Post by adrini on Nov 28, 2014 12:42:15 GMT -5
"Comon Adrien. You've slept long enough." She heard Oliver's voice over her, it was distant. Her throat burned as she breathed. "You've been on a breathing tube for awhile, take your time."
Opening her eyes she saw Oliver's face just a few feet away, Thea was cheerfully looking at her as well and was crying. As her vision cleared and she was better able to make out the room, clearly at the hospital, and that she was very sore and very tired. The strongest thing she noticed what that it hurt to breath, it very much hurt to breath.
"Now no talking, the doctors say it'll be about a day for the swelling to go down. For now you get to listen to us for abit." Thea fixed her blankets obsessively, anxious to see she was alright. "And we get to take care of you to, so no fighting us."
Almost laughing to herself Adrien relaxed back into the pillow and nodded. The two kids she had raised alongside her best friends beamed.
"Good. You'll be going home the day after tomorrow. They did this really new operation, but if they didn't it would have been bad so it was really the only option. You knocked it out of the park, we knew you would fight to come back!" Thea said quickly, clearly excited.
"It was touch and go. Don't do that to us again." Oliver said, gently holding her hand. "I'm betting you want to hear about Robby, am I right?"
She couldn't help but grin as they filled her in on everything she had missed.
>--)->
"Babsie, oh Babsie..." Barbra Gordan heard as the fog of anesthesia began the fade away. Someone was bothering her again. As if being a wheel chair bound cripple wasn't enough it was hell getting a moment's peace. On top of which someone was tickling her foot and pissing her off even more.
"Will you stop that!" She said to the numbnut who was ticking her off, opening her eyes to see the some of the girls she used to run with in another life. "It tickles, alright?"
"So a feather on your foot...tickles?" Jade said, with the grin of the cat that ate the canary. "Is that a bad thing now?"
Her eyes wide with the realization that she had felt something she looked to the two. Kate leaned over the bed and the ever playful Jade sat at the foot at the bed waving the feather in the air. Even though it defied her Gotham dignity she began to cry. She had felt the feather, she could feel the tubes stuck into her legs every so many inches, and her uncovered foot was cold. She could actually feel!
"Oh, you're okay!" Jade said, hurrying to the head of the bed. "It was just a bit of fun."
"It's coming back, these are good tears." Kate said, beaming herself. "You're to report for physical therapy next week, Miss Gordon. Till then work on wiggling those toes. That's an order."
Now sobbing she reached for the first person she could, in this case Jade. In the process she missed the newest arrival to the room. The current arms were pulled away and replaced by the arms of her father who was crying as much as her.
>--)->
"Two cups of hot chocolate, and I used a whole can of whipped cream on top. I'm thinking of hiding the other cans or branding them in the name of us, 'mentally disturbed only'." Di smiled weakly and took the mug, but put it on the table. Mia tried to think of something else that might cheer her up. "Brownies will be ready soon, I'm under baking them to be extra fudgy, and the last of the ice cream is ours."
Still not responding much Di grinned weakly and curled into her blanket a little more. Mia dropped the act and sat next to her.
"I know, I may be the only person in the city to, but I know." Mia sat close and grabbed her hands, they were shaking. She knew seeing her cousin, her hero like this, was making her cry. "You read my mind when you found me, just knew what I needed to hear. It was a miracle after hell itself. You can talk to me, whatever you need."
The woman nodded, grateful for the attention. She still didn't say anything, but began playing with her hands, avoiding the gold ring on her left hand. She was trying to put words together. It took a moment.
"Do you think he minds?" She said softly at last, very unsure. "I couldn't blame him if he did. Anyone would, considering. He's too sweet to say anything, with the baby and everything, but he has to mind."
"Oliver?" Mia asked and Di nodded, eyes looking into some abyss. "Why would he blame you?"
"Mom, she made sure everything was right. She was strict, but she made things right. I tried to live up to that after she passed but-" Di curled into a ball, pointedly not reaching for the ring. "She always said I'd find him, the Mr. Green Eyes. I had to earn it. I did everything right, just like she said to then-"
"I know." Mia said, now fully crying, she knew that part too well. "You didn't deserve what happened, it wasn't you."
"Wasn't it?" DI asked, tortured. "My parents were kind, but always strict. I know I was controlled, what with the drug did removed all that. What if it was me, it could have been me."
"It was the drug." Mia settled with her cousin, time would be the only salve but she knew the path and could help t pass as quickly as possible.
>--)->
"This room is a mess!" Babs said as Jade winced, their toys had not met with the Tech's approval. "The cable box is way to high, and too low grade. The interface you're running needs to many updates - you may as well replace the whole thing - and the feeds couldn't be much more obvious. Who set this up?"
"The late Mr. and Mrs. Queen, sometime ago now. I would have you know it was top of the line at the time. Very expensive." Adrien was part of the new wheelchair brigade. Di with the bedrest, Babs with her muscles not quite strong enough to support her just yet, and her with having to relearn walking again herself. "I will allow it could use some help."
"Ah, well top of the line if you went to a storefront, sure. I can do so much better. Tell me you have some kind of budget for this. The whole rig needs to be replaced." Scowling at the wiring the Gothamite rolled her eyes and pulled out a small box from her bag. It was connected and downloading the the hard drive in a few seconds. "This is an embarrassment."
Adrien was shocked and a little insulted by the bluntness, she was rather fond of the set up and proud of the of the work she had put into it. Kate and Jade, however, where laughing at the young woman's antics. She resigned herself that the room would have to be altered. After all Merlyn could strike at any time and they needed the best to keep everyone safe.
"This will have to come out of the household expenses, we're taking a few hits with the government contracts right now. No more then three or four million for the whole system, and that includes the Quiver." It would be a chunk, but with so many young ones and the current troubles the grand vacations were unlikely for awhile.
"Three or four-" Adrien smirked as the red heads eyes went wide. "Is at all, wow. What is the Quiver?"
"That's the room downstairs, just put in the basics. You'll love it." Jade said and smiled while Kate smirked. "It's behind the gym, just been finished."
Going down on the elevator Babs went to the lockers where Adrien pulled a handle, the entry way in, and the four entered through a new door.
"Oh yes, I've seen this before." Babs grinned, more fully understanding the name. The large area, which had cases for costumes, an area for equipment, and a platform where computers would shortly be looked oddly familiar. A number of costumes were already in lit cases, including the haven Black Canary costume that had thrilled her as a young kid all those years ago. It seemed like a lifetime now.
She rolled over to the platform and Jade helped her into the large chair in the center, she almost could have done it herself. She grinned before looking at the others.
"Get that into an account, Ms. Rivers. It'll be enough."
>--)->
"Agent Grey for you." She heard her assistant say as the door opened. Looking up the heavy set black woman saw the door open more and the agent entered. Tall and largely nondescript Agent Grey had been on assignment for the last few months.
"Agent Grey." She said as he sat down, getting right no business. "Your report."
"Of course, Ms. Waller." He said evenly, handing over a file. "Mr. Queen knows the whole set, just keeping it under lock and key. He's very good, hard to catch. We keep getting stonewalled when we ask for help looking into him as well. However he has a few hiccups."
"Only two metas, neither very powerful. I don't see a problem there. Activities seem commendable, any trace of questionable issues?" She looked over the information, the hero team looked almost tame. Her other files looked into bullet proof supermen, traveling warrior women and self proclaimed 'Dark Knights". This was almost cute.
"Known associates, the Wilsons." The agent said, indicating to the next page. "The father is wanted for just short of everything, and the kid is implicated in alot of it. But I noticed something that I actually found rather odd."
"You mentioned a new pattern in the file." She said, looking at the chart. "That is odd."
"A complete change of behavior. Both of them are almost model citizens, take out bad guys, help the good. It's bizarre." He couldn't explain it, but it was there. "The daughter even took a personal injury for the team."
"Neither of them are our call but so long as they behave they're back burner." She looked over the file, not liking what she saw. None of the team were super powerful but between money and sheer manpower it was actually concerning. "I want the metas in our roles, or at least registered. Lean on him."
"Understood, Ma'am." The Agent said as he stood. "I think I have a way in."
>--)->
"This house smells amazing." Roy said as he and Jade walked into the house with the bags of needed groceries. "How close is it?"
"Last hour." Adrien's voice said loudly from the kitchen, as several other voices talked at the same time. Walking to the room he smiled at the chaos, even though it was not entirely unlike an active war zone. He also liked that Adrien was up and active again, even if it was with a cane.
Kate was just checking on the massive turkey in the oven, a few sides were already done and sitting on the side or even plated and on the table. Mia was very carefully setting each setting with the holiday dishes and glasses. The teens seemed to be in charge of the small work as Cissie hurried to grab the bags and the contents were quickly divided and used. At her own area Renee was very intently working on a recipe from a faded card, it looked like one of the cards from Di's mother. Jade ran over to the woman and looked at the card, suddenly smiling sadly. It was one that she knew as well. Having zero interest in working his way into that mess he walked to the game area where, as usual, the men were watching the game. The young woman who was visiting was with them, newly on a cane herself. Only two of the family members were missing.
"Where are the love birds?" He asked as he took an offered seat and accepted the beer from Digs. The man was focused on the screen, but Robby ran over to sit with him.
"Sitting room." He replied simply, keeping an eye on the sleeping Gage. "Di had a bit of a scare. Turned out to be nothing but they ran off awhile ago."
"More beer for us." Roy said simply, clinking bottles with Digs and Ted in agreement.
In the sitting room the 'love birds' had taken over the large sofa and were talking in the dim lights. Now nearing the end, Di's stomach had become truly impressive, which was something of a fascination to her husband. Di was leaning on him as he tried to convince the hyper-active unborn heir to calm down and let his mother rest.
"You know if he did come now it wouldn't be that big of a deal." He said as he rubbed a spot of her stomach that seemed to be favored just then. They only had a few weeks left, the christmastide date seemed to be holding . "Might need to be checked for a few things but he will be anyway."
"You'll get no argument from me," Di said dryly, but grinned as he kissed her temple. Di was openly sick of bedrest, the appointments, the strict diet, and overall just wanted to begin being even relatively normal again. "Anytime he's ready, I'm good to be done with this."
"Comon' Boyo." Di smiled as she heard her husband use the word. "You've put your mother through enough grief, out you get."
The doorbell rang and Diggle arrived shortly to see who it was, if only from habit. The man from the military office was there and talked briefly before being directed to the side room. Annoyed Ollie helped his wife to sit up and put on his professional face. He never liked when work followed him home. There being no dignified way for her to sit anymore Di simply put a pillow in place and waited for the visitor.
"Mr. Queen.Your office told me you were here." The man said, a Agent Grey of some group he had never named.
"Most people are home today." He said, judging that a person bringing non-emergency work on a national holiday was reason enough to scold. "This is important, I hope."
The man closed the doors before sitting down. Oliver noticed him looking at the two of them, as though weighing options. Then ominously, he grinned.
"You get, what, a quarter of your income from the military and federal contracts?" He asked looking around. "That's a notable sum. Enough to keep your company solid, certainly. Shame if it just, disappeared, really."
"The majority of those contracts are aid based, post emergency relief.They are filled exactly as promised. If they weren't-" Di said, very concerned. Lives depended on that work.
"Well, not every story can end happily. But I allow it would be a shame." The man smirked, he had one down. "The value of the property would suffer as well, of course. Even privately held companies would feel that. There would be serious crisis of faith in any case."
"You are not a government overseer." It was Di who caught on first, the wheels turning. The agent was a little caught off guard, maybe she wasn't so caught, her eyes sparked. "You're a spy, you've been watching. What possible interest could your agency have in us? You don't work for the CIA or FBI either, if they had an issue with us they'd say so. We have a working relationship. Meaning you're using them as a cover, so you're even more secret. Then you come here and try to pull a shade on us, meaning you want something to. Something you think will be challenging or else you'd just ask instead of trying to force it."
"Agency-" He said in shock, there was no way, she couldn't know. He collected himself, noting not to underestimate the woman again. Her husband was lagging behind but would catch up soon. He knew when the game was up. "Fine, it's a holiday, I'll make this fast. I'm offering a trade."
"After lying like that I wouldn't bet on it." Oliver wasn't happy, the sick feeling didn't help. His own pieces were fitting together.
"Cards on the table. You can keep your contracts, I'll even have them doubled, but I want information. No one gets hurt, no one gets taken away. Just names." The offer out there he watched as the two processed the offer, they were planning something. " The Metas, Cheshire and Canary, just the names. You know who they are."
"No way in hell. Get out." He turned to see a red head behind him, and she clearly wasn't happy. In fact she was almost openly enraged. Oliver saw the woman's eyes flash, if his wife's eyes flashed with spirit Kate's flashed with near murderous rage. "While you're still in one piece."
The man scrambled, the scary gaze as terrifying as his boss's. He showed himself out. Looking after Kate made sure he was gone before she turned to look at the two.
"He would have passed that on. Genetic samples, exploratory operations, sedation. Hell, lets study the active reproduction system while we can!" If Di paled, holding her girth, Oliver went white and gripped his wife's hand very tightly. "The contracts, how bad?"
"Closer to thirty, this is terrible." Oliver did the business math in his head and the sums were not positive. Massive layoffs, understaffing, very little room to maneuver. "The meeting is in february. I can't recoup this by then."
"That would be, a seven point loss would still be bad but not as horrific as a thirty point loss." Kate was doing her own business math. "I'd have to order up the paper work, and it would tie us to Haven. But I'm largely pulled out of there now."
"Kate, you don't have to-" Di, once again guessing what was happening, was shocked.
"I might as well." The woman said. "The schools here are amazing, the house is nicer then the one I grew up in even and I'm keeping the birds together. Gage was going to have a hired nanny, but here she has a tribe complete with playmates. Even Renee has the best job yet with a man who actually likes her, I'd be an idiot to leave."
"I'm confused." Oliver knew the two were talking but there was a piece missing, and it made him nervous. He never knew where he stood with Kate. "What are you talking about?"
"Kate is the owner of a branch of Kane Industries, a large branch." Di explained. "She's talking about canceling out the loss with a merger."
"Question is, business genius, can you get those seven points back?" She offered the challenge, he knew she stuck around for his wife. But he couldn't afford to turn this down.
"Only one way to find out. Call your lawyers, this need to clear by next week." Oliver said and stood up. "Lets rev up those holiday sales."
"After Dinner." Kate added. "I was sent to help Di get to the table."
>--)->
"Never thought of you as an investigative reporters." Bowstring asked as he saw the others. "And this is a bad part of town."
"This is where the warehouse is." Bravebow said, he was still wearing a hoodie and gloves, he was a trainer and out of his element. If not for the chaos everyone else was dealing with he'd be in his studio or back at the house. A long time member of a rural area he was still uneasy in cities.
"So this is where we are." Ted finished the thought and Bowstring caught that his hands were wrapped and ready to fight. The three of them were trying to gage just how bad all this had gotten.
"So we need a way in." Bowstring said, this would be the place to go.
"We have one. This way." Slade said from the shadows and nodded to the back. "Just remember your camera."
Bowstring motioned to the box around his neck before they walked to a back door. According to Anderson this particular warehouse was empty today. It was quiet enough. The four men walked into the large room and Ted turned on the light. There were several boxes of the material in various stages and along the back wall a few boxes of the finished stuff.
"Anderson says they already have slave drug cases coming in, terrible stories." Bravebow said looking around. "We need the samples."
"I'm on it." Bravebow pulled out the vials and put samples of each of the stages for later study. His twenty year old chemistry minor was actually coming in handy. "And shots, any signs?"
"Not yet." Bravebow said he had his bow pulled out and was looking. Ted and Slade were watching the doors. The vials done Bowstring was taking photographic evidence. Bowstring was pulling prints and Ted was scowling at the finished boxes.
"We have to leave them." Slade said when he noticed as well. "Or at least we should."
"I never have been good at impulse control." Ted growled before grabbing the box and placing it in the middle of the room. As though reading minds the others joined him. Soon the boxes were piled into a pyramid of sorts.
"Ah, hell. It'll set them back a few weeks." Slade grabbed a container of oil from the wall. "Torch it."
>--)->
"Tommy, stop playing with the tree." Roy walked over and pulled the little boy from under the branches. "You'll bring it down on your head."
"No!" The kid protested. "Imma present!"
"The best present ever." He agreed, kissing the almost plump cheek. "But if you're under there where will we put your new toys?"
"I play with them!" He grinned widely. Not really able to argue with the master plan Roy let himself laugh.
"After tomorrow. Santa won't bring the toys if you don't wait." He carried the boy into the kitchen. Just as decorated it was covered in all things holidays.
"Tat's okay. Just don't tell. Issa secret!" Tommy whispered and Roy had to laugh, the boy was his mother's son.
"Or we can wait till the Christmas morning like the others. Patience." He sat the unhappy boy in his high chair, putting a plate of food in front of him. The toddler threw his lunch on the floor in protest.
"Tommy, stop." Jade walked into the room and shot a look to the kid, as usual it worked. She was done up for the party that evening. "Eat your lunch, you're not getting another one."
"Not fair to look that good." Roy said as Jade blushed, grabbing a mug for coffee. "Need to get ready myself, don't I?"
"You'd better, if you don't want Oliver to take your head." Roy winced and took the hint, there was a lot of pressure for tonight.
In the ballroom the CEO was already in tails and pacing the room to check the decorations. Following as he moved Di was finally at her due date and now only had the waiting game to contend with.
"It's not enough, it needs more." Oliver was saying to himself, for the tenth time. "Something."
"It's fine, anymore and we'd be over compensating." Di said, tired. But she understood. The contracts had been either canceled or put on suspension the day after the visitor and even the merger hadn't renewed confidence fully. The family needed a strong showing, only the aid contracts were clearing up again, the weapons wing would have to be privatized. "We'll throw a great party, everyone will have a great time, and the storm will pass. Worst case we'll have to buy a small island when we retire. We'll live."
Oliver turned to look at her and smiled, kicking himself for loosing his cool. His wife however, though she would be in full rights to be cranky, was patient with him.
"Any news on the other matter?" He asked as he took the chair, spinning it gently. It was a sight that would be strange to any of the others, but was common for them when alone. "What should I be looking out for?"
"Playing cards." Di said dryly. "I'll be on the com all night with whatever is spotted along with the backup team. I wish I really could dance with you."
"Our secret." Oliver said softly, pulling her from her chair. "Since we're ready for him anyway. Last chance before everything changes, the last time just us."
"Thank you." She said, misty eyed. Stomach aside they settled in as close as they could, separated by health issues, work and vigilante work it had been a hard several months with few breaks to simply be the newlyweds they still were. "Any regrets?"
"That we had had longer alone, that you weren't so affected by this. I'm not sure I want to see you go through this again, it's just not fair." He rubbed her back to alleviate some pressure. "But that's all. Finally having you, this, the family we talked about - thank you. It's more then I deserve."
"I wouldn't go that far." She closed her eyes and held her husband close, keenly aware that she had no idea what the night might hold.
>--)->
"Holiday cheer is here and it is strong." Diggle said as he saw Kate standing stiffly next to Oliver with the executives. "We're a hit! Thanks to you I believe, Miss Kane."
"Lets survive the night then celebrate." Kate said, smiling stiffly. Her workouts with Jade had burned off whatever extra weight was left after Gage's birth, and gotten her in fighting form again. "It's not the shareholders I'm worried about."
On this the two agreed. Oliver was well aware that if Merlyn was going to try anything it would be tonight, and the man certainly hadn't left. Bravebow, Ted and Bowstring had been running around with Slade destroying supplies but the corruption was far more widespread then anyone had guessed. Still the shareholders were happy and that was enough to put the company leadership back on stable ground.
Inside the house Babs, now walking even without a cane even if it was slowly, was manning the newly installed control center and monitoring the various areas. She had come to Star City to take a risk on a back operation that would either give her life back or kill her. Now, if she kept getting better at the same rate, she would even be retraining by the new year. It was a house of miracles.
Her father was trying to get in from Gotham but might have to wait out the snow front, either way they would really spend the holiday together as he had taken the week after off. It would make up for sometime lost, even if he was nervous about making friends with her current housemates. The thought was silly, they were very friendly. Even if, looking at the feeds, they were terrified. They knew that the attack could come at any minute.
Di, finally free of the chair, was finishing her son's room. It was still hard to believe that she was about to become a mom. Adrien was in the finished Quiver triple checking that every supply the family could possibly need was in place. The teens had decided against taking any chances and were playing with the kids in the side room in the Quiver where they were already safe if something happened. They had arranged and sent out teams but they also had no idea what Merlyn had been planning himself.
"Okay, we're done with that." Kate said as she walked in, already in costume. She was just playing with her belt to make sure it was attached correctly. "Where do we stand?"
"You're needed at the Tower, we have everywhere else covered." Babs said, as Kate entered the room. She knew to change the feed to Gage. "Already safe, if a little cranky. You should check in, but be fast."
"Door in ten." Babs nodded, flipping to the next camera where Oliver was taking a moment with his wife, also already in his gear. He pulled her out of the room and she changed the camera before they arrived.
"Barbra, call me paranoid but would you mind if-" She knew what he was asking and pulled out a chair.
"I needed a co-pilot anyway. Done. Be safe out there." Oliver was a wreck, but she knew looking after her friend would make it easier for him to leave. "Kate will be by the door in a minute."
"Perfect, I'll check in on the kids real quick then." He said after holding his wife once more, the night was begun.
>--)->
"No sign, you?" Diggle looked over the left bank of the pier. It was all very quiet, even the dock tended to close on key holidays.
"None. I could be they used an alternative means, we should check into that." Bravebow said, his bow drawn and looking nearby. "It seems more likely. You hear that?"
"There was a creaking noise near the far east plank and they two moved in formation to see several transport boats, their doors hanging open. From the signs of the litter they had been there for a day at least. Though only eight units were present the boats were large, each could have carried a number on its own.
"Oracle. This is Diggle. House on shutdown, I repeat, house on shut down." Diggle said, activating the earpiece. "They were already here."