Chapter Text
Chapter 1
Oliver had been hearing whispers and rumors about a blonde woman in black who was beating up predators in the Glades. She wasn’t leaving dead bodies and seemed to be acting as a protector to women. He wasn’t inclined to interfere yet as she wasn’t endangering his mission and she wasn’t creating news stories. He made a note to simply keep an ear out and his eyes open. He had plenty to focus on with the list and his family he didn’t need to add more to it.
His investigation into John Nickle had taken a dramatic turn when he had been murdered on a live stream for the city to see. He was working with Felicity and Diggle to locate the murderer. As the computer search for this Savior was moving slowly, he had some downtime to think about the woman in black. Personally, he liked what she was doing and her approach while more improvised due to the nature of crimes she was preventing she was very talented and seemed to move like a ghost. Professionally, if you can call vigilantism a profession, he also liked her style if she was in fact real. With the appearance of this Savior there was a concern of copycats popping up and one being a danger to innocents and two bringing worse press to his name than he was generating just fulfilling his mission.
They had just witnessed the assistant district attorney die while he had been running across roof tops and right now Felicity and Dig were analyzing the footage and audio for clues. He would head back down in a minute he just needed to get out of the basement for a minute and to check on somethings at the club. “Hey Tommy, how is it going?” He looked up from the papers that his friend had left on his desk.
“Fine, just trying to make plans with Laurel but with our schedules…” Tommy trailed off, he was uncomfortable talking about his relationship with Laurel with Oliver. It was a difficult to navigate sometimes needing to talk to his best friend about his girlfriend, but his girlfriend was his best friend’s ex. Also, he was still trying to wrap his head around his best friend being a murderer. “It fine you don’t want to hear about it.
“Tommy, it’s fine. Laurel and I were done the minute I asked Sara to come with me. And honestly, we were done before that I was too much of a coward to say it.” Oliver said honestly.
It wasn’t the first time Oliver had said he was fine with their relationship it was the first time he believed him. “Thanks. If you need to talk about…anything I am still your best friend,” Tommy shrugged “I am still wrapping around the Hood thing and I am not sure how I feel about that, but I am still here if you want to talk. Also, keeping the secret from Laurel is hard. She knows something is up but I can’t tell her. And I get it, it just is making things hard right now. Especially since she has some family stuff going on as well.”
Oliver looked up staring intently at the other man, “Thank you. I will take you up on it, I just need to work out a couple things in my head. If you have questions, I will do my best to answer them but be patient a lot happened and it’s hard to talk about.” He offered as honestly as he could. He did want to repair his relationship with Tommy. He was feeling conflicted he stood by his choice to avoid entanglements. He also didn’t want his best friend, his brother to hate him either. “Oh, and about Laurel, make the time take a night off the club is running great and we can manage without for a night or two. I’m sorry about making you keep this secret but it’s just too dangerous for her to know both for her and for me.” Oliver did feel bad about asking that of his friend but he was firm that Laurel couldn’t know his identity.
For the first time since he discovered Oliver’s secret he smiled, reminded that this man was still his oldest friend. “Thanks, I will take you up on it, the Rockets are coming in but after they are all set up in the VIP that is it for tonight. I’ll head out maybe she and I can do a late dinner.”
“Good!” Oliver was genuinely happy for his friends he wanted them to be happy. Sometimes it was hard because watching them made him remember there was a fourth person in their group who was missing. He missed Sara every day, he missed the way she understood him and helped balance him out. The young blonde never had an issue telling him the truth. The only truth she hadn’t told him was about the full extent of her feelings for him and he understood why she waited to tell him, that conversation over a campfire on the island had shed so much light on Sara’s motivation for continuing the affair with him after that first drunken night and eventually running away with him. Watching her get sucked into the ocean for the second time was like something broke inside him.
He got up and walked with Tommy down to the main floor of the club, he had excused himself to go the restroom. As he returned the news popped up with yet another video for The Savior and he was about to head down to the basement hoping that Felicity and Dig had found something. Thea suddenly stormed into the club with tears in her eyes looking between the two men before throwing herself around Oliver. It took a couple seconds before she and Tommy explained that he had interviewed the young man being threatened in the interview as a favor to Thea. He passed Thea off to Tommy as they shared a glance and a nod. This was the first time he felt he had his friend’s approval for his mission.
Once downstairs it took a few minutes to gear up as his team was reviewing the audio but finally Diggle and Felicity got a location, it was a moving subway car. He hopped on his bike to get to station ahead of him. He was able to jump on the train and moved stealthily on top of the cars to locate The Savior and Thea’s friend. Once he located the correct car, he jumped through a window. Once he entered the car making himself known by throwing one of fletchettes towards the young man taped to the overhead rail. Just as he refocused on the man with the gun, he saw the woman in black creep up behind him. “So, you are real?”
“As, real as you, I couldn’t let you have all the fun.” The slightly distorted feminine voice snarked as she threw a dagger at the computer. She had been careful to not to speak until the camera was disabled
“You really need to get out more if this is your idea of fun.” He couldn’t help but snark back as he kept the man with the gun in his sights.
“What would you suggest?”
“Is this really the time?” The young man drew the attention back to himself as he questioned the two vigilantes. He was using the mini arrow to cut himself loose of the duct tape, it was taking a bit. Unfortunately, by speaking he also reclaimed the attention of his would-be killer who continued rant before pulling the trigger, an uneven bit of track and the tape breaking allowed Roy to drop out of the way of the bullet. The Savior fell to the ground as an arrow and a knife struck him simultaneously.
“See you later, Hood.” The woman said as she ducked out of the same window he came in on. Oliver stared after her with a flummoxed smile.
“Thank you. For saving me, you and your girlfriend.” Roy said. As they went to the next car as Felicity told him how to stop the subway. “I had heard about her never thought I’d see her.” He continued to speak in frank admiration of the blonde in skintight leather. Oliver just looked over at the younger man before turning his attention to the console to shut off the train. It took a couple minutes to come to a complete stop. He sent Roy off before heading off the other direction towards his bike. He crept along the alleys and shadows; he didn’t want to be seen mostly for safety but also, he knew the mystic that added to the fear of him didn’t allow for things like human transportation. And he could have called Digg to pick him up but he needed sometime to himself.
He was approaching the alley where he had quickly stashed his bike earlier, he saw another bike parked not twenty feet away, it was beautiful machine finished in matte black. He was looking around for an owner when he heard a whistle much like a bird call from above. Four stories above he saw the blonde from earlier perched on the edge of the roof clearly waiting for him to show up. He saw the nearby fire escape ladder lowered in invitation, so he headed over and climbed up think this night was turning out to so much more different than he thought it would. Once he was on the roof, he looked over to the edge the woman had been at, she was still there looking out over the city. “It seems we have somethings in common Hood.” She said when he was close.
“So, it seems, I’ve been hearing whispers about you. What do they call you? I’m thinking something feline, with moves like yours.” Oliver kept his voice distorter active just as she did. They had the same goal this time didn’t mean they were on the same side. Still there was something about her presence that made him feel lighter.
“If you call me Kitten, I will remove one your appendages and I assure you it won’t be pleasant.” She turned the smirk on her face equal parts amused and threatening.
“Well give me a better name so I won’t have to make up one and risk life and limb.” He took another step closer. She was more petite than he had originally thought.
“You may call me Canary. I will be honest Hood; I didn’t think I would see you tonight saving troubled youths doesn’t seem to be your MO.” Canary looked up almost close enough to see under his hood. There was no judgement in her voice or on the parts of her face he could see.
“Canary, interesting choice. And it’s not but there was some overlap with something I was looking into, I also don’t want a dangerous person in my city.” He said with same tone he used to explain himself to Felicity.
There was light laugh that for once didn’t sound as distorted, “I think there is something about kettles and pots in there. So, are you here to give me a strong talking to?”
“I understand the irony, but most do not show any level of restraint as we just saw.” Oliver thought about what he wanted to say to the blonde. “Look, our paths haven’t crossed in months and you aren’t dropping bodies. So don’t kill any…”
“Well, that’s hypocritical,” She cut him off, “you have killed before and with much more premeditation than any of the situations I have been in. Don’t get me wrong, I can see you have a goal and your targets are horrible people too powerful for the law to touch. You need a very strong stick to whatever your carrot is. Look, I’ll make you a deal I won’t kill anyone needlessly. I can’t guarantee it won’t happen but I’ll be careful, and I know you’re there if I should ever go over the edge. And just think now you have someone to keep you in check.”
Oliver thought about what she said and how accurately she threw that knife earlier also the seeming ease with which she located his bike. She was right to call him on the killing but also to note that in a fight up close the way she enters a situation she could never keep that promise and keep her life. “Deal.” He stuck out his hand for her to shake, her smaller hand was in his and he looked for the first time past with blonde wig and black mask into bright blue eyes that seemed so familiar. “Who are you?”
“Once you know, you can never go back,” She seemed to have turned off the voice distorter, “Ollie.”
Oliver took a step back, only three women called him that and one of them was dead. But he knew those eyes and that voice like he knew his own. He moved back to her raising his hands to pull off the wig and mask. In the corner of his mind, he noticed his hands were shaking. “Wha…no…you died; I saw you get sucked out into the ocean?”
Sara stood still, “Not for the first time.” Despite the words there was no accusation.
So many thoughts ran through his mind, he was spinning. This was more rattling than when he saw her on the Amazo for the first time. “Where have you been?” His emotional turmoil made his tone gruff and demanding.
“Everywhere,” She had known him long enough to know he wasn’t angry but she also wasn’t going to tolerate his attitude.
“That’s not answer. Why did you come back, why now?” His tone softened as his hands dropped still holding her mask and wig.
“I was in Gotham and heard tales of the Starling City vigilante, I knew it had to be you. How did you get off the Amazo?” Sara responded.
“Long story.” He stated vaguely. This conversation didn’t seem to be going well. He needed a few minutes to process all he had learned; his entire world had shifted yet again. “Hey, come by Verdant in a couple hours. I must make an appearance and work for a bit. Please come by.”
Sara bit her lower lip, a tell since she was a child, “Ok, I’ll come by after it closes. Ollie, please don’t mention me to anyone.” She pleaded.
Oliver looked confused for a minute, because for five years all he wanted was to come home. There seemed to be something brewing in her eyes that gave him pause. “Yeah, in the north alley there is metal door code is 1225. No one will see you.”
“See you, Ollie.” She came close and squeezed his arm, trailing her hand down until she could pull her wig and mask from his hand before she disappeared over the edge of the roof.
Oliver stood still for another couple minutes before he too left and drove back to the club. After a quick check in the team, he changed and headed up to the floor and his office. After working for an hour, he spent some time talking with the bartender and Tommy’s assistant. It was an hour before closing when he stepped outside to clear his head as thoughts of Sara kept distracting him. He was unsure how to feel about her return; most of him was elated that she was alive and here, the other part was angry that she only just came to him and wanted answers. There was finally a small part of him was sure this was a hallucination or an elaborate dream and he’d wake from it broken.
While he was standing outside, he saw Laurel climb out of a cab clearly having come the office by suit she was wearing. “Laurel, what are you doing here?”
“I heard that about Thea’s friend.”
“Yeah, that turned out alright,” Oliver grimaced, not unhappy but still not thrilled that his baby sister was growing up. “This Roy, is more than just a friend isn’t he.”
“Bad boys, they’ll hook you every time.” She smirked.
“Tommy left early tonight. I think I have finally talked him into taking time off. Honestly, he has an assistant that is smarter than him. We can survive a couple nights a week without him.” He laughed.
Laurel smiled at him as she thought about his words, “Oh, ok thanks!”
“Laurel, talk with him. All he wants to do is make you happy, so talk with him.” Oliver said gently. He wanted both of his friends to be happy.
“Thanks, and I will, talk to him that is.” She was kind of shocked at the advice. She had been sure that Oliver was working his way to asking her out.
“Good, have a nice night, Laurel.” Oliver smiled as he flagged down another cab for her. He gave her shoulder a squeeze as she slid in the car. Once the door was closed the car pulled out Laurel turned to see Oliver had already turned and walked away. She finally understood they were over; they may be able to build a friendship but any romantic feelings were gone.
Oliver walked back into the club feeling for the first time since he returned a level of peace. This night had turned out to be way different than he had originally planned, he totally blew his plan to avoid entanglements but he was at peace. He said hi to a few patrons and stopped by the VIP section before heading back to the office. He was going over the books that Tommy left for him, he was impressed with all the work his friend did. Closing finally rolled around and he was for once caught up and even got a bit ahead. The club was cleared out and the staff was wrapping up when he walked back down to the basement. He took off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves as he sat down on the stool, having learned his lesson about sitting on Felicity’s chair.
About fifteen minutes later he heard the door near the alley open, that was the last noise he heard until Sara was in front of him. “Impressive.” She smirked as she looked around.
Oliver let out a breath in relief that his worst nightmare hadn’t been true, she really was alive and standing before him. “How?”
Sara took a deep breath not sure exactly where she wanted to start. This moment had been all she had wanted for the last few months since she learned of his survival and return. Now that she was here with him, she wasn’t sure where to start. “I will tell you, just be patient some of it is hard for me to talk about, to remember.” She back to biting her lip.
“Ok, just tell me what you can. We have time, Sara.” Oliver said softly. He was concerned she seemed truly distraught about whatever had happened since the Amazo sunk.
Sara looked around the basement stopping when she saw the mats on the floor. She walked over and sat on them, if she was going to talk, she wasn’t going to do standing in front of him like she was in trouble. “I ended up back on Lian Yu after I got pulled out of the Amazo, I wasn’t the only one, some of prisoners also washed up.” She stated.
Oliver, stood up from the stool as she finished speaking. He felt his heart break at what wasn’t said in that statement. He could only imagine what had happened, she had helped torture them and while she hadn’t had much choice it wouldn’t have mattered. She was also a beautiful woman. “Sara.” He whispered as he kneeled before her.
“I was rescued four days later and taken to Nanda Prabat, to the League of Assassins.” She looked up at that point.
“The League of Assassins?” He was still recovering from what she had implied only to drop yet another bomb.
“The woman who rescued me, Nyssa, is the daughter of Ra’s Al-Ghul. They remade me and I swore them my allegiance. That is until a few months ago when I heard about your return, I was on a mission at the time, so I had to return. But once I did, I talked with Nyssa because I had told her about you. We talked with her father and he released me. I came home not long after.” Sara summed up the last four years since he had seen her. “What happened with Slade?”
“I killed him, put an arrow through his eye.” Oliver said letting her shift the conversation. He also understood her concern since the last time she saw him he was in a fight for his life.
“I’m sorry you had to do that.” She said honestly, it was just like her to show sympathy for something that had to happen, especially since there was no love lost between Sara and Slade. “What happened with you after the Amazo went down?” She reached out her hand in between them but didn’t touch him.
Oliver looked at the hand between them, he noted calluses like his own and yet different he saw scars as well. He put his own on hers for the first time in years, it was like coming home all over again. “I was fished out by A.R.G.U.S., a woman named Amanda Waller to be specific. She wanted me as a weapon to point at any target she wished. I tried to find out what happened to you, I tried to run away so many times. She finally told me you died, it broke me, I just realized that was her goal. I killed and spied for her until I ended back on Lian Yu discovered magic was real. Went to Russia to avenge a friend, spent time with Anatoly.”
Sara sat there quietly just letting him speak. When he mentioned Anatoly she smiled, he had been one of few prisoners who had been kind to her. He had understood what her options were and that she was as much a prisoner as they were. “How is Anatoly?”
“He is the Pakhan now, and I am part of the Bratva. He made me a Captain after I saved his life, he also got me back to Lian Yu where I spent several months growing my hair out again and killing the guy who killed my friend’s family and his little army. Before the fishing boat he arranged came to pick me up and I could come home.” Oliver remembered some of his time in Russia with fondness. He didn’t tell her everything just as he knew she hadn’t told him everything, but it was enough for now enough. “Where have you been staying?”
“The clock tower in the Glades.” Sara answered.
“The views?” Oliver smirked. He was happy she shared that detail and sad that she thought that all she had to return to was a broken clock tower.
“Something like that. Also, do you remember on the island when that plane crashed and the pilot survived for a bit. I talked with him before you guys got back, he told me about his daughter she was Thea’s age, he asked me to check on her if I ever got off the island. I had to honor that promise and take care of her.” Sara told him a bit about the other reason she came back home.
“So why have you been going after predators in the Glades?” He asked running his thumb over her knuckles.
“No woman should suffer at the hands of men.” She said it like a mantra, it confirmed even further what she had suffered. “If no one is going to protect them, I will.”
“I’m sorry Sara. Both for what you suffered and for not realizing what is going on in the Glades.” Oliver whispered.
“Ollie, you couldn’t have known. One you have a very focused mission, I may not know what it is but I can see it in your targets, so you aren’t looking at crimes on the streets. Two you are a man, a six-foot something man, it’s not a crime that you would be familiar with. You are a good man; it would never cross your mind to force a woman to do anything she didn’t wish to. Until the cops take notice, I will do what I can to protect the women and put some fear into guys who would consider forcing a woman.” Sara absolves him of his ignorance. “So, to change the subject, how is everyone?”
That was such a Sara response to explain why he didn’t know something, she never made him feel stupid or inferior while she did it. Changing the subject to keep it from getting to dark was also a skill of hers, she kept from brooding too long. “Well, your dad hates me.”
“Eh, he never really liked you. Don’t worry about it.” Sara snorted.
“Your sister is angry with me, Tommy is frustrated with me, Speedy is angry with me, mom is angry with me, I think the only person who isn’t is Walter my Stepfather and he’s missing.” Ollie rattled off everyone in their weird, blended family that had been put together over the last twenty plus years.
“Laurel never does well when her positive thinking and plans get derailed. Speedy is 18, remembered how angry and confused we were, and we hadn’t been dealt the level of grief and upheaval she has had to deal with. Maybe cutting her some slack wouldn’t be amiss. I don’t know what to tell you about Moira because she felt about me the way dad felt about you.” Sara shrugged, the advice wasn’t great but she only has a few weeks’ worth of observations and Ollie’s feelings. “Why does Tommy frustrated with you?” This was the most concerning piece of news.
Ollie ran his free hand along the back of his head, “About two weeks ago there had been an assassination attempt on Malcom the bullet he was shot with was laced with curare, I was trying to talk Tommy into letting me set up a blood transfusion to dilute the poison enough until EMTs arrived. I had to reveal to him I was under the Hood, he called me a murderer.”
Sara looked at him and thought about how to respond for a bit, “Well, without further information and time to talk with him myself all I’ve got is, talk with him. Really talk with him, let him ask questions and then answer them as honestly as you can. You don’t have to go into detail about what happened but you could provide some context for him. By letting him ask questions it narrows the scope of the conversation rather than trying to recount all of it. If we hadn’t lived the lives we had, we would look at what we are doing the similarly.”
Oliver had come to the same conclusion earlier, it helped to know she agreed, “Also, if he isn’t sure how to deal with Laurel. He thinks he’s lying to her and she’s getting frustrated that he isn’t opening up.”
Sara laughs humorlessly, “Tell him to tell her, ‘He’s sorry for being distant, he can’t tell her why as it’s not his secret to tell,’ which it isn’t. It will validate her suspicions but as much as she likes answers she can respect privacy. She will work out the secret is about you because you are the only person, he would do that for it will, however, take him out of the hot seat.”
He looked at her with a bit of awe, this is just one of the reasons he had missed her. She gave him a simple answer to something that had been baffling him for days. “Thanks. So, when are you going to let your family know your back?”
Sara tensed minutely; she knew the question was coming at some point, she still wasn’t sure how to respond, “I don’t know Ollie, I’m not who they remember. I don’t think I’m ready to deal with all that comes with it.”
“They missed you, Sara.”
“How do you know?” She thinks about how difficult things had been between herself and her family before she ran away with Ollie.
“Because I missed you.” He said with so much sincerity that it took her breath away for moment. He thought about he had felt earlier this afternoon.
“I bet they won’t be as happy to see me as you think.” She smirked sardonically. He knew her family and some of the troubles she had been having with them prior to the Gambit. But he forgot that his family didn’t really pry if appearances were kept, which had its own pros and cons. Her family was different, her father and sister seemed to think that they had the right to all the information and then to pass judgement on it or control the outcome. Her mother was easier, she accepted the information as it came in most situations, she also was more open minded.
Ollie sort of conceded her point knowing she wouldn’t change her mind tonight. “Ok, let me know when you do and I can come with you, either to help answer questions or draw fire away.”
She laughed for real this time. This was the right choice to come home and see him. “I should go, it’s late.” While it was good to see him, she was tired.