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[b]One Month Ago
Star City Memorial Hospital
Star City, CA[/b]

Everything hurt. When he took a breath, it hurt. When he attempted to shift his weight in bed, it hurt. When he ate, it hurt. Hell, he even felt pain when he was asleep, if that was even possible. The beating that had been put on him by Danny "Stonewall" Jackson, Count Vertigo's right-hand man, had been savage and brutal. If it wasn't for the arrival of his police detective ally John Diggle, Oliver would probably be dead right now. Luckily he had tipped Diggle off as to where he was going to confront the count. John brought back up, but managed to get Oliver out of the situation before the other police, who were still looking to arrest the Green Arrow, could get him. Diggle created a cover story that Oliver had been mugged to cover for the beating.

The fact that Oliver had been at the free clinic which he set up in the Glades, underneath which lay his secret lair, got the story past his mother. His sister Mia, on the other hand, wasn't so sure. Speedy had been suspicious after her drug dealer was put away hours after she had nearly ODed. Ollie's change of attitude towards partying and her troubled ways were also a red flag to her, considering he had been as bad, or worse, as her before.

Ollie knew she was catching on to him, but he didn't care. She was cleaning her act up. If she managed to figure him out, he'd at least be happy his sister was safe again. That's all that mattered.

"So you really can't remember what the guys looked like," she asked, finally looking up from her phone.

"No."

Christ, even talking hurt.

"Good thing the cops have set up a perimeter around the clinic," she said sarcastically. "Wouldn't want it to happen again."

"Do you have a problem?" Oliver asked, the annoyance showing in his voice. "Last time I checked, getting almost beaten to death was cause for pity."

Leaning back in her chair, she shrugged, "I dunno. Your new 'defender of the little man' crusade makes me wonder if you went looking for this."

"Mia," he laughed, wincing in pain, "there's is no way I went looking for this."

"Maybe you just suck at fighting," his sister winked.

"Thanks, Mia," Oliver smiled. The relationship between them was the best now then it had ever been. Mia was getting clean, and Oliver was making sure that happened. It was the one good thing in his life since returning from the island. Hell, it was probably the best thing in his life before that too. "Now I think I need to get some sleep."

They said their goodbyes, and once she was gone Oliver stood, hobbling to the window. He was healing quickly thanks to how great shape he was in. Once he was ready, he was going back after Vertigo and Jackson. 

And this time he'd be ready.