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

[110] Fuel to the Fire

FIVE YEARS AGO...

As soon as he saw his brother tumble down the hill, Dearden dropped the unconscious man's body and bolted after his brother. "Oliver!" he shouted as he neared the cliff's edge. But he saw no sign of his brother. A lump formed at the base of Dean's throat, as he saw tracks leading downhill and over the edge. Carefully, Dearden looked over the precipice and saw the corpse of the mercenary who tried to kill his brother impaled on one of the rocks, but yet again, he would not find his brother anywhere.

A pit formed in Dean's stomach as his mind raced with all of the horrible outcomes that could have happened to Oliver. Outcomes that he should have been prepared for. Outcomes that he should have prevented if they did indeed happen.

All at once, Oliver emerged from the water, coughing raggedly as he gasped for air. "Oliver!" Dearden cried jumping down from the small ledge into the shallow riverbank. Oliver looked around to find the source of the voice calling to him and nearly stumbled over his own feet in joy and relief, as he waded over to his brother. "Dean!" he heaved.

Whether it was the weight of his soggy clothing or fatigue setting in, Oliver soon found himself collapsing into the river once more. However, this time, he was caught by his brother who used every ounce of his remaining strength to carry him over to sit on top of a low-level rock. "Are you okay? Are you bleeding anywhere? How many fingers am I holding up?" Dearden badgered as checked over his brother worriedly. "Not really, I don't think so, and five?" Oliver groaned.

"Eh, good enough. It was four," Dearden sighed.

"I thought you were dead," Oliver muttered.

"You thought I was dead? Ollie, you're the one who just rolled over a cliff into jagged rocks and a rushing river," Dearden remarked. Of all the responses to his half-joking remark that he could have anticipated from his brother, sobbing was certainly not at the top of the list. Dearden face twisted in concern as he reached out and cupped his brother's face tenderly. "Hey, hey, hey, hey. Buddy, look at me," he implored. However, his brother refused to open his eyes and instead buried his face into Dean's chest as his hands gripped the frayed end of his tattered shirt.

At that moment, Dearden was taken back to their time spent before the island when they were little kids. And he was reminded of a time when Oliver was ten years old and had run into his room screaming because he had a nightmare.

~~~~~

Queen Mansion, Starling City, 1995

"Dean, I'm scared," Oliver whimpered. "I know, Ollie, but the nightmares can't hurt you. They're just bad dreams," Dean replied. He remembered how Ollie had clung to him like a life raft as he tried to fall back asleep. "I wish I was brave like you," Ollie cried. Dean had wrapped his arm around his little brother in a protective embrace. "You'll become brave one day, and when you do, you're gonna be the bravest person ever."

"Even braver than you?" Ollie asked in disbelief.

Dean smiled at his baby brother, "Especially braver than me. Now go to sleep, bud. I'll be right here when you wake up."

"Promise?" Ollie murmured.

"I pinky promise," Dean grinned. "No matter what I'll always be right here."