Into the Unknown - Arrow

Sticks

It was almost two days later when Aurora was back down in the basement. Aurora was in workout wear and she felt awkward. Apparently, the night before she slept through an intruder in the house. Aurora had taken some anxiety medication and she was out for the entire thing. That didn't particularly make her feel any better about the situation. But as of right now she was standing in front of Oliver who had on a green shirt and had two sticks in his hands.

"I thought you were going to teach me to defend myself?"

Oliver tossed one of the sticks to Aurora and let out a smirk, "You need to gain muscle first."

Aurora tipped the stick, "And a stick is going to help with that."

Oliver swung his stick and Aurora immediately defended the swing with her own stick. She had both hands on it and tried to match Oliver's strength. Oliver let up on the stick and Aurora almost fell forward.

Oliver had on a smile. "That was good. You have instinct."

Oliver swung again and Aurora deflected it. He repositioned his grip and swung again and Aurora kept up with Oliver's slow pace.

"What's next after one stick?"

They kept trading swaps as Oliver spoke. "Then we add another."

Thwack, thwack, thwack. That's all Aurora heard for the next ten minutes.

When they were done, Aurora was sweating and panting for air.

"You do that for fun?"

Oliver let out a smirk, "You'll get better at it."

Aurora straightened out, "Okay, now teach me something useful."

Oliver let out a breath and with that his smirk fell. "I can teach you how to deflect a gun."

Aurora swallowed and nodded. "What's first?"

Oliver went up to the toolbox and pulled out a real gun. He ejected the magazine and cleared the chamber. The gun was now useless. Oliver walked up to Aurora with the gun cleared.

"The gun is cleared. That means there are no bullets in it at all."

Aurora swallowed and let out a shaking breath. She nodded. "Okay."

Oliver kept the gun down. "Now the first thing you want to do is know where the gun is at all times. Always keep it in your peripheral vision."

Oliver held the gun out to Aurora. "Take it and point it at me."

Aurora slowly took the gun into her left hand and let out a breath before she held it up to Oliver's chest.

"Okay, the next thing you want to do is shift your body so that it is not in line with the barrel of the gun." Oliver shifted his body as he held up his right hand. "Then with one hand push the gun over and away from you. With the other hand take the wrist and cross your hands."

Oliver showed how to do the maneuver with Aurora holding the gun. It was easy to get the gun away from her. Once Oliver had the gun, he pointed it at Aurora's chest.

"Now, do what I just did."

Aurora let out a breath before she did as Oliver did. She moved her body to the left as she pushed the gun with her left hand. With her right hand she grabbed Oliver's wrist and crossed her hands. The gun fell from Oliver's grip and the older brother smiled.

***

As Aurora sat in the back of John Diggle's car, she could sense a tension. She wasn't sure if she put it there or not, but she opened her mouth anyway.

"Hey, John?"

John perked up. "Yeah? What's up?"

Aurora let out a breath. "We're okay, right?"

John furrowed his brow. "Yeah, of course we are."

"Good, because I sense some tension."

John let out a breath. "It's not you and me, It's Oliver and me."

Aurora tilted her head. "Do I want to know?"

It was silent in the car for a moment before John sighed. "Oliver promised me he'd help me catch somebody very important to me and he didn't make good on his promise."

"Oh, well maybe Oliver had a very good reason? I haven't known him for long, but he does make good on his promises even if it takes him a while."

There was another moment of silence. "We're still good. Don't think just because I'm on the outs with Oliver doesn't mean I'm on the outs with you."

Aurora let out a smile. "Thanks John."

They pulled up to the house and John was quick to open the door for Aurora. When Aurora walked into the house, the first thing she heard was Moira's voice. She sounded like she was on the phone.

Aurora slowly closed the door and saw Thea come down the steps.

"Yeah, that's been going on for like an hour."

Aurora looked up at Thea. "What is she yelling about?"

Thea shrugged her shoulders. "I'm going to go check on her."

Aurora watched Thea go before she walked up to her room.