Post by adrini on May 5, 2015 22:16:02 GMT -5
Ultimate Green Arrow
Arc 3 Chapter 1:
The Return
She thought for a moment, the CEO was a loss. But she had other leads.
"And the family, agent." With so many one had to slip up.
Negative. Harper on route to same office. Diggle and Rivers dealing with family matters. Kids in school or out looking at schools. The Agent filled her in. Intended location of Mrs. Queen and her associates a mystery, but we don’t think it’s anything suspicious. They have the kids with them.
“Where are they going?” Admittedly they were unlikely to be doing anything with the youngest members present. “Bases, drop points, there has to be something.”
There was silence, the agent not quite having information so offering none. She could see his comm was active though. He was watching.
It’s a cemetery, Director. They’re going to a cemetery. Do I follow? It took even her a moment to figure this part out, but after a quick search she had an answer. It seemed that none of the family would be slipping up and giving her the locations of the metas today.
“They’re visiting family, agent. But follow anyway. Maybe tomorrow.”
>--)->
“She’s here.” Jade held her sons hand as he eagerly walked ahead of the others. Dinah was carefully getting her three month old son from his car seat, but waved as she saw her sisters walk over.
“Sorry for the delay, the function ran way over.” She said and double checked to make sure she had everything she needed for the infant. “How late am I?”
“We were late to, happens with kids.” Kate said carrying her own daughter. “Shall we head over first?”
“See you there.” The blonde said and walked to the wealthy part of the cemetery, to see her in-laws first.
“I wonder what Mr. Lance was like?” Jade asked as she and Kate walked with Tommy happily muttering between them, Gage seemed to be making it out and responding. “To keep up with Mrs. Lance as long as he did.”
“Like Di.” Kate said, turning to aisle of the couple’s grave. “She told me once, they were two of a kind.”
The Lance’s grave was simple but nice. A simple granite slab bearing the names of both parents over ‘beloved father and husband’ and ‘beloved mother’. In the early spring air seemed bright, at peace.
“Hey Mrs. Lance.” Jade said as they arrived, brushing the leaves off the grave stone. “Mr. Lance, a pleasure.”
They say down, Tommy not understanding who his mother was talking to.
“I’ve never quite gotten this.” Kate got her daughter settled. “It’s not like they can hear.”
“If anyone can hear us it’s Mom. She could hear anything.” Di appeared. “How are they?”
“Good. You?” Di sat down with the others and they pulled out the light lunch.
“It was a nice visit. Hey, the Mom.” Robby was crashed but happy. “Hey, Dad.”
The three took the afternoon, enjoying being with their mentor. It was a great day, much needed, except for one thing.
Jade, looking around, held her son tightly. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. She had a sinking feeling she knew who it was.
Nearby Shiva stood over the unconscious form of the field agent while leaning on the oak tree. She didn’t seem to be surprised by the agent’s presence. She looked at the girls she had help raise once and sighed, trying to curse that her old friend was somehow calling on her help even from the great beyond. She never had figured out how the first Black Canary always knew how to get people to jump on command. She had a small army and still couldn’t pull that off.
She had to smile as she saw her grandson, now entirely healthy, launch himself into his mother’s arms and reach for his toy bag. The girls were mothers now, fully grown. Dinah she assumed would have a family one day but Kate had surprised her. That she didn’t see coming.
“Extraordinary people don’t have ordinary lives, girls.” She said into the wind at the peaceful picnic scene. “You know this won’t last.”
>--)->
She tied down the supplies at the secret base. The whole pile hidden under netting and piled foliage. Food, medicine, clothing, fuel and most important the boat that was lying in wait to bring a missed young man home.
Making sure her blade was close by Adrien began the trek into the inroads of the island. It was muggy, you could chew the air. She didn’t see many signs of life, other then well hidden trails. Her contact in the league had sworn he was here, but there were too many places to hide.
Hearing a sound of a camp nearby she walked to the edge of the tree line and looked at the activity inside. There was an entire command structure. At least a hundred uniformed men and women. Oliver wasn’t just taken, he was taken here. He had been ordered.
She heard the sound of a bow, it had to be, behind her and froze. How could she have been so careless! Of course the camp had scouts.
“Convince me you aren’t with them.” She heard a much changed voice behind her. “You have three seconds.”
Turning slowly to face the archer her eyes went wide. The once warm green eyes were cold, soulless. Framed in a mass of untrimmed hair and beard the boy was gone, this was a man who have lived through hell. He had changed.
“Right pocket, purple frame.” She said quickly. “Thea’s last school portrait. She wanted you to have it.”
There was a slight spark as he took the item and looked at it, having to remember. It was only a little, but he relaxed.
“I didn’t think anyone would come.”
To the casual worker at Queen Tower the sight of the normally unshakable former Vice President and now Director of Queen Industries making a mad dash to the parking garage was, to say the least, unexpected. Adrien, however, wasn’t only in a hurry. She was terrified.
Arriving at the car she saw a mid-class sedan drive and open its door. Inside the dark haired young woman nodded as she got in.
“Mother.” Shado said as she drove off, careful to follow the traffic laws. The point was to avoid attention. “What did he tell you?”
Adrien was unable to speak for a time, looking at the girl. She had only gotten her only child back just over a year ago and it their relationship was still forming. Shado had grown up without a mother, Adrien had been told that if she tried to rescue her daughter she would be killed. Then she raised other children instead, to fill the hole. But now, this was their time. And her little girl was at risk again.
“You’re freaking me out, what is it?” Adrien’s eyes were panicked. “He said it was serious.”
“Drive.” Adrien said and sent a message on her phone, as much as she hated to do this even Oliver needed to be told. This was going to be rough for both of them.
>--)->
It was a little early in the day when Roy got home, but by some miracle the meeting had let out early. Jade was in the back, looking over the gardens. He could hear the three laughing over some adventure from times past.
Looking out the door he saw the three relaxing after their own easy day, the outreach was still being rebuilt. It had been almost totaled. Till it was ready to use again the three had a fair amount of free time.
“Dancing on a person’s grave is a bad thing, but maybe when it’s a toddler-“ Di was saying, she had really opened up in the time that Jade and Kate had joined her.
“Oh she’d love it. Holy crips she loved kids.” Kate was jolly, Roy shook his head and smirked. It was only when you snuck up on the normally grumpy gothamite that one could see the red head in her natural form. But she also had many sharp pointy things so he knocked to make his presence known before she felt spied on.
Jade saw him, getting up to welcome him home in person. Her sisters applauded as she stole a kiss, in their own ways.
“Bravo, well done.” Di said with a slight posh accent. Kate only looked annoyed and focused on her iced tea.
“Kids are down, crashed.” Jade filled him in. “Free for the day?”
“I am, and if you don’t mind leaving Tommy to his aunts I thought we could take a break. Dinner, movie, desert.” He loved making his wife melt. That she would mind was a joke, her sisters were sacred to her.
The moment was broken by a glass falling to the floor, shattering. Shaking and pale Di was standing up and looking at her phone, the screen was on the baby monitor app they used. She let even the phone drop as she suddenly raced at top speed inside the house and disappeared.
Kate grabbed the phone and also turned pale, following with the same urgency. Jade seamed to guess what was happening and followed suit leaving Roy to follow.
Dinah had gotten to the top of the stair at top speed and was standing by Robby’s crib, tears of terror on her cheeks and clearly panicking. Jade rushed in with him behind and looked, Robby was gone. There was a cry nearby, and Roy rushed to see Kate holding onto the also empty crib where she had left Gage.
Jade was rushing just as much as they ran into Tommy’s room, dreading what they wouldn’t find. What they did find confused him.
“Oh do tell the girls to calm down.” The woman was thin, in a silk Chinese dress. Robby and Gage were on her lap as she smiled at the infants. Tommy was close by, still in his bed and crashed. “They’re fine, they just wanted to spend some time with Aunt Shiva.”
>--)->
It was as though they could feel him near the building, it was a dark cloud of toxic darkness. When the door opened and Oliver did appear his features were severe. Adrien only knew that Di had called after her, she could guess it wasn’t happy.
“Whatever this is make is fast.” The man said and sat down. “I have things to see to at home.”
It was clear he didn’t want to talk about it, and Jansen nodded before he got up and grabbed the files, giving one to Shado and one to the new father. They both opened them and read inside, taking a few moments to understand what they were reading. Shado paled first, the memories coming back. As she read she began to shake her head, eventually placing her head in her hands.
Oliver, on the other hand, kept reading. His free hand began to involuntary flex, and his eyes turned to slits, but the file was read. When he was done he only closed the file and slipped in into his bag, no doubt to show his wife so she could also be appraised of the situation.
“How long?” He asked, looking at the two guardians. “How long has this been going on?”
“It is my understanding that they never stopped watching.” Jansen said and glanced at his daughter who looked even paler. “Whoever paid for their contract to take both of you to that island is still holding them to it. This is difficult, of course, when Shado goes into hiding and you take the lead of an international company.”
“About as hard as taking a tabloid bait company heir.” Oliver asked dryly. “We need to find out who is behind this, and why. What do you need?”
“Our team can cover the ground, but we need to know where.” Shado spoke, still scared. Her homecoming after the island hadn’t been the same as his. It was unlikely that the Court offered counseling.
Adrien had her phone out before he could talk, but he knew what she was doing. They needed Babs.
>--)->
“What the hell is that witch doing in the house!” Kate was more than angry, she was livid. Shiva had been a pain in her side even after the others had left. “I did not come out here for that hell hole to follow me.”
The three were in Tommy’s room, and tightly holding their offspring, as they tried to make sense of the situation. The only thing they had been able to establish however, was shock.
“Do we even know what she is right now?” Dinah was breathing again, and Robby was clinging to her. She and Ollie had been bad about sharing the baby, he hadn’t exactly been pleased by the newcomer being close to him. “What was she doing when you left?
“When I left she was looking after the place, business as normal.” Jade never had any idea what to do with her mother. “Kate?”
“Trying to expand control over ‘Haven.” The red head said. “Caused some real problems. Have you run across her at all, Di?”
“I have, yes.” The blonde said, she moved to sit down and the infant crashed. “She broke into the brawls, got me out. I wasn't awake for it but Adrien swore it was her that contacted her. Just in time.”
“Of course.” Jade was no less frustrated. “She tries to force me to join, tries to beat up on ‘haven heroes, and saves a person’s life. At least we know she is who she says she is.”
“Good, bad, and everything in-between.” Kate was leaning on the wall, eyes closed as she tried to work out what was going on here. “And if we talk to her-“
“There’s no way to know if we can buy a word she says.” Di finished the thought. “Or maybe she’s telling the complete truth, for kicks. She may even be a good guy right now.”
“Or a bad guy using a very nice mask. And she comes here, where we’re more inclined to put up with her.” Kate said, looking at her friend. “For saving you.”
“Oh no you don’t – she saved Di, but then let us think that she was dead for a year.” Jade pointed out.
“That’s was the Spider, Adrien.” The elegant woman slid into the room. “I thought she might just come here, there was certainly a lover boy waiting. Relax, girls. I promise to behave. I’m here to help. Believe it or not I know what it is protect a family.”
Jade almost thought she caught her mother’s look turn misty at the sight of the kids, but it was gone quickly.
“I’m here to help. The Birds of Prey have become prey.”
>--)->
Mia walked out of the Academy, now used to the fact that she was alone. Rose was taking days off to look at schools, Thea had already been accepted and was off for the rest of the year. She was enjoying an extended overseas trip as her graduation present. Mr. Jones, after being shot, burned, drugged, having his wife drugged and having to help save a city with no training had called it and moved his family to Metropolis. It was a smart decision.
Mia was still just an incoming junior. She didn’t want to leave, it was unthinkable. Yes, there had been the invasion, the house had to be repaired, and she did have scars from the frag grenade. But compared to the scars would always have from her time before they were nothing. Here the storms passed, and she always knew she would be safe. She knew she was loved. She just assumed that some people took that for granted.
Diggle was there and she got in the car and put her bag by her feet. It didn’t take long for her to notice that he was tense. He didn’t say anything but looked more than once to convince himself she was okay. She knew this.
“Tell me.” She said, whatever it was she was up for it. “Merlyn? The company? Was there another explosion?”
“You need a vacation.” The man smiled slightly. “We all do. Truth is I don’t know. You’ll want to find out. All I know is both Ollie and Di are off and it’s not over the same thing. One thing I do know is no one is up for cooking, and we don’t have orders. So where to, Miss Queen?”
She didn’t need to say and an hour later they arrived with the large bag of the Thai family meal in tow. The two were the key support in the house and knew what to do.
Diggle hurried off, he would be seeking out Adrien to gather intel. Mia was hospitality, drawing everyone away from their days work. Everyone in the house tended to get overworked.
Mia was setting up the last of the noodles and about to ring the dinner bell when the front door opened and closed. Assuming it was Ted or Bravebow she went to check, if nothing else to find out if she needed another place setting.
“Queen, Mia Daerden.” Said an overweight African American woman who had walked in with two very obvious agents. “High school student, third in your class. Incoming junior. Archery club, horseback riding and archaeology. I should probably wish you a belated birthday.”
Mia froze, she had no idea who this person was. But as she smirked she felt her fire come back.
“Get out.” She said simply, suddenly defensive. “This is private property and you are not welcome here.”
“Now, now.” The woman said. “It’s Little bit, right? That Mrs. Queen calls you?”
“You’ll never call her that again.” Dinah was there and with the barest of motions Mia made a rushed movement to get behind her. “Get Adrien and Ollie, and the others, Little bit. Then look after the kids till we get you. I’ll deal with this.”
Mia glared at the intruding woman for a moment and hurried up the stairs, looking for the others. Instead she saw a second new comer in the hall.
“Little bit, huh?” She looked Chinese or something. She was scary. “The babies are in the play room, go. I got this.”