Starling Wing - Arrow & Rising Robin Crossover Fanfic

Chapter XVII: This Time

Richard stood in front of the Black Canary monument overlooking the pier on the coast of Star City. He looked up at it, completely unveiled. It glistened in the bright sunlight that October morning. The breeze from the sea cooled Richard off, washing a sense of relaxation over him. He felt as though everything was clear, now. Richard felt alright.

The monument stared over Richard's head, facing the city. Richard felt a slight comfort from that. The Canary, despite being dead, seemed to be watching over Star City. Maybe...maybe she was watching over the Green Arrow. Laurel Lance was watching over Oliver Queen.

Suddenly, Richard felt a presence by his side. Richard turned to find Oliver Queen standing beside him, looking up at the monument. Richard cleared his throat. "Mr. Queen," he said softly.

Oliver shook his head. "Please...it's Oliver."

Richard nodded. "Oliver."

Oliver smiled softly, looking up at the statue. He sighed. "You know...I didn't want her out there, at first." Richard bit his lip. Oliver continued. "She wasn't the first Canary. Her sister, Sara, was the first. She died, & to honor her memory, Laurel wore the mask. I didn't want her to, but...eventually, it just seemed right. I trained her, eventually. I wanted to make her into a good fighter, something her sister could be proud of. I...I never expected her to die. It never really hit me how...how real all of this was."

Richard nodded. He could tell that Oliver was speaking out of genuine guilt. He felt bad for the man. The guilt of this woman's death clearly hung over his shoulders, weighing him down. Richard compared Oliver to Bruce, seeing that the death of a close comrade damaged them both. However, Oliver seemed to be holding himself together way better than Bruce. Bruce seemed to lose his humanity, or rather, however much humanity he had left when Richard met him.

Richard turned to Oliver. "I trained with a man when I was 16 years old. He trained me & raised me. He was like a father, almost. I was training for a really long time, but eventually, I left Gotham. When I came back, I saw that I was replaced by another boy, Jason. But...that boy died fighting. My adoptive father struggled with the guilt of his death, but he handled it a lot worse." Richard sighed, glancing back up at the Canary. "But he came back. The Red Hood was the boy who died. He...he's back. Jason was given a second chance at life, but, I think it's a second chance for my father too, to make things better."

Oliver shook his head. "Laurel isn't coming back. Not...not this time. I don't have a second chance."

Richard smiled faintly. "No, but you do, Oliver. There are people out here, in Star City, fighting crime just like you. I've seen them, I've tracked them down while looking for the Red Hood. They're clearly here because of you. You can do right by Laurel by taking them under your wing."

"But, Laurel..." Oliver said softly, his voice trailing off.

"When Jason died, my father trained another boy, a third one. He came with me here, & he's proven that despite the damage that has occurred, he is more than capable of surviving & fighting alongside. He's rough around the edges, but, I know he'll get there. You trained Roy, Oliver. I know what you're capable of making people into. You can get it right this time. You can make things better."

Oliver stared into Richard's eyes, considering the words that he was offering. Richard really did believe in Oliver's crusade. It was the same desire everyone had when they looked at their home & saw the darkness that lurked around. The crimes that were committed only emphasized the necessary duty that one needed to tackle in order to save their home. Bruce learned that after his parents died. Richard learned that when Nolan Drake came to Gotham. Oliver Queen had his reasons, surely, but the goal remained the same for everyone. They wished for a better world.

"I...I hope you're right, Richard," Oliver said softly. The two continued to observe the Canary monument when Oliver spoke again. "Do you...do you think we did the right thing, letting Jason go?"

Richard sighed. He shrugged. "I honestly don't know, man. I need to have faith that Jason will find his way back. After what he's been through, I guess he...he just needs to discover who he wants to become." Richard looked down at his feet. "When I left Gotham, I did the same thing. I took the time to reinvent myself. I don't regret it, but...there is something missing. I'm just not sure what."

Oliver smiled softly. "It's something worth fighting for," he said. "Aside from saving your city, you...you're going to want to come home, after a long night of doing what we do, & you're going to want to look down at the person that you love & hug them really tight." Oliver looked up at Laurel's statue. "After Darhk, I lost my fiancée, I lost Laurel, & I lost the entire team. My sister...she's better off without this life, & my friend John...I miss him. Not having them around, it definitely gave me some perspective. They're the reason I wear my hood."

Richard nodded slowly smiling at the sentiment. He thought about his own life. He would've fought for Bruce's sake, but...their differences left Richard uneasy about whether he was the reason he wore the mask. Richard thought to his friends, like Roy, who had just recently resurfaced onto the face of the earth. He thought of the rest of the Titans, like Kori & Rachel, Logan & Victor, who all had begun to lose their trust in Richard after what he did. He thought about Conner, & how he wouldn't forgive Richard for what happened to M'gann. He thought about Barbara...but he couldn't bring himself to let his heart break anymore. Richard was truly lost for a reason to fight.

Richard sighed. He looked up at Oliver. "I'm going to head out of town, now," he started. "I'm sorry I couldn't be much help with Church."

Oliver smiled. "It's alright. I know what I need to do now."

Richard nodded. He turned to walk away, then glanced back at Oliver. "And...about the League...if you're ready, let me know. I will bring you in personally."

Oliver's smile brightened just a little bit more as Richard walked away from the Green Arrow & the statue of the Black Canary, watching over Star City.