Arrow: Fracture Part 3

Echoes

The whipping curtains danced in the breeze from the open window as the darkened room released an uneasy silence. Thea cautiously stalked down the narrow hallway as she scanned the area with her eyes, ready for an attack or some type of trap left behind for any unwanted guests. The apartment appeared as if it hadn't been lived in for weeks, the lack of food or signs of recent life worried Thea. She had no doubt that Chase was behind the destruction of Verdant, but now it seemed like he had planned it for quite some time and didn't intend on returning.

"Anything Speedy?" Oliver asked over the comms.

"No sign of him." Thea frustratingly replied, trying to remind herself that a solution wasn't going to be easy.

"He's probably at a safe house by now. If he's smart he'll keep a low profile." Digg added, his view from outside the apartment building becoming obstructed by the large truck stopping beside him. Thea hated the idea of losing a lead, especially one that she had a personal vendetta with. Movement from outside the window caught her attention, prompting an inspection. The nearby fire escape rattled as a figure climbed up toward the adjacent building's roof.

"I got him!" Thea announced as she grabbed a chair behind her and hurled it through the window. Chase snapped back toward the sound and saw Thea leap across the small alleyway's gap and land on the fire escape several levels below him. The broken glass rained down into the alley below as Thea charged up the steps in pursuit of Chase. Diggle jumped up and moved around the passing traffic as he made his way towards the building.

"Speedy what's your status?" Oliver asked, moving from the opposite alley behind the building. Thea ignored the comms as she jumped up onto the roof and moved to relocate her target. Chase's shadow darted past the other end of the roof and moved away from the pursuers. Thea kicked off and ran towards the edge of the roof, stopping at the edge to watch as Chase quickly descended down the twisted maze of air conditioning units and pipes aligning the side of the building. Chase dropped down from level to level as he maintained his momentum and used it to propel his movement and speed, jumping from surface to surface. Thea quickly navigated a path to follow and jumped down, landing heavy on a ledge. Chase glanced up to see Thea regain her balance before following after him. The persistence in Thea's movement was extremely obvious, and would only lead to her making a mistake. Chase decided to capitalize on the opportunity and draw his opponent out, hopefully securing his escape. Thea's grip loosened as she slid down the old pipe, feeling her fingers begin to weaken with every passing second. Chase stopped on a small ledge and jumped away from the building, pulling a grappling hook to his hands in midair and successfully swinging across the street to safety. Thea turned to see Chase proudly standing on a balcony across from her, testing her patience. Thea opted against wasting anymore time as she jumped from the building and fired a grappling arrow to guide her across the street. Chase caught his breath and watched as Thea swung down towards him. A sudden jerk ended her current path and snapped her around in the air. Thea looked up and saw that her grappling cable had collided with a overhead power cable and interrupted her descent. The grappling arrow snapped under the sudden displacement of weight and inertia, sending Thea cartwheeling through the air. Her body crashed into the side of the building before settling on a small balcony, leaving her temporarily out of the fight. Chase peaked over the edge and glanced down at his failed pursuer, a smirk reaching his face before he disappeared. Thea rested on her back, the anger and rage combating the surge of pain she was feeling.

The sun blinded Thea as she managed to pull herself up from the steep rock wall under her feet. The cold wind struck her face, stinging her already chilled cheeks. Each rock cut into her fingers as she gripped with all her strength to keep from falling down the mountain again. Although it had most likely been more safe to make her own path up the mountain as opposed to using her father's line, it didn't make it any easier. Thea's swore and aching body slowly pulled away from the edge as she paused to catch her strength. Malcolm happily approached his daughter, a prideful grin on his face. Thea caught herself wondering once again if he truly cared if she made it up, not as a teacher but as a father. Obviously Malcolm was proud of his trainee and what she had accomplished in such a short time, but would he act as a father if something had put Thea's life in true danger. The training itself had only been successful due to Malcolm turning his parental instincts off and instructing Thea as if she were an absolute stranger, but she could never tell if even deep down he actually cared for her as a parent.