The Emerald Archer (Green Arrow OC X Margot Robbie)

Arc. 3/Ch. 3: Partners

Last night....

After Blake had helped staged the accident, he was forced to take the city bus back home without any other means of transportation. He sat by a window near the back, contemplating the events of this long, crazy night. He didn't mind, though. It helped him to relax and consider the offer that Benjamin had made. There were few others on the bus at this time of night, which also helped with his current state, just a couple of friends, a late shift construction worker heading home, and a young woman reading a book. Blake still had no idea what he had gotten dragged into or how to proceed with the offer.

However, his thought process was suddenly interrupted by loud voices.

The bus had made a stop and seemed to have picked up a more rowdy bunch. There were five of them, dressed as a typical gang of punks, and carrying booze. The bus driver tried to enforce the rules about alcohol on a bus upon realizing the drinks, but they just brushed past him without a single care about the rules. Blake rolled his eyes at the less than thrilling thought of now having to deal with these thugs for perhaps the rest of the way home. They didn't seem to take any notice of him as he was still off to the side, but they didn't shy away from intimidating and bullying the two friends, forcing them off the bus. Then, they got in the face of the construction worker, who clearly wanted to stand his ground, but what was he going to do against five guys on his own? Unfortunately, nothing except squeeze through them to exit the bus. The driver continued to try and tell them off the bus, but they just ignored him.

Finally, the gang moved to where the young lady was sitting, surrounding her while attempting to swoon her. Clearly, she was uncomfortable and starting to fear for her safety, but that only spurred these guys on. Blake saw this and had only one thought in his mind:

'Hell no! This ain't happenin'

Blake rose from his seat to lead the bus driver out. He protested, of course, wanting to get these punks off his bus, but Blake calmly assured him to trust him. Once he was out, Blake closed the door and stood at the front of the bus. The gang of punks quickly switched their attention from the girl to the six foot five muscular gentleman staring daggers at them.

"Woah, check out the big boy over here," one of them mocked.

"The hell you doing, man?" Another asked, foolishly attempting to intimate.

Blake just smirked as he cracked a few knuckles.

"I'm just hoping you punks like hospital food..."

"Oooo," the thugs simultaneously mocked before a couple of them laughed.

"Big boy thinks he's tough!"

"Yea, right! We'll see about that." One of them quickly approaches Blake and throws a punch.

Effortlessly, Blake catches his fist with one hand. The cocky smile on the thug immediately drops, replaced by a cry of agony as Duncan crushes his hand while bending his wrist and arm back.

"Hey!" Another punk shouted as he charged at Blake, only to be knocked back into a seat with a straight kick.

Duncan then drops the first guy's arm, only to back elbow him and swing his backfist at him, colliding his head with the plastic glass of the driver's booth and knocking him out. The second punk jumped out of the seat to retaliate but only ran into a stiff gut punch that knocked the air out of him. He then lost a few teeth from a big uppercut before being permanently laid out with a hard left hook. The other three stood in shock and anger as Blake started moving towards them. One of them started throwing the bottles at him, but Blake ducked and dodged each one. Finally, the guy rushed at him with one of the bottles, but he made it too easy for Blake to catch, disarm, and smack him with the bottle. He was knocked back, using the seats on either side to stay afoot before being handed another bottle by one of his friends. He smashed it over another seat before swinging the sharp, broken edge at him. Blake dodged the slashes before bouncing his bottle right off the head of the punk, a big 'thonk' sounding before more glass shattering, both from the first bottle crashing to the floor and the broken bottle being knocked out of the punk's hand. Duncan gave him a little jab, further infuriating his current target before he attempted a kick, but Blake caught his leg before kneeing his shin and driving his elbow down. The punk continued to scream as the sickening crunching sounds of his leg twisting echoed through the bus. The remaining two street thugs just watched with disturbed horror as their buddy had his leg broken in at least three different places. The fourth guy jumped at him, looking for a surprise attack, only for his punch to be blocked and have a knee driven into his gut. Blake then smashes his head temples first into the bars around the chairs on either side of him. One last knee to the face and he was out for good.