Something About Us.

Chapter one

Mrs. Floros' store wasn't too far from the city's square where the commotion started. Kaldur scooped the older woman from the sidewalk and into the interior of her store in time to replace her as the villain's captive. He sighed inwardly as he was taken into a rear choke hold. It was the preferable outcome. But the tomatoes were now ruined, squashed under the overturned cart, and he really wanted tomatoes tonight, it was hard to have psari plaki without them

Kaldur knew the voice of his captor, but it was obvious he wasn't recognized. A mixed blessing. Tommy Terror wasn't bright, and Kaldur didn't want to be found. His existence in Oia was an open secret. The city was large enough for his needs, meaning not too large at all. He knew the language, and had dreamed of experiencing how the city's white walls lit up at sunset. The community members knew of him, and was happy to treat him as another neighbor. The city itself was a tourist attraction, and its narrow pathways wouldn't be able to contain the inevitable increase of foot traffic if an ex superhero became one of its highlights. A crowd of locals and tourists looked on as he weighed his options. Kaldur risked exposure if he took care of Tommy but he seemed to have little choice.

A girl's voice broke his train of thought. She looked to be about sixteen. Her auburn hair was pulled into a ponytail and she wore a modified version of the red and yellow costume Kaldur had etched into his memory. Her bow was drawn, an arrow already aimed at Tommy's head. Speedy, the new Speedy, was in Greece. Sixteen seemed too old, or at least he hopped he hadn't let that much time pass. Her father always looked a bit older than his age in his youth. Perhaps she had inherited that trait from him, along with her height, and sharp blue eyes. At least, Kaldur thought, her hair had darkened a bit.

Speedy's eyes narrowed. "Hiding behind civilians Terror? Weren't you bragging earlier that my arrows didn't hurt?"

"Shut up. I ain't stupid. I know you're thinking of using one of those foam arrow things. This," He said, releasing his left hand from the hold to thump Kaldur's temple. "Is gonna make sure that won't happen."

Kaldur wondered if he should feign discomfort. It wouldn't take much strength to break Tommy's hold. It was sloppily done from the start, and Tommy hadn't bothered to return his left hand to the correct position, significantly reducing the hold's effectiveness. He often relied on brute strength rather than skill. A habit Kaldur tried to break during the short time he was the Terror Twin's superior. But Kaldur could avoid detection if he pretended to be human. He wore a light jacket today, its neck line high enough to cover his gills. Speedy didn't seem to recognize him, and Tommy was too desperate to notice. It might even be good lesson in how to manage hostage situations for her.

"I can think of other ways to put you down." a man said from behind.

The voice made Kaldur's heart stop. Tommy turned to the speaker, confirming Kaldur's fears. If asked, fear was not an emotion that Kaldur would list as a response to seeing Roy again. But he never imagined he would meet Roy under these circumstances. They never reconciled after the REACH invasion, though they shared the same spaces, and behaved cordially. It was easy to pretend they hadn't drifted apart while both in uniform. Or to find clever ways to occupy themselves with mutual friends in civilian spaces. Red Arrow's eyes widened in recognition as he lowered his bow.

Speedy kept her weapon trained on Tommy but glanced from the villain to her father. "Red? What are -"

The pavement cracked as Tommy fell to the ground. He looked up to Kaldur and stammered. "You..You're. Why are you even here?"

"Back up," Red Arrow barked. He waited for Kaldur to move out of the way before releasing his arrow. Tommy yelled profanities as his body was encapsulated in the dense foam and the onlookers cheered. Mrs. Floros tip toed out of her store and clutched Kaldur's arm. She handed him his shopping bag and tugged him in the direction of her store. Kaldur understood her meaning. It wouldn't be long before people started asking questions. He'd better leave now before that happened.