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Author's Note: Sorry for the delay everyone but it was a combination of cold that did not want to go away and boredom. I knew what I wanted to write but for the life of me just couldn't seem to get it down. I guess its because this story is starting to wind down and I'm eager to move on to something else. THat's not to say I don't want to write this one because I really like it but I'm anxious to start my next project. I'd like to thank my beta reader, djkauf for the editing and DC Comics for the characters.

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Chapter Ten:

When I opened my eyes, my entire body told me that I’d been through hell. I don’t think there was an inch of me that wasn’t sore. Even my eyelids hurt as I slowly forced them open. I blinked a few times as everything slowly came into focus. The first thing I noticed was that I was no longer in the alley. I was lying on something soft and comfortable. Shifting slightly, I realized it was a bed. But the room was unfamiliar to me. I pushed myself up slightly to take a better look. When I did so, the blanket slid off my body and I moaned from pain. Then I blushed in embarrassment. I wasn’t topless but it was clear that I was no longer wearing the clothes from earlier. I’m not sure who undressed me, but whoever it was, they put me in an oversized shirt.

I reached for my collar and peeked down, wincing as I did so. My lower chest was wrapped tightly with bandages. I wasn’t wearing a bra either but at least someone had the decency to leave my underwear on. I couldn’t help blushing again, wondering if my rescuer had fun undressing a naked girl. There was a slight panic then, wondering if they discovered my secret too. After all, I was still slightly male where it counted. Albeit the maleness was barely three year old in size now, it was still there. I was scared of the implications. If someone connected my face to a name then that meant they knew that Olivia Queen wasn’t who she was pretending to be. I could just see the headlines now: QUEEN ACTUALLY KING IN DISGUISE.

I felt sick. I threw the rest of the covers off, getting a first look at my bare legs. They were bruised in several places. I winced just looking at them. I tried not to think about what had happened because it was just too painful. Luke was dead and the person responsible almost had me beaten to death. I started to cry, the tears flowing freely down my face. I got Luke killed. All he was doing was his job and now someone else I cared about was gone. It was my fault, too. If I hadn’t stuck my nose where it didn’t belong, none of this crap would have happened. I ran my hands through my hair, wishing I could pull it all out. Instead, I found myself beating my fists angrily against the bed. I’m not sure how long I did it for but when I stopped, I felt a little bit better.

At least I’d stopped crying. As soon as I was done, I took a better look at the room. There wasn’t much to it actually. There was a window that had the blinds closed, the bed I was on and a small dresser. There was no closet that I could see and the only decoration on the wall was a framed poster from a boxing match. I stared at it, recognizing the names and the faces. It was Ted but a much younger Ted. He looked as gruff as ever in the poster but happier too. If that was possible. I inched to the edge of the bed to get a better look. But to get a really good look I’d probably have to get right up to it. A small part of me told me that that might not be the best idea at the moment. I didn’t feel secure walking. My legs were still pretty sore and I was afraid that putting weight on them might not be a good idea right now.

“I see you’re up and about,” said a friendly voice.

I nearly fell off the bed from being startled. I snapped around, catching sight of a stunningly attractive Hispanic woman standing in the doorway. She was leaning against the door jamb with her arms crossed but a smile on her face. She was dressed in jeans and a tank top, a stethoscope draped around her neck. Her long black hair was pulled into a tight ponytail and judging by her muscular frame, I’d say she’d spent a lot of time in the gym. It took me all of a few seconds to realize who had undressed me and tended to my bruised body. I let out a sigh of relief, glad that some strange guy hadn’t groped me. Though I couldn’t help but grab the blanket and pull it up to my chin.

She laughed. “A bit bashful I see, too.”

She walked into the room, sitting on the edge of the bed.

“Where am I?”

“In Ted’s apartment above his gym. Do you remember what happened?”

Ted? Suddenly I remembered seeing my rescuer clearly. Though he was dressed all in black, it was his white tapped hands that gave him away. “Ted saved me?”

She nodded. “You’re lucky he goes out for a run before closing up. He spotted those guys taking you from the car and dragging you into the alley. They never stood a chance” she chuckled.

I nodded. Then realization dawned on me. “Holy shit. How long have I been here for?”

“Three days now. You’re lucky Ted called me when he did. I wanted to take you to the hospital but Ted said it wasn’t safe.”

Three days? Damn it. People were going to be looking for me. When someone like me goes missing for three days…I couldn’t even think about the media frenzy. The woman seemed to notice my sudden panic because she reached out and gave my hand a gentle squeeze. It didn’t calm me down but it helped a great deal.

“It’s ok, Miss Queen. Ted called your friend Roy, told him what happened. He and a pink haired girl were just here to see you yesterday but you were still unconscious.” I numbly nodded. She continued. “After the beating you took I’m surprised you’re not in worse shape but it’s surprising how fast you healed.”

I sighed. “I’m a meta.” I couldn’t believe I was saying that aloud.

She nodded. “I figured as much. I’ve never actually met one but we’ve been briefed at the clinic, told what we can expect.”

“Clinic?”

She laughed and smacked her forehead. “I’m Yolanda, well Dr. Yolanda Montez. Boy that sounds weird to say actually. I just got out of medical school a few months ago, actually. I never thought I’d be meeting a Meta so quickly though. You hear in the news of them popping up but wow.”

“So about what you saw…I mean down below….”

She gave my hand a gentle squeeze. “It’s called doctor patient confidentiality, I won’t tell anyone sweetie.”

I smiled as a tear ran down my cheek. The next thing I knew I was in her arms, crying on her shoulder. We stayed like that for a few moments, letting me get it all out of my system. When I was done, she handed me a tissue to wipe my eyes. I took stock of my situation now. Three days ago---hard to believe but ok---three days ago I got beaten up and rescued by Ted Grant. I apparently have a strange meta healing ability but not a super one or else I’d be feeling no pain right about now. Ted took me back to his place, brought a doctor from some clinic to take care of me and now here I was. At least Mia knew where I was or else she’d be freaking. Hell I was pretty sure the press was having a field day with all of this.

I groaned. “I’m guessing everyone wants to know where I am?”

She smiled. “You’re on every channel actually. It’s hard not to be what with your car being blown up, your driver dying and now you’re nowhere to be found.”

I nodded. Then thought of something. “Why didn’t Ted take me to the hospital?”

She sighed. “I’ll let him explain that. He says there’s things that the two of you should discuss in private. In fact I only came in here to check on you as it is, didn’t expect to see you up and about actually. I need to go and get him now.”

She slid off the bed. “Can you call Mia too, the pink haired girl, and call Q.I., ask for Jade and tell her what’s going on.”

She smiled. “I’ll call your friends.”

She left the room, giving me a moment to collect my thoughts.

I looked around the room, wondering why it wasn’t as decorated as Ted’s office. I mean this had to be his bedroom, right. The Gym wasn’t all that big, I couldn’t imagine there being two bedrooms to this place. I had half a mind to crawl off the bed and follow Yolanda into the other room. In fact I managed to get up enough courage to do just that when Ted walked through the door. He was wearing a sweat drenched black tank top and workout pants. His salt and pepper hair was clinging to his head and his hands were still wrapped in that white tape. He stood in the doorway and stared at me for a few minutes, his intense eyes scrutinizing me.

“The elusive Miss Queen, so full of surprises.”

“What about you Mr. Grant. Not everyone would go out of there to help someone in trouble?”

He smirked. “This coming from the girl who was in trouble in the first place.”

I smiled. “I have my reasons.”

The smirk disappeared from his face as he walked into the room. He found a chair in the corner and dragged it over to my bedside before dropping into it. For a man his age he should have been exhausted after his apparent workout but he looked fine. In fact, besides being a little sweaty, he showed no sign of fatigue at all. Maybe he truly was the Man with Nine Lives like everyone said.

He glared at me for a moment before speaking. “You’re damn lucky I came along when I did, guys like that don’t mess around.”

“I’m grateful for the help but I’m not some weak little girl like you think I am.”

He grumbled something unintelligible. Then he got to his feet rather quickly. “I want you to get up and get dressed.” He walked toward the door, stopping in the doorway. “Meet me downstairs when you’re done, you and I need to discuss a few things.”

He left the room as abruptly as he arrived. I took a moment to prepare myself before sliding off the bed. I was a lot more stable than I thought, wobbling once on my sore legs. After realizing I wasn’t going to go tumbling to the ground, I rushed over to the dresser. I opened the drawers one by one, hoping to find something to wear. I was surprised to find them filled with feminine clothing. Was there something Ted wasn’t telling me?

The top drawer had underwear but all I grabbed was a sports bra. I peeled off the huge t-shirt, getting a first time look at my bruised and bandaged upper torso. Those bastards really did a number on me. I tried not to think about it as I pulled on the sports bra, finding it more than adequate to hold my girls in place. As I was opening the next drawer, I realized Yolanda was standing in the doorway.

“They’re my clothes in case you’re wondering,” she said then laughed. “I bet you thought Ted had a secret life he wasn’t letting anyone know about.”

I laughed, pulling a pair of stretchy pink yoga pants from the drawer. “Somehow I can’t see Ted strutting around in this.”

She laughed. When she was done, she still had a big smile on her face. “He’s my Godfather actually, took me in when I was twelve, raised me after my parents died.”

She walked into the room, looking at it with a frown. “He busted his ass saving up enough money to send me to college. I remember how excited he was when I got into Berkeley and then later into medical school.”

“This doesn’t exactly look much like a lived in room?” I said as I pulled on the pants.

“I took most of my stuff out of her when I moved out last winter; I guess Ted hasn’t found anything to fill the empty space with yet. I leave some clothes here from time to time, especially when I’m down in the Gym working out.”

“You mean he lets you…but…” I frowned. “And he was giving me such a hard time.”

She laughed. “All an act. He’s the biggest softy in the world, well once you know what buttons to push.”

We laughed as I found my sneakers and slipped them on, lacing them up quickly. Then I followed her out of the room and into the small apartment. It was definitely decorated by the man who owned the Gym below. The walls were covered in old boxing posters and newspaper clippings. There was even a space where some old heavy weight belts hung and a pair of battered boxing gloves on a nail. The rest of the room seemed cramped by comparison, a tattered, worn couch and chair, an old rabbit-eared TV set. There was a stack of pizza boxes in the corner and dirty dishes piling in the small kitchenette area. Yolanda frowned at those, shaking her head as she muttered a curse or two in Spanish. Then she led me toward the stairs, telling me about how glad my friends were to hear I was all right.

When we got downstairs, Yolanda disappeared back up them. I was alone in the Gym with Ted. Looking around it was clear that it was after hours because the place was completely deserted. I found Ted on the other side of the boxing ring, holding a bow and an arrow. I gulped. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what he wanted me to do. I walked slowly over, wondering how much of my secret Ted knew or how much my friends might have let slip. When I finally got to him, I saw his scowl.

“Before I hand you this and ask you to shoot for me I have one question.” I nodded, gulping some more. “What the hell did you think you were doing?”

It was definitely not the question I was expecting. It took me a moment to respond. “I’m not sure what you’re talking about?”

“Don’t play dumb with me girly. You riled up a hornet’s nest when you started poking into your grandfather’s death like that.”

Shit, what did he know? I decided not to play dumb. “I want answers.”

He laughed. “Look where those answers got you. The League almost killed you, twice in fact.”

The League? What the hell was that?

Ted seemed to read the confusion on my face because he shook his head. “Some great investigator, you did all this poking around and you still don’t know who you’re up against.” He sighed heavily, running his fingers through his hair. “I promised myself I wouldn’t get involved with all of this…” his voice trailed off.

“All of what? Do you know what’s going on? Do you know who tried to kill my grandfather?”

He shook his head. “Not the actual person but I know who he used.” He groaned, rubbing his temples. “They call themselves the League of Assassins. They’re a covert group of killers who operate in total secrecy. They’re world renown killers, responsible for some of history’s greatest assassinations and accidents. There was a second gunman on the grassy knoll and Elvis didn’t die because of a drug overdose. These guys are deadly and very efficient.”

“Why my grandfather, then?”

Ted shook his head. “They sell themselves out to the highest bidder. Whoever wanted your grandfather dead must have had his reasons and a lot of money.” Then he scratched the back of his head. “But it doesn’t make any sense.”

“What doesn’t?”

“John Merlyn and his group. They’re thugs, worse than mercenaries. Word on the street is that they’re not even with the League anymore, they went rogue months ago.”

“But if they’re not with the League then the League didn’t kill my grandfather.”

Ted nodded. “But it reeks of the League. The Seven were at the top, the best of the best. There’s no way the League could let them go rogue and pull off a high profile job like this…unless….” His voice trailed off again.

Ted looked agitated. He started pacing, talking to himself.

I needed him to focus though. He seemed to know a lot, I’m not sure how but he did. If he could give me answers, I needed him to concentrate and not ramble. “Who are these seven you mentioned?”

He stopped pacing. “The Seven Men of Death. They were the top seven assassins in the League, Merlyn was their leader.”

“I was attacked by a female whip wielding psychopath.”

He laughed. “I don’t think they picked the name based on gender.”

I nodded. “So they killed the old man but why me?”

He shook his head. “If I were to guess I’d say you got too close. I think they tried scaring you off at first, blowing up that PI or yours.” My eyes widened at that, he just smiled and continued. “When that failed and you found their forger, they decided on more drastic measures. They sent their lowest ranked member to take you out.”

“The Whip girl.”

“You made short work of her so they decided to up the game by pulling in a big gun.”

I closed my eyes, trying to force away the tears. Luke died because of me, I’d been right. They tried to get me to back off but I kept pushing it. That’s what the guy in the mask had said. I should have stopped, why didn’t I stop. I tried to hide my tears by turning my head away from Ted but it didn’t work. A few moments later, one of his strong hands was on my shoulder.

“It’s not your fault, kid, you were doing what you thought was right. No one will fault you for that.”

I turned to him, tears flowing freely. “I fucked up.”

He nodded. “That you did.”

“Aren’t you suppose to cheer me up or something?”

“Not my job” he said, putting on a steely demeanor. “I’m here so that you don’t do it again.”

I wiped away my tears and looked up at him. “I don’t understand.”

He smiled. “You can’t do this alone kid, not with the skills you possess. You might be good with this” he held up the bow. “But it’s going to take a lot more than fancy shooting to take down all these bastards.”

“I thought you didn’t want to help me?”

“True, but I can’t stand by and watch you get hurt either.”

I wanted to hug him but I refrained from doing so. Instead, I held out my hand and he passed the bow to me. The target was far on the other side of the room, a playing card that he set up. It was the Ace of Spades and there was no way a normal person could do what I was about to do. But I was not normal, not any more. I took a deep breath, nocked the arrow and took aim at the spade in the center. I didn’t even look as I let the arrow fly.

I turned to him before my shot found its mark. “When do we start?”

The twang of the arrow hitting the card reverberated through the room.

Just as I predicted, the press had been having a field day. The best headline of them all was QUEEN STILL MISSING FROM HER TOWER. My disappearance was the talk of the town, my face all over every news channel and on the cover of every newspaper. It’s not every day that someone tries to kill a billionairess and then she goes missing shortly thereafter. The theories ran rampant in my absence too. Everything from being kidnaped to being killed and even being abducted by aliens---gotta love the tabloids. When I finally did get home---via taxi---the press swarmed my entrance. Ted was nice enough to go with me and managed to keep the vultures at bay as the two of us pushed through the crowd and into the Tower. Things got no easier once I got inside because I was ambushed by Mia and Roy both of whom took turns giving me hugs. I think I might have cried a bit.

Then there was the other stuff. Everyone wanted to know what happened, my friends at the top of the list. The press was second, then the Board of course. It took me hours to wade through it all, first with Mia and Roy, then with fielding phone calls for interviews and things like that. In the end, I decided that the best course of action was a press conference. I scheduled it for the next afternoon. Things finally calmed down enough that I was able to slip into my office, Mia and Roy following right on my heels. I made sure the room was secure, shutting off the intercom and telling Jade to hold all my calls. As soon as I knew things were ok, I let out a huge sigh as I dropped into my chair. Mia and Roy watched me for a few seconds, silently following my strained movement with concerned eyes.

I groaned. “I feel like a goldfish.”

Mia smiled sheepishly. “I’m sorry but the last time we saw you, you were lying in a bed, covered in bruises with an IV in your arm.”

She started to tear up. I quickly got out of my chair and gave her a big hug. Roy was silent but I locked eyes with him over Mia’s shoulder. It was clear he wanted to say something too but the words weren’t coming. Instead, I sent him a weak smile and mouthed, “I’m ok” to him. He nodded, smiling back. After I was done with my overly long hug, I returned to my nice big chair.

Roy broke the silence that followed. “So what’s our next course of action?”

“There is no next course of action, at least not for you two.”

Mia opened her mouth to protest but I cut her off with the raising of my hand. “Not with these guys, Speedy, they’re too dangerous. They killed Luke and nearly killed Roy. I should have pulled the plug on this whole thing back then but I was stupid.”

“But they’re not too dangerous for you?” snapped Mia, clearly pissed that I was cutting her out of the loop.

I sighed. “Yes they are but I’m going to play things smart now. Ted has agreed to train me, to teach me how to fight.”

Mia smirked, crossing her arms. “You think a few karate moves are going to protect you?”

I shook my head. “No but I’m not going to walk into another one of their traps.” I reached across the table and touched her arm. “I’m also not going to put my friends in any more unneeded danger. I can’t use you on this one Speedy, it’s just too dangerous.”

Mia pouted. Roy shook his head. “You don’t have to tell me to back off twice.” He rubbed his arm; the welt from that bitch’s whip was still visible. “But if you need any backup you know where to find me.”

I smiled. The offer was tempting but there was no way I was going to let him risk himself for me. There was already too much death involved with all this. Hell they even killed Raines and he was one of them. These people were bad news. I couldn’t let Roy or Mia anywhere near this, not anymore. Especially seeing as how I just spent the last half an hour on the phone with Luke’s mother, telling her how truly sorry I was for her loss. She was a strong woman and knew what her son did contain some risk and was truly grateful that I took the time to call. It surprised me how strong she really was. But there was just no way I was strong enough to make calls like that to Mia’s family or even BB. They might be strong but I wasn’t. So Roy and Mia were not going to be put in harm’s way, not anymore and definitely not because of me.

Mia was still pouting with her arms crossed. She was giving me the evil eye, which meant I was going to be in the doghouse with her for a while. But I didn’t care. I sighed heavily, trying to figure out a way to make it up to her. A thousand ideas were swarming through my head and I finally found one I thought she might like. I opened my mouth to tell her when my cell rang. I groaned, forgetting to shut it off. I pulled it out and was confused when I saw Jade’s number but then realized I shut off the intercom. I clicked the button.

“Miss Queen, sorry for the interruption” She never called me Miss Queen anymore so this was big. “But Mr. Steele is here and he’s got a Mr. Maxwell…”

I cut her off. “Uncle Max is here?”

“Should I tell them you’re in a meeting or send them through?”

I groaned then looked at my friends. “Send them in.”

I clicked off my cell and set it on the desk. “Sorry you two but I have to take this meeting. You can hang in the Hub if you want.”

Mia shot me a look, one that told me that we weren’t done discussing this. Roy grabbed her arm and pulled her from her seat. The two of them made for the door just as my new guests were coming in. Walter Steele was smiling, flashing me that gorgeous smile of his. He was smug, which overpowered any bit of handsomeness the man might have. He was handsome too; drop dead gorgeous to be exact. He also knew it and because of that, he was one of the most arrogant bastards I’d ever met. He tried to be nice but it was all an act. Why my grandfather ever named him, CEO was a complete and total mystery.

Uncle Max on the other hand was one of the kindest men I’d ever met. There was nothing smug about him. He had a warm welcoming smile and everyone loved him. He came from money, having inherited his empire from his father. Though he was currently trying to merge his company with mine, I felt no hard feelings toward him. As far as I was concerned, Max was family. He looked particularly put out today though. He still had that warm smile but there was a hint of sadness too. He was wearing a light gray suit in contrast to Steele’s charcoal colored one. His graying hair was slicked back, his face covered with a few more wrinkles since the last time I saw him.

The two men took the seats vacated by my friends.

“Miss Queen, all me to introduce Maxwell…”

“Uncle Max” I said like a giddy schoolgirl, biting my lip as I did so.

Shit, I only knew him as Uncle Max via Jonas, not Olivia.

Uncle Max raised an eyebrow. Then he squinted his eyes. For a second he was confused then a small smile crossed his lips. I cursed under my breath, he knew. Damn me and my big mouth.

Steele recovered quickly, clearing his throat. “Miss Queen I think you’ve put off this meeting long enough. I know that you’re still recovering from your unfortunate mishap but I can’t delay the Board anymore.”

I sighed and nodded. Steele smiled. I sat there and listened as the two men droned on for an hour, talking about the merger and all the benefits that it might bring. They had a lot of good points but I knew from reading my grandfather’s files that he didn’t want this merger. I’m not sure why he was so against it but he had made it pretty clear that he didn’t want to go into business with Max. As much as I wanted to do good for my company, I also wanted to respect my grandfather’s memory as well. The old man may have been a lot of things but a fool he wasn’t. He knew his business and if he didn’t want to go into business with Max then there had to be a reason.

When they finally finished, I smiled and nodded. “That’s an interesting proposal gentlemen and I’ll take it under consideration.”

Steele looked confused. “Under consideration?”

I nodded. “I want to discuss things for my lawyer first and foremost; I’d also like to read the proposal in full, get a full understanding of what this merger might offer for my company and Uncle Max’s as well.”

I cursed again; I had to stop calling him that. Max only smiled, clearly amused.

Steele on the other hand looked like he just swallowed a goldfish.

“This is a good thing Miss Queen, it will benefit everyone involved.” Steele was pretty adamant, which only made me question things more.

They were all suspect to me. It was clear that someone tipped off the bad guys about STAR Labs, someone who knew I was there. The cover story had to deal with grants and extending contracts. There were a lot of people in the Tower who knew my schedule so anyone of them could have tipped off the other side, including Mr. Steele. I was taking no more chances anymore.

Max stood up, smiling. “I understand your concerns, Miss Queen and I agree with them. I think it’s very wise and I await your final decision.”

“You can’t be serious,” said Steele.

Max reached for and took my hand, giving it a gentle kiss. “It was nice meeting you Olivia,” he said with a wink.

I smiled. I have to learn to keep my mouth shut.

I stood up, signaling the end of this meeting. Steele looked pissed but Max was still smiling. He put his hand on Steele’s back, leading him away from the table. My CEO was handsome but a slime ball through and through. Ross may have been the villain on the Board but Steele was the guy in charge. He had the power to stop things but instead he just let them go. In my eyes that made him as crooked as the rest of them.

I watched as the two men slowly made their way out of my office. Steele grumbled something under his breath that sounded a lot like “stupid bitch” but I let it slide. As soon as they were gone, I picked up my cell and called Jade. “A little warning next time,” I said, groaning as I dropped into my seat.

“Sorry about that, boss, but Mr. Steele wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

I sighed. “I think I might need to get Mr. Walters to do a check on him as well, can you make an appointment with him for me.”

She laughed. “Mr. Walters wanted to meet with you anyway, I’ll make the arrangements.”

“Thanks” I said about to click off but stopped. “Oh, no more surprise meetings today and hold all my calls.”

“You’re the boss.”

I clicked off the phone and tossed it on my desk, sighing heavily. I closed my eyes and leaned back in the chair, glad that that pompous jackass Steele was finally gone. I took a couple of deep, reassuring breaths, trying to finally relax. The ringing of my cell shattered whatever relaxation I might have achieved. I cursed and opened my eyes, grabbing it off my desk. It only rang that once which meant I got a text. I groaned and pushed the button. As soon as I did, the color drained from my face. It was a picture message but not a picture I wanted anymore to take: it showed me leaving Ted’s place, Ted helping me into the taxi.

The message was simple: SO GLAD YOU’RE OK, SWEETIE. I WAS SO WORRIED ABOUT YOU, XXOO. It was signed with a heart that had an arrow through it.

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