Athena and the League of Assassins (An Arrow: Season 3 Fanfiction)

Chapter 27: Status - Emotionally Unavailable

Quentin Lance walked down the alleyway. 

'Captain Lance,' Arsenal said. He turned. 

'Harper,' he replied passively. 

'I'm not sure what you -' 

'Look,' the captain said, walking towards him a few paces, then stopping. 'I've seen you wearing a red hoodie, I've seen you shooting arrows at people. You think I don't recognise you with an extra little leather and lace?'

'Well, I guess I won't be needing this anymore,' Roy Harper replied and turned off his voice modulator. 

'No, you'll be needing this,' the police captain replied, passing Roy a thick file. 'Here you go.' Roy opened it. 

'What is this?' 

'Everything on Brickwell we could salvage from evidence storage. May be something in there to help you guys figure out where he's holed up in the Glades.' 

'Thanks. We'll get Felicity right on this.' 

'Any word on our green-hooded friend?' 

'Still unavailable.' 

'And what about the other one?' 

'Also unavailable.' Lance sighed. 

'And Sara? I mean, I hear the Canary come up so often on the 911 calls.' 

'I'll let her know you were looking for her,' Roy replied. Lance walked around him. 

'No. Just watch her back.' 

'Always.' He walked away from her. 

A couple days later... 

I was sitting in the living room, the television playing with the newest episode of some TV show, but my mind was absent to it. Two empty beer bottles sat on the table after my most recent drinking spat, and I was downing a third. Suddenly, I heard a knock at the door. Getting up, I shuffled over, only wearing pyjama pants and a sports bra, with a loose fitting crop top. I opened the door to see Diggle standing there with a large duffel bag in his hand. 

'Dig, come on in,' I said, opening the door and letting him step in. He placed the bag on the couch and opened it to reveal my suit. 'Oh, hell no. Absolutely not. I walked the minute Oliver died.' 

'Evelyn, we're going after Brickwell, and we want you in on it.' 

'Nope,' I replied, popping the P and placing the empty beer bottle on the table. 'Not gonna.' 

'We're rallying the Glades against him. Malcolm Merlyn came to us with an offer, and we turned him down on it. He wanted to team up against Brickwell, but we refused.' I laughed, walking over to the kitchen island and shoving a piece of sushi in my mouth, watching him. 

'Good. I can't believe that psycho is Thea's father. I'm not helping with this madness, and you guys can't convince me.' He walked to the door. 'You left this!' I shouted to him. 

'That's in case you change your mind!' he called back, then left the apartment, the door shutting behind him. 

The truck rolled along the road, with Felicity and Diggle sitting in the driver's and passenger seats of the vehicle. 

'Feels like recess and we're about to fight the school bully,' Felicity remarked. 

'Looks quiet,' Diggle replied, not to anyone in particular. 

'For now,' Roy said from the back. He looked at Laurel. 'You ready?' She sat there, saying nothing. 'It's okay to say you're scared.' 

'Okay. I'm scared,' she replied. 'Is what we're doing crazy?'

'I've learned it's better to ask that question when I'm not wearing a mask,' Roy said. Diggle spoke next. 

'There's never been an armed occupation in history that wasn't overthrown by force. An all out assault on Brick. That's the only way to end this.' 

'So let's end this,' Felicity replied. 'One way... or the other.' Laurel shifted in her seat. 

'Let's go.' The two jumped out of the vehicle and walked forward into the fray.

Daniel Brickwell walked out of the Glades police precinct and towards one of the vandalised cop cars. He went to open the door when an explosive sent a shower of sparks, making him jump back. He turned to see Laurel and Roy at the end of the street. He laughed. 

'My two favorite trick-or-treaters!' he said, mocking chuckles escaping his mouth at the sight of the two vigilantes. 'Well, look at that. Didn't anybody tell you Halloween was three months ago?' 

'Daniel Brickwell...' Laurel said. 

'You have failed this city,' Roy finished. 

'And you seem to have failed in your maths,' Brick taunted as men came from the streets to join him by his side. 'Can't you see there's a lot more of us than there is of you?' 

'Guess again, Brickhead,' a girl called out, walking into the street, carrying a baseball bat as about 50 or so citizens of the Glades wandered into the street as well, carrying weapons of all kinds. With the group was Diggle, followed by me in my Athena suit. I'd showed up at the last minute. His face fell from mocking to near fright. 

'This little parade supposed to mean something?' he said, trying to recover some composure. 'I'll tell you what it means. It means the population of the Glades is gonna plummet severely. Get them!' 

And the men and women of the Glades rushed into the fight, followed by the three vigilantes and John Diggle, against a crime lord and his crew. 

Later... 

I heard talking filter from downstairs as Thea and Merlyn spoke to each other. I'd heard traces of people talking that the Arrow was back, and that would mean... I was snapped out of my reverie by a familiar voice. 

'Is my old room still available?' I walked out of the room and downstairs to see a familiar face. One that I never thought I would see again. He'd just turned from talking with Thea. 

'Oliver?' I asked. He met my eyes and I ran down the stairs, barefooted, and launched myself into his arms, latching my arms around his neck. 'Oh, thank God. I worried about you so much.' He let me down as tears freely flowed down my cheeks. I disengaged myself from Oliver as Malcolm walked forward to shake his hand. 

'Good to see you again, Oliver.' 

'Yeah,' he said warily. 

'I think I'm hallucinating,' Thea remarked, turning to Oliver, 'but thank you for being cool with this. I'm gonna go make some tea and try to keep things Zen.' She padded off to the kitchen and I walked off after her. 

'Thank you for not making this difficult for her,' Malcolm said to Oliver. The two walked over to the massive floor length windows. 'I wasn't always like this, you know. Before Rebecca died, I was a good father.' 

'I remember.' 

'Killing changes you. It takes away a piece of your soul, and you can never get it back again. Oliver, I know I wasn't there for Tommy, but I see Thea as my chance for redemption.' 

'You turned my sister into a killer, and then you put her in the crosshairs of one of the most dangerous men on the planet,' he replied, his voice turning threatening. 

'And you won't believe me, but I did so with a heavy heart and expecting a different outcome.'

'Ra's is going to come for me, and he will learn the truth about Sara eventually.' 

'And then he will come for Thea and me.' 

'That's why I have to kill him,' Oliver replied resolutely. 

'You couldn't before.' 

'This time, I will have you to train me.' 

'Only the student has hope of defeating the master.'