The Arrow & The Huntsman [The 1st Installment of DC HEROES: CHAMPIONS OF EARTH]

[38] Outlining A Plan

Later in the afternoon, Oliver was sitting in a chair next to Felicity, while Dearden peered over their shoulders to gaze at the computer screen. "Well, they look like blueprints," she started. "To what exactly?" Dearden asked, leaning in closer. "Of the exchange building," Felicity remarked as though it were obvious. Oliver frowned in confusion. "Well, I never heard of it," he pointed out. "But I have," Dearden said. "It's where the Unidac Industries auction is scheduled to take place. It's where Walter is going tonight." "Whoa, whoa, whoa. How do you know all of this?" Oliver inquired. Dearden sighed and rolled his eyes. "Look, Walter is trying to buy Unidac Industries. At least that is what Mom told me," he explained.

"And from what I can tell, you have a company laptop associated with one of the guys he's competing against," Felicity intervened, causing both Queen brothers to whirl their heads in her direction. "What?" they said in unison. "Our stepdad is competing against Floyd Lawton?" Oliver questioned dumbly. Dearden resisted the urge to smack his brother upside the head for his stupidity. "Please tell me you are not that stupid?" Dearden pleaded softly. "No, it's Warren Patel," Felicity corrected. "Look, I don't know what kind of Hamlet situation you guys have going on in your family, but whatever it is, please do not involve me. And just who the hell is Floyd Lawton," Felicity requested firmly.

"He is an employee of Mr. Patel, evidently," Oliver answered vaguely.

*                    *                    *

Back at the Foundry, Oliver and Dearden were looking over the schematics they found on Lawton's laptop and tried to uncover where he would set up shop. "Okay, so the exchange building is surrounded by three towers with eyelines into the building," Dearden established. "Which means that Lawton can get his kill shot off from virtually anywhere," Oliver added. "Exactly. And while I would usually say that the two of us are enough for the job, I can't help but feel like we're a little understaffed," Dearden exhaled deeply. "Look, I wanna catch this guy more than anyone, but we can't cover the area and protect all of Deadshot's targets. We need help! I think it's time we bring them into the fold."

"No, not yet. Not right now, it's too risky," Oliver rejected. "Then when, Ollie?" Dearden interrogated. "There is never a right time to tell someone that you're a vigilante."

"I SAID NOT NOW, DEAN!"

The room went silent and the two brothers glared at each other intensely. "Well, at the very least, can we get some actual police backup?" Dearden gritted through his teeth. Oliver's steely gaze hardened even more before he turned his back on his brother completely. "Fine," Dean scoffed. "Have it your way."

*                    *                    *

That night in the SCPD parking lot, Quentin Lance was walking out to his car when pinned to the hood of a police cruiser by the Black Hood. "Ah, son of a bitch!" He grunted. "Detective, I need you to be quiet," the assassin whispered. "You two have a pair on you for doing this in front of a police station," Lance snapped, as he fought under the vigilante's grasp. "My partner isn't here right now," Dearden hissed. "I am trying to help you, alright? Neither of us killed James Holder. The person you're looking for is a man by the name of Floyd Lawton."

"Why the hell should I believe you?" Quentin griped. "Because deep down, you know that all I want is to protect this city from people like Floyd Lawton... In my own way," Dearden replied, carefully loosening his grip and letting him stand upright. "I may have different methods than you, Detective, but we both want the same thing." The detective gave Dean a once-over as he brushed himself off and snorted. "Yeah, somehow I doubt that. So," he huffed leaning against the car and folding his arms, "tell me more about this Lawton guy?" Dearden smirked under his hood. "Interpol calls him Deadshot because he never misses; he's the one that's been targeting the buyers for Unidac Industries. You can look this up after I go. From what I was able to figure out, Warren Patel is the one that hired him," Dearden explained. "We don't know who all is being targeted, and it could be all of them and we can't protect all of them at once in a space that big. I need your help." "Yeah. Professional help," Lance snarked. Dearden refrained from growling or rolling his eyes and took a deep breath, "Look, I don't expect you to stop hunting me and my partner. But if you don't help me stop them both, more people will die. And before I go, Lawton laces his bullets with curare, so make sure your boys pad up."

Then, he shot a flashbang arrow into the air and disappeared into the night.