Post by adrini on Feb 27, 2013 21:13:13 GMT -5
The large office had a strong hint of green and a 1930’s design theme. The retro feel surrounded the movie posters and cooperate standards decorated the walls.
“The board meeting is at two, the CEO meeting is at four thirty and after that you have a flight at O’Clair at eight to Buranda.” Said a red haired young man in his middle twenties. Sitting in a smaller arm chair in front of the main desk he was reading off a tablet. “I had the staff prepare your passport and send the advance bribe, you should be all clear to get to Base Camp Alpha once you get there.”
Across the desk a taller and more muscled blond man, who appear some few years older, smiled warmly into his phone. “This really is important, Ollie.” The younger man said, rasping the desk to get the other man’s attention.
The knock startled the blond young man at the desk. “Sorry, Roy. A lot on my mind. Calendar, right? I assume it’s been updated from this morning?”
Roy Harper sat down in the accompanying guest chair and nodded. “Yes, the flight time came in. The updates were sent just under an hour ago.” He watched his friend check his calendar and nod himself. “Is something bothering you lately?”
Oliver had been largely himself for sometime, after his terrifying three year absence following his graduation from high school. Granted he was more reserved, but it seemed a small price to pay. More recently he seemed to finally be recovering from his parents' passing as well.
Oliver smiled slightly but quickly caught himself and made a professional face. “Nothing to worry about. Just a few irons in the fire. Any news from our Agri-Tech wing?”
Roy made a note to ask Thea, the baby sister of the Queen family, what was going on later. At his return she had been the only person he would really open up to, and they were still closer then anyone. “Some encouraging results actually. The fifth test case showed a delayed transition that was repeatable, the sand was returning to a soil state. They want to know if it’s enough to get ready to go public with.”
Oliver had pulled up the results on his computer and considered the question. “Almost. Have them run it past the peer review board, and make any changes there. If it checks out it could be welcome good news. And please, pass on my thanks for all the hard work. If there is anything they need they only have to ask.”
The phone suddenly rang. Roy got up and after a few moments listening covered the mouthpeice. “Mr. Deleon to see you.” He quietly said to Oliver.
Oliver nodded and picked up his cell phone, turning on the recorder program to capture the conversation. He pressed a button under his desk to activate a second one. “By all means.”
Mr. John Deleon was head of the board and the military wing, Arrow Industries. The weapons department and most governmentally tied branch. It was among the best in the field for mid range on the field weapons for US troops in war and high tension zones. It also was a national lead player in defensive system, both weapon and surveillance based.
The door opened and Oliver stood up to greet him formally. “Mr. Deleon. I assume this isn’t a social visit.”
Mr. Deleon was a short, overweight man, almost waddling like a penguin as he walked in. One that reeked of cigar smoke, despite the building's no smoking policy. “It never is, it seems. You wanted the expense reports.”
Oliver sat down and motioned for his guest to do the same. “I did. Legal reasons, contract litigation and all that. I hope it wasn’t too much trouble.”
Deleon waved the concern away. “Not at all, anything to keep the contracts. I have them right here.” He handed the folder in question over to Oliver.
After taking a moment to briefly look over the papers, Mr. Queen responded. “Just to be clear, I have all the projects here sorted by clearance?”
“Yes, they are all there. I had to verify clearance to list a few of them,” Deleon said rather quickly. “Every one.”
Oliver and Roy exchanged looks. Oliver put the folder down. “Thank you so much. I have to review this and get the form out by next week, getting it here so fast was wonderful of you. Will I be able to contact you with questions?”
“Of course, as always Mr. Queen,” Mr. Queen bade farewell as Mr. Deleon left.
As soon as the door was closed, Roy had flipped his phone out. “Contacting Rivers now.”
“And Jax.” Oliver added.
“Better safe than sorry,” Roy muttered to himself.
>-)->
When Oliver and Roy finally exited the building, Diggle, the Queen family's bodyguard was waiting for them at the car, holding the door to the luxury hybrid. Once inside they found two sodas and a two bags of gyros and fries.
“Rivers told me about the visit. Figured you’d need a break.” Diggle said as he climbed into the driver’s seat. “It’s been a couple weeks since I grabbed Greek. I hope you don’t mind but I ordered for myself as well. Smelled too good.”
Oliver laughed, and immediately scarfed down some of the fries, the stress melting from his shoulders. “Please do, with my gratitude. I’m really hoping this isn’t what it seems to be.”
“Where to, Ollie?” Diggle asked.
“Digs, Ollie needs to pick up some papers at the legal center and then make a brief appearance at the Star City Environmental Action Center to discuss next week’s opening,” Roy volunteered, while wondering how he was going to eat the super sized gyro Diggle had ordered for him.
“And then to Arrow Tech, covertly,” Oliver added. Roy feverishly added the notes into his phone. Diggle smiled at the two as they compared the day's notes.
>--)->
“Action Center, Ollie. You want me to wait here?” Diggle said as he pulled in front of the nearly finished building.
“Here is fine. And it’s just me. Won’t be a minute,” Oliver instructed before Roy could interject.
Oliver pulled his forest green coat closer as a reaction to the bitter February winds, made worse by his brisk pace to the building center.
The triple layer, self-insulating, glass polymer doors were locked, forcing Oliver to knock until he could grab the attention of the curator, Mrs. Olivia Helen, who rushed when she saw her visitor.
“Mr. Queen! I’m so sorry, you must be frozen. I have some hot cider if you would like to warm your bones. I’ll grab you a cup,” she quickly said and poured a cup before Oliver could respond.
He took the paper cup happily when she returned. “Thank you Olivia. I’m here to finalize the opening and the naming. Do you have the paperwork?”
Mrs. Helen, a kind brunette in her early forties, motioned for him to follow her to her office. “Of course. Right here. Everything as we talked about. But what is this about naming the building? I didn’t think it was going to be dedicated.”
“When the project began it wasn’t going to be, but I’ve found a memory that deserves to be honored. It will go over well. “
“It is a nice nod to the SCPD, but I didn’t know the names before now. It will go over well though, I agree. I’ll have the architects plan the final details.”
Oliver looked over her shoulder at the plans for the opening. “It looks right. Well done, Mrs. Helen. Just make sure the names are installed for the big reveal.”
Olivia looked at Oliver slyly. “You’re up to something, Mr. Queen. I can always tell. What is this about?”
“Patience, Olivia,” he winked as he returned to his car.
Diggle saw the look on his face when he got back. “You are up to something.”
“Try asking Thea about it.”
>--)->
Diggle drove into the side lot of Arrow Tech and all three got out of the car. They walked to an electronic door where Oliver scanned a card. The door quietly opened and the trio entered.
Arrow Tech was a land of white plaster and chrome that masked a more sinister purpose. Being the company’s military wing, the entire complex contained different prototypes, many of which could be very deadly in the wrong hands.
Then there was the Green Room, which the three had just entered.
From the bank attack to the current day there had been several neutralized threats against the Queens in particular. These came from market competitors, rogue nations upset that Oliver and his father before him could not be bought, and the ever present reality that was organized crime who also hated that the Queens didn’t want to play. Several years ago Adrien had found a young and struggling student at Princeton who was a personal weapons and defense genius. Jax had a bone disorder that made walking or moving normally impossible but his designs for personal defense were always top of the line.
She had brought him to Star City to act as a the group Q as it were, taking a cue from her favorite movie series. Strangely he had learned about Oliver’s archery skills, something shared by Thea and Roy, and gotten almost giddy with excitement. He was set up in a room that was only open to family members and included some of the best and most expensive equipment in the building with all kinds of image construction technology so that his medical condition didn’t have to bother him. In his excitement, and with a nearly unlimited budget, he had sets made up for all the family members. Today it was Oliver who was informed that he had new gear to pick up though.
The thin young man in a sci-fi tee grinned from his automated wheelchair as they entered. “Mr Queen, Ms. Rivers called ahead. This way.”
Diggle and Roy sat down as Oliver and Jax went to the next room.
“What do you have?” Oliver said as the walls moved to reveal an arsenal of different model bows and various arrow prototypes.
“Defense first. I think you’ll like this.” Jax opened a silver case with his chair remote. Inside was a green hooded jerkin, with hand guards and an elbow brace, along with matching pants and knee high reinforced boots.
“The twenty-first century Errol Flynn? I can’t say I mind, but what about it?”
Jax beamed. “It is so much more. This is the newest bullet resistant flex fabric. Everything up to large caliber shells from mid range. It is self cooling, insulated and heat resistant. The elbow brace has a built in hook to catch any falls. If, of course, you find the need for it. The belt has a number of devices including a GPS, emergency locator and a small pouch for personal items. Plus it’s thin enough to fit under most clothing, besides summer gear and the like.”
“This would have been useful." Oliver looked at the suit, which he had to admit was really cool looking. "How would I use it?"
Jax laughed. “Wear it to be awesome! It’s like wearing a super hero costume at all times. Totally cool under normal cloths."
Oliver followed Jax to the next table, where a number of bows and projectiles lay on a a large table.
“I know you like the classic arrow, but I’ve been having some fun that I think you’ll like.”
Jax rode to one end of the table. “First, though, I’ve improved the classic base model. Nothing spectacular, but I've cut down on wind resistance and implemented a lighter, stronger alloy.”
Oliver picked up the bow and notched an arrow into place. Jax called up a wall of target on the other side of the room. Releasing the arrow it hit center easily.
He picked another of the arrows up. The balance was nearly perfect with a slight weight to the tip, which Jax knew Oliver preferred. The shaft was smoother then his last batch which would increase speed.
“Okay, I can tell the difference. What next?”
Jax wordlessly pressed a button on the side of the bow Oliver was holding and it folded down into a four inch rod like a bizarre origami project. “You can even carry a spare or two.”
Oliver laughed. “Very nice, I couldn’t tell it was collapsible. And this ‘fun’ you speak of?”
“You are going to love this.” Jax rode to a second table holding seven odd looking arrows. “I have more in the shop but these were ready. May I introduce the new bag of tricks?”
Each arrow was carefully labeled. There was the GPS tracking arrow that fed into the belt. Next to that the sleeping gas arrow, which Jax quickly explained was countered by a built in mask in his suit. The net arrow was easy enough, as was the oil slick arrow. The flare arrow made logical sense in a more practical way. Oliver was unsure about the splitting arrow, equipped with a switch that separated into five smaller arrows mid-flight after five seconds, though it did test well with the activation button to cut down on wait time.
“These two were the hardest,” Jax said as he pointed to the two with larger heads. “The funny one first. Kidnappers aside, it’s best not to kill if it can be avoided, if only for legal reasons. Try the first one.”
Oliver looked at the head for a moment but fixed the arrow anyway, the weight was off but not overly so. Firing it he saw it expand into a boxing glove and knock the target off its stand. His jaw dropped. “You have got to be kidding me.”
“Brilliant, right?” Jax was cracking up in his chair. “If the glove doesn’t get them the silliness will.”
Having to agree, Oliver laughed with him. “Fine, what about the last one?”
“Far more serious.” Protective glass came down from the ceiling. “That is a double packed fire grenade. I’ll close the glass after you fire the shot.”
Oliver was far more careful handling this one. Jax closed the glass as soon as it was free.
The arrow exploded with a flash as a cloud of smoke filled the view beyond the glass. When it cleared, the target and two on either side were reduced to cinders.
“Please try to be four yards away at least, and that is with protective cover.”
Oliver nodded. “Have it all sent over. I like it.”
--)->
After the days errands were done Diggle took the three home. Roy was working on his smart phone in the front seat. Diggle looked back at his young charges in the back instead.
Thea, a young and petite sixteen year old with her mother’s dark hair and her father’s vibrant blue eyes, slouched and fiddled with her smart phone. Next to her, Oliver, who had his father’s blond hair and his mother’s green eyes, was playing with his phone as well. In a few moments Oliver cheered in victory and Thea lunged for her brother.
“That’s no fair Ollie! You knew I was building up to that triple letter score!” Oliver deftly blocked his sister’s play punches, laughing sneakily.
“Then you shouldn’t have left it open, Little Bird! New game?” Oliver dangled his phone, while looking at it enticingly. Thea’s mood seemed to lift as she slouched in her seat again and pretended to be grumpy.
“Fine, but this time I am going to trounce you Ollie.” She looked at her phone and glanced over with a conspiratorial glance. “And I go first.”
Oliver confidently returned to his own seat and passed on his turn. “As if.”
Diggle had been with these kids for some time, ever since the attack. Afterward both the Queen children had taken extensive self-defense courses and the family had upped security greatly, resulting in Diggle’s job in the first place. There had been no real excitement for years. When Oliver went off the grid following his trip after his high school graduation the family had gone into chaos, their son and heir presumed lost. It was just short of three years later when the young man had been returned to them by a resolved Adrien, though he was changed. He was no longer the boy who had been taken from them.
Oliver had taken up the mantle of head rather effectively with their parent’s loss a couple years later, after therapy and a hurried degree due to his father's connections. Against all odds he was holding steady, the family protector was impressed.
They arrived at the manor safely and Thea’s mood improved. “Pizza night!”
>--)->
Oliver checked his watch and walked up stairs to pack before his evening flight. He opened his suitcase and went to the bathroom to collect toiletries. With them packed he went to his closet.
Thea walked in and leaned against the wall. She smiled at her stern and business-like brother whistling and almost dancing as he carefully chose his best shirts and slacks. It was nice to see him happy again.
“The big day.” Thea said behind him, closing the door behind her. “The world gets to meet the mystery woman.”
Oliver sat on the edge of the bed when he saw her enter. “You don’t seem too nervous,” he observed.
“We talked, and we have it sorted out. I even know things you don’t.” Thea looked in his suitcase, shook her head and removed a number of the shirts.
“About what?” Oliver watched her place mostly green ones in his bag.
“It’s your color.” She smiled at him. “You’ll learn soon enough. When are you telling the others?”
“I’m letting her speak for herself. I’m not entirely sure I’d be allowed to live if I didn’t.” Oliver handed her a bag of comfort items from the first world he was bringing as a gift.
Thea nodded in approval and packed them. “Good call, I would think she’s kinda scary when she gets angry.”
>--)->
Thea ran down to the door to greet the pizza. Oliver leaned against the door frame and took a small box out of his pocket. He took a deep breath and looked at the door at the end of hall.
He put it back in his pocket and walked to the end of the hall. After hesitating he turned the knob and opened the door.
The bed was half made when his parents died, but for the wake the hired help had made it correctly without telling them. His mother never made the bed perfectly. She did not see the point. It was another part of her gone.
Thea’s music player was on the floor, unsurprising with how much time she spent in here. Oliver picked it up to return to her later. He sat in the Queen Ann chair for a moment to himself. Such moments had become rare and precious with taking over the family business.
Everything was still here. They had been driving back in hopes of getting back in time for game night when they crashed ten months ago. When the doorbell rang he and Thea had run to the door to scold them for being late to see a police officer instead. It was an evening he would never forget.
Taking out the case again he sighed. To his right he saw his parent’s wedding portrait, both of them happy and alive. His father had always said that he would know, and he knew. He just wished his parents had been there to talk to in figuring it out.
>--)->
Wealth has its privileges and getting into the short line at the airport is one of them. Having your own plane to get on is another, though that can come with its downsides as well.
Oliver arrived at seven sharp and was greeted by the pilot and the press. While the end result of this tour was something he was looking forward to, the beginning was not. The press mostly had questions about the trip, what he was hoping to achieve with his Buranda Initiative, and what sort of motivations the company would have for getting involved in a third world African country, what many in the press considered to be an out-of-sight, out-of-mind problem.
There were times he was embarrassed of how obsessed he had been with Robin Hood growing up, but as goofy as it was there was a smile to the gained by walking onto ‘Arrow III’. Diggle had boarded before him and met him as he entered.
“Excellent interview. Mr. Queen,” He said with a false stiffness and a smile before taking his place with his own video player.
Oliver dropped his bag on his seat and buckled in for take off. Diggle got himself buckled as well just before the plane took off. “What is the name of this particular media circus?” He said once they were off the ground.
The Errol Flynn version of Robin Hood was already playing on loop inside. Oliver, who was half watching the movie and half looking through his phone answered without looking up. “Rev up excitement about the greenhouse and farm land projects. But mostly talk about the virtues of fair trade regulation.”
“Same old, then.” Diggle said. “How is that market going, by the way?” He had gotten up to get a snack from the bar. In air was one of the few times Diggle could fully relax. Only Ollie, him and the pilot were on board. No unknown entities. Not like Buranda.
“Surprisingly well, actually. Clothing and housewares are only at ten percent increase this quarter, but part of this trip is to visit the people who make them. That should help,” said Oliver, still immersed in his phone. Roy was going a little nuts with reminders. “Oh, spot me the seafood container?”
Diggle got the cardboard box and and cold soda for Oliver, and a burger and beer for himself. . “While we're in the air and you can't escape, how about telling me what you're up to with this trip. Something about it feels different,” said Diggle as Oliver looked up with a knowing smirk.
“Whatever do you mean, Mr. Diggle?” Oliver feigned innocence as he munched on an imitation crap leg. ”This is just a media trip to trump up business.” The smile got bigger.
“Bullshit. You need to tell me, it's my job to protect you.” Diggle gave his best special ops glare. Oliver, far from looking imitated, laughed.
Oliver held up his hands in defeat. “Fair enough. We'll have an additional passenger on the return flight, and we will not be coming in at the public airport on return. Press reasons.”
“And this person is?”
“I'd prefer for her to introduce herself. She's an aid worker with UNICEF. You'll approve, Diggle, I promise. She's trustworthy. Her father was a cop. She plays by the rules.” He scrapped the last of the cocktail sauce out of the bowl. “It's time for everyone to meet her.”
Diggle had to lean back. If Thea's approval was required this was serious. “How long has this been going on?”
Oliver got up to put the box in recycling. “Six months this coming Thursday. We met after the earthquake, when Queen Industries donated the relief supplies.” Sitting down again he sighed as this phone continued to go nuts. This time it was a review of the interview from Roy. He had forgotten to mention a couple things correctly. “You'll see her on Wednesday. She'll be at the summit. Join the party for the week after that. And she's coming to stay for a couple weeks as well, at least."
“Why wait to tell me?”
“She went to back-woods Buranda for a reason. And what I tell you, you tell Roy, not that that is normally a bad thing. I just needed to protect her privacy in this case until she was able to make the decision. Once she goes back to Star City the word will get out. There's nothing for it.”
Diggle was familiar with Ollie's track record with women, and this was almost shocking. “What decision is that?”
“If the next two weeks to a month work out, she’ll be staying for quite a while.”
“A while is how long?” Diggle asked.
Oliver wordlessly took a case from his pocket and tossed it over.
Diggle looked inside the case, and felt his eyes go wide. The kid he had taken on and protected was growing up. “Fair enough. What does she look like? Hair, eyes, give me something.” He threw the box back.
Ollie leaned back in his chair catching the case. He put his hands behind his head, and smiled. “Gorgeous. All gorgeous.”
>--)-->
The Arrow III landed just outside Camp Alpha at 3 AM Star City time, but 7 AM Buranda, Africa time. Both men had done the trip before and knew to get rest on the way. Touch down was rocky but no more so then normal. The airfield was not what it once was.
Saturday through Tuesday a film crew was in town to film some human interest pieces about the people behind the Queen Industries backed fair trade goods. Obviously actually being Robin Hood, going after bad guys and battling for the good of mankind was out of the picture, even though it would mean having a bow in hand again. Aid work gave him the same feeling though, without the need for heroics. Plus he could still do his archery at home.
Diggle was on edge, as he always was when Ollie came here. Kidnappings were not uncommon, and Ollie knew he was a tempting target. The yearly Queen Industries Fair Trade Summit was the crown jewel of the Aid Wing of the company. Over 70 companies took part in all kinds of fields, and they all worked with Queen Industries so that they could put the name on their packaging. In order to do so, however, they had to agree to strict Fair Trade policies from the beginning. It was a wonderful system that, though Ollie had taken credit for, he had not actually come up with.
Opening ceremonies were commonly conducted by the head of the Aid Wing, Dr. Hansen, that Oliver had before that day only spoken to over the phone. He was looking forward to putting a face to the voice. Diggle was both on edge and amused that morning, which promised to play out well later.
“Mr. Queen!” Ollie turned to look behind him where he saw a thin older man with greying hair and a lab coat. “Are you Mr. Queen?”
Ollie stopped and nodded politely. “Indeed I am, however you have me at a disadvantage. You are?”
The man got visibly excited. “Dr. Josiah Hansen, we spoke the day before you left. It is wonderful to see you here. It will be a real inspiration to everyone here, with all the work you’ve done.”
Ollie brushed off the compliment, Thea would say this man was giving him a big head. She wouldn’t be alone. “Nonsense, I just pay the bills and get out of the way of the people who actually do the work. It's an honor to finally meet you. It’s taken too long. I had my assistant send you a file yesterday. Have you had a chance to look it over?”
The little man would have exploded if it were possible, in any case he gave it a good try. “Yes! As soon as I got it I had my assistants recreate it here, and so far it is progressing exactly as it did in your labs. Has it been proven yet?”
Oliver shook his head. “Not yet. It looks promising though, so it’s being sent to peer review and we’ll make any needed changes there. If it gets past the board it will be published publicly.”
“Wonderful, wonderful! The ceremony will begin in a few moments, we should take our places.” Ollie found himself being ushered to the front of the room as Dr. Hansen took the stage.
The auditorium housed a solid fifty to sixty people. It was decorated in earth tones and pictures of the various projects being done as well as nearby natural wonders.
“As many of you know, though not all, we got a surprise a few days ago. The young man who is stepping up to help make so much of this possible is here for our convention. As I know so many of you have gotten tired of hearing me talk the opening speech will be given by Mr. Oliver Queen.” Dr. Hansen got down from the pedestal as applause rang in the room, along with a few chuckles.
She is never going to let me live this down, Ollie thought to himself as he walked to the stage, the noise filling the room. Getting behind the microphone he waited for the applause to abate.
“I am honored by your kind welcome,” he said, using the public speaking skills the last six months had honed. “I was thrilled when I saw that I would be able to attend this year’s event. It is a long way from Star City to here, and the video messages, voicemails and e-mails those of us in the comfort of the big city send do not and cannot do enough to thank you for all the work you do.” He took a moment for the compliment to sink in and saw her. Blond hair pulled back in a ponytail, tight fitting field cloths drying from the sweaty work outside. Her sharp, piercing blue eyes looked at him with humor and mischief. He was in trouble later, but for now he had to focus on the speech. It was a good thing she had agreed to give up the game since he wasn’t sure how much longer he could have kept up the act.
“The world we live in can be a dark and depressing place. Good hardworking people can do everything in their power and often victory is not ensured.”
She was mocking his idealistic speech with just her eyes, not even body language. He had to find out how she did that.
“It can be easy to become discouraged. But the only way to fail is to give up. The work that is done to keep the air clear, the land fertile, and the water clean works to a greater and never more important goal. This planet is our home, and we alone are responsible for its keeping. In this battle we need not depend on superheroes or fairy tales, we are the people we have been waiting for. We are the people who can make a difference, and this is the day that can begin healing the home we all love. I have made it my mission to aid this cause however I am able. However I don’t have the advanced degrees or needed experience to do the heavy lifting myself. In this I am here to do whatever small part I can.”
She raised an eyebrow and smirked, knowing just how much a “small part” had helped the company’s image and profits. Ollie did his best not to laugh.
“Which is why I and Queen Industries sponsor days like today. This convention brings together the best and the brightest, our best hope for a healthier world and better future. Boots on the ground to the most important of all goals, making sure that generations to come will have a safe and clean place to call home. Now may it be said that the Second Annual Fair Trade Summit is open!” Oliver finished the short speech to more applause, as he walked off the stage and was greeted by well wishers.
The crowd thinned as attendees left to visit stalls and make contacts. Finally standing alone Ollie took a deep breath and re centered himself, closing his eyes for a brief moment. A second later he heard Diggle clear his throat and opening his eyes again saw those same two blue luminous orbs looking at him from mere inches away.
He couldn’t help the smile he felt grow on his face but still crossed his arms and pretended to scold. “I saw what you did while I was up there. You know perfectly well I’m paid to make corny speeches.”
Dinah’s smile widened into a laughing grin. “Then you should get paid extra, it was very corny.” She touched his arm. “Yet also very sweet.” She pulled his arms apart and wrapped her arms around his neck instead. “Good to have you back,” she said softly.
Ollie savored having her near again until Diggle’s frustrated throat clearing got his attention.
“Ah, yes,” He said, hastily moving to make introductions. “Dinah, this is John Diggle. Diggle, this is Dinah Lance.”
Dinah smiled and shook Diggles hand first, Diggle seemed to be in some kind of shock still. “The famous Diggle! Ollie sometimes tells me stories of your adventures for hours. It almost makes me jealous. You are not an easy person to sneak around.”
It took a few seconds but Diggle found his voice. “You are the phantom woman we kept getting hints of. How many of Ollie’s brilliant ideas are really yours?”
Dinah chuckled and leaned on Ollie again, it didn’t occur to him to mind. “Most I think. Poor little thing didn’t know much about the area when he first started. It got taken care of.”
“Be good,” Oliver said into her ear.
Diggle was grinning ear to ear, but at least he was having a good time. “I think there is a lot of catching up to do between the three of us. How about an early lunch?” he offered, motioning to the rooms he and Ollie were sharing.
Oliver began moving to the hallway, while Dinah nodded and slipped her hand into his. “How is Thea doing?” she asked.
Oliver squeezed her hand in appreciation. “She is preparing a test for you. It sounds thorough.”
Dinah laughed at the thought. “You’ll have to give me all the answers.”
>-)->
"Is he gone?" Dinah looked out the door, looking for the dark skinned man.
"He took the hint, are you ready?" Oliver looked sadly at his blonde companion, the light on the machine showing it to be ready.
"Not the sexiest way to spend a first night together." Dinah pulled off her shirt, Oliver winced at the large red tattoo. She removed the black bra, revealing the last it it. "I know, it's big."
"It's giant." He pulled the removal lotion out of the bag and warmed it on his hands before spreading it on the marks. She sighed and relaxed under the massage. "It was forced, wasn't it?"
"Ya." She sighed and lay down, getting into position to start. "You could say that. Drugs, restraints and all that. Can it be gone yet?"
"Sure you don't want painkillers? This won't be pleasant." She shook her head.
"Neither was getting it, take it away. I don't want to see it again." She sighed and seemed to center herself. "Any time."
"On three." He gently moved the needle to her skin. Within minutes he could see tears of pain, though she avoided making noise. "We can take a break, we have all night."
"Keep going, Ollie. I want it gone."