The Rise of Athena (An Arrow: Season 1 Fanfiction)

Chapter 3: Капюшон (Kapiushon; The Hood)

One Year Later...

'Анатолий, что дальше (Anatoly, what next)?' I asked into my earpiece as I took out a guard. I slammed my elbow into the nose of another man and strutted towards the vault. Rolling, I threw a dagger into the heart of another, then running up to the other at the vault, I kicked him in the balls, then slit his throat with another dagger, the blood spilling to the floor. 

'You just kill someone?' he asked in English. 

'Yeah - I did what had to be done. What now? There's a vault right in front of me. It has a four-digit code access. I reckon I can override the system, but -'

'If you can, then do it.' I pulled out my phone, back-kicking another guard that dared to sneak up behind me. I typed quickly on the phone and bringing it to the four-digit code device, I broke through the system and easily hacked through it, bringing up the code. 

'Easy,' I said, smirking. 'Пятилетний ребенок может прорваться через эту систему. На высоте, моя задница (A five-year-old could break through this system. Top of the line, my ass),' I added in Russian, scoffing. I pulled the door open. 'I'm in.' I walked up to the keyboard in front of me, pulling out the USB device and placing it into the nearest port. After placing it in, I pulled up the computer and began to continue to hack through the system, downloading all needed information to the device. 

'Stop right there!' I heard a man's deep voice yell. I turned, pulling my signature red dagger out in a flash, throwing it into the man's chest. He fell. I laughed. 

'Too easy. These guards make Russia look like a joke,' I scoffed in English. I heard a beeping and turned. The device had finished downloading. I pulled it out, and stuffing it in my leather jacket pocket, I ran out the door to where I remembered the van was going to be waiting for me. Right turn, another right, another left - a right... oh, right. Two more rights, and then a left. I saw the van up ahead and ran for it. Jumping in the passenger seat, I, without buckling myself in, started the engine, spun the vehicle right around and gunned it for the highway. 

                                                                              -Time skip-

I hissed, applying the hydrogen peroxide to the bullet graze on my shoulder. 'Shit.' I placed a small cotton pad of bandages to soak up what little blood came out of the graze on my shoulder blade and tenderly pulled my shirt down over the bandage. Standing up, I made my way to the small closet that held my very little clothing. I pulled out the red dress that I loved wearing on casual, not-on-the-job days and curled my hair with an iron, letting it flow over my shoulders as I zipped up the dress and put on white heels to go with it. The dress had silky sleeves and was decorated with lace. Placing it on, I went out to the spacious living room with the alcohol bar and the red, decorative couches and poured myself a drink. I noticed a blonde-haired man speaking with Anatoly, and when he looked over at me, I cast my eyes down and poured myself a glass of vodka. Then I heard a voice. His voice. 

'Ellie?' I snapped my head up to meet deep blue eyes and sandy blonde hair. The man who had been speaking earlier had a beard. I cleared my throat and went to speak, but Anatoly beat me to it. 

'Athena, this is Oliver Queen.' 

'Ellie?' he asked again. 

'That's not my name.' I crossed over to the cabinet and grabbed shot glasses, filling three with vodka, and handing them to Anatoly and the man called Oliver. 

'We call her Athena. Богиня войны (War Goddess),' he added in Russian. I downed the shot glass, looking at him over the rim of the cup. 

'Whoever was Evelyn Queen died the day I was taken.' 

'Taken? Who took you?' His American accent was clear now. 

'Mafia boss,' Anatoly chimed in. 'Kidnapped her. Made her -'

'I was a young bride, sold in an arrangement. Arranged marriage, if you will. I would not be here if it weren't for Anatoly. The man that bought me, abused me for two years straight - he had a debt to square with the Bratva, unbeknownst to me. Apparently he couldn't pay it - and he got a bullet to his head. Anatoly took me in and I've never had any cause to regret what happened after that. He trained me, made me one of the Bratva. And I've never looked back.' 

'Did you ever think about your family?' I looked up at him, glaring now. 

'Did you think about yours? They were worried sick. Two weeks you were gone, and then I was kidnapped. I end up here, only to find that the brother that I mourned for two straight weeks is not dead, but is alive. And well. Did you ever stop to think that they might want you home too?' 

'Did you think about that?' 

'No. There wasn't a day that goes by when I don't think about my past, when I don't think about my family, when I don't think about how they must be feeling. With their two eldest children and their father gone... don't you think I feel that pain? I feel it, goddammit. Every single day. But, Anatoly gave me a family. A home. Evelyn Queen does not exist. She's but a memory. I will never be her. From now on, my name is Athena. And only Athena.' He gave me a sad smile. 

'What about Mom - and Speedy? Tommy? Laurel? What about them?' I dropped my eyes and placing my hands on the kitchen counter in front of me, gave a pent-up sigh. 

'I don't know. If I ever choose to go back - I'll never be the same.'