[center][sup]>Will be completed shortly<[/sup][/center] [color=0072bc][center][sub]Property of[/sub][/center] [center][h1]///A.R.G.U.S.//[/h1][/center] [center]//Access Level 1/[/center] [center]Subject A8[/center][/color] [center][img] http://i.imgur.com/RIfEPop.jpg?1[/img][/center] [color=007236][b][u]Name:[/u][/b][/color] [indent]Oliver Jonas Queen[/indent] [color=007236][b][u]Alias:[/u][/b][/color] [indent]Green Arrow[/indent] [color=007236][b][u]Origin:[/u][/b][/color] [indent][color=007236][u][b]The Beginning (1988-2007):[/b][/u][/color] [center][img]http://i.imgur.com/mqejqSv.png?1[/img][/center] [color=007236][u]Oliver Queen[/u][/color] was born to wealthy philanthropists [u][color=007236]Robert[/color][/u] and [u][color=007236]Moira Queen[/color][/u] on December 9, 1988 in [u][color=007236]Star City[/color][/u], California. Achieving a multi-billionaire status through their company, Queen Industries, Mr. and Mrs. Queen were able to provide a life of luxury for their son with immense ease. An estimate of no less than $2,000,000 was spent on him during his sixth year, a sum that would only increase as the years went by. Evidently, money was not an issue, but responsible parenting was, and the Queen scion was quick to run into trouble with best friend [u][color=007236]Thomas Merlyn[/color][/u], son of [u][color=007236]Merlyn Global Group[/color][/u] CEO [u][color=007236]Malcolm Merlyn[/color][/u]. From what our records show, Queen and Merlyn attended St. Walker’s Academy, a prestigious private school said to accommodate only the best and brightest youths of Star City, something which the duo most certainly weren’t. If not for their parents’ bribes, they would have been expelled long before they reached their highschool years. In 1998 Oliver was given a sobering gift in the form of his sister, [u][color=007236]Thea Dearden Queen[/color][/u]. Aged ten, the now brother showed a distinct improvement in his grades and behaviour, making a visible effort to provide a good role model for his sister. However, as he transitioned into highschool, he seemed to begin a downward spiral, failing nearly every subject and expressing an increasingly rebellious attitude. It was during this time that his father was continually absent from home in ever longer intervals; doing what, we don’t know. Despite our best efforts, Robert Queen’s activities remain a mystery. Upon reaching his teenage years, Oliver dropped out of a total of six highschools, Thomas following in his footsteps. It was at the sixth school that Queen met his highschool sweetheart: [u][color=007236]Dinah Laurel Lance[/color][/u]. They began a relationship soon after meeting, Oliver attracted by her looks, Laurel by his bad-boy attitude. It would later prove to be an incredibly unhealthy romance. The remainder of his time as a student saw Queen attend and host a numerous amount of parties, his best friend and girlfriend at his side. With each one he would grow more and more reckless, getting drunker, partying harder and starting more fights in a single night than ever thought possible. Police records show that they were called in for the majority of these raves, three in which they arrested Queen for urinating on an officer. During this time he also began to be unfaithful to Lance, almost ending the relationship when he was caught with another woman. One day before New Year’s Eve, 2007, Queen’s father returned from what we estimate to be a two month-long absence. At the New Year's party the Queens were hosting, Robert asked for a private word with his son. It was then that he asked Oliver to accompany him on his yacht, the [u][i][color=007236][i]Queen’s Gambit[/i][/color][/i][/u], as they sailed to Beijing. From the information [color=maroon][REDACTED][/color] has provided us, the elder Queen had told his son that there was something he wanted to show him. We have yet to find out what this is. [color=007236][u][b]The Island (2008-2011):[/b][/u][/color] [center][img] http://i.imgur.com/sh0yckL.jpg?1[/img][/center] The [i]Queen’s Gambit[/i] left American shores on January 2, 2008, Robert and Oliver Queen onboard, along with another passenger, Laurel Lance; it seems that after their most recent falling out, they felt that spending the voyage together might help remedy their relationship. From what [color=maroon][REDACTED][/color] has managed to get out of Queen, his father was adamant against bringing Lance along. However, his son would not take no for an answer. Minutes before the [i]Gambit[/i] left Star City Harbour, Queen snuck his girlfriend aboard. We have little information regarding how the [i]Queen’s Gambit[/i] sunk. What we do know is this: as the yacht neared the North China Sea, it went under, torn in half by the ocean’s waves. While the most likely cause of its sinking is a storm, the evidence we’ve gathered from what remains we’ve salvaged suggest sabotage. But we are certain of one thing. Queen and his father managed to reach a lifeboat as their vessel was claimed by the sea, believing Lance to have shared the same fate. From [color=maroon][REDACTED][/color]’s understanding, Queen still believes Lance is dead. The lifeboat drifted for several days, a distraught Queen mourning over his girlfriend’s apparent death. After a week afloat, the boat approached a coastline, belonging to the island that would very soon become Queen’s purgatory: [u][color=007236]Lian Yu[/color][/u]. Reaching the beach, an angered and suddenly re-energised Queen rounded on his father, blaming him for the loss of Lance’s life. As Robert began defending himself, telling Queen that it was in fact his fault, an arrow ran through the former’s heart. Shocked, Queen saw a hooded figure darting into the trees, bow in hand, some three hundred yards away from the beach. Overwhelmed by shock and grief, Queen chased after his father’s killer into the jungle. As he entered the shade of the trees, an arrow embedded itself in his left shoulder. Slowly fading from consciousness, he could hear what he thought was a scuffle. He fainted shortly thereafter. Of this part, Queen told much to [color=maroon][REDACTED][/color]. He awoke in a makeshift wooden house, located high in the jungle canopies. His shoulder was bandaged, the arrow removed, and over him stood his saviours: [u][color=007236]Natas[/color][/u], a once dangerous international assassin, now dead (more later), and his apprentice, a Japanese woman by the name of [u][color=007236]Shado[/color][/u] (also deceased). When Queen was healed and sufficiently fed, Natas explained their situation to him. They were stranded on the island of Lian Yu, and as far as they knew, there was no way off. Once Queen calmed himself, Natas got straight to business; the boy needed training. Over the ensuing months, the assassin and his pupil trained Queen in the arts of survival. Martial arts, tracking, and the bow were among the skills he learned, but not without difficulty. Having spent all of his life sheltered by his parents’ money, his first months on the island were a rude awakening. Life was no longer a game. Despite the initial difficulties, Queen proved to be a natural with the bow. Once he was strong enough to pull back the string, nearly every arrow met its mark. Just like Shado, his tutor, Queen was a natural. His first year on Lian Yu was a relatively easy affair when compared with the two that followed. Aside from an occasional run-in with the native cannibal tribes, Queen, Natas and Shado found little opposition in their little section of the island’s jungle. That is, of course, until they were discovered by the scientist [u][color=007236]Anthony Ivo[/color][/u] at the dawn of Queen’s second year. Queen and Shado were out hunting when mercenaries attacked. They fought hard, killing a few, before the men gained an upper hand, capturing Queen and injuring Shado. They took Queen to a cove located at the centre of the island, within which a freighter was anchored-- the [u][color=007236][i]AMAZO[/i][/color][/u], named after Ivo’s pet project, but exactly what that was, Queen hasn’t said. Queen was made cellmates with [u][color=007236]Slade Wilson[/color][/u], prior to his Deathstroke days, in a cell within the [i]AMAZO’s[/i] cargo hold. They became quick friends, training and exchanging stories in the confines of their cell, hatching an escape plan, one which they acted upon after a month in captivity. In the chaos, amid the gunfire and cries of dying men, Wilson was apprehended as Queen dived off the side of the freighter and swam ashore. Unwilling to leave his new friend behind, Queen found Natas and Shado and urged them to help him free Wilson. They returned to the [i]AMAZO[/i] one week later, taking out its engines and killing every crew member but one: Anthony Ivo. This wasn’t Queen’s first time in the man’s presence; during his imprisonment, Ivo would often torture Queen in his quarters, all while talking of the [u][color=007236]Mira Kuru[/color][/u], a serum developed in World War Two by the Japanese military that would, in theory, enhance a person’s attributes tenfold. It was Ivo’s belief that this serum was the key to his completion of the AMAZO Project, what we can only assume was a super soldier program of some sort. Queen questioned Ivo, demanding to know where Wilson was being kept. His answer was given in the form of a punch that sent him flying into the cargo hold’s wall, delivered by none other than Wilson, recently injected with Mira Kuru. It had somehow twisted his mind, convincing him that Queen had abandoned him not for a week, but for a whole year. As Natas, Shado and Queen busied themselves with evading the serum-enhanced Wilson, Ivo managed to escape the [i]AMAZO[/i] in a speedboat, vanishing from the island, and as far as one can tell, the world. His whereabouts remain unknown. Wilson pursued Queen and his colleagues for much of the remaining year. He was strong in his hunt, never resting, never giving up, his Mira Kuru-fueled hate driving him beyond human limits. This proved too much for the trio. After months of running and fighting, Natas, exhausted and injured, turned on Queen, his anger palpable. Queen was, after all, the reason why Wilson was chasing after them. Unable to restrain him, Shado watched as Natas attacked Queen, intent on killing the cause of their predicament. Their struggle was long. Queen had learnt much in the past year and a half, the need to survive pushing him to match, if not surpass Natas and Shado in their abilities. But he had also developed a connection to his teacher, and so he held back for much of the fight, unwilling to let the assassin die by his own hands. However, instinct won out, and Queen saw himself driving an arrow through Natas’ neck as the older man pinned him against the ground. Neither he nor Shado had time to process what had just happened, as the time they had spent fighting had allowed Wilson to catch up to them, and he was ever adamant in his pursuit of blood. The chase lasted for another week. Queen and Shado experienced many close shaves with Wilson, but had remained unscathed, for the most part. He caught up to them on the edge of a cliff. Knowing that there was no way to beat him in hand-to-hand, Queen tried a different tactic: he taunted Wilson with every bit of information he had learned during his month in the [i]AMAZO[/i]. Wilson’s wife, his children, his career in the Australian Secret Intelligence Service; all were included in Queen’s insults, spurring Wilson into a rage that sent him charging at the younger man-- and off the cliff’s edge. Believing him to be dead, Queen and Shado returned to their encampment in the jungle, where there bloomed a romance between them. For the next six months they lived as comfortably as they could, trying their hardest to start their lives anew. But it seems Lian Yu had other plans. At the turn of the new year, what happiness Queen and Shado shared was torn away from them. [u][color=007236]Chien Na Wei[/color][/u], aka China White, was a prominent figurehead of the Chinese Triad who had arrived on the island in the hopes of establishing a hub for her heroin business. Queen had happened upon her encampment while out on a hunt, choosing to investigate it. This was the biggest mistake he’d made during his time on the island. He was discovered while staking out the camp, taken prisoner after being apprehended. White's men interrogated him, asking him who he was, if he had anyone with him, and where they were. When it became apparent that he would not talk, White made the decision of enslaving Queen, making him her personal bodyguard. With what information she did manage to gather, she uncovered his identity, tracking down his two remaining family members: his mother and sister, Moira and Thea. It was with this information that she blackmailed him, threatening to kill his family if he were to go out of line, and if not her, then one of her men. It was with this information that she got him to kill Shado. Shado had grown restless awaiting the return of Queen. When two nights passed, she decided to go looking for him; this was when she saw him tortured, when she started forming a rescue plan. She waited weeks for an opportunity, for any signs of a guard let down. Four weeks after Queen's disappearance, she struck. Much of China's men died that day. Her recently planted opium poppy plantation was burned to the ground. All of her hard work was undone by one woman desperate to see her loved one once more. And Shado died for it. Enraged, White went after the woman, ordering Queen to come with her. He watched as Shado fought White, overpowering the criminal after a short struggle. It is essential to note here that the power White held over Queen was colossal; he was so afraid that his family might be harmed that he would do anything she asked him to. So when White commanded him to kill Shado, he felt he had no choice. It was either Shado or his family. He attacked Shado, taking advantage of her confusion, apologising as he beat the life out of her. As she lay on the ground on the brink of death, he enveloped her in one last hug, breaking her neck. It was then that Queen snapped, all his previous fear gone. He rounded on White, viciously killing her, before making his way back to the Triad’s encampment, killing every single person present. With no-one left to execute, Queen found Shado’s body and gave her a burial. He left the remaining bodies to rot in the open air. Queen spent the next few months as the sole inhabitant of Lian Yu, mourning over all that he’d lost over the past three years. He felt that he needed to atone for his sins, to make things right in whatever way he could. When he saw the fishing boat approach the island, he knew that this was his chance. Lighting a bonfire with a fire arrow, he caught the fishermen’s attention, who anchored just off the beach. It was them who took him to Beijing, where a Queen Industries jet awaited him at the airport. Thus ended his purgatory. [color=007236][u][b]The Return, The Rise, The Arrow (2011–Present):[/b][/u][/color] [center][img]http://i.imgur.com/naGc9Jf.jpg?1[/img][/center] Queen arrived home to the loving embrace of his mother and sister, and the firm handshake of his recently acquired stepfather, [u][color=007236]Walter Steele[/color][/u]. His family were quick to reintroduce him to the billionaire lifestyle, desperate to see that he was the same Oliver they remembered. However, Queen seemed eager to dissappoint, as an air of maturity they had never seen before surrounded him, guarding a wall behind which hid all that he endured on Lian Yu. Not even Thomas Merlyn, his best friend, could bring forth the playboy of yore. For such an intelligent woman, it’s a surprise that Mrs. Queen-Steele took so long to realise that the island had changed her son. When she finally did, she decided to take advantage of his newfound responsibility, placing him in a leadership position in Queen Industries’ subsidiary, Q-Core. It was with this company that Queen began setting up what would become the headquarters of his nightly crusade, setting up a lair beneath the Q-Core offices. However, he didn't yet have an incentive to begin, and so he waited, spending what free time he had left reconnecting with his best friend and family. He was taken one month after his return. His kidnappers took him to an abandoned warehouse, where they had him questioned about his time on the island. Queen has said that they mentioned a group called the Outsiders, linked to a man named Lacroix. Whoever they were, this is all we know about them. They did not give Queen any more information, and if they were going to, they didn't get a chance. Queen took them out, leaving them unconscious, their hands tied behind their backs. The Star City Police arrived soon after, taking the abductors into custody and Queen into questioning. It was there that word of the Green Arrow began to spread. Having convinced the SCPD that a green-hooded man had rescued him, Queen was released, news of his abduction having already spread throughout the city. The moment he arrived back at the Queen Mansion, his mother introduced to him his new bodyguard; the man that would later become his most trusted ally: [u][color=007236]John Diggle[/color][/u]. Diggle shadowed Queen everywhere he went. Parties, board meetings, days out with Merlyn; wherever Queen went, he went. And it sure did annoy his client. Giving Diggle the slip became a specialty of Queen’s. At every opportunity he would sneak away from his main office at Q-Core, entering his lair to work on one of the many aspects of his slowly assembled vigilante life. John Diggle, Felicity Smoak, and who else but Brick? Plus Deadshot, just for fun. And Nudocerdo. Corrupt bastard. Then come Deathstroke and Merlyn, those silly buggers. Then the rush to help the Justice League in the fight against Darkseid. The Injustice League. Cupid. Roy Harper, and that rascal Deathstroke again, attacking the Justice League. What a badass. Lex Luthor and his campaign for presidency. Oliver’s subsequent campaign against him. Reverend William Miggs. Nananananananana Batman! Helping GA defeat Richard Dragon, one badass takedown at a time.[/indent] [color=007236][b][u]Attributes:[/u][/b][/color] [indent] [b]Peak Human Conditioning |[/b] During his three years on Lian Yu, Queen honed his body to physical perfection. His strength, speed, agility and stamina is quite possibly surpassed by only Bruce Wayne. [b]Master Archer |[/b] Coached by Shado, Queen has become a master archer, possibly the best in the world. No arrow he shoots ever misses its mark. [color=maroon][REDACTED][/color] claims his best shot was into the barrel of a gun while flipping off the edge of a building. [b]Expert Marksman |[/b] Along with archery, Queen has become extremely proficient with firearms, though not to the same extent. [b]Expert Martial Artist |[/b] Queen is a proclaimed master of several martial arts, including Judo, Karate, Kickboxing, Taekwondo and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He has shown the ability to take on and beat multiple opponents with relative ease, and has bested Natas, an assassin previously thought to be one of the world's greatest fighters. [b]Stealth |[/b] He displays extensive knowledge of stealth tactics, able to slip in and out of heavily guarded areas undetected. [b]Tri-Lingual |[/b] Along with English, Queen speaks both Chinese and Japanese, learned from Natas and Shado, respectively. [b]Acrobatics |[/b] Queen has displayed experience in acrobatics on more than one occasion. [b]Swordsmanship |[/b] In order to stand a chance against Deathstroke, Queen trained in the use of swords, and has become quite proficient with them. However, they are not his weapon of choice. [/indent] [color=007236][b][u]Stomping Grounds:[/u][/b][/color] [indent]Star City [/indent] [color=007236][b][u]People of Note:[/u][/b][/color] [color=007236][i][b]Family, Friends and Allies[/b][/i][/color] [indent][b]Thea Dearden Queen |[/b] Queen's younger sister, aged eighteen. At the age of fifteen, she turned to drugs and alcohol as a way to cope with the loss of father and brother. When Queen returned to Star City months later, she was already addicted. She continues to struggle with this today. She is in a relationship with Queen's partner, Roy Harper, and knows of their identities. Her and her brother are very close. [b]John Diggle |[/b] Aged thirty-nine, Diggle is Queen's right-hand man, bodyguard and an ex-soldier. Having previously served three tours in Afghanistan, he now acts as Queen and Harper's backup in the field. He has come to be a very close friend to Queen. [b]Felicity Meghan Smoak |[/b] [color=maroon][REDACTED][/color] [b]Roy William Harper, Jr. ; Red Arrow |[/b] A nineteen year-old boy, Queen found Harper in the slums of the Glades, taking him in as his ward when he helped him save hostages from Reverend William Miggs. Now moonlighting as Red Arrow, Harper has entered a relationship with Queen's younger sister. [b]Connor Hawke |[/b] Queen's illegitimate son. [b]Walter Steele |[/b] Moira Queen's second husband, CFO of Queen Industries. Following Moira's death, Steele became aware of his stepson's identity. [b]Quentin Lawrence "Larry" Lance |[/b] Father to Laurel Lance, Detective Lance was at first embittered by Queen's return to Star City. He similarly opposed the Green Arrow's battle against criminals, and spent much of 2011 trying to arrest him. As the years went by, his negative view on Queen and his alias has dimmed to the point that he is willing to help them both. He has become a very valuable ally to Green Arrow. [/indent] [b][i][color=007236]Enemies[/color][/i][/b] [indent] [b]Brian Nudocerdo |[/b] Nudocerdo is the chief of the Star City Police Department. Neck-deep in corruption, he has tried to get rid of Green Arrow more than once over the years. [b]Daniel Brickwell ; Brick |[/b] Currently residing in Iron Heights Penitentiary, Brick was a crimelord with incredibly thick skin operating in the Glades. Having taken over the neighbourhood, he had pushed the SCPD out of the Glades, effectively making it his territory. This caught the attention of Queen, who proceeded to make life a living hell for Brick. Annoyed and rather desperate, Brick managed to uncover Queen’s identity before kidnapping his sister. This proved to be a near fatal mistake: after rescuing Thea, Queen paid a visit to Brick, humiliating him in front of his men with a brutal beating; one which broke nearly every. [b]The Dark Archer ; Malcolm Merlyn |[/b] The ex-CEO of Merlyn Global Group and father of Thomas Merlyn, Malcolm has been leading a double life ever since the murder of his wife, Rebecca. One year after the return of Queen, Merlyn teamed up with Slade Wilson, believing the metaphorically resurrected Queen to be a threat to his plans. Betrayed by Wilson and bested by Queen, Merlyn has vanished from Star City. However, one of our agents has reported seeing a man matching his description on the island of Corto Maltese; whether or not this was Merlyn is unknown. [b]Werner Zytle ; Count Vertigo |[/b] Head of the Závrat’ drug cartel, based in the Eastern European country of Vlatava, Zytle leads a colossal international drug trafficking business spanning continents. Seeing how Star City is one of his most successful operations, it’s safe to assume that Queen will eventually aim his bow in his direction. [b]Carrie Cutter ; Cupid |[/b] [b]Simon Lacroix |[/b] Not much is known about this man, other than the possibility of his connection to the organisation known as the Outsiders, as mentioned by Queen's kidnappers during the first month of his return. [b]Richard Dragon |[/b] [b]Onomatopoeia |[/b] An assassin who targets non-powered heroes. We believe his next stop to be Star City. [b]Reverend William Miggs |[/b] Miggs is the leader of the militant cult known as the Southern Order of Change. A sadistic and quite possibly insane man, he uses religion as an outlet for violent acts, commiting murder, rape and other terrorist acts in the name of God. While Queen has stopped him on many an occasion, Miggs has always managed to evade capture. [b]Slade Wilson ; Deathstroke |[/b] [/indent] [hr] [color=007236][b][u]Character Goals:[/u][/b][/color] [indent]In short, I want to tell stories that are rich in character development, emotion, humour and plot with who has to be one of my most favourite DC characters of all time: Green Arrow. In particular, I want to take the badassery he commonly displays in Arrow and mix it with the generally upbeat personality he's shown in the comics. I also want to: [list] [*]Have him meet and eventually train Connor Hawke. [*]Take down the Závrat’ drug cartel, a vicious and highly dangerous underworld power led by none other than Werner Zytle. [*]Encounter with Komodo, building on and modifying Jeff Lemire's Outsiders arc. [*]Lead into the first main arc, using a solo arc that has a deep emotional effect on Arrow. [/list][/indent] [color=007236][b][u]Sample Post:[/u][/b][/color] [indent][hider=Saving Thea Queen] The corridor was dark, its only source of light a yellow bulb hanging by a wiry tangle of cords, creating more shadows than it was light. The Green Arrow’s feet thudded on the floor as he ran, echoing through the shadowy hall, bow in hand with an arrow notched. He clenched his jaw in fervent rage, allowing a low growl to escape his lips when he saw an armed man step out from the darkness, rifle primed and aimed at his chest. Three arrows flew from his bow, the first piercing the man’s trigger hand, the last two his thighs. Oliver was in no mood for a brawl. He had other things to worry about. [color=007236][i]SAVE HER![/i][/color] Another man ran at the archer, beckoned by his fallen comrade’s cries, taking a wild swing at Oliver’s face. Arrow easily ducked under the haymaker, countering with a powerful right hook to the body that broke the man’s ribs, following with a jab to the man’s nose. It burst, blood exploding out, the man too blinded by the pain to see Oliver’s knee collide with his chin. Two thin lines of red shimmered in the darkness, their paths blocked by Oliver’s body. He ducked just as the shots rang out, deafening in the confines of the hall, feeling the hot trail of air as the bullets whizzed above his head. Rolling into a crouching position, he loosed two arrows, one for each gunman, satisfied when he heard their yelps of pain as they thudded on the ground. [color=007236][b][i]SAVE HER![/i][/b][/color] Four more came, and he deprived them of the time needed to draw their firearms, meeting them halfway. They attacked in unison, punching and kicking, each of them trying to land a blow. Arrow twisted away from a punch, grabbing his attacker’s arm and turning into it, hearing the crack echo as he kicked into another man’s chest, pushing him away. He felt the air change behind him and ducked just in time to dodge the third man’s punch, whipping at his face with the bow’s upper limb, following up with a hook kick that sent the man sprawling. The two remaining men stood side by side, trying to anticipate Oliver’s next move. The arrows penetrated their thighs and they fell, consumed by shock. He ripped the projectiles out, his lips in a grotesque snarl as the men screamed. The bloodlust was back; no longer was it stranded on the island where he left it. Notching an arrow on his bowstring, Oliver reached the end of the hallway, kicking open the door that so foolishly stood in his way, breaking it off its hinges. His eyes widened when he saw what awaited him. Daniel Brickwell, the criminal ruler of the Glades, held Thea Queen by her neck, his gigantic hand wrapping around it almost entirely. Oliver’s sister was crying, black lines of mascara running down her cheeks, her barely suppressed whimpers breaking his heart. He had never been so angry in his life. [color=007236][i]”Let. Her. [b]Go.[/b]”[/i][/color] A deep growl, masked by his voice modulator, his fury obvious. Brick chuckled in amusement, obviously relishing the power he held over the situation. [color=9e0b0f]“I don’t think so. Someone so important to you, I’d hate to give her back before a bargain is struck.”[/color] Oliver hesitated before answering. If he got on Brick’s bad side, Thea could very well die tonight. [color=007236]”What do you want?”[/color] he asked, his voice tight with emotion. [color=9e0b0f]“That,”[/color] began Brick, [color=9e0b0f]“is a very good question. Because you see, Arrow, I don’t want anyone to die tonight. I would love to see Ms. Queen returned home safely. I would love to see you walk out of here in one piece. But it all depends on you– and your compliance.”[/color] He paused for effect, letting his words sink in. [color=9e0b0f]“What I want, Arrow, is simple. I want you to stay out of the Glades.”[/color] [color=007236]”No.”[/color] It came out quick, faster than Oliver could think. But he meant it. Deep down, he knew it would have been the answer, no matter how long he thought on it. Brick let out a sigh of frustration. [color=9e0b0f]“You know, I really wish you didn’t say that, man.”[/color] He proceeded to crush Thea’s throat– – and the arrow was loosed, plunging into his eye, causing him to let go of the girl, screaming in pain. Thea dropped down to her knees and began to crawl towards the doorway, towards her savior, who met her halfway, gently pulling her up by the arm and nudging her into the hallway. Oliver then drew an explosive tip arrow– small payload, he didn’t want to bring the whole building down –and fired at Brick, knowing that his near invulnerable form would take the punishment. The explosion was deafening. Its heat seared Oliver’s back as he tackled his sister to the ground, chunks of wood and debris bombarding him as he protected her from the brunt of the shockwave. With the ringing in his ears not yet gone, Green Arrow got up, lifting Thea into his arms and carrying her away, out of the hallway and into the night. He had no doubt that Brick would be back, but that was something to worry about for another day. All he knew for sure was that his sister was back. That she was safe. He delivered her to the SCPD, where he would later pick her up as Oliver Queen. Just as he was about to leave, she spoke. [color=92278f]“What did he mean?”[/color] Oliver stopped in his tracks, his back to her. He lowered his head, allowing his hood to conceal as much of his face as possible. When Thea realised that he wasn’t going to answer, she continued. [color=92278f]“What did he mean when he said I was important to you?”[/color] He swore under his breath. She was catching on. [color=007236]”Thea… Some secrets are better off being kept. The less you know about me, the better.”[/color] She stared at him, her eyes searching for an answer. [color=92278f]“You’re him, aren’t you?”[/color] He lifted his head, looking at her over his shoulder. [color=92278f]“My brother. Ollie.”[/color] At this he turned, facing her completely. A smile of resignation formed on his lips as he turned off his voice modulator. [color=007236]”The one and only.”[/color] And then he left her, mounting his motorcycle, knowing that things would never be the same.[/hider][/indent]