The Archer | T.D. ✔

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Tim was on his way back from Big Belly Burger, it had taken him longer than usual because normally when they saw him coming there was a bag with his usual meal and a slip to request a toy all ready to go. The workers there had gotten used to their antics and knew what they ate and that each time they would request a toy after them. When he told them that he was picking up for a friend too, they were a little shocked but gladly made another to go.

He had let slip that there should be a Grey Arrow toy and that she was too proud to ask them to do it herself. It made the workers laugh as they told him they would take it into consideration.

He had grappled through third street and was on his way to the roof he left Rory on over on fourth when he saw that she wasn't alone on the rooftop. As he got closer, he recognized the signature orange and black helmet and urged his feet to go faster. 

Before his eyes, he saw as Rory tried to put up a fight only to be taken down in seconds. Tim had yet to see her lose a fight, that wasn't training with Cass and he wasn't ready for it. He was still a few rooftops away when he watched Slade raise his sword and stabbed her, the blade poking out from the other side of Rory's body.

Tim stopped dead in his tracks, the bags of food falling from his hands. He watched in horror as he removed the sword from her, Rory trying to stop him when his feet began working again.

"Rory!"

Slade looked up and disappeared from sight, and Tim rolled onto the roof sliding next to Rory's limp body. He pulled his cowl off, hot tears falling from his eyes as he pulled her onto his lap. Rory was losing a lot of blood and she was losing it fast. He took her chin and turned her to look at him as she spurted blood from her lips and watched as she lost consciousness. 

Not wasting a second, he tore the cape off his back and pressed it to her stomach to try and stop the bleeding, quickly losing his composure. 

"Rory, please wake up." he sobbed. "Open your eyes and look at me sweetheart, please."

His hands and lap were quickly covered in her blood and pressed the comm in his ear. "Somebody, please! Rory she-she's hurt and losing too much blood."

Immediately, Bruce's voice sounded through the link. "What happened, Tim?"

"I-I don't know, I went to go get food and I c-come back to see her fighting Deathstroke and he-" Tim could get the rest of his sentence out, his voice caught in sobs as he watched Rory's life slowly slip away. "She won't make it back to the cave, I'm not even sure she will make it to a hospital."

"Tim, you need to breathe. If you start losing it, then we will lose her for sure. Start for the hospital and one of the others will meet you on the way. Remember, keep yours and her identity secret until you get to the doctor. Dick is giving him a call as we speak."

Tim placed the mask back on her face, his hands trembling as he wrapped her in his cape. Rory had gone deathly pale, and her breathing was slowing. "No offense, but I don't give a fuck about identities right now Bruce." he snapped pulling the cowl over his head, picking Rory up and running across the rooftops. 

He tried to keep the tears at bay as he grappled across the city towards the hospital, one wrong move and it would kill them both. Jason and Dick had told him that they were waiting for him outside the back entrance to the hospital that was reserved for the vigilantes when they needed it.

Dropping down, they both ran over their faces going pale at the sight of Rory. She looked dead in Tim's arms, they were scared she already was if they didn't notice the slight rise and fall of her chest. Jason took Rory's limp body in his arms and ran her inside as Dick tried to console a hysteric Tim.