Season 3: Rebuilding

3x02: All Is Fair In Love And War

3x02: All Is Fair In Love And War

"You're almost there, Oliver. Turn right in the next intersection and it's the second house on your left."

The masked vigilante masterly steered his trusted motorcycle through the late traffic as he asked, "How long before the police comes?"

"About three minutes," the voice in his ear was pure and alert as it led him forward like a beacon in the night. "There were no cops in the area when the 911 call came through a minute ago. You were closest."

"Any news on that?" the Arrow inquired as he parked his bike in an alley beside the house in question and removed his helmet.

He gazed up at the tall, fancy building and could easily imagine the cost of some of these apartments. He was well aware that he was in one of the more expensive areas of Starling, an area he knew well from his younger, bachelor days when partying had been a favorite past time. In fact, he was pretty certain he'd been arrested for a DUI a couple of blocks away once. Not one of his proudest moments, looking back on it.

Felicity's voice brought him back to the present, "Nothing. The victim, Tony Chan, called and said there was a masked vigilante in his apartment out to get him. The line went dead before he could say anymore. No contact since, but I'm monitoring it just in case."

Her tone spoke smoothly and swiftly, as always prepared to fire an answer. Oliver had long ago stopped wondering about her readiness, but was no less impressed after all this time of partnership.

"Now," she continued and steered the conversation back to him. "There ought to be a fire escape next to you in the alley. Tony Chan's flat is on the third floor right above your position."

"Got it," Oliver announced as he stepped over to the wall.

He grabbed hold of the downspout and hauled himself up the pale, brick wall with ease. His muscles tensed beneath the green leather as he agilely climbed higher and higher. He scaled the building until he could grab hold of the metal of the fire escape and hauled himself onto one of the horizontal platforms.

He withdrew his bow and a ready arrow from his quiver as he climbed the remaining floors. Like a fleeting shadow, he slowly crept towards the window he was looking for and wasn't surprised to find it ajar already. It explained how their masked foe had gotten inside despite the heavy security that surrounded these luxury apartment buildings.

He controlled his breathing to be inaudible as he listened to the night. He heard a few dull noises from within the apartment and flexed his fingers on the bow string as he prepared himself to pounce.

Oliver slipped through the open window and raised his bow to full alert. He stepped further into the darkened living room, in which he could barely make out any shapes due to the lack of light. As his eyes got used to the dark, he made out more details. He saw the faint outline of a wide sofa in the middle of the room, several book cases by the walls as well as a widescreen and a dining room table at the other end of the vast chamber.

The sounds he'd heard earlier had been replaced by a deafening silence, but he wasn't fooled by the lull of false security. His trained senses could feel the presence of another in the room.

In the frail, pale glow of the low moon, he suddenly made out a silhouette on the floor behind the lavish couch. The hairs at the back of his neck stood at attention as he stepped towards the immobile shape. It was the form of a young man and the pool of blood beside the man's stomach told the morbid story on its own.

As Oliver hovered over the dead body, something suddenly came flying towards him from the belly of the darkest shadows. A body slammed into his and the bow slipped from his grasp as he lost his balance.