Finally Home

Chapter 23

I watched as Diggle and Oliver sparred, using metal rods. Diggle's military training helped him keep in step with Oliver, but Diggle still had many things to improve.

"Anchor the rear hand, Diggle." I spoke up, causing them to pause.

"Okay." Diggle and Oliver started again.

Within a second Oliver landed a strike on Diggle.

"Variable acceleration. Fighters work at the same pace. You switch it up, you throw your opponent off his game." Oliver said.

"That was nice. Where'd you learn that?" Diggle asked, rubbing the spot on his face Oliver hit.

"His name's Yao Fei." Oliver responded.

"He give you those scars?" Diggle questioned.

"One of 'em." Oliver said.

"And the others?" Diggle continued, his questions.

Oliver stayed silent. Diggle glanced at me and I shrugged my shoulders, he shook his head.

"You know, one of these days, you're both gonna be straight with me about what really happened on that island."

"Absolutely." I said.

Diggle and Oliver continued sparring. Oliver landed one quick blow, ending the session.

"But not today." Oliver added walking away.

"Still some pretty sweet moves." Diggle said, seemingly impressed.

"Tonight we're gonna use them on him." Oliver dismissed John, pulling up an article on the computers.

"Scott Morgan runs water and power in the Glades. Jacks up the prices, when people can't pay he shuts them down. Even in the dead of winter." I restited off the top of my head, from days of research.

"Which is at least a month away." Diggle commented, walking forward and pulling something up on the computer. "Look at this. These guys started at Keystone three years ago, then began moving west, hitting banks along the way. This morning they hit Starling City Trust. Shot an off-duty cop. He's in a coma and the doctors are saying it's a coin toss whether he'll make it."

"If he's a cop, SCPD will be all over it." Oliver answered coldly, making me glare at him.

"Overwhelmed? Underfunded? Listen, these guys don't hit one time. They hit two or three banks per city. Which means right now they're planning their next job." Diggle pressed, directing his words more towards Oliver than me.

"I think you have the wrong impression about what it is we do." Oliver said, I scoffed, gaining a glare from Oliver.

"You take out bad guys with a bow and arrow." Diggle quipped.

"We don't fight street crime." Oliver sighed. "That's just a symptom of what's wrong with this city. We're trying to cure the disease."

"CEOs and crooked entrepreneurs. I get it. Listen, I'm just saying maybe you can make a difference if you think beyond the scope of those pages. I'm sure your father wouldn't mind." Diggle said.

"No you don't get it. My father died so that I could live. Live and make a difference by fixing the city that he and the people in this book ruined. Every name that I cross off this list honors that sacrifice." Oliver said, starting to lose his cool.

"Oliver, there's more than one way to save this city." Diggle pressed.

"Not for me. Crime happens in this city every day. What do you want us to do? Stop all of it?" Oliver looked to me for back up.

I put my hands up in defeat and turned the office chair I was in, so I could do some research.

"It sounds like you have a narrow definition of being a hero." Diggle ended the conversation leaving the base.

An awkward silence fell between Oliver and I. I typed away at the keyboard, finding article after article about these guys Diggle was talking about. I felt Oliver's glance over my shoulder.

"You seriously can't be putting this off, Ollie." Oliver sighed at my comment.

"What are we supposed to do, stop every crime that happens in this city?" Oliver said, anger lightly lacing his words.

"No, I mean that's literally impossible, but we could help. Diggle has a point, the police are overwhelmed, and underfunded. We could do so much more than just this." I gestured to the book.

Oliver turned his back and started to work on something, dismissing my comments.

"Fine, but I joined to help this city. Not ignoring the infection as you stitch up the wound." I left, anger starting to well inside me.

~~

I received a call from Diggle, saying that Scott Morgan tried to kill himself and that he was at Starling General. I pulled up seeing Oliver, and heading straight to him. We then made our way to Diggle.

"You sure? Scott Morgan doesn't seem like the type who would try to kill himself." Oliver asked, as we made our way to the ambulance.

"True, but it's the best lie I could come up with on short notice." Diggle said, as a man was pulled out of the ambulance.

I recognized him from the pictures on the articles about the robbery. He was the off duty cop who was shot. A woman stepped forward.

"Mr.Diggle, I can't thank you enough for arranging to move my husband from the county ward to Starling General. Now I know he's getting the best care available." The woman said, her voice soft.

"You really should be thanking these two, (Y/n) Merlyn and Oliver Queen.They're paying the bill." Diggle then directed his attention to us. "Jana's husband, Stan, is a police officer he happened to have been making a deposit at Starling Trust Bank."

"The bank that was robbed." Oliver cut in, causing Diggle to knod.

"I was so sorry to hear about your husband. Is he going to be okay?" I asked Jana, before Oliver could say anything more.

"The doctors say the next 24 hours are crucial. He should've just kept his head down, you know?"

"I've known a few police officers in my day. Always willing to help others even if that means putting themselves at risk." Diggle said.

"Thank you." Jana turned her attention back to Oliver and I.

"You're welcome." Oliver smiled, as Jana's eyes filled with tears.

Jana then left wanting to be with her husband.

"You lied to us." Oliver sighed, glaring at Diggle.

"And you asked me to work with you not for you. When you did, you said it was because you understand the kind of man I am. Well, Oliver, I'm the kind of man who doesn't walk away when there's a chance to make a difference. And neither does Stan Washington" Oliver started to walk away. "Oliver, I'm not finished talking. Where are you going?"

"To go make a difference. Let's catch some bank robbers."

I smiled as Diggle failed to contain his as well. It was time to do things different, it was time to turn over a new leaf.

~~HI, Fallen_Angel here. Yay, I remembered to post! This chapter's a little longer than normal, only by a hundred words or so. Also, holy crap, we hit over 3,000 reads. Wow, it means so much to me. I honestly posted the first chapter just for fun and didn't consider writing more, but you guys made me want to write more. Thank you. I'd also like to thank the people who have been here since the start, and have voted on pretty much every chapter. You guys are the best. Have a good day, or guess kind of good night now. Be good people.~~