Target Practice- Part Three by: Enemyoffun With her grandfather gone,Olivia has now inherited Queen Industries. But that's the least of her problems what with dealing with the press, the Board of Directors and trying to find the person who hired the assassin in the first place.

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Author's Note: I'm on a roll lately. I think my business stuff is right in here but if its not I'd love for someone to help me fix it. I think I'm finally back into the swing of things, I was told by a few people that the last few chapters were a bit confusing so I'm hoping this one is a little better. I'd like to thank my beta readers for their help, djkauf for the editing and DC Comics for the characters.

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Chapter Three:

“I oughta kick your ass,” I said as the two of us climbed into the back of the limo.

I gave her a non-aggressive shove, which only caused her to laugh. In truth, I wanted to beat her with a tire iron. But seeing as I didn’t have one of those readily available I was willing to make do with my fists. Mia Dearden was my best friend in the whole wide world and what does she do. I groaned as Locke shut the door while Spencer finished putting all our bags in the trunk. I just spent one of the longest hours of my life, sitting there as my only guy friend stared at me all through my lunch. It was the most humiliating moment in my entire life, even worse than the locker room at the pool. Twelve my ass, more like a fifteen. The worse part, Mia was enjoying it way too much. As soon as Roy sat down at the table, it was like she was watching a soap opera.

I confess that I might have enjoyed it as well if I wasn’t the star. But seeing as nothing exciting like this ever happened to her, I guess I was the main attraction. The lunch hour wasn’t a total loss, I guess. After Roy got done staring, he started to tell me about the city. I guess it never occurred to him that I’d been here for a while. But I listened and smiled, not really saying much. In fact, I let Mia and Roy do all the talking. I was afraid if I opened my mouth he might recognize my voice. I definitely wasn’t prepared for that. Telling Mia was one thing---in fact that was accidental but Roy was something else entirely. It’s not that I didn’t want to tell him but things were really complicated right now. I definitely didn’t need him to make things even worse. So I played the silent type while Roy went on and on about this and that. I was hoping that I might make him disinterested but I think my tactic backfired.

When we finally called it a day, I saw him give me a look and a smile. I knew that look all too well. It was the Roy Harper “I’m interested and not going to give up” look. He gave it to a lot of girls at school. I’m sad to say that like them, it made me a little weak in the knees too. Not that I now suddenly had a thing for him or anything but it definitely had an effect. One that wasn’t lost on Mia either.

As soon as the limo started moving, it was the first thing she brought up.

“So you and Roy?” she asked coyly.

I felt like punching her. Instead, I gave her a dirty look. “Wipe that image from that demented mind of yours please.”

She laughed. “I saw the way he looked at you and I also saw the way you reacted.”

I made a face. “Half my face was covered in these gigantic sunglasses you made me buy,” I said, finally taking them off.

“Don’t change the subject.”

“I’m not changing the subject because there’s nothing to talk about. Roy is a friend---was a friend. I can’t be friends with him anymore.”

She frowned. “Why not?”

It was a good question. One that I didn’t really have a good answer for. “It’s complicated” I finally blurted out which made Mia make the face.

She tried to get me to talk about Roy the whole ride back to the Tower but I didn’t want to talk anymore. So she yammered on while I looked out the window. At least it wasn’t raining anymore. The rain was extremely depressing yesterday which had fit well with my mood. I hated going into that meeting so unprepared like that. Scarlet really dropped the ball on me but I dropped the ball too. So after she left me alone in the office yesterday afternoon, I took some time to find the Will myself. I didn’t really understand half of it, ok more than half actually. But what I could understand was simple enough. It was pretty much what I was told; eighty percent of Queen Industries was now mine. That eighty percent included my grandfather’s majority shares, which meant that I controlled the company even though I wasn’t in charge. The Will made that all very clear too. I would gain full control at the age of twenty-one, at which time Mr. Steele would step down and I’d take my place as CEO.

The only part of the equation was whether I actually wanted it. The Old Man never once discussed any of it with me. My mother used to talk about how much her father used to infuriate the hell out of her and now I knew exactly what she meant. I couldn’t help but wonder how much of Scarlet’s reconciliation story was bull. The only Jameson Queen I knew was a cold, hard bastard that only cared about business. I knew that man long before I met him in person, too. I know my grandfather never approved of my father but I couldn’t help but wonder if there was more that drove my mother from him. When I was younger, I always used to wonder what he might be like. I used to imagine him being a great man, like a rich Robin Hood. After all the Old Man did help a lot of people---hell he had the humanitarian awards to prove it. The only person he wasn’t human with was his family apparently.
Humanitarian my ass.

I felt arms wrap around me from behind and a head lay gently on my shoulder. I closed my eyes and got lost in the embrace. Even when I was cross at her, it didn’t take me long to forgive Mia. I think she probably thought she was doing me a favor. I really wanted to be friends with Roy again but I just wasn’t prepared for what that friendship might entail. Finally, after hugging for a minute or two, she let me go with a sigh.

“I’m sorry about lunch; I wasn’t thinking when I asked him to sit with us.”

I shook my head, still looking out the window. “I’m glad you did. I was worried about him actually. The last time I saw him was at the funeral and he looked horrible.”

She gave me a gentle nudge. “Well it’s not every day that you get to go to your own funeral. Roy didn’t take things too well. He pulled inside himself the whole time you were missing; he skipped a lot of school like me. But unlike me, he didn’t do stupid things. He kinda went real quiet. He wouldn’t talk to anyone, didn’t sit with anyone at lunch. It was like he was there but not there.”

I tried imagining Roy like that. It hurt to think about. Roy was the outgoing one, the guy who always charged into anything like an ass. I remember when we were kids and used to sneak off to this secluded copse of trees in the woods behind my house. It was our little thing, something he and I did without Mia. We used to like to race one another there. Roy always beat me because he was the better athlete. But there was this one time where I managed to get the upper hand. I’m not sure how I got past him but I was so excited when I beat him to the trees that I started shaking one in victory. Well I didn’t notice the bee’s nest. But Roy did. As soon as those bees came swarming out of that hive, he sprang into action. He charged in there, grabbed me around the waist and pulled me practically out of my shoes. As soon as he got me to my feet, the two of us ran like hell out of there. I’m not sure how many times we got stung but it was quite a few.

But Roy just shrugged it off and made a joke about it. That’s the kind of person he was. It was hard to think of him as anything but that impulsive kid who did things without thinking.

Now a small part of me almost regretted not telling him who I really was.

The rest of the ride back to the Tower was done in silence. Mia could tell that I was lost in thought and didn’t want to bother me. She kept looking at me, about to say something but decided against it. I hated giving her the silent treatment but she’d given me a lot to think about. When we finally got to the Tower, we drove around to the side, entering through the garage. There was a crowd of paparazzi outside, snapping shots. Their flashes were cut off when the large metal door closed behind us. Locke got out of the car first to get my bags; he was followed about ten seconds later by Spencer. As Spencer opened the door, Mia tried to slide out with me. I think her plan was to take the bus home but there was no way I was letting her do that.

I turned to Spencer. “Is there any way you can accompany the limo and Mia back to her house.”

Mia’s eyes bugged out. “You’re serious?” she asked, excitement apparent in her voice.

I nodded; she squealed and wrapped me in a tight hug.

“You are the best friend ever,” she said, making herself comfortable once again after she let go of me. Then she whispered. “You going to be ok?”

“Roy surprised me that’s all” I sighed heavily. “I guess I should have told him”

Mia made a face. “You think Harper could handle that? I mean he was crushing on you big this afternoon, if he found out you were Jonas it might break his brain.”

I gave her a face and a playful shove, which she laughed at.

Locke finished unpacking my bags then I told Mia I’d call her later. Spencer came around and shut her door then got into the passenger seat. I wanted to stay and watch them drive out of the garage but Locke was insistent upon getting me inside. I think he was paranoid that there might be a creep hiding somewhere in the darkness, lingering amongst all my grandfather’s cars. No, not his cars, not anymore. I glanced longingly at all the nice shiny vehicles as Locke led me past them. My eyes lingered on a really nice green Viper. It caught my eye a while ago but so far, I wasn’t allowed to touch it. Now that it was mine, I had every intention of taking that bad boy for a spin.

When we got closer to the little elevator leading to the higher floors, I glanced over at the little mechanic’s station in the corner. My grandfather had a personal mechanic that handled all his cars. Alberto was a good guy; I’d talked to him more than once while I was down here admiring my grandfather’s collection. He had two children---a son, Jaime who was about my age and a daughter, Milagro who was much younger. He was a man that talked about his family often and that’s what I liked most about him. Apparently Jaime helped out when he could, mopping the floors and things like that. Unfortunately, I had yet to meet him.

Alberto wasn’t in the station today when we passed. He often didn’t come into work until later, which was a shame. I really wanted to ask him if I could get the keys to that Viper. I mean there were a lot of other really nice cars in here but I really wanted to get behind the wheel of that car, especially seeing that it was green.

“Miss Queen” said Locke, interrupting my thoughts.

I turned and saw him holding open the elevator door. I smiled and nodded, stepping around his arm and inside. The door closed and I sighed, losing sight of that gorgeous car once again.

The garage elevator only went as far as the lobby. It was also extremely cramped, definitely not designed for more than one person to ride it. I was nearly elbow to elbow with Locke the whole ride. Thankfully, the ride only lasted a minute or two. Why my grandfather had an elevator installed when there was a perfectly good flight of stairs was beyond me. I suppose in his old age it was getting harder and harder to climb steps but why was it so damn small. It was a good thing I was skinny or else there would have been a real problem. It was also a good thing that Spencer wasn’t with us. I’m also glad that Locke had the decency to put the bags into the elevator first and send them up before us.

When the elevator down opened onto the lobby, Scarlet and an unidentifiable girl were standing there. The girl was a little older than me, oriental, wearing a white blouse and gray skirt. Her long black hair was pulled back and she was wearing a smile. It was strange to see anyone smiling around here lately. Ever since the Old Man’s death, everyone was stressed out. There wasn’t a smile to be found anywhere. But this girl seemed to have a cheery disposition, which made me feel a little less bummed. Her disposition seemed to be rubbing off on Scarlet too. My grandfather’s Chief of Staff had been looking pretty haggard lately, running about doing absolutely everything. I mean that’s her job, but with the Old Man at least he had some inkling of what was to be expected. With me, it was probably like trying to teach a five year old how to read War and Peace. I was learning but it was definitely messing with Scarlet’s mojo.

I looked at the girl again. She was remarkably pretty which made her easy to look at but it was her nails that stood out the most. They were shocking neon green and really long. Well not prostitute length or anything but definitely longer than most people who worked in places like this. When she caught me looking at them, she blushed and folded her arms, trying to hide them from view. It was clear she did them that way to look good but she didn’t really want anyone looking at them. I guess she shouldn’t have painted them neon then.

“Miss Queen” said Scarlet, using her official voice. “This is Jade Nguyen. Did I pronounce that right?” The girl nodded, Scarlet sighed in relief. “Miss Nguyen is going to be your personal assistant.”

Personal assistant? So that’s why Scarlet looked less stressed. I looked at the girl with renewed interest. I guess it made sense in a way. Jade was a lot younger than Scarlet, if I were to guess I’d say early twenties, probably straight out of college. Scarlet always did seem out of place when talking to me and let’s not get started with that Etiquette coach she and the Old Man hired for me. Girl Lessons were the worst. But with Jade, I could see where Scarlet might think I could relate more. It was a calculated move on her part, a lot more calculating than I gave her credit for.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Queen,” said Jade with that smile of her’s.

“Olivia” I said with my own smile. “If we’re going to be spending a lot of time together I don’t want you calling me Miss Queen all the time, its kinda creepy.”

Jade nodded. Scarlet looked annoyed but kept her mouth shut.

But he silence didn’t last long. “Miss Nguyen has come highly recommended. It has come to my attention that most of the stuff I say and do goes in one of your ears and out the other. I figured that someone like Jade might be able to get your attention.”

Just like I thought. The teenager needs a younger, hipper assistant to make things interesting. But I couldn’t help but wonder if Scarlet was just tired of “babysitting” me. I couldn’t blame her I guess. If I were the Chief of Staff of one of most powerful companies in the world, I wouldn’t want to follow a teenager around either. Jade would be able to relate, to hang out with me while I shopped, maybe even be able to find a way to make business interesting. But I couldn’t help but wonder why now. I mean if the Old Man really was grooming me to be his replacement, why assign Jade to me after his death. Shouldn’t she have been with me since the beginning? It almost felt like she was a distraction or a spy, someone put there to make sure I didn’t do something stupid.

I gave her a once over. She seemed normal enough---besides the nails. But could she be working for the Board? If so, why did they think I needed to be monitored like a child?

Scarlet plastered on one of those fake smiles she liked so much. “Well I let the two of you get to work. I have a lot of stuff that needs to be done and finally some time to do it”

She said that last bit under her breath as she walked away. But her intent was clear: Jade was in fact my babysitter now. I looked at the pretty oriental girl and smiled. She smiled back. We did that for a few minutes, just standing there, smiling at one another. It was kinda creepy actually. Not that it was a bad thing to stare at her---she was quite pretty. If I’d been a normal guy I definitely would have been “in to her” as they say. Roy definitely would like her. I felt a sudden pang of jealousy thinking about Roy drooling over her. It was quick but it was there. I bit my lip and cursed. There was no way I was crushing on my friend.

I finally got tired of the awkward silence and phony smiles. “So what is it that you do exactly?”

“I’m here to manage your day to day activities.”

Great, just what a secret superhero needs. I inwardly groaned. If it wasn’t the press, now it was going to be some girl who was keeping me from being who I wanted to be. I gave her a once over again. Could I trust her with the Green Arrow? As of right now, there were only a small handful of people who knew, Mia and the Old Man being the closest. Luke Cross---my driver---was also in the know but that was never my choice. Luke was an ok guy but he was on the payroll. He knew if he ever spoke out, I’d have him fired and let’s face it, if he ever really told anyone he’d have to deal with an arrow up his ass. But Jade was an unknown. I smirked. I had to wonder if Jade the Green Lantern---the other Jade in my life---had to deal with something this crazy. She knew who I was too and by extension, I’m sure Terra knew as well. I think it might be a part of the new superhero code or something.

In the Warrior Angel comics, the Dark Avenger---Warrior Angel’s sometime ally---he knew Warrior Angel’s true identity. It only seemed right that other hero Metas should know who one another are. Though I don’t think I could make it a habit. I guess it all came down to whether or not I could truly trust someone. I usually knew that upon meeting them. Like Scarlet for instance. She was a good person, if a bit stuck up but there’s no way I could trust her with the Green Arrow secret. I’m not sure why but there was something about her that just made me want to keep things from her. Looking at Jade I could see myself trusting her but at the same time I felt there was something she was holding back too. She was too cheery and cheery people were definitely hiding something. Let’s face it, anyone that happy is always masking something.

That didn’t mean we couldn’t be friends. It just meant that Jade and secrets, they were a no no. At least for now.

Security in the Tower was definitely different now. Before I could walk the halls and be able to recognize all the faces. But all of that changed the night my grandfather died. The Tower had twelve guards who worked it on rotating shifts; six out of them were killed by Merlyn. Spencer and Locke barely got away with their lives---who knew that Kevlar could stop arrows. After the massacre and the payoffs---the Board didn’t want anyone to know how Jameson Queen really died. So the families of those who died were paid large amounts of money and told to tell others their son/father’s were killed in a gas leak. It pissed me off the next day when I found out; it angered me even more that they lied about the Old Man’s death. As far as the rest of the world knew he finally succumbed to his illness and died peacefully in his sleep. The Board liked to cover their asses.

The day after my grandfather’s murder, there were new security guards to replace the ones lost. It didn’t even take twenty four hours and it was like things never happened. They even covered up the death of my grandfather’s secretary, a woman who had the misfortune of working too late. I’m not sure if they bundled her in with the gas leak or came up with some other asinine way to cover things up. I should have known then that the Board was a bunch of jackasses but I was too grief stricken to pay much attention. But they quickly swept things under the rug to save their own asses and now they were trying to strong arm me.

“This is bull right?” I asked, waving the sheet of paper in the air.

Jade came around the desk to take a look. She scanned the sheet quickly and frowned. “They want you to sign off on an allowance?”

I scoffed, slapping the paper on my desk. Chair of the Board and majority shareholder meant very little to these bastards apparently. A few of them were already filing for injunctions, scared to leave the company in my hands. Even though I tried to reassure them that it wasn’t my hands, it was Mr. Steele’s. I spent all day yesterday in one video conference after another, trying to get through to these thickheaded pricks. But none of them were taking me seriously. Here it was now four days after the impromptu meeting, three days after hiring Jade and still they were trying to push me around. Even with her MBA and credentials, they were treating Jade like she had the plague. No matter how much either one of us tried we couldn’t get anywhere. What made matters worse was Steele. He was refusing to take any of my calls, always in an “important meeting.”

“Can they do this?” I asked, pointing to the already impressive spread of official documents scattered across my desktop.

“It looks like it,” said Joanna Pierce from her chair, leaning forward to take a look.

She was my legal counsel now. Her father assigned her to me because he was busy with other clients. What he left out was other “important” clients. Jackson Pierce didn’t see me as anything other than the dumb girl who inherited an Empire. The rest of them saw me as less than that. I was nothing to them and they thought they could screw me over. They were doing it too, bogging me down with paperwork. I couldn’t even make heads or tails of any of it. Jade was trying to help as best she could but even she thought it was bordering on ridiculous. It felt like a losing battle and it was getting worse. Somehow, one of the weasels got me to sign some kind of proxy sheet. I didn’t even know what I was signing at the time. It got slipped in with a stake of papers Scarlet had me sign the other day---before Jade and Joanna were on the case. It turns out because I signed said paper; I had somehow turned over my shares to the person who made me sign it. So now, the person could vote their own shares and apparently mine as well. So in essence, my majority shares now belonged to one of those bastards.

I wanted to run my fingers through my hair but currently couldn’t. It was pulled back into a tight braid, which trailed down my back to my butt. Jade said it made me look more professional. That, added with the power suit I was wearing was an attempt to make me at least look the part. It was also an attempt to make me look more serious. I thought it was working too but things blew up in my face pretty quick. Someone got some pictures of me in the mall the other day, mainly ones during lunch with Roy. Though they didn’t get a really good shot of him, it was plastered all over the headlines everywhere: QUEEN FINDS PRINCE. The papers were calling him the “Unknown Boyfriend” but the damage was done. The Board used it to paint me as even more of a disgraceful “teenybopper”, their words not mine.

“This allowance thing” I said, picking up the paper. “Can they do this?”

Joanna took the sheet and read it quickly. At the end, she sighed. “I figured it would be Ross.”

I knew that name all too well. Besides me, he owned the most shares in the company. He was a cold hearted bastard, some ruthless prick who was always challenging my grandfather’s authority. I guess now that the King was dead then the greedy Lords were ready to feast. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was Ross who actually controlled my shares now. The man took me for a moron but I knew exactly what the allowance was---it was his threat. If I didn’t play ball then he’d use my shares and force me out. It was a dirty, nasty thing to do but apparently, my hands were tied.

“I still say we try Mr. Wayne again,” said Jade with a hopeful and helpful smile.

To call him now would be the sixth attempt. Apparently, Bruce Wayne was harder to find than Waldo. The man kept strange hours and was never home. As soon as I found out about the proxy yesterday morning, Jade had tried to call him numerous times. He was the only one on the Board who had yet to contact me. From what I knew of him, he was a good man, fair in his dealings with others and a personal friend of the Old Man. It helped that he also happened to be my grandfather’s grandnephew. It’s strange how those things worked out. The Old Man’s sister married a Wayne, Bruce’s uncle. I’m not exactly sure what that made us other than related.

Wayne wasn’t my only option. I’d been getting repeated calls from Lexcorp. Luthor was very interested in Queen Industries and was trying desperately to set up a meeting with me. Jade kept trying to tell his people that I wasn’t in charge but the man didn’t take no for an answer. Even if I was in charge, it would still be a very big no. As far as Luthor was concerned, he was Public Enemy number one in my book. Though I couldn’t prove it yet, I was convinced he was the one who actually had the Old Man killed. Unfortunately, Luthor was very good at covering his tracks. Harv kept telling me I was barking up the wrong tree but I told him to keep at it. Mia was trying as well. But so far hacking Lexcorp’s system was proving be a feat and a half. Every time she got by one firewall, another popped up in her path. But Luthor was my guy, the fact that he was hiding things so well just proved it even more. He was so smug and calm at my grandfather’s funeral that it made me sick. Out of all the people out there he was the one who would have benefitted most from seeing the Old Man dead. Q.I. was Lexcorp’s chief competitor and with the Board now pretty much in control; it was looking like the company was going down.

Our stocks were down by fifty the next day after they announced the Old Man was dead. They were gradually climbing but it was looking grim. If things kept up the way were then I wouldn’t even have a company to take over when I reached twenty-one. Of course, everyone was blaming me---the media, the Board, the employees. Death threats were starting to become common. I got several letters a day, mail and e-mail alike. Then there were the phone calls. A lot of bastards threatening this and that. But it was the disturbing ones that bothered me. Someone kept calling, breathing heavily into the phone and hanging up. It was really starting to creep me out. Marko---my Chief of Security---tried tracing the call but it was one of those prepaid cell phones.

So even if I got a hold of Mr. Wayne, I’m not sure how much help he could give me. I took a pen from my drawer and looked down at the paper, hovering the tip over the dotted line.

“You sure?” asked Joanna, looking defeated.

I sighed heavily. “What other choice do I have” I quickly signed the sheet and put it on the edge of the desk.

Jade picked it up, putting it in a folder. “I’ll take this where it needs to go.”

I nodded and she slowly walked across the room and out the doors.

“I’m really sorry about all this,” said Joanna softly. “If it’s any consolation, I think my father is being a real bastard. I tried to talk to him about it but he told me that it’s business and that I wouldn’t understand.”

I scoffed. It sounded like the same damn line the Board kept feeding me. Except they all added “little girl” to that insult. I was getting sick and tired of everyone treating me like I had no idea what was going on. If the Board only knew how much I helped this city, I bet they’d be whistling a whole different tune. I’m not saying they’d be kissing my boots but they sure as hell wouldn’t be treating me like I had no idea what I was doing. At least I hoped they wouldn’t.

I sighed, rubbing my temples. “I think I need some time alone, Jo, you mind telling Jade to hold all my calls.”

Joanna stood up from her chair. “I’d like to say it gets easier from here but…”

She didn’t have to say the rest because I knew. I nodded my head to her smile. She then turned and slowly left the room, leaving me alone. In my anger, I snatched the letter opener from the desktop and launched it clear across the room. It landed right between the eyes of a portrait on the wall of some guy I didn’t know. It wasn’t just arrows that I could hit the bull’s eye with. In my old room at home, I used to have a dartboard and suffice to say Roy hated it when we ended up playing. It was never fun for him when I could hit the center each time. I smiled at the shot. It was mean to take my frustration out on the decorations but it sure made me feel a lot better.

But it was short lived because I had other things on my mind. Last night Harv called and said he had a solid lead. He wouldn’t say anymore but said he’d call when he was done. Not that I was worried about him but it seemed kind of an odd thing for him to do. Harv was never one to rush off into the field by himself. He was a big time PI with underlings to do that sort of thing. But when I hired Harv, he told me he’d take my case and do it personally.

Apparently, my grandfather got him out of a scrap a few years back and he owed it to the Old Man.

I still couldn’t help but feel a bit worried though.

The phone ringing broke me from my thoughts. I cursed; apparently Jade didn’t know the meaning of no calls. I was about to reach for the handset when I realized it was my cell. I groaned; Jade had no control over that of course. I clicked it on when I saw Mia’s number.

“No fun tonight, Speedy, I’m being sanctioned”

There was a pause before she answered. “You sure because I’ve finally figured out how the Green Arrow can come out and play?”

My heart skipped a beat. It was the best damn news of the day. “I’m all ears.”

Mia is crazy; I think I might have mentioned that once or twice. But that didn’t even explain her craziest plan yet: i.e. Operation Decoy.

“It’s going to work” said her voice through my blue tooth.

I wasn’t so sure. Her plan was too simple and definitely not fool proof. How dressing up in a blonde wig and my clothes was going to fool anyone was beyond me. I also couldn’t understand how it took her this long to get something like that together. Apparently, she had to wait for the wig to come in; she ordered it off the internet. I didn’t even want to know why she ordered a wig like my hair before she told me about the plan. She didn’t say either, Mia was weird like that. So as per the plan, she would make a show out of leaving the Tower and getting into the limo. The paparazzi would follow her and I’d be free to do my thing. So far, the plan was working to my surprise. I watched it all unfold from the garage, hidden in the shadows. She did exactly as planned, even convinced Spencer and Locke to go along with it. I’m not sure what she told them but they treated her just like they did me. It was amazing. It was also weird to see a phony me walk out of the Tower and into the car. Apparently, Mia spent a long time studying me or something because she got all my mannerisms down. Though I’d have to work on my posture because she was walking a bit mannish.

Anyway, as soon as the limo pulled out of the garage, I sprang into action. Or rather Luke and I. He was already waiting in the Viper, revving the engine. It pained me to see him behind the wheel of what I’d come to think of as my car. But the Old Man had been insistent upon me having a driver. Though he made me, legally sixteen---I was actually only fifteen---he refused to let me get my license. At least not until I was more responsible. That meant for the time being I had to have someone drive me around. That’s how Luke got read into the loop. I’m still not sure what Mia said to convince him but he was really cool with it. A week ago, I was still pissed at him for ratting me out to the Old Man but now it was water under the bridge.

I slipped silently across the garage and into the car. I was already wearing my suit. It felt good to be back in green again. I felt like the real me, the true me. Olivia Queen felt like a daytime disguise to me but as the Green Arrow, I felt like my old self. Of course, I’d never truly get back to being Jonas again but archery was always my thing. I’d been doing it since I was little and as Olivia, I couldn’t even call it a hobby. But as the Green Arrow, it could be a lifestyle. It was my signature and I loved every minute of it.

“You’re smiling,” said Luke as I closed the door. “I haven’t seen you smile in a while, kid.”

“I feel real good tonight.”

He smiled then pulled quickly out of the garage. I programmed the address into the GPS. The place in question was on the west side, in one of the lesser populated parts of the city. It wouldn’t be the first time I’d found myself there. I didn’t know the place all that well but there was a Meta gang that called the area their turf. I had a run-in with them shortly after the Brick incident. They pulled a lot of small petty crimes. I didn’t really bust them but I came down pretty hard all the same. It became pretty clear that they were only stealing to survive and I made them promise that as long as it was small change then I wouldn’t bring them in. It was our own little agreement. It was working so far. They were a good bunch, just a lot of hard times.

It didn’t take long to get to our destination. I made Luke pull up a block away, in a side alley. When I opened the door to get out, he showed his usual concern. “You sure about this?”

I shook my head. “No but this could be the only lead to my grandfather’s killer, I have to at least try.”

He went stone faced and nodded. “Put an arrow in his face for me.”

Luke loved the Old Man, everyone did. Except me of course. When I killed Merlyn, Luke slapped me on the back with tears in his eyes. I think we both knew then that Merlyn was just the middleman but it didn’t matter. For the moment, it was enough. Now there was a chance for some real retribution, the right kind. A fire was burning inside of me as I ran away from the car and disappeared into the darkness. I scaled a nearby fire escape and ran quickly across the rooftop.

“You’re really moving tonight,” said Mia, commenting on my heavy breathing.

“I’m just anxious to get this over with.”

“This could be nothing”

“Or everything.”

She didn’t say anything to that. I ran hard and fast, my bow out, an arrow at the ready. When I finally got to the spot, I jumped from the roof I was on to the fire escape below. The building was across the street, the only entrance I could see was a grimy window. Thankfully, there was another fire escape. I could a deep breath and jumped the gap, landing with a grunt at my destination. The jump kinda hurt a bit and my cape got snagged on the landing but I made it in one piece. I took a moment to collect myself before walking over to the window. I took a deep breath and slowly started to open it. I got it halfway open before I realized what I just stepped in to.

Harv was in the room, tied to a chair, duct tape over his mouth. All around the chair were small gray bricks. I cursed as I followed the wire leading from them to the window. It was the click that did me in. I closed my eyes and turned my head as a loud explosion rocked the whole of the fire escape. The blast threw me backwards. I slammed hard into the wall of the opposite building and dropped, darkness taking me before I hit the street below.

Author’s note: As I’m sure all of you know, comments are life blood to an author. I’m not begging or demanding, but I certainly would appreciate anything you have to say (or ask). It doesn’t have to be long and involved, just give me your reaction to the story. Thanks in advance...EOF