatever she was working on. Oliver gave a knock on the door that made her throw the pen behind her and locked in on her computer before she said something. He blinked a couple of times and realized she'd spoken so fast that he had failed to understand a single word.

When no answer came from him as he was still taken aback, Ms. Smoak looked up to him and realization dawned on her that she hadn't been caught slacking. "Mr. Queen?"

Oliver snapped back to the moment at her use of his last name. "Like I said last time Ms. Smoak, it's Oliver."

"Right, of course. I remember that I was just surprised to see you, I thought you were my boss and didn't want him to think I wasn't doing anything. Not that I don't have something to do, there's a list of tickets but who wants a busy Friday. But then it was you and I was just surprised and called you 'Mr. Queen' even though you made it clear that…." She trailed off from her tirade as she was about to put her foot in her mouth again. "Anyways, if I'm calling you Oliver, you can call me Felicity."

The man in question just blinked at her again after her long-winded reply, eventually words found him again. "Agreed, now last time you asked me to bring you a challenge the next time I visited. I have that challenge." Oliver lifted the laptop up for her to see and she gave him a raised eyebrow at him.

"It has bullet holes." Felicity commented.

"Ah, um yeah. I was in a café in the Glades and there was an incident. A college kid was more freaked out about her laptop than her life, so I offered to get it fixed for her." Oliver responded. He was interested to see if she would accept the lie, he didn't think it implausible.

Felicity gave him a look that made him wonder before she commented. "Her, huh?" Oliver just chuckled before he handed it over as she reached for it. "I'll see what I can do."

At that she began working on it and Oliver stood there a moment to observe, a glance at his watch though told him it was time to meet his mother and Walter. "I'll be back to see your progress; I have a meeting upstairs." He told Felicity who just waved him off.

Once in the elevator Oliver pushed the button to take him to the CEO's floor. Once it began to move, he took a breath. Felicity obviously had questions, and whatever she uncovered would lead her to more. He would either have to look elsewhere or think of bringing her in at some point. John was also a priority in that regard, and the higher one at the moment. Oliver wondered if he should inform him that the man who killed his brother was in town. It would give him a chance to trial test a partnership. Though with something so personal perhaps it was best left to after the issue was resolved. The ding of the elevator as he arrived at his desired floor brought him out of his thoughts.

The door opened and Oliver walked out, he needed to switch his mind from the Archer to Oliver Queen. So, before he walked further into the office he breathed out once more and straightened out his clothes. As he made his way in and approached the secretary he glanced through the glass walls at the occupant inside the CEO's office, Walter sat at his desk on the phone as he looked at something on his computer. Whoever he was conversing with were in the midst of a tirade. When he reached the woman's desk to let her know to let him know he was here before he could even get a word out, she looked up and spoke to him. "Mr. Queen, if you could wait a few minutes, Mr. Steele is in the middle of a phone call."

Oliver looked back over into the office to see Walter notice him and say something quickly the person on the other side before Oliver was waved in. "Thank you." He told the secretary and walked into the office and closed the doors behind him. "I appreciate you taking the time to see me. I hope I'm not interrupting something though?"

Walter waved him off before he got up to greet Oliver. "Think nothing of it Oliver, just going over some details for tomorrow's auction." The two men shook hands and Walter gestured to the couches that sat opposite of one another in the corner. Oliver froze for a moment; Holder had also mentioned an auction. He was pulled from his thoughts when the man spoke again. "Now, Moira told me you have a business interest you'd like to talk about?" Walter asked once they were sat across from another. Oliver shook out of his new revelation and sat opposite of his stepfather who wore an intrigued face.

Oliver couldn't fault him for being curious, especially after what he told them last week. "I do, but not directly related to the company." He started. This announcement had the man opposite him intrigued as Walter leaned forward. "Queen Consolidated holds property in the Glades, and unless you have plans for it, I would like to do something with it myself."

"The old factory?" Walter asked.

Oliver nodded as he continued in his proposal. "Yes, I would like to use the space to open up a night club." Oliver's statement was met with silence as Walter waited for him to continue. "The overflow storage and office building I'd like to use for something else, an outreach center."

Walter sat back against the sofa and raised a hand to his chin in a thoughtful manner. "An outreach center? How would it operate?" the current CEO asked.

Oliver went over the details of his idea with Walter from there. How the building would be used to tutor adults looking to get jobs or kids needing help in school. The plan was to reach out to the local college for volunteers or work out a program that could offer credits. Then the space outside would be used to put in a couple of basketball courts for entertainment. The conversation took over twenty minutes as he explained and responded to questions Walter had. The British man took him through his paces, made sure that Oliver had thought of issues or situations and helped him consider options.

"So, the profits from the club would be used to support the center, once there are some." Walter clarified.

Oliver nodded, "Yes, though I would like to be able to do some things with the outreach center during construction of the club." Walter nodded at his words. Oliver was glad that Walter had responded so well, he'd feared he would be dealing with his mother, but it was just him today and Oliver couldn't be happier. "I'm not asking for the company to foot the bill, I'm happy to do that myself."

"Then what is it you are asking of me?" Walter questioned, surprise in his eyes as well as hesitancy.

"To hand the property over to me." Oliver stated simply. Walter leaned back once more as he had moved towards Oliver in their discussion and seemed deep in thought.

"Oliver, are you saying you're willing to take out a loan to get this project started?" Walter asked.

"Yes." Oliver responded firmly. This was his plan, his mission, as far as he was concerned Queen Consolidated had no part in this.

"I'll consider your request Oliver, there would be a lot riding on you though. The Glades are a dangerous area, and you mother will not be thrilled at the idea of you working there." Walter told him.

"This is something I need to do, to strike out on my own and build a future I can be proud of." Oliver responded. Walter nodded, he seemed to understand what Oliver wanted to accomplish. The CEO stood and Oliver followed and the two shook hands once more.

"Relax Oliver, you did well. Your idea has depth and measure to it." Oliver did indeed relax at the man's words. He felt that he'd been able to convince the man, even if he didn't outright say it.

"I think I was a bit more prepared for my mother's response than yours alone. Where is she by the way?" Oliver asked.

Walter chuckled and nodded at the younger man's words. "Indeed, I understand your stress. She's dealing with your sister this morning after she came home inebriated last night." Oliver's eyebrows rose in surprise when he heard that. "Your sister's rebellions have always been a point of contention. Moira seems to want to correct things before they get out of hand." Oliver nodded and couldn't help but wonder how his mother was going to get through to Thea. The men parted at that, and Oliver left the office.

Oliver made his way back to Felicity's office and knocked once more. Felicity was less surprised by him this time, she was sitting back in her chair, blowing a bubble on a piece of gum staring at her screen. The bubble popped as she looked over at him. "Felicity, were you able to salvage anything?"

"I was able to get a few things, I am confused on why a student would have this on their laptop though." She answered while pointing at her screen. Oliver frowned and made his way around the desk to look at her computer. He saw what appeared to be blueprints for a building.

"I guess she's an architect student." Oliver replied and showed his own confusion at her incredulous look. "Is there something wrong with the plan?" he asked.

"It's for the exchange building, it's where the Unidac auction is taking place." Felicity sighed at the blank look sent her way. "Look, I don't want to get in the middle of some Shakespearian family drama thing." Her comment only drew a confused look from Oliver who continued. "Mr. Steele marrying your mom. Claudius, Gertrude... Hamlet?" she concluded.

"I didn't study Shakespeare at any of the four schools that I dropped out of." Oliver responded quickly.

Felicity groaned and massaged her temples before she spoke again. "Mr. Steele is trying to buy Unidac Industries. And you've got a company laptop associated with one of the guys he's competing against."

Oliver's eyes rose at that, this was not good. Obviously, Lawton wasn't in the market for a new business so whose laptop did he have. "I'm starting to think that girl wasn't a college student. Who might she have worked for?" he asked her and hoped she'd been able to get the information off the computer.

"That woman worked for… Warren Patel." Felicity responded.

[Break]

Moira and Thea walked around a store and browsed the dresses. Moira had allowed Thea a day off from school so that they could talk about her outing the previous night, as well as prepare for the auction later that night. Moira had yet to speak to her daughter and knew the longer she held off the less likely she was to say anything at all. So, she started the only way she knew how, "Robert was always so good at talking to you, I never managed to figure it out."

Thea looked up at her mother from the dress she'd been admiring, and her face showed shock and confusion. "You, you've never talk about him." She said.

Moira gave her a small sad smile. "I was always jealous of it. When you were four years old, you came home one day with a cat." Thea nodded, not knowing where her mother was going. "It was a stray, it was filthy, and it was mean. But you stood there, and you declared that it was coming to live with us." Moira chuckled out. "I tried to get you to see reason, but you were determined. Your father came home from the office, and he saw what was going on, and he sat you down and he explained to you that the cat was in fact a tiger and that we needed to get it home. And somehow... you understood."

Thea chuckled; she had forgotten about that. "I don't remember that, now I wish I did though."

Moira closed her eyes in sympathy at her daughter's comment. "I wish I knew what he would say to you now. I wish I could get through to you like he once did." She watched her daughter, she seemed to catch on to what Moira wanted to get at. "These wild nights of yours Thea, they can't continue. I had hoped with Oliver back they would stop, that you would instead spend time with him."

"He would have to be around for me to do that." Thea muttered angrily as she began to browse again. Moira had to admit, her daughter had a point. Oliver was not what they had expected on his return. "He doesn't seem to want anything to do with us."

"Thea, you know that's not true, your brother has just been busy. Even still, his actions should not determine yours sweetheart." Moira responded. "You both have your own life to live, please don't make a mess of it before it even starts?" she pleaded to Thea.

Thea could only nod to her mother as she heard the emotion behind her words. In truth her friends had been less than warm to her last night. Leah being the only one, and even she was only lukewarm. She would need to either make some new friends or try and get them to understand her. As smart as they all were she didn't know if that would work. Her mother was right though, she didn't want to get into more trouble than she'd already had. "I'll do better mom."

[Break]

The night was young as the atrium filled with members of the elite into the exchange building. Detective Lance was on edge as he watched individuals walk through the security line, he knew one of these people had hired a killer, just not who. The past two murders were shots taken from enough space that it was unlikely the killer would grace them with their presence in the building. Guards had been stationed around the building to intercept someone, but they could only cover so much ground. The exchange building did not lend itself to an easy protection detail.

A group of five individuals caught his eye as Walter Steele arrived with his family. He nodded to Mr. Steele who had been helpful in assuring their presence at the auction. He liked the man; he was just sour on who he'd chosen to latch himself to. He barely registered Queen's presence as he gave a cursory nod to the man's bodyguard, still appreciative for what the man had done for his daughter. The larger man gave him one back and a once over before his eyes began to roam the building itself. The army veteran knew something was up and Quentin could appreciate his skills to pick that up. Diggle's response had Lance antsy, so he decided to make a check in with everyone. "Teams, check in." The response was immediate as one by one all units checked in until unit five stayed quiet longer than usual. "Unit five, your status?"

Across the street midway up the building stood Floyd Lawton as he looked out the window to the exchange building. The man brought up a radio and looked down at the body that now decorated the floor. "This is unit five, all clear."

[Break]

The day had been a rough one for Laurel, the hangover she had suffered from the night before would be blamed for that. Jo had talked her into going somewhere else for one last drink to salvage the night and talk on what had occurred. One drink became two and those two had been the ones to push them both over the edge. Jo had texted Laurel that morning with many expletives that showed the mood her friend was in. Laurel could relate as everything Jo said was how she felt. Finally, the day was over though, and she could relax. So, when a knock came at her door, she could only whisper those words she'd been texted earlier that day as she approached the door.

Laurel looked through the peep hole and sagged her shoulders, this was not what she wanted to deal with tonight. Nevertheless, she opened the door to Tommy Merlyn on the other side. "Tommy, I'm in no mood for your charm tonight."

Tommy winced at her words; she hadn't meant them to sound so harsh, but her exhaustion had affected her tone. "I'm not here to woe you Laurel, just to talk." He told her, which took Laurel by surprise, and she invited him in. "I spoke to Oliver; he knows and is cool with what happened. Turns out he overheard us the night after his welcome back party."

"I know, the night we were attacked he told me." Laurel informed him. Tommy nodded in response but stayed silent as they stood in her foyer. "Is that why you're here? To tell me something I already knew?"

A ragged breath left him, and Laurel knew that that wasn't it and waited for him to speak. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry that I latched on to you so hard and used you for my grief." He said and Laurel could hear the sincerity in his words. "What you said, how you said it that morning, it helped me come to my truth. I'm sorry and I thank you."

Tommy moved to the door after his apology and as he began to open the door did Laurel respond, "Tommy," the man stopped as he turned to look back at her, "thank you, and I'm sorry too." His only response was to nod but she could see the weight that lifted off him as he exited.

[Break]

Oliver scanned the building as he stepped away from his family. Walter's phone conversation had been what he'd expected. A police presence would hopefully slow Lawton down, not that it would stop him completely. Had there been time he would have tried to approach Lance as the Archer and loop him into what he knew, time had been against him though. He'd been glad to have the opportunity to place his suit for when something went down. For now, though, everything seemed to be fine, he could only hope it stayed that way.

His family had been surprised when he and Diggle joined them in the limo. It had been a somewhat awkward drive. His mother stared at him critically, but Thea seemed to be pleased by his presence. So, he had spent the ride talking to her and Walter and told her of his plans for the steel factory. She had been excited to hear what she attributed to his lack of family time. His mother had been less receptive and glared harder at him till he gave her a look of his own that had her turn her head out the window. Oliver was disheartened to see her reaction; he had hoped she would see this as him taking a step forward into the world she wanted him in. He couldn't fathom why this would have her so heated. A clap on his back had him back to the moment though as he turned to see Malcolm Merlyn.

"Oliver! Glad to see you here showing support for your family." The two men shook hands and Oliver had to wonder why the man was here. He didn't think Merlyn Global would have a stake in this race.

"Mr. Merlyn, I'm surprised to see you here. I didn't think Unidac would be in your sights." Oliver said to the man.

Malcolm chuckled and waved Oliver off. "No, no just here for the champagne and Hors d'oeuvres." Oliver was still puzzled; he would've thought that only interested buyers could enter. As he scanned the room again though he noticed only a few people with paddles for the bidding process. "These things are never just one thing, Oliver. It is always a chance for us to come and check in on competition and maybe make some 'backroom deals." Malcolm added, his last words whispered with humor.

Oliver laughed with the man; the new information had provided clarity. His father had often gone to auctions and come home empty handed but with a smile now that he thought about it. As he looked around once more it seemed people were moving into position for the main event. He noticed John stood close by and could tell the man knew something was up. "If you'll excuse me Mr. Merlyn I would like to speak to my bodyguard, see if I can't get him to relax some." Oliver joked to the other man who smirked over at the forementioned individual.

"Well make sure you make it back to your family when the auction starts, we can cheer Walter on together." Malcolm told him and Oliver nodded before he walked over to Diggle.

Diggle noticed his approach and gave him a nod. Oliver slid up next to him a surveyed the room alongside his bodyguard. "You look tense John, everything alright?" he asked.

John looked at him from the corner of his eye before he responded. "Just a bit more security for an auction than I expected, sir."

"Ah, well if anything was going to happen, they would have to make their move soon." Diggle looked over at Oliver at his comment. The man's face held curiosity, but he nodded at Oliver's assessment. "Why don't we move closer till the auction is done?" he asked the bodyguard who nodded once more and the two moved to join Oliver's family.

It wasn't long before a man approached the podium and announced that the bidding would begin momentarily. Oliver's head was on a swivel at this, Lawton was cutting it close, and he knew the bullet would have to leave his barrel soon. A glance of his mother and sister had him even more on edge, he hated they were still here but there was nothing he could do without raising suspicion. His heartbeat faster and faster with every second that passed, his eyes moved to glue themselves to Walter in hopes of seeing a laser sight before shot could be taken.

Movement in the crowd caught Oliver's attention though and he tensed, Lawton wouldn't attack like this, it made no sense. The figure that moved through the crowd was revealed seconds later to be Detective Lance and Oliver swung his neck to Walter and searched him to see the sniper's laser on him. Before Oliver could move, the sound of breaking glass and the body of Lance propelled into Walter's broke the chatty noise of the room as people cried out and ducked to the ground. Oliver saw Merlyn take position near his mother and sister as the two bodies of Lance and Walter crashed into the floor. Oliver and Diggle both ducked as well, the latter attempted to grasp at his charge who slipped away towards his stepfather.

Lance popped up and shouted into his radio. "Shot fired! Shot fired! Eyes sharp!" He pulled Walter to his feet and began to lead him out of the room. Oliver stopped his advance at that and made a cursory glance around the building to locate the broken window.

"Sir! I need to get you out of here!" Diggle called out. Oliver turned his attention and made a quick judgement call.

"No, them!" Oliver called back and pointed to his mother and sister. "I'll get to Walter." He moved from there to the door he'd seen them take. It would also get him to where he needed to go. He looked around more as another set of gunshots pounded the floor and table sets around the atrium. With a glance at a bullet hole, he estimated where it would come from and looked up to see the window that had taken damage. Oliver had his location.

Oliver crashed into the stairwell and took two steps at a time as he rushed up the stairs. He was halfway to the top when he tripped on a last step before a landing and crashed into a trashcan on the landing between floors. The can clattered to the ground trash pouring out alongside his archer gear. Oliver quickly got to his feet and gathered his belongings and took a wild glance around before launching himself further up the building.

[Break]

Lawton kept his rifle leveled and pulled the trigger again to cause more damage to the chaos fueled atrium. He had a loose end to deal with and waited patiently for his appearance. A red light on a box nearby told him that his target was closing in, exactly from where he expected as well. He pulled away from the window and began to strip his weapon down quickly and pack it up before he pulled out his handguns in order to deal with the closer proximity of the Archer.

Oliver stopped at the entrance to the room where he expected Lawton to be, it held the best advantage from when he scoped the place out earlier. He knew there was a column just on the other side of the door, one he could use for cover if he could move around the corner quick enough. He took out an arrow that would provide a smoke screen and knocked it. He had one chance with this. The Archer peered tightly around the corner and let the arrow loose, the smoke detonated, and he moved quickly to the column as he heard gunshots and felt one go by him. His guess had been right, and Oliver felt vindicated in how he had trained. Still, he would not remove Lawton from the board without a chance.

"Drop your guns and kick them over!" he yelled out. The response was a loud singular laugh.

"Sorry, no can-do archer boy, you're a loose end that I need to clean up. Nothing personal, just good business." Lawton called back as the smoke began to clear up.

Another round of shots rang out and the column Oliver stood behind sounded with the collision of Deadshot's bullets. They were at a stalemate, Oliver would need to come out to take his shot at which point Lawton would fire, and the gunman would not be able to pierce through the concrete that he hid behind. Oliver needed to formulate a plan before they were either discovered or Lawton decided to make a move. He could shoot off a zipline arrow to the opposite wall, pull him quickly from cover and hopefully the opportunity to fire off an arrow before Lawton could get past the surprise. It was risky, but the only option he saw available to himself. He cursed himself again for losing the element of surprise, he needed to be more careful in the future. As he prepped the harness and reel the sound of footsteps echoed through the hall from where he entered. He was out of time.

The Archer saw the barrel of a gun emerge from the doorway and knew Lawton would notice it as well and though he felt guilty he knew he could use this as his opportunity. The figure moved further in, and Oliver swung around the column in the opposite direction and heard the gunfire ring out as he pulled and let loose an arrow at Lawton who had was still poised towards the other figure. The arrow found purchase and the sniper fell.

Oliver approached Lawton and saw that his arrow had pierced his eye. A flash of another figure with the same injury filled his vision. The sound of a groan tore him from his memory as he turned around to see John Diggle hunched over against the far wall before he collapsed to the ground.

Flashback

Oliver pulled harder at the ropes that held him, his voice hoarse from cries for help he'd made so far. His eyes scanned desperately around the forest hoping that someone would emerge. Eventually a figure did emerge, the man that had shot then bandaged him moved into the clearing. He hood was up once more, and his bow held up with an arrow nocked and string pulled taut. The man moved around the area; never once did he glance up at Oliver. The young man didn't know who this man was, but he knew at the very least he'd been helped by him. "Help." Oliver's coarse voice croaked out.

A quick and quiet sound came from the man, he'd been shushed. The hooded individual scanned the area for a while longer before he moved over to a tree. Oliver noted that a lone rope came from it and followed the line to see that it was what held him in the air by the net. The man took out a knife and began to cut at the rope and Oliver felt the air rush from his lungs as he was left weightless in the air before he fell to the ground once the rope was cut. He cried out in pain and flailed around to untangle himself from the net. A hand found its way to his mouth to quiet him.

Oliver looked to see the man, now without his hood, hand placed over his and a solitary finger over his lips to indicate to Oliver to stay quiet. Oliver nodded and the man began to help him out of the net. Once free the man helped him up, his finger came up to his lips once more to urge silence before he gestured Oliver to follow him. Once more he nodded to the Asian man and followed him back from where they came.

Not long after their departure a group of four men decked out in fatigues and military gear and weapons entered the clearing. They checked the net and cut rope before the squad leader made several gestures and the team separated in teams of two and exited the clearing.

End Flashback

Oliver moved down the stairs into the basement of the foundry, John Diggle draped around his shoulders. The man was a lot heavier than he had expected and Oliver grunted in exertion as he kept them from a tumble down the stairs. Once at the bottom though he moved them quickly to a table to threw John on top it. He had no time for a bedside manner, Lawton had laced his firearms with curare and Oliver was losing time. He moved quickly to the herbs he'd left out as a precaution, now glad for his foresight, and began to grind them up. Once done he found a bottled water, poured some of the contents out into the bowl before he rushed back to Diggle's side. Oliver held the man's head up as he began to pour the liquid down his throat till it was empty.

Oliver took a step back and let out an exhausted breath before he moved to grab bandages to tend to his bodyguard.

[Break]

John Diggle felt the cool air gently blow around his torso. His eyes blinked open, and he looked up to a dark ceiling with rafters strewn about. As he began to move to get up pain shot through his left shoulder. He was familiar with that pain, a bullet wound. He grunted as he looked at the wound to see a set of bandages cover it. He knew better than to peel it back and decided to trust whoever applied it for now. He took care in how he sat up from there and began to take in his surroundings. It was sparse, whatever the set up was for. As his head moved around further, he caught sight of a figure that stood away from him. They wore some type of body armor, green in its color. Diggle's eyes began to focus more on the individual as his eyes trailed up towards the face. Oliver Queen stood opposite from him, dressed in the Archer's gear.

Oliver stared at John as he took in what was happening before he spoke. "John."

A/N: So, obviously I added some things and changed others. Hope you liked it, if not oh well, maybe a future chapter will be more your speed. I added Malcolm to the auction, there's a reason for that and we will see it.

As always constructive criticism is welcomed.