Safe Haven

Part Three: Happy Reunion

Oliver and Roy meet again at the Stadium, perhaps the only sector of the city that hasn't suffered under Slade's reign. It's an elaborate building with an orange dome of the top of it, an entrance and exit on either side. Since night has fallen, there are few people milling around, and Oliver finds he likes it that way. It means that the patrols aren't going to be as thick.

Roy points to the front area, a collection of three buildings, the one in the center massive and circular. "Those are the garages where the racers keep their cars and equipment." He points to the larger, center section that takes up two or three stories, with the entire lower floor looking like a garage. "The other racers each get a garage, but the on-site mechanic gets an entire building—especially if they have a good team." He grins. "I race for Blondie, so she definitely has a good team."

He shrugs. "We don't have the unlimited budget of Slade's team, but we win enough to be the only decent competition left in this city. Palmer—the city's star racer—would like her to work for him, since she's the best mechanic in the city, but she won't work for Slade." He hesitates. "Even I don't know the full story, but she... lost someone important to her during the war, and she's probably the most vocal opposition Slade has against him right now." He chuckles. "Blondie has been arrested five or six times, but Palmer always cuts her loose before she goes to jail." Then he goes back to his previous thought: "Blondie won't say, but the guy that died? I think she was in love, and I think it kind of destroyed her."

Oliver thinks it makes for an interesting story; they're putting the two worst threats against Slade together to see what destruction can be done. He doesn't expect a loud-mouthed blonde will be of much use, but he holds out hope that she'll prove of some benefit for housing. "Know the feeling," Oliver mutters quietly in response to that last thought, thinking of his own losses. "Five years ago, I had a family, a purpose as the Arrow, and a team to help me." He sighs deeply. "Now I'm an orphan and my team is gone—either dead or disbanded. All I have is Thea, a green hood, and a bow."

That catches Roy's attention, and he turns on Oliver with narrowed eyes as they walk into the pathway between the center and east outbuildings. "You aren't just a normal guy, are you?" he asks finally. "You know Merlyn by a nickname, Lance from his old days as a palace guard, and Slade hated you enough to use you in the Dark Warrior program after torturing you for five years. Digg knew your dad, and he ran in pretty powerful circles back in the day." He crosses his arms. "Your parents were big names in this city, weren't they?"

Oliver wants to tell him, but doing so could potentially endanger Thea. So, instead, he answers with, "We had a lot to lose in this war, and we lost it all."

Roy doesn't pry further, instead raising the garage door up far enough for them to enter before sliding it back down. He flips the switch for a set of lights, exposing a beautiful, sleek, black racer. "Nice, isn't it?" Roy asks when he follows Oliver's gaze. "That is Blondie's new prototype, and it's next-gen technology—better than anything Slade has in his garage. She's still working out the bugs, though." He waves Oliver over toward a hallway. "You can ask her about it—she likes to talk cars and general technology geekery."

He follows, and Roy talks over his shoulder. "So, you probably need to know that Blondie is a bit... prickly with new people. Takes her a while to warm up to new faces, so give her time. But you can get her going faster if you talk about your hatred of Slade or her cars. Or weaponry—Blondie knows her guns."

As they start up a staircase, Oliver asks, "Does she actually have a name?" The idea of referring to someone as "Blondie" doesn't exactly appeal to him, and it would be nice if he actually knew who she was.

Roy shrugs as he leads them through the second floor hall. "Everyone does," he answers. "But the name she uses is an alias, so most of us call her Blondie—or Oracle, since she always seems to know what goes on in this city."