Chapter 20: A Guardian's City
My name is Nathaniel Queen. After 5 years of a hellish existence, I have come back with only one goal: To save my city. And I Succeeded. Now with my team at my back, I work day and night to weed the remaining scum to make sure this never happens again. To do so I become someone else. I become something else. I am Prometheus.
Queen Consolidated
CEO's Office
"Uh huh. Yes, I understand. Thanks for the help again, Lena, and congrats on the taking over Lexcorp again. We'll be in touch." Nathan said as he hung up the phone and finished some papers on his desk and sign some papers.
Speaking of Lena Luthor, he had connected his old friend several times since he had first been back, but their contact had been increased in the last 6 months, since when he first took over the company, she had come over under the pretense of discussing a potential business deal, which was really an excuse for Lena to come see him and catch up. Catching up in the form of some late night fun aka sex. After all, in their youth, the Queens, the Merlyn's, the Luthor's, the Wayne's(Until Bruce's parents were killed), the Vanaver's, and the Teague's got together for parties every year. Him and Lena had experimented sexually and gave each other their virginity at 15, though a relationship was out of the question, since Metropolis was too far away from Starling City. Although she was making plans to move Lexcorp HQ to National City and change the name. You know, fresh start and all that.
While she was here for a few days, she had given him some lessons in being a CEO that she had learned in the last year. He probably didn't need it, since he had managed to get a Master's in Business Administration from Harvard in a record 4 years, due to taking a bunch of classes in high school and always having his schedule full with the maximum possible class load in College, even in the summer. But the lessons did help.
He got up from his desk and looked out the window with his arms crossed behind his back. In the last 6 months, he had killed over 130 names on his father's list. Including the one's he had already taken down the previous year to make sure they didn't try anything again, and the member's on the list that worked at QC, emptying the company of scum. Which meant he had completed a little over a quarter of his fathers work. And he was using his influence to replace the people he killed with honest, morally structured people to make sure a corrupt person didn't replace them. That didn't mean he didn't keep an eye on them, just incase power corrupted them. If so, rinse and repeat.
He started to buy up the property in the Glades immediately after the Undertaking, particularly the worn down slums. He tore them down and had Bertinelli Construction, through Helena, make new, liveable, low-cost housing for the people in Glades. He made sure that Helena's company was staying within regulation by bringing in several OSHA officials to make sure they were within regulation. The people in the Glades were slowly beginning to see Helena and Nathan as saviors, which was good for PR.
He had handed off the reigns of his club to Thea, though he had been forced to lock her out of his Lair, so the door wouldn't open incase she accidently placed her hand on it. He had also purchased the land his families mansion was on, so he technically owned the property and the house, but he still lived in his loft. In his spare time, he had been working on establishing two backup lairs incase his main one under Verdant was ever compromised. One underneath the mansion and another within the city.
His relationships with Helena, Chien, Lyla (who was sitting on the couch in his office, working on some ARGUS stuff) and Talia were still going strong. Though Talia had to head back to her organization to keep her Shadows in check.
It hadn't all been good though. His lawsuit against Quentin hadn't quite gone the way he wanted. Quentin did lose his rank as detective and would not be allowed to advance in rank for a period of 10 years. But he was allowed to remain on the SCPD as a low-level police officer. The only good thing about that was that McKenna Hall had been promoted to Detective. He was strongly leaning towards approaching her as Prometheus about working with him on the side.
Tommy had passed away from his cancer about 2 months ago. His final days had been filled with joy of spending time with Laurel and Nate. In his will, he left Merlyn Global Group to Nathan and left Laurel with a large sum of money equivalent to 100 million dollars, but his will reading was kept a private affair. So Queen Consolidated had absorbed Merlyn Global Group and it's holding's and Laurel got all that money. He had tried to be there for Laurel but she had asked him for some space so she could grieve in peace. He had obliged but he believes 2 months is long enough and it's time for him to be there for her.
The other thing that was bugging him was a woman. Isabel Rochev. Right after the Undertaking, QC's stock had plummeted. He was able to buy most of it, about 60% of the stock, making him the majority shareholder. But he was unable to grab the other 40% when Isabel Rochev, the vice president of the Acquisitions Department at Stellmoor International, stepped in. She wasn't on the List. He had double checked to make sure of that, including cross-referencing his old man's copy with Frank Chen's and Malcolm's.
He just wasn't sure about Isabel. He had done his research on the woman. She had been an intern at QC but was fired around the time Thea had fallen off that horse, so he guessed his father might have been sleeping with her. After she was promoted to her previous position at Stellmoor, she showed a preference for buying up property that QC put up for sale, but other than that, nothing truly nefarious, but he intended to keep digging in case there was something.
He had been forced to give her a position on the Board of Directors and last month, was forced to make her his CFO for several reasons. 1: The company needed a new one since the last one had been killed by him because he was on the List. 2: He didn't trust the rest of the Board. 3: The only bad thing she had done so far to him was possibly sleeping with his father and attempting a hostile takeover of his company. 4: Unlike a majority of the top brass, she was the only one besides him that took this job seriously. Anyway, they had a decent working relationship, but she tended to fight him on a number of issues, including several projects he wanted to run. He was considering seducing her, because she was a beautiful woman and would definitely be a good lay, and it would certainly make her more agreeable, but he should probably run it by the girls first.
Flashback
Slade and Nathan were sparring with wooden bokken, and it was evident that Nathan had improved by leaps and bounds since the death of Fyers and the rest of the mercenaries. They fought fast and furiously for several minutes before mutually coming to a stop. A noise drew Nathan's attention, and he looked to the door to see Shado, now wearing her father's hood, walk in with a freshly caught bird in a cage. Slade took advantage and hit him hard across the side of his head with his bokken, sending Nathan to his knees.
Slade laughed. "You're not the first man to learn the hard way- women are a distraction." He said as he moved off to get a drink of water.
Shado came over, lowering her hood as she did so.
"You've come very far in all your training in the last five months." She told him as he pulled himself up. "Don't beat yourself up."
"Nah, that's your guy's job." Nathan said with a smile.
"And I love my job." Slade replied cheekily. "Not that I wouldn't trade it for a way off this island."
"While you two were playing with each other, I was hunting." Shado retorted.
"Well, there's nothing more attractive than a woman who can hunt." Slade complimented, walking past the two towards the cage.
Nathan smiled at a memory. "When I was marooned here, my first meal was a pheasant." He told her. "Your father cooked it for me."
"He was an awful cook." Shado said.
"Yeah." Nathan agreed. "But a great father. I'm looking at the proof." He leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips.
Across the way, Slade snapped the neck of the bird. "Let's eat." He said. Before they could even start cooking, a beeping sound caught their attention.
"What's that?" Nathan asked.
"That's Fyers' proximity detector." Slade said as the three ran over to the crate it was sitting on. Shado reached it first and lifted it. "We salvaged it from the wreckage of the soldier's camp." Shado said. "Picks up anything moving outside our safe zone." On the screen there was a rough map of their section of the island, along with three dots that seemed to be moving. "It's been five months since we stopped Fyers. He and all of his men were dead." She said in confusion.
"Are we positive that's not a few small animals?" Nathan suggested.
"There's an imaging interface." Shado pushed a button, and a thermal image came up on the screen- unmistakably of three men, probably holding weapons.
"Okay. Those are not animals." Nathan noted.
"And we're not alone on this island." Slade added.
Flashback End
On several unrelated notes, he had gotten a new secretary last month after the last one quit. A pretty red head with green eyes named Natalie Rushman. It didn't hurt that she had also previously done some modeling in Tokyo and he had every photo from that shoot on his computer which he would occasionally look at and daydream about tapping that sweet ass. Cause hey, she was hot. And despite having 3-4 lovers on demand, he was always horny. One downside of having Mirakuru is an inexhaustible sex drive.
All the hacking he had done had also apparently caught the attention of a hacker that went by SkyeQuake, who was confirmed to be in the city. Apparently, whoever it was had been fans of his for the last 3 years, since he had hacked the NSA for ARGUS about the Sheldon Cooper job. His own hacker tag was Nine-Tailed Demon Fox.
Oh and Felicity's old position had been taken over by a new hire, her name was Daisy Johnson. Very pretty oriental girl.
One final thing was Blood. Sebastian Blood. An alderman who was in the business of saving this city. He wasn't interested in meeting him yet, but given the rumbling in the Glades about Blood for Mayor, he might have to.
Verdant Main Office
Later in the Day
Thea and Roy were busy ripping off each other's clothes to have a quickie on the desk.
"I only have a second." Thea said with a smile as they kissed hungrily.
"That's ok; my boss has been all over my ass today." Roy replied as she undid her shirt. "You should hear what she sounds like when- Ow!" Roy hissed in pain, and Thea paused in her ministrations and frowned. She looked down at his bruised side, now exposed as she was pulling up his shirt.
"You have got to be kidding me!" Thea said angrily, pushing Roy away roughly.
"Come on! I don't want to fight." Roy said, rushing after her as she stalked out of the office.
"Clearly you do, since you keep on taking every street corner drug dealer that you can get your fists on." Thea said. She exited the office.
Thea stalked down the stairs to the main floor as Roy trailed behind.
"It's not like that." He said. "The Glades are still a bad place to live, despite what your brother and his girlfriend have been doing."
"I know, but you already saved a busload of people that had crashed into a building during the evacuation 6 months ago and managed not to get killed." She argued. "I mean, how much more of a hero do you need to be? It's like you have a death wish. And guess what- it's going to come true." She said.
"Yeah, well, someone has to do something." Roy countered. The two came to a stop on the main floor and Thea turned back to look at him. "And stand up for what's right, like he does."
"Prometheus." She said dryly. "Who by the way, has been going around and killing a bunch of people, including some of the people my brother works with."
"Oh dear me. What exactly have I walked into?"
Thea turned around and smiled as Nathan walked into the club. "Nate!" she exclaimed happily, throwing herself into a hug. They separate, and she saw him looking at Roy. "Ah, you remember my friend Roy."
"It's alright Thea, I'm well aware he's your boyfriend. You treating her good?" Nathan asked with a bit of an edge to his voice.
"Always." Roy replied evenly, shaking his hand.
"Good, then we have nothing to worry about," Nathan said with a sickeningly sweet smile that promised pain if he did hurt her.
"So Thea," Nathan asked his sister as they walked over to the bar. Roy took the opportunity to get back to work, "How you been handling the bar?"
"It's been a learning experience. It's a bit rough and stressful sometimes but I definitely prefer this to community service at CNRI." Nate laughed a bit at that. "How's Laurel?"
"I don't know. She wanted some space so she could grieve alone and I didn't have the heart to deny her request, but I'm gonna check up on her later this week." Nathan said.
"Have you made it to Iron Heights?" Nathan asked gently.
"To visit the woman who tried to drop a city on 15,000 innocent people? No, thank you." She said sarcastically.
"Thea…" Nathan sighed. "That's not what mom did. You know that nobody actually died because of her and Malcolm."
"Right. She had no choice." Thea said acidly. "But guess what? She did. A choice not to be complicit with mass murder. And I have a choice, too. So I choose not to be her daughter."
She smiled at her brother- a genuine smile- and placed a warm hand on his arm. "But I am so happy you came down to see me." She let go and moved off further down the bar. "Honestly, I need to deal with our liquor distributor who shorted me on yesterday's delivery, and one of my bartenders called in sick, so…" she finally looked up at Nathan and noticed his expression. "What?" she asked.
"Nothing." He said. "It's- it's nice to see you like this."
"Like what?" she asked suspiciously.
"Like you have your ducks in a row." Nathan smiled. Thea returned it, and then moved off to continue working. The sound of the TV caught his attention and he turned back to the bar.
'-The representative from Central City says construction on the Star Labs particle accelerator should be completed by Christmas.
And in local news, billionaire Nathan Queen has done yet another good deed for the city, allying with recently reformed Bertinelli Construction to bring affordable and livable low-income housing to the Glades. With his mother's upcoming trial and his company coming back from the terrorist scandal of last year, analysts are asking what the Queen family scion has planned next." He looked at the screen, wondering the same thing.
City Hall
Night time
A benefit was being thrown to raise money for the Glades. In the main hall, the Mayor was having a discussion with the District Attorney about the usefulness of vigilantes.
"Wasn't our country founded on a brand of vigilantism, Mr. Donner?" The Mayor asked. "The revolutionaries in the Boston Tea Party were certainly choosing justice over law."
"I'd hardly compare our founding fathers to the late Arrow and his two former protégés, Mr. Mayor, or these twisted copycats who appeared last week." Donner argued. The Mayor looked past Donner and smiled at the figure walking down the steps. "Ms. Lance. What do you think about vigilantes?" he asked as she joined the pair.
"I'd be foolish to disagree with my new boss." Laurel replied with a smile.
"I knew I was smart to hire you." Donner said.
"I'd heard you joined the district attorney's office." The Mayor said.
"It was time for a change." Laurel said simply.
"Still, I'm sorry that you and your colleagues at CNRI won't be opening your doors again." He said. Despite him being a politician, she actually believed he meant it.
"There were no doors left to be reopened." Laurel replied with a twinge of sadness.
A series of musical chimes sounded. "They're playing my song." The Mayor said, racing off towards the podium as he was introduced.
"Good evening." He said to polite applause. "It has been a very difficult year for Starling City. Our losses have been incalculable, our grief unimaginable. But with the generous donations you people are making tonight, we will come back from this tragedy."
"You have failed this city, Mr. Mayor!" a voice screamed out, causing the Mayor to stop short. "The Glades almost descended into hell on your watch! You swore to protect all the citizens of Starling, not just the wealthy!"
"We're sorry about this, folks." The Mayor said. "We'll have this sorted out in just a minute."
Before any action could be taken, though, the Mayor was cut down in a hail of bullets. People started screaming and ducking for cover as four men, armed with automatic weapons and wearing Kevlar and paintball masks came storming down the stairs. They continued firing at the meager police presence in the room, cutting them down even as they tried to return fire. By the time they reached the main floor, the cops were all dead.
One of the men came up to Donner, letting his rifle hang on the sling and drawing his pistol. "Mr. District Attorney-" he started, but then Laurel was there; she swiftly grabbed his gun and sent three hard elbows into his face. The mask prevented any major damage, but the impact sent him to the ground. Laurel looked down at cold rage, the man's gun in her hand, but froze as she heard another gun cock behind her. She turned to see another masked man pointing his pistol right in her face. He gestured for her to get to her knees, and Laurel, her face full of rage and fear, complied.
"We are the Hoods." He said as she stared at him, unwavering. "And what was taken from us, we will take back." He pulled the trigger, but the gun only clicked- it was empty. She jumped slightly, but otherwise didn't react as the Hoods ran out of the building and into the night.
Later
Later that night, Quentin rushed in, looking for-
"Laurel!" he exclaimed, running up to her and hugging her tightly.
"Dad, I'm fine." Laurel protested, but returned the hug anyway.
"You've got one very brave daughter there, sir." Donner told him, walking up to the family.
"Yeah, one daughter's right, and I can't stand to lose another." Quentin said.
"Well, I still can't believe this happened." Donner said. "The hoods attacks have strictly been limited to people in the financial sector trying to redistribute wealth in the Glades at gunpoint."
"Yeah, well, clearly that's not getting the result they're looking for, is it?" Quentin said, walking off with Laurel. "Did you get a good look at any of them?" he asked, the stress of the situation reverting him to type.
"It was hard to focus on anything other than the gun barrel pointed at my face." Laurel replied.
"No tattoos, distinguishing marks?"
"What do you think you're doing?" Lance looked up to see a cross Lieutenant Pike stalking towards him. "Interviewing the witness is the job of the Detective. Officer Lance." He said pointedly.
"She is my daughter." Lance said desperately. "She was nearly killed tonight."
"Well, as a parent, you're welcome to stay." Pike said. "But as a beat cop, you're more than free to go." With that, Pike turned and walked off.
"You know, that's one of the downsides of being demoted- I don't get to witness his sunny disposition on a daily basis." Quentin joked. Laurel looked up and saw Nathan walking down the stairs.
"Dad, give me a sec." she said, moving off towards her friend.
"Yeah." Quentin said with a sigh.
"I was beginning to think you had forgotten me." Laurel said to Nathan as they met at the bottom of the stairs.
"I was already on my way here. You asked for some space to grieve in private and I decided 2 months was enough. I only just heard about what happened few minutes ago." He said, as they shared a hug.
"Just four hooded gunmen." Laurel said off-handedly. "Nothing a few self-defense classes couldn't handle."
"Well, I'm glad you're okay." Nathan said, silently vowing he was going to brutally butcher these so called "Hoods'.
Hoods hideout
Later that night, in an old abandoned church, the four hoods were watching the news to see how their actions were reported. Instead they saw-
'And in local news, billionaire Nathan Queen announces new plan to buy more land in the Glades to renovate and make it liveable for the folks of the Glades again.'
"Unbelievable." One of the men said. "We off the mayor on live TV, and what's the local news keep showing? Nathan Queen. Why?"
"Guess its because he's taking over the Glades." Another one said.
"We've been going about this wrong." The first one said.
"What do you mean?"
"If we want real payback, we got to take the fight to the name that did this to us."
"Queen?"
"Yeah."
"He's some useless brat."
"The applied sciences division of Queen Consolidated built the earthquake generator that almost went off." The first one said. "If we want real justice… then that family has to pay for the suffering it's caused us." He snarled. "In full."
Verdant
Thea was preparing the club for another night. Or would be, if her mind wasn't elsewhere.
"Hello, earth to Queen." Roy said, getting his girlfriend's attention. "What, did you drop a Vertigo when I wasn't looking?" he joked.
Thea gave him a tired smile. "I was just distracted." She said as she headed for the DJ booth.
"About what your brother said, about your mom?" Roy guessed.
"Eavesdrop much?"
"Ah, what I lack in height, I make up for in wicked good hearing." Roy joked.
"Well, don't keep me in suspense, Harper. What's your take on the matter?" Thea asked. "Though, keep in mind, I do control your paycheck and your sex life." She pointed out.
"Well, both my parents weren't worth a damn, either of them." Roy admitted.
"You never talk about them." She noted.
"You got nothing nice to say, right?" Roy chuckled. "Still, I- I'd be glad to see them and talk to them if I could. But look, you already lost your dad. Your mom, she's still here, and I'm sure she'd love to see you."
"I'm sure she's dying to." Thea said angrily. "Just like a lot of mothers in the Glades who almost never got to see their kids again. Because my mother wanted to kill them." She glared at Roy. "I'm not going to that prison. It's the only way I know how to hurt her." She said, moving off.
"You might want to consider how much it's hurting you." Roy called out after her.
Next Day
QC
Nathan and Lyla stepped off of the elevator and headed towards the conference, where they were met with Natalie.
"They're in the conference room, boss." She told them.
Nathan walked into the conference room. Isabel, dressed impeccably in a tasteful red dress, stood and extended her hand.
"Ms. Rochev."
"Mr. Queen." They shook hands.
"Let's get down to business." Nathaniel asked as he sat in the head chair, looking like a king in the process, "How's the company stock doing?"
"Stocks have risen tremendously due to your recent PR campaign, Mr. Queen." One board member said, "Stock is now nearly double of what it was after the Merlyn debacle."
"Excellent, keep me informed on that as we move forward." Nathan said before addressing another board member, "What's the general consensus among the workers?"
"There is an overall good sentiment among the various levels of Queen Consolidated, Mr. Queen. For the most part, they feel secure in their positions and that they won't be fired with you as Chief Executive Officer." One board member said.
"Why haven't we fired anyone yet?" One board member said and everyone looked at him. "if we fired some of our low end workers, we could save millions of dollars."
"Mr Sekulo," Nathan said condescendingly, as if a addressing a child, "QC is still recovering from the scandal that happened last year. We have established ourselves as a family-oriented company with a mostly non-hostile work environment. If we were to start firing people without justification, we would lose revenue and work productivity. Plus, we would look like hypocrites."
"And while we are on the subject, I have an update on project I.C.E.R." Nathan opened a briefcase to reveal a sleek black handgun. "As you know, Project I.C.E.R. is my own project, designed with the intention of giving police a nonlethal way to bring criminals in. Dendrotoxin bullet of my own design breaks when it hit's the skin, delivering the dosage subcutaneously, which instantly renders human target unconscious for several hours. I have been working with my team down in Engineering to slim the design down from the bulky version I showed 2 weeks ago, but we won't be ready for mass-production until we cover the rifle and shotgun variants. Ms. Rochev, where are we on those patents?"
Out in the hall an executive arrives at the bank of elevators. He reaches for the button just as the door opens- revealing the three hoods. The first one belts him across the face, dropping the businessman. The four armed men rush into the boardroom, their weapons drawn.
"I have managed to get patents for Queen Consolidated for both the bullets and the gun designs, Mr. Queen." Isabel said curtly.
"Excellent, now then…" He was interrupted.
"Nathan Queen!" the first one calls out as Nathan rises in alarm. "You failed this city." Nathan glances over at Ms. Rushman, then back at the men. How can he take them out without reveal his secret to the others in the room?
"Get Down!" Lyla shots as she ran into the room, her gun drawn and firing at the three terrorists. Everyone drops to the floor, and Nathan and Isabel look at each other in alarm from under the table
"Pull back!" Lyla called out, returning fire while taking cover under the table. "Nathan, go!"
Nathan grasped Isabel's arm and pulled her up, then pushed her to the door.
He turned around, looking for his secretary-
And came face-to-mask with a Hood.
Nathan, having no choice, knocked the gun away and twisted his arm until his assailant was bent over and shot one time with his I.C.E.R. pistol. The assassin falling to the ground unconscious.
Nathan grabbed his secretary and dragged her with him out of the conference room.
"Quick! They're getting away." The Hood yelled, chasing after them He opened fire with his rifle, but Nathan grabbed onto Natalie tight and took a running leap at the window. Just as he hit and the glass shattered, he grabbed the chain that controlled the blinds. Once again Natalie found herself swinging through the air in Nathan's arms as they dropped a few floors before the chain pulled taught. Nathan brought up his feet and the two smashed through the window of an empty office, tumbling over a desk to the hard floor. Natalie looked up, stunned to see that she was still alive, even as Nathan checked her over for injuries.
Flashback
Slade, Nathan and Shado were walking through the woods, with Slade carrying the motion tracker.
"Well, someone's definitely out there." Slade said. "They're moving closer." He looked up and noted Shado moving off. "Where do you think you're going?" he demanded.
"Flanking position." She explained. "They get the drop on you; you'll want some back-up." She smiled at Nathan and said something in Mandarin. He replied with a smile, and then watched her move off.
"She's teaching you Chinese. How sweet." Slade said sarcastically.
"Don't be like that, man. I'm sure she'd be happy to teach you, too—" suddenly there was the sound of a gunshot, not very far from them. "Shado!" Nathan shouted in alarm, running off towards where she had walked off. Not far away they found her hood lying on the ground. The two looked at each other in concern, then moved off again to search.
Flashback end
Iron Heights
Nathan was waiting in Iron Height's visitor's area as Moira was led in.
It was a shock to see his mother in gray prison jumpsuit and no makeup. She smiled at him as she sat down at the table.
"Hey." She said.
"Hey." He replied. "I'm sorry I didn't make it here sooner."
"Oh, no, no, no." Moira said, shaking her head." Please, Nathan. There are going to be enough apologies with me apologizing to you for the rest of my life."
"You don't have to." Nathan said. "You didn't kill anyone."
Moira gave him a pained smile. "Your sister doesn't see it that way." She said. "And, you know, my attorney is thrilled. If my own daughter can't forgive me, she's not too optimistic about twelve strangers in a jury box." She sighed. "All right, enough of that. How has it been going at Queen Consolidated?" she asked, then smiled at his surprised expression. "Yes, we do get the news in here, Nathan." She said.
"Right."
"You know, if I'd known the key to you taking your rightful place at the company was its demise, I would have declared bankruptcy a year ago." She said teasingly with a bit of a twinkle in her eyes.
"Don't be like that, I'm not that bad." Nathan admitted. "I would be getting much more done if my CFO wasn't fighting me on money issues."
"Isabel Rochev." Moira said with a sigh.
"Yes."
"Do not trust that woman, Nathan. She is dangerous." Moira warned.
"I know, but I also didn't have any other options." He admitted.
Verdant
Night
The club was hopping, and Thea was on the floor serving drinks to keep up with demand. She headed back to the bar and placed her empty tray down. "Table seven needs bottle service, and I need a round of Martinis on the three top." She told the bartender.
"You go see your mom yet?"
Thea looked over at Roy, who came to stand next to her at the bar.
"I thought about what you said." She said.
"And?"
"And…I'll go see her when you stop going out at night looking to clean up the streets."
Roy looked at her in confusion. "What does one thing have to do with the other?" he asked.
"I guess they're both things that are never going to happen." She said, moving back onto the floor and leaving a frustrated Roy behind.
Out in the club, no one noticed as three men dressed in black body armor, hoodies, and carrying assault weapons moved through the club.
The first Hood stopped near the DJ booth, cocked his shotgun, and fired a shot into the air, causing all of the people to drop to the ground in fear. His second shot blew away the DJ booth, turning off the music.
"We're looking for Nathan Queen!" he shouted as his friends circled around. "He owns this dump. Where can we find him?" On the ground near the bar, Roy and Thea exchanged looks. " Ok, then plan 'B'," the first hood grabbed a girl from the stairs and threw he off onto the ground. "I'm going to start shooting people until Mr. Queen grows a pair." He pointed the shotgun in the girls face.
Having seen enough, Roy leapt into action, even as Thea shouted for him to stop. Roy charged the first Hood, taking him down with a devastating tackle. He then turned and sprang up towards the second, forcing the Hood's M-16 up and away. He pushed him back against the stair, then used the rifle to flip the man over his shoulder and onto the ground. The man hit hard, and a prosthetic piece that had been attached to his hand fell off. Roy looked down in surprise at the man, whose gun hand was missing all of his fingers except the thumb. Shaking it off, Roy brought the rifle to his shoulder and aimed it at the third Hood-
Just as the first Hood recovered, grabbing Thea and pulling her up. He hid his body behind hers as Roy swung the rifle around to him and held his gun to her head as she whimpered in terror.
"Roy!" she screamed.
"Drop it, hero." The first Hood growled, holding tight to Thea as she thrashed around. "I'm just as happy to kill this Queen as her brother. Let's go!" the three backed out of the club, taking Thea with them as Roy watched, helpless.
Later that night, Nathan walked into the club as Roy was giving his statement to Detective Hall, as she had been charged with finding them.
"One of the guys was missing a hand." He was saying. "Mostly, anyway. He still had sutures."
"Excuse me. What's going on here?" he demanded.
McKenna sighed. "It was the Hoods, again." She told Nathan. "They came here looking for you, they took Thea instead."
"Where?" Nathan demanded.
"I'm sorry." Roy said. "I really tried to stop them, but I—" he didn't get to finish as Nathan stalked off.
"Nathan." McKenna said. "Nate!" she said louder, causing the man to turn and face her. "We'll get your sister back." She promised.
Nathan nodded to the Hall. "I was going to check something downstairs." He said, moving off towards the basement door. Helena and Lyla, who had arrived with him, saw and moved to follow.
"We need to find these guys." He said finally. "Thea's boyfriend said one of them was missing part of his hand." Nathan said. "Maybe a veteran? Check hospital records, any males that have had surgical amputations on their extremities." He ordered.
Lyla sat down and started typing. "Cross-checking by race and age." In seconds, she got a hit. "Got one-Jeff Deveau. Caucasian, late thirties."
"What else can you get on him?" Nathan asked.
"Ex-Marine."
"Would explain how he can handle himself." Helena noted. "Did he lose his hand overseas?"
Lyla looked deeper, then stopped. "No. In the evacuation." She replied. "Says here he and his wife were trying to make it across the 52nd Street Bridge when a car swerved and crashed into the them. She didn't make it."
Nathan sighed. "Phone records, please." Nathan said. "I want to know he's in contact with."
"He's made a lot of calls to a church in the Glades." She said after a moment of checking. "Something called Standing Strong. It's a support group for those who lost loved ones in the evac." She explained as Nathan looked over the arrows in their case.
"Great place to meet three other guys as angry as you, looking for a little payback." Lyla noted.
"Get me an address, please." Nathan said tiredly.
Helena looked to Lyla, who nodded. "You're going to need this." She said as she rose from her station. She walked over to a table and opened the case that was sitting on it. "I had it custom made." Nathan looked down at the brand-new black and red compound bow. "How'd I do?" she asked.
He picked it up and felt its weight. He moved it slightly to feel it's' balance. He sighed tiredly. "It's perfect." He admitted as they shared a quick kiss.
Helena made to get her stuff, but Nate stopped her. "Normally, I'd want you out there with me." Nathan said kindly. "But they made it personal when they kidnapped my sister. I'm gonna slaughter them all."
Flashback
Night had fallen, but Slade and Nathan had finally managed to track Shado. She sat on a log; her hands bound in front of her, surrounded by thee rough looking men. Nathan made to rush them, but Slade held him back.
"What are you doing?" he whispered.
"We need to save her." Nathan whispered back angrily.
"Listen, kid. You are not the only one who cares for her." He admitted. "But there's a lot of them. Wait for my signal." He ordered. Nathan nodded in agreement.
"Where are the graves?" one of the men demanded, holding a knife to her face. "Where are the graves?" he demanded again.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Shado said. The man slapped her hard across the face, causing her to grunt in pain.Nathan's eye's flared in rage.
"Tell me." The man demanded, yanking her up by her hair and pulling her head back, exposing her long neck.
Enraged, Nathan popped out of the bushes, pulling out his M1911 and fired two rounds into the head's of two of the Merc's, before shooting the one who had exposed Shado's neck in the right lung, dropping him. Slade pulled out his knife and cut Shado free while Nathan stood over the dying man with his gun pointed at the dying man. A passionate and intense rage filled the young man as he breathing was ragged and he imagined what the bastard was about to do to Shado. Not satisfied with letting him die in peace, he twirled his gun around so he was holding the barrel in his hand while flipping the safety back on, knelt down and repeatedly bashed the dying man's face with the butt of his pistol.
"Nathan, stop!" Shado cried out to him as he put his gun away and switched to his fists.
He repeatedly punched the bastard's face with each hand, blood now flying everywhere with every strike. All he saw was a haze of red rage.
"Nathan!" Slade shouted, breaking through the young man's haze of rage. Nathan stared down at the man that he had beaten to death in his rage. His skull had literally caved in due to the beating and he was bleeding in numerous places. Nathan moved off the man and sat back on the ground, spent.
Flashback
Abandoned church
Thea was bound to a chair in the church, trying her best to remain calm as the four Hoods moved around in agitation.
"So… what do you want to do with her?" one of them asked.
"We could knock her out, drop her off somewhere." Another suggested.
"Come on." The fourth Hood snarled. "Why don't you just buy her a new pair of Prada's while you're at it?"
"She's seen our faces." The first hood pointed out.
"Look, offing Nathan Queen's one thing, but his sister?" the third man said. "She's not much older than my sister was when she was killed in the evac frenzy."
"Your sister wasn't killed, she was murdered." The first hood interjected. "By her mother. What we're doing here is justice, which makes us the heroes."
"She didn't kill anybody." Thea said angrily. They all looked at her in surprise, but her focus was on the first Hood. "My mother didn't kill anyone." She repeated. "Malcolm Merlyn was the one who tried to destroy the Glades."
"With mommy's help." He shot back.
"Merlyn killed my father." She pointed out. "She thought he'd kill my brother, too. She was afraid of him. She must have been so afraid." She said, finally realizing what her mother must have been going though.
The first hood wasn't impressed. "Just like my wife when she was hit by one of the people desperate to escape the Glades." He said, pulling his sidearm and cocking it. She stared in fear, then closed her eyes as he brought the gun up to her head-
But the gun was knocked away by an arrow.
"Get away from her!" Prometheus roared.
Three hoods opened fire but Nathan dropped down to cover. The three looked around warily. One was holding his pistol while rounding a corner, only for his gun to be ripped out of his hands before his head was separated from his shoulders by a swift strike from Nathan's Chokuto.
He popped out from behind the construction and threw a shuriken at one of the hood, the shuriken slicing right through the bone and brain, coming out the other side and embedding itself in a pillar 40 feet away. The remaining hood of the three on the ground level, fired a few rounds while Nathan slipped back into cover. His gun jamming up, he threw it down in frustration and rushed at the vigilante. He threw a punch only to have his arm caught and broken with such force that his elbow was popping out of his skin. He didn't long to cry out in pain as Nathan drew his chokuto and sliced his head off just above the lower jaw. He turned to here voices of the last hood dragging his sister along at gun point. He jumped up to the upper level, landing front of a set of doors that led to the bottom floor.
He notched another arrow and pointed it at the terrorist, who once again shielded himself behind Thea.
"Let. Her. Go." He demanded.
"You want to save her?" the man spat. "There was no justice for people like the Queens till you showed us how to get it. You showed us."
Nathan didn't answer and fired. The arrow struck the man's shoulder and sent him spinning away from Thea, over the railing towards the ground two stories below-
But then Prometheus was there, grabbing his hand and arresting his fall.
"Go!" He shouted to Thea, who ran to leave after he had cut her bindings.
"You'll drop me anyway." He replied. "I know you. You're a killer." Nathan snarled, then grabbed the man's hand with his other hand and yanked him up.
He ripped the gun out his hands and punched him to the floor, the blow was so hard that it cracked the terrorists skull all long the right side. Looking around to make sure no one or any camera's were around, he flipped the man over.
"Your right about one thing. I am a killer." Nathan admitted as he took over his mask but kept his hood up, revealing to the man the face of Nathaniel Queen but with Kyuubi Eyes, "Especially when you go after my sister." The man was horrified by what he saw but before he could even utter a response, Nathan pulled his arm back and punched downward with his Mirakuru strength, his fist punching right through the copycat's face and his fist coming out the back of his skull.
Nathan pulled his blood drenched fist out and put his mask back on before leaving.
Iron Heights
Next Morning
Moira sat in the waiting area, watching a mother hold her baby sadly, and sighed.
"That outfit, with your coloring- isn't that cruel and unusual punishment or something?"
Moira turned and couldn't avoid the look of surprise that crossed her face as Thea walked up to the table. "I've done my best to avoid mirrors in here." She said as her daughter sat down.
"So, I—"
"How have you been?" they both started to say, and then both laughed lightly. "Don't worry about me." Moira said. "I want to hear about you. How are you doing? Are you still seeing, uh- Roy was his name, wasn't it?" she asked. "Sweetheart, I'm fine, really." She assured her.
"It's not that." Thea said. "I… I almost died last night." She started.
"What? Thea, what happened?" Moira asked in alarm.
"It doesn't matter." Thea said tearfully. "But when I thought it was over, I kept thinking that if… if I died, you would spend the rest of your life thinking that I hated you. And I want to hate you." She admitted. "I really tried to. But I can't. I can't, Mom."
"However long I am in this place, you have freed me." Moira said smiling despite tears of her own.
"If I hug you, are they going to shoot us?" Thea asked suddenly.
Moira chuckled. "I'm willing to risk it if you are." She said. The two women rose and embraced. "Oh, shh, shh." She whispered as her daughter cried in her arms.
Flashback
Nathan pulled himself to his feet, staring down at the man he had just brutally killed. Suddenly a radio went off, and Slade bent down to pick it up. He and Shado listened for several moments.
"We're not alone." He said. "The question is, where did they come from?" he wondered. Out in the bay, a ship hugged the coast, its search light playing over the coast.
Flashback End
Back in the present, Roy answered his phone as he walked through the Glades. "Hey, what's up?"
"Just came back from visiting my mom." Thea said from the club.
"Really? Good for you."
"So what do you say? You ready to start spending your nights safe with me?" Thea asked teasingly.
Roy stopped walking, alerted by the sounds of a woman screaming. He looked up to see a waitress being pushed around between three street thugs. "Absolutely." He lied. "Hey, I'm going to pick us up some big belly burger right now. I'll see you later."
"Ok." Thea said, then hung up.
Roy put his phone in his pocket and moved quickly towards the punks.
"We just want to be friendly." One of them said.
"What, we scare you or something?" another added.
"Yeah." They all looked up to see Roy standing there. "I think you do." He continued. "Me, though, not so much." The three thugs backed off from the girl to turn their attention to him. He glanced at the girl. "Run." He told her, and she did just that. The three punks moved to attack, and Roy fended them off. He ducked the first to hit the second, then lashed out at the third before turning back to the leader. He was too slow though, and got belted on the chin. He staggered back, wiping the blood from his lip. The leader pulled a wicked looking knife from his jacket and sneered at Roy.
"That all you got, man?"
Then suddenly SHE was there- all black leather and blond hair, wielding a metal bo-staff that separated into a pair of escrima sticks. She beat the punks down brutally in less than thirty seconds, much to Roy's astonishment.
"Where the hell did you come from?" he asked. She jumped up onto a ledge, looked back at him briefly, and then jumped down, disappearing into the darkness. In the distance, Roy could swear he heard a canary cry.
Chapter 21 – Scoping out potential
Nathan was working out in the Verdant Lair, doing reps of pull-ups and pushups hanging off the gear over the Salmon ladder, before leaping off and taking out an arm on the training dummy with an elbow.
The Glades
Nighttime
A FEMA truck drove through the remains of the Glades. Even though Nathan and his team had stopped the Undertaking, there had been enough damage done to the Glades and the Glades Memorial during the evacuation that FEMA decided to send help. It was soon joined by a pair of bikers on dirt bikes who began harassing the truck.
"Faster!" the man in the passenger seat told the driver.
"Foot's on the floor, man." The driver shot back. "Call it in."
"This is FEMA truck 52. We're being pursued by two armed bikers. We're heading south on Third Street, requesting immediate assistance."
A short distance away, Roy sat in a mustang, a police scanner sitting between the seats. He listened to the message, then popped the clutch and took off, racing to help.
In the truck, the two bikers pulled up alongside the cab. "Come on, get us out of here." The passenger urged his partner. "Get us out of here!"
"I'm trying!" he replied.
Ahead of the truck, Roy drove straight at them with his lights off. Seeing the situation, he pulled to the left and gunned his engine. At the last moment he turned his lights on, and the biker swerved to avoid being hit by him. He did not, however, avoided plowing in to the back of a parked car, the impact of which sent him skidding across the tops of the parked cars and to the ground hard. Roy grinned in victory.
In the truck, the passenger looked back in amazement. "Who the hell was that?" he wondered.
The other biker peeled off and turned around, heading towards Roy. Roy spun the mustang around and gunned it, heading towards the biker. It looked to be a repeat, until the biker pulled out a Mac-10 and opened fire, spraying the hood of the car with bullets. The sparks it kicked up momentarily blinded Roy, and when his vision cleared it was too late to avoid the large pile of debris on the road. The mustang hit the debris and flipped over completely, slamming down to the ground and skidding on blown tires and a busted frame for several feet.
Meanwhile, the men in the FEMA truck thought they had gotten away- until the two men spotted a figure in the road up ahead. As they got closer, they saw she was an Asian woman with white hair, twirling a pair of karambit knives.
China White threw the knives at the truck. They smashed through the windshield and hit both men in the neck, killing them. As the dead drivers foot fell off the gas, the truck slowly came to a stop. A moment later, the second biker pulled up next to her and got off of his bike.
"Take the truck. Leave nothing behind." She told him. He nodded and jumped into the cab as she climbed onto the bike.
A short distance away, three cop cars surrounded the totaled Mustang as Roy crawled out of it. They approached him with guns drawn.
"Just so you know, the real bad guys are getting away!" he spat at them angrily as he collapsed against the side of the wrecked vehicle.
Verdant
A little While Later
The night was just getting started. Lyla stood watching the crowd of writhing patrons as Nathan, now dressed in a suit, came up to her.
"We're going to need more sparring dummies." He told his girlfriend with a smile.
"I'll start ordering them in bulk." Lyla replied.
"I really need something different in this city." Nathan admitted. "Lately killing the people on the list has gotten tedious. I need a new problem to tackle."
"This is Starling City. You never have to look far to find someone engaged in illegal activity." Lyla noted.
"Hey!" Thea said happily, running up to the pair. "I didn't see you come in."
"I had a secret entrance installed when I ran the club." Nathan said, actually telling the truth. She gave him a look and he smiled. "Kidding." He lied, playing it up as a joke.
Thea thought about pressing, but then her phone rang. "Hello?" she said, moving behind the two to shield herself from some of the sound as she held the phone tightly to her ear. "Yes, yeah, this is Thea Queen." She listened, and her expression turned from puzzlement to concern to annoyed anger. "Of course that's where he is."
Police Station
Roy was sitting cuffed in the interview room. He stared ahead stoically as Laurel circled around behind him.
"Who is he, Roy?" she asked.
"I already told you, I don't know." Roy replied impassively.
"So you just happen to have one of his ninja stars." She said, tossing down the throwing star that Roy had kept in his pocket ever since he had been saved. He had painted it red, though- a fact he used against his interrogator.
"I hear he likes black ones." He noted.
"Do you think this is funny?" Laurel demanded. "Because I can charge you with obstruction right now!" Laurel was being like this because she was still hurting over Tommy's death, and going after Prometheus was her way of venting.
Roy said nothing, so she decided to take another approach. She sat down across from him. "Look I used to feel the same way as you." She admitted. "They has this way of seducing you."
"Making you feel like he's some kind of guardian angel. But he's not. All he causes chaos and death. And you trying to emulate him just makes the situation worse."
"Half the city almost fell into a hole." Roy noted. "Look, some of us are just trying to make it better."
Laurel scoffed. "Who, like you and Prometheus?"
"Look, there—" he paused, then leaned forward. "There are others. Others out there who are willing to do what's right. I've seen them. I've seen her." He told her.
"I'm not interested in anyone else." Laurel said. "Just him."
A short time later, Roy finally exited the room to find Thea and Nathan waiting for him.
"What happened?" Thea asked, and then took in his appearance. "Are you hurt?"
"Fender bender." Roy said dismissively.
"He totaled his car playing Prometheus junior." Laurel said.
"At least it wasn't my car." Roy shot back.
"Don't say anything!" Thea said in annoyance. "I already called you an attorney."
"That won't be necessary, we're not pressing charges." Laurel told them. "So long as he gives up looking for trouble."
Thea rolled her eyes. "Might as well tell him to give up breathing."
"I'll talk to him." Nathan told Laurel quietly.
"Ask him if he knows anything about Prometheus." Laurel said, watching as Roy and Thea had a quiet argument. "Roy has obviously forged some sort of connection to him. Maybe it goes both ways."
"Doesn't sound like the Vigilantes to have a groupie." Nathan said.
"That's just it- we don't know anything about the Vigilantes." Laurel said. "Except for every time that he shows up, bodies start dropping. It has to stop, Nate. He has to be stopped." Laurel walked away, leaving a very annoyed Nathan behind.
Nathan looked at Roy with narrowed eyes.
"Thea." He called out as he walked towards the pair. His eyes were fixed on Roy. "Can you ask Ms. Lyla to bring the car around, please?"
Thea sighed, and then put a hand on Roy's shoulder. "I'll always think of you fondly." She told him wryly, and then moved off to find Lyla leaving Roy and Nathan alone.
"I used to be a lot like you, Roy." Nathan started.
Roy scoffed. "I doubt that. I spend more time in the back of cop cars than limos, so…" he moved to walk past him, but was stopped suddenly as Nathan grabbed his injured arm in an iron grip.
"The world doesn't work anymore." Nathan began as Roy gasped in pain. "It broke a long time ago, but from your perspective, it was like you were the only one who noticed. That makes you angry." Nathan let go. "And you're afraid that that anger is going to burn you up inside if you have to live in the world one second longer knowing that you could do something to fix it." He stared at Roy hard. "That anger's going to put you in the hospital, kid. Or get you killed."
"Well, I'll take killed." Roy said. "It's better to be dead than in a hospital these days, right?"
Nathan looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"Been to the Glades Memorial, lately?"
Nathan blinked. "No, I haven't."
"It was damaged during the evacuation, so the government has been sending medicine. The medicine that been sent the hospital is being hijacked. So, if they don't re-supply soon, they'll be forced to close." Roy said.
"By who?" Nathan demanded.
"I don't know!" Roy exclaimed angrily. "The doctors and nurses are already bailing on the place. And the cops?" he asked sarcastically. "The cops rarely venture that deep into the Glades, so I guess that leaves only me! What's it take to make you angry?" he asked Nathan hotly. When he didn't reply, he scoffed and walked off, leaving Nathan to think.
Flashback
Nathan was staring at his hands, hands he had just used to bash another man's skull in. He looked past his hand to the body. He looked up at his companions, who looked back worriedly, then turned away and sat down heavily.
"Others will come." Shado said. "They won't be happy we killed their men."
"All the more reason to figure out why they're here." Slade said, kneeling down to begin rifling through the men's pockets. He pulled a folded up piece of paper out of the first one's shirt and opened it up. "It's a map. Of the island chain, containing Lian Yu. This is similar to the recon shots that A.S.I.S. gave me before I came here to rescue your father." He said. "Whatever they're looking for, it must be here, on this island."
He looked up at Nathan sadly, who was rubbing his bloodied hands together slowly. "I've seen men in war with that look in their eyes."
"What look?" Shado asked.
"The one that says he's splitting into someone else." He explained. "Before, he could distance himself from his kills. Even Fyers, while it was still personal for him, was a cold and calculated kill. This one though, was a passionate and brutal slaughter. Now he see's someone he doesn't even recognize in his own reflection. If someone doesn't talk to him, it'll tear him apart."
Shado looked at him, then back at Nathan. She walked over to him as Slade watched sadly. Shado moved in front of him and leaned over, taking his hands in hers "Come on. Let's get away from this place." She told him, giving him a reassuring smile.
Flashback End
Nathan and Lyla walked through the halls, taking in the signs of desperation all around them.
"Yeah, whoever's stealing from here, they won't be for much longer." Nathan vowed. The two ducked into a stairwell and headed down to the ground floor. Out front Nathan saw a man talking to both protesters and the media.
"This city is failing on all accounts." He was saying.
Nathan looked on curiously. "Who's that in the spotlight?"
"Sebastian Blood, the local alderman that I told you about." Lyla said. "Not too shy about sharing his opinions."
"Which are?"
"Which are that the Glades have been abandoned. And that nobody cares about these people." Lyla replied.
"He hasn't met me." Nathan said, opening the door and stepping outside.
"We cannot stand by while the doctors on the other side of those doors are working with the bare minimum of resources because the police department already sees us as a lost cause." Blood was saying. "Meanwhile, thieves are seeking to make a quick buck off the misery of the Glades." He paused as he finally spotted Nathan. "Nathan Queen, isn't it?" he asked, drawing attention to him.
"Alderman." Nathan said in reply.
"What brings you to Glades Memorial, Mr. Queen? I assume someone of your means can afford the best medical treatment money can buy." Blood said sarcastically. "And I can assure you, you're not going to find that here."
"That is where you are wrong." Nathan said. "The people of the Glades have suffered too much not to have access to basic medical services."
"Well, that's very compassionate of you to say." Blood replied. "Although I wonder where your family's concern for its fellow citizens was when they ordered the construction of the earthquake machine that could have potentially killed 15,000 people."
He stopped, knowing that he couldn't leave it there. He picked up a stray megaphone on the ground and an airhorn. He placed the airhorn close to the mouthpiece on the megaphone and pressed, causing an extremely loud horn noise to sound, making everyone but him and Lyla cover their ears in pain.
"Listen up!" Nathan said through the megaphone, amplifying his already powerful voice, "The Glades used to be the jewel of this city. That was until many of the big business's and other scumbags decided to fuck the Glades for all they were worth and give none of it back. When I came back from my 5 hellish years on that Island, I saw the damage that had been done to the Glades, and swore I would do what I could to help you people. Now that I'm CEO of Queen Consolidated, together with Bertinelli Construction, we are tearing down the abominations that would have given OSHA a heart attack and replacing them with livable homes for the residents who live here."
"Now, I feel for the people here today that depend on the medicine that Glades Memorial gives out. To steal medicine from a hospital that people desperately need, is a crime against humanity. But hope is not lost. For we now live in a city where criminals tend to not last too long, leaving this world with an arrow in their chest or a sword through their back. I have no doubt that Prometheus and Huntress have heard your plight, and are doing everything they can to bring down whoever is committing these vile crimes against the people of the Glades. In the meantime, Queen Consolidated vows here and now to lend it's support to Glades Memorial until it can get back on it's feet."
Nathan put the megaphone down, and turned to Blood. "I suggest next time, Mr. Blood, you use a lot less of this," He made a motion with is hands to show talking before cupping both ears, "and a lot more of this." Nathan and Lyla walked back to his limo and drove off leaving a silent and stunned crowd behind.
Queen Consolidated
CEO Office
Nathan was feeling pretty good about himself right now. While he had had to do a lot of arguing with Isabel, he did eventually get her on board with his plan to help Glades Memorial. Now that he had some downtime, he was figuring out how the hijackers were getting a line on the goods earmarked for Glades Memorial.
He had a second computer up, running algorithms to try to figure out where this hacker, Skyequake, is. He needed to determine whether this person was friend or foe.
His thoughts were interrupted when Natalie brought him some documents he needed to sign. As he made to start signing, his phone went off. Seeing who it is, he answered with a bit of bite, "What do you want now, Waller?"
Flashback
Shado helped Nathan wash the blood off of his hands in the river.
"You saved my life." She told him.
He smiled humorlessly. "That's what I keep telling myself. That I killed them because they were going to kill you." He looked at her, pain in his eyes. "But I can't help but think…what if that's not the reason? I just feel like this island is…ripping away everything good about me, twisting me into something dark and evil."
Shado dipped her hand into the river, cupping her hand. She raised it up and wiped the blood off of his face. "No island, no place, can turn you into something you're not." She gently and lovingly told him.
"So, what? I've always been a monster?" he asked in despair.
"Everyone has a demon inside of them." She replied, her words displaying wisdom beyond her years and love as her hand caressed his face. "The 'dao de jing' recognizes the yin and the yang. Opposing forces inside all of us. The darkness. And the light. The killer… and the hero."
She pulled him down for a gentle kiss.
Flashback Lemon
After breaking their kiss, Shado pulled her top off and threw it onto the sand. Nathan took his black long sleeve shirt off and threw his shirt to the sand and wrapped his arm around her waist, and another around her back, pulling her in closer and deepening their kisses.
They continued to kiss each other while Shado's left hand slowly traveled south, running along his six-pack abs, stopping at his pants as she began to undo his belt and pants. Nathan's hands slid down her back and groped her sexy tight ass before his hands reached down and slipped her pants and panties down. They both pulled away for a little bit and threw the rest of their cloths onto the sand. They embraced each other with renewed fervor now both completely naked.
Shado continued to kiss Nathan while her hand slid back down to Nathan's cock and slowly began stroking it. Nathan kept kissing Shado while one hand slipped down to her nether region. He rubbed her pussy, playing with it for a few moments before inserting two of his fingers into her pussy.
"Oh yes, Nate," Shado said as she broke their kissing and Nathan moved to sucking on her breasts, "Just like that."
After a few minutes of finger-fucking her, he introduced a third finger into her pussy. Shado was moaning from the pleasure she was receiving at the hands of her lover.
Nathan stopped sucking Shado's breasts and claimed her lips again in a French kiss easily dominating her tongue with his own.
She wasn't able to hold too long and screamed into his mouth when she was hit by an orgasm. He took his finger out her dripping pussy, drenched in her pussy juices and brought it to his mouth, savoring her taste.
"Mm, you're delicious," He whispered, his voice filled with lust for her. He gripped Shado by her ass and held her up in the air, her pussy lined up with his cock. He stared into her eyes, as if silently asking for permission.
"Do it," Shado whispered in his ear. Nathan nodded and plunged his cock right into Chinese woman, getting a load moan from her. He stood perfectly still, letting her adjust to his size. Once she had, she nodded to him and he began to pound away into her.
Shado moaned loudly as Nathan held her in the air by her sexy tight ass, his big cock thrusting in and out of her tight pussy. "Oh Shado, you're so tight," Nathan groaned as Shado wrapped her legs around his waist, trying to bring him further into her.
Within minutes, Shado was hit with another mind-numbing orgasm, her pussy clamping down tightly on her lovers rod as she came. Once her orgasm finished, Nathan carried her over to a smooth flat rock and lay his back on it, putting her in the cowgirl position.
Shado began to bounce up and down on his cock as he placed his hand on her waist enticing her further. "So big," She moaned as every time she bounced down, he hit her G-spot. Nathan began to thrust his hips upwards into her, driving his cock deeper inside of her.
After several minutes of this and feeling himself getting closer, Nathan sat up and held Shado's body tight against him as he pounded into her, "Shado, I'm close."
"Inside. I want it inside." Shado moaned into his ear, feeling her own orgasm coming. After another minute, Shado was finally sent over the edge as her pussy tightened around Nathan's dick as she came, causing Nathan to finally let loose as he blew his load inside Shado's womb.
Flashback Lemon End
Shado panted as she laid her head on Nathan's shoulder. Nathan panted as well, running his hand through her hair. "I love you, Shado."
Shado pulled her head off of her lover's shoulder and looked him in the eye, said eyes shining with love. "Truly?"
"Yes", Nathan breathed, "I love everything about you. I love your kindness, your wisdom, your gentle soul, and how you're a total badass with a bow and arrow. I love everything about you. You're the first woman I have ever loved, Shado Gulong, and I know we are stuck on this island, but I want you to know that I love you."
Shado's response was a tender and loving kiss on his lips. "I'm glad Nathan. It makes me so happy to know you feel the same way about me as I do about you."
They rested their foreheads against each other, their eyes closed with smiles on their lips as the two basked in their love for each other.
Flashback End
Foundry
Nighttime
"What did you find, Nate?" Helena said as she came downstairs.
"FEMA is shipping 100,000 units of medical grade opiates to Glades Memorial." He said.
"When?" Helena asked.
"Truck is scheduled to leave the FEMA depot in 20 minutes."
"Not if this motorcycle gang has anything to say about it." Lyla said.
"Bad luck for them." Nathan replied. "I have something to say about it."
Fema Facility
20 minutes later
The drugs were being loaded onto the trucks, but in a departure from previous heists, the motorcycle riders stormed the facility. They opened fire, killing everyone they saw before coming to a stop in front of a pair of trucks. They got off and quickly reloaded, advancing on a hapless driver.
"No, no, no, please, please, don't shoot."
"Down!" Of course, then the Triad riders were shot in the head with arrows and Prometheus dropped down out of nowhere.
"Make your delivery!" he ordered the driver, who nodded and jumped into his tuck. Before he could get all the way in, though, a knife pierced his neck, killing him.
"Prometheus." Prometheus looked up to see China White standing there. "I'm glad you made it. It gives me the opportunity to pay you back in full for your past interference in my business."
"Unlikely." He drew and fired, but another figure dropped down between the two trucks, then blocked the arrows with a set of steel claws set into brass knuckles on his hands.
"I don't think my friend agrees with you." China White said. "Our new partnership was easily cemented. See, I was eager to see you dead, and he was eager to kill you."
"You and I are going to have a chat after this is over Chien." Nathan drew several more arrows and fired them, one after the other, but Bronze Tiger blocked each and every one.
"No kill shots?" he asked scathingly even as China White her way to a truck. "I was promised a fight. I hope you haven't lost your nerve."
"I have something far worse in mind than killing you."Prometheus stated.
Chien made to get away with the truck but then Helena got in her way as they began to fight.
Bronze Tiger rushed him, swinging his claws in powerful arcs that the vigilante deflected with his bow. Nathan directed them between the side of the building and several steam pipes the limit his motion, but it also constrained the archer. Tiger knocked his bow away and the two locked arms, with the Tiger trying to push the claws into Prometheus chest. It didn't work though, as his shoulder was pierced by a bolt from Helena, who had already defeated Chien, who had escaped.
Nathan pushed him away after breaking his wrist, and knocking the distracted assassin off balance. Nathan pulled his bow back out and hit Bronze Tiger in the shoulder with a Taser Arrow. The Taser part immediately activated when it hit Ben, causing him to groan in pain before he fell unconscious.
It was then the police had arrived on the scene and deployed around the area.
"Starling City police!" Pike called out. "You're surrounded." Nathan and Helena looked over at the gathering of police- and saw Laurel right there with them. "Put down your weapons or we will open fire."
Prometheus withdrew a smoke bomb and threw it down, obscuring himself and Huntress. Then he withdrew a grappling arrow and fired it up, launching himself and his girlfriend into the gantry above as officers fired into the smoke.
"Cease fire! Cease fire!" Pike yelled. "Find him, he couldn't have gotten far."
Up above, Nathan and Helena looked down at the cops, watching as they carried Ben Turner away.
Verdant
Later
Upstairs in the club, Roy was sweeping the floor after closing. He looked up as Thea walked over.
"Great crowd tonight." He said.
She stared at him with arms crossed. "Now that we're closed, are you going to be starting your second shift?" she asked sarcastically. "Suicide by Chinese street thugs."
"Do you really want to talk about this again?" he asked, annoyed.
"We never finished talking about it. I wanted Laurel to arrest you." She admitted.
Roy stopped sweeping. "You know, you're not the first girlfriend to say that to me." He told her.
"She said I couldn't change you, so I'm not going to try to." Thea said, handing him two items.
Roy took them and looked at them in confusion. It was a paycheck, and the Hozen Nathan had given her. "What, so you're giving me money and a rock?"
"The check is two weeks' severance from the club." Thea said to his surprise. He looked up at her as she wiped away tears. "Just because I can't change you doesn't mean I have to let you be in my life until you get yourself killed." Roy scoffed. "And my brother gave me that when he came back from the dead." She continued, indicating the rock. "He said it was a Hozen, some Buddhist thing that symbolizes reconnecting. If you want to reconnect with me, keep the Hozen and tear up that check."
"I don't do too well with ultimatums." He told her.
"And I don't do all that great with people I love getting hurt. And worse." She replied, and then walked off, leaving Roy alone to think.
Nathan's Apartment
Later
Nathan was drinking some of his Woodford Reserve as Chien walked into the apartment, taking off her jacket.
"I'm not happy Chien." Nathan said as he finished his glass. "Stealing medicinal opiates for a hospital that desperately needs it. We never went that low when I was still in the Triad."
"Look, I know you're upset Nate, and I didn't want to do it either but I had to do something."
"Why?" Nathan asked as he walked over to her wrapping her in his arms, "Babe, talk to me."
"There were rumors spreading amongst the Triad lieutenants that I was weak and that someone should replace me. I had to do something that would calm them down."
"It's okay," He whispered as he kissed full on the lips, "I didn't realize I had left you in a vulnerable position as a leader. I'll take care of it."
"But in the meantime," Nathan as he cuffed her arms behind her back, surprising her, "I'm gonna have to punish you. The fun way, of course." He mischievously smirked as he carried her up to his bed, placing her on the edge of it.
Lemon
"You've been a naughty girl, Chien." Nathan said as he kissed her for a moment before pulling away and biting her lower lip "You need to be taught a lesson."
"Well, why don't you come over here and teach me, Officer Queen." She said, slipping into roleplay.
Nathan nodded, before he pulled Chien into him and slammed his lips forcefully into hers. Nathan slipped his tongue into her mouth, dominating her as she wrapped her wrapped her legs around him, her arms still behind her back.
Nathan cupped her tight ass tightly as Chien worked her hips to grind her mound against the hard bulge in his pants, before she pulled away with his bottom lip in her teeth, before she released him
Nathan ripped her shirt off as threw it away before doing the same with her black bra, and he then took his pants and boxers off. His cock now free, he addressed "Time to start working off your sentence."
"Mmmm…if it's this, I suppose I could work enjoy working off my sentence." Chien cooed as she sucked his dick.
"Oh fuck," Nathan moaned as Chien sucked his cock into her hot mouth
Chien moaned as she twirled her tongue around the cockhead before concentrating on the piss slit and the sensitive spot directly beneath. Her beautiful full lips slid up and down Nathan's cock as she bobbed her head up and down. Nathan, combed his fingers through her long wavy white hair as he relaxed chair as the beautiful Triad leader pleasured him while kneeling between his spread legs. Slurping sounds filled the room as Chien sucked his cock while she stared into his eyes, before she took him all the way down till her nose was pressed into his pelvis, and unable to take it anymore, he moaned as he began to paint Chien's insides with his load.
Nathan sighed as he stopped cumming before he reached down and picked Chien up.
"Mr. Queen. Are you going to take advantage of me?" Chien asked with a sexy smirk on her beautiful face.
"You want that early parole or not?" Nathan asked, before he kissed her passionately and turned her around bent her over the bed, before he pulled her yoga pants down to see her sexy butt and he pulled down her black thong, and stood up
"Mmm," Chien moaned in anticipation as she felt Nathan place himself between her legs against her pussy.
"Brace yourself." Nathan whispered in her ear, as he began to nibble on her ear, before Chien gave a sharp gasp when she felt his cock head in it's true size at the entrance pussy before Nathan thrusted in with one hard thrust,
"Oh, Officer Queen," gasped Chien as she arched her back at the pleasure at having her pussy stretched to it's limit.
Nathan rested against Chien for a moment to let her adjust, groaning at how her pussy was gripping his cock tightly as it spasmed, before he began to slowly stroke in and out of the Triad Leader as she gripped the desk tightly. The length, speed and power behind Nathan's thrust increased gradually as he grunted in pleasure while fucking the woman from behind.
"Oh Officer, fuck me," urged Chien as she thrust her ass back at him , driving her cunt further around his cock.
Nathan began to suck on Chien's as he pounded into her, causing smacking noises bounce off the walls as his pelvis met Chien's ass, as he began fondle her breasts, while the woman pushed her ass into him meeting his thrust.
"Oh, my god." Chien moaned Nathan licked his way down her neck as he continued to take her before she slipped her hands out of the cuffs and reached up and took his cheek in hand, and looked back into his eyes as she placed her free hand onto the one gripping her breast "I Love you, Nathan."
Nathan smiled at Chien, before in a blur of speed, he turned her over into missionary position and looked her in the eyes, "I'm yours, and no one elses." Chien said, her abandonment issues with her parents being filled with Nathan who was showing her the only real love she had ever known "I'm always scared that one day I'm going to lose you."
"You will never lose me, I will be at your side whenever you need me, through thick and thin," Nathan smiled as he kissed her, and they interlaced their fingers and held hands.
Chien smiled before she slammed her lips into Nathan's who began to slam into her causing the desk to creak as Chien held onto his hands tightly as his hips became a blur, before after a few moments Chien seized up and began to tremble as she came, while Nathan continued to pound into her, before he gave a loud moan as he buried himself into Chien's stretched pussy and unleashed his load.
Chien continued to shake and moan under him as they both came, and kissed him.
Lemon End
Flashback
Slade approached the river bank where Nathan and Shado, now mostly clothed again, were cuddling. Shado's head rested on Nathan's shoulder and they were holding hands.
"I don't even know how long it's been since I laughed." Nathan was saying. Slade watched them for a few moments, a look of sadness mixed with jealousy playing over his face, before he rose and moved away a small distance.
He turned his back and then called out, "Hey, kid. Shado."
The two jumped up like kids being caught with their hands in the cookie jar and rapidly put on the rest of their clothes. "Yeah, just, um… We were just washing off." Nathan yelled back.
"Well, you better prepare to get dirty again." Slade said, walking down towards them. "I think I figured out where those men were headed. It's a couple of clicks northwest of here." The two looked at him, slightly ashamed. "Well, let's go." He said finally, moving off. Olive and Shado moved behind him as he walked.
"Be careful." Slade advised Nathan as they walked. "Don't fall too hard."
"Why not?" he asked. "To make sure there isn't part of this island that isn't a living hell?"
"To survive." Slade said with a grin. "She's a distraction, and in a place like this, a distraction's going to cloud your judgment. And that is what's going to get you killed." Slade looked back at Nathan. "Look at what this island has already done to you, kid."
Flashback End
QC's rooftop
Next night
On the rooftop of Queen Consolidated building stood a lone woman. This woman was Daisy Johnson, the woman who was secretly the hacker who went by the name of SkyeQuake. She was looking around as the Nine-Tailed Fox said he was going to meet her here but now she felt that she had been stood up as she had been waiting for almost 10 minutes.
"Looking for someone. I imagine you would be, Ms. Johnson," came a modulated voice as she whirled around to see it was Prometheus, "Though I imagine in certain circles, you prefer SkyeQuake."
"No way," Daisy said with excitement and some trepidation, since while she did want to meet her hero, she's a bit nervous, especially considering his reputation, "Prometheus is Nine-Tailed Demon Fox."
"Pleasure to make your acquaintance. Who would have thought the new IT girl in QC is a secret hacker." Prometheus greeted before his demeanor changed. "Still it begs the question. Are you a friend or are you a foe?"
"What? What you mean?" Daisy asked.
"What I mean is the last time my master or I considered recruiting a potential hacker, she turned out to not be what we wanted." Prometheus explained, "Now you are a hackitivist, but you haven't done anything to be hurtful to the American public and national security, so your still clear for now."
"I always believed in the freedom of information. Watching you work is what inspired me to be a hacktivist in the first place. But I never put the US national security at risk. I never put out information that could hurt millions of innocent people or even a few people. Mostly just harmless stuff.
"And you don't care about the fact that I drop bodies?" Prometheus asked casually.
"It does kinda bug me a bit." Daisy admitted before she continued, "But that's only I've never killed people before. I watched my father get gunned down when I was a child and my mother abducted. It why I learned about computer and hacking. I wanted to find what happened to her."
"This doesn't seem like something you would typically tell someone." Prometheus said.
"I'm telling you this because I want to help you. I want you to trust me." She admitted.
"I don't immediately trust people with my deepest secrets,"Prometheus started, making Daisy face change into a disappointed and sad expression before he continued, "Doesn't mean I'm not willing to give you a chance to prove that I can trust you."
"How can I help?" Daisy asked, her previous disappointment gone.
"There are a few people I need to find. Some bad people that need to be taught the fear of god." Prometheus said.
Abandoned Warehouse
In the morning, the heads of the Triad's Lieutenants could be found in a duffel bag.
DA's Office
Laurel was working late in the D.A.'s office. She was alone, looking over her next case file when the lights suddenly went out.
"Hello, Ms Lance." A familiar, distorted voice said.
"You." Laurel said to the vigilante.
"I figured we should talk."
"Fine." Laurel turned to face him. "Turn that thing off and pull back your hood."
"I don't see any reason to. I'm not your enemy." He told her. "Last time I checked, you didn't care so much about what my mentor did. You two understood each other."
"I understand that you're a criminal, and mass murderer." She said. "And you think the law doesn't apply to you- it does."
"Not when the system is corrupt. The law doesn't work when the rich and corrupt members of society twist it to benefit themselves while they step on the throats of those less fortunate than them." He pointed out. "You don't need me to tell you that your heart isn't truly in this. You don't hate me. You're just sad that your beloved Tommy died and coming after me is your way of dealing with that sense of loss that you feel."
She sniffled, trying to ignore what he said. "I don't think you wear that hood because you're a hero. I think you wear it to hide that you're a coward, and I promise you, I will see you unmasked, prosecuted and sent to prison." She promised, before turning away from him. "Don't ever speak to me again."
He left after that.
Flashback
Slade, Nathan and Shado were moving quickly through the forest, following Slade's lead. Suddenly he paused, looked down at the map- and the photo that was attached to it, then looked back up. "To those men, this location could have been on any one of 150 different islands." He said, then turned back to his friends with a smile. "But for somebody who knows this island like he knows his own name…"
"So those men were looking for this place." Shado said, looking around. "Why?"
"That would be the question." Slade said.
"Slade." The pair turned to Nathan, who had moved a short distance off. "Over here." He pointed. Slade looked, and saw that there was a cave there, whose entrance was concealed behind thick vines. Slade put the map away and took out his K-Bar, then cautiously entered the cave. Inside he found a small area that had been converted into a rudimentary living area. On the ground, though, he saw skeletons dressed in Japanese uniforms with misshapen skulls.
Nathan knelt beside one of the bodies.
"Their skulls are misshapen." Shado noted.
"What happened to these people?" Nathan wondered aloud.
Slade bent over and picked up a samurai sword. "Whatever did happen to them was over 60 years ago." He said, looking at the rusted sword. "These soldiers belong to the Japanese Imperial Army."
"They've been here since World War II." Shado said.
"We're missing something here." Slade said as Nathan examined another of the bodies. Around the neck he found a stone arrowhead with markings carved into it. He pulled it off and looked at it curiously.
"You don't just come here for corpses." Slade finished, looking around for more clues.
Nathan was examining the bodies when he picked up a sheathed Shin Gunto. He unsheathed it and examined the blade. Seeing that it was still in good condition he resheathed it and held onto it.
Flashback End
Back in the present, Roy was taking out some trash behind Verdant when he suddenly sensed he wasn't alone. He knelt down, depositing the glass bottles as he subtly reached into his pocket. In one fluid movement, he withdrew the arrow, rose, and spun around, flinging the projectile-
Right at Prometheus, who caught it by placing his finger in the shuriken's hole.
Roy stared, stunned, before he finally found his voice. "I've been looking for you."
"You should probably stop. I do kill a lot of criminals, after all." Prometheus said.
"I don't care about that! You saved my life!" Roy said. "Made me realize that what I had, wasn't much of a life." He admitted. "But I could do what others couldn't, or too afraid to do. I could help you save the city."
"You have not been trained." Prometheus said.
"I can fight." Roy protested.
"You know how to take a beating." The vigilante shot back. "There is a difference."
"Then teach me! Let me help you." Roy begged.
Prometheus walked slowly towards him. "Ok." He said after a moment of silence. "There is a way you can help me. But not by taking on the Triad or the cops."
"Then how?"
"To do what I do, I need intel. My info on the Glades isn't the greatest. You can be my eyes and ears in the Glades." He offered. "That's how you can save help me save the city."
"How do I contact you?" Roy asked.
Prometheus tossed back the Shuriken. Prometheus then pulled out a red phone and tossed it Roy, which he caught. "It's an untraceable phone. If you find something, call me when you're alone. This way, you can help me protect this city, but you don't have to risk your relationship with your girlfriend either."
Roy bent down to retrieve the Shuriken. "Are you sure it's all right that I keep this?" he asked, looking up- but Prometheus was gone. He grinned in disbelief.
Verdant
"If I want to be with you, do I keep that or give it back?" he asked Thea as he walked up to her. "You were a little unclear."
She looked at him hopefully. "You mean it?"
"No more fighting." He promised. "If it's a choice between life with you or life without you, life with you will win every single time." She smiled at him. "I'm done trying to be a hero." Thea rose and gently kissed him on the lips before embracing her boyfriend. Roy retuned the hug gratefully, even as he felt the weight of the shuriken in his back pocket.
DA's Office
Later that night, Laurel was working late again at the D.A.'s office when, once again, the lights went out.
"I told you to stay away from me." She said, spinning around to see Prometheus standing in the darkened office.
Nathan activated the voice changer. "I thought you might have changed your mind after I stopped the men terrorizing our city."
"This isn't your city." Laurel said sharply. "It's your killing fields."
"Oh, and putting criminals in prison suddenly works?"Prometheus noted.
"Well, don't worry, your life is over." Laurel said, grinning coldly. She held up a small device for him to see- a signaling device. "Your life as a free man."
She pressed the button, and instantly the Task Force warmed into the office. They surrounded the vigilante, cutting off all avenues of escape. He drew and arrow and nocked it, turning slowly to face each of the cops- but there were always more at his back. He was well and truly trapped.
"I told you to stay away." Laurel said smugly. "Somehow I knew you wouldn't listen."