RETROUVAILLE | oliver queen

04.

04. ➳ MARKED

     "LAST NIGHT, the vigilante recently known as 'The Phoenix' was spotted fighting alongside Starling City's hooded vigilante—"

     Evelyn shut the television off, tossing the remote aside before collapsing back down onto the old brown leather couch in her mother's home. She was completely home alone and bored. Not that she was complaining about being alone, she was going to soon move out anyways. There was a knock at the front door and a smile creeped onto her face. Evelyn already knew who was standing at the other side. She released a happy sigh as she gathered her strength to get up off of the couch and answer the door with a smile on her face.

     "Hi." Oliver greeted cheerfully, his face lighting up when he saw Evelyn and his smile growing from ear to ear as he looked down at the shorter girl.

     "Hi." Evelyn replied with a small chuckle and a smile. She hadn't felt this happy in years, and she wasn't exactly the happiest person on Earth.

     "Are you ready?" Oliver asked. Evelyn nodded, snatching her purse from the coffee table behind her before shutting the front door and hooking her arm in Oliver's. It felt incredibly strange and unfamiliar to Evelyn to be doing all this. Going out to eat with Oliver, carrying a purse, wearing jeans and a nice loose blouse paired with a bit of jewelry, light makeup, and heels.

       What Evelyn was used to was eating mostly alone in the Hydra cafeteria, and she'd admit the food wasn't all too bad, but it was repetitive and eventually boring and bland. She was used to always wearing steel-tipped combat boots and Kevlar, with thick black cargo pants and black long-sleeve shirts. Instead of purses, she carried holsters with daggers and guns and voice scramblers, her pockets full of ammo.

     The duo rode in a comfortable silence as they headed towards their destination for the night, Diggle driving in silence as well. As they approached a fancy looking restaurant, Oliver took a glance at Evelyn, taking in her features that had slightly changed and matured since the last time he'd seen her years ago. The car then came to a stop and Diggle opened up the door for them.

     "Enjoy your meal." Diggle politely said. Evelyn gave Diggle a warm smile and a thank you, as did Oliver, as they entered the restaurant together. Once inside, the duo ordered their meals and got comfortable with a glass of wine each.

     "So, I heard you were taken by a strange group of people." Oliver began a conversation, wondering what had happened to his dear friend during their time away from Starling City, and wondering if their was perhaps someway he could help her.

     "Yes, I was. I was kidnapped by a truly evil organization the same day you went on the Gambit." Evelyn admitted and then awkwardly smiled. "And trust me, I think evil is an understatement."

     "What does that symbol mean?" Oliver questioned as he pointed at Evelyn's thick pink scar, the Hydra symbol one beneath her right collarbone.

     "It's the symbol of the organization I was taken by. They mark their people, as if we're items. For as long as this scar remains on my body, I will always belong to them. Well, to him." Evelyn bitterly replied, taking a large gulp of her wine as the nightmarish memories rushed back to her. Oliver nodded, grinning at her.

"What if there was a way to remove the scar? Would you no longer be their said property?" Oliver asked, wondering if perhaps there was a way to free Evelyn. Evelyn sighed and shrugged, taking a sip of her wine as she leaned back into the fancy and comfortable wooden chair.

"What good would it do anyways to remove the scar? The organization will still be after me for betraying them." Evelyn said, shaking her head and sighing as she put her glass back on the table. "I'm like part of a group of branded cattle, and all the cattle belong to one greedy, worthless, son of a bitch." Evelyn seethed, poison almost dripping from her lips at each hateful word. Oliver gulped, staying silent after seeing he had obviously hit a nerve. Evelyn sighed, taking a deep breath in attempt to calm herself down before looking back at Oliver.

"Enough about me." Evelyn rushed as she calmed herself down and smiled, "Tell me Ollie, what happened to you all those years on Lian Yu?" Oliver chocked up on his food at the mention of the island, placing his fork on the plate in front of him before cleaning himself off with a napkin and clearing his throat.

"I haven't told many people the true story of what happened to me there." Oliver began, "I've changed, I'm— obviously not who I once was, and I know you aren't either." Evelyn stared at Oliver. "I know, that you know who I am. Who I really am." Oliver admitted. Evelyn gulped, looking down, "and I have my suspicion as to who you've become, as well. Phoenix."