Working With Red

Messy and Misunderstood

Updated: 2021.10.17 

"Your next assignment: obtaining information on the Council of Wings' new allies," Oliver announced, gesturing to the projected screen beside him. "Phoenix has been contacting federal departments in cities such as Central City, Gotham, and Metropolis; while we haven't gotten to the point of identifying whom, exactly, he's been in contact with, we can confirm the majority of his contact is through a facility in Gotham." As Tiger Lily, you gave a curt nod, folding your arms across your chest as you stared at the screen. Roy, now Red Arrow, on the other hand, was watching you, his fist tightening uncomfortably around the handle of his bow. 

It'd been about a week since you had confronted Roy, which meant it had also been about a week since Roy had spat one of the most ruthless jabs you'd ever received. Following your ascension from the Arrowcave, you had locked yourself in your bedroom for the rest of the afternoon, refusing to answer the door for anyone. That evening had been spent huddled under the covers, crying to yourself and hoping no one would try to force their way in. You wanted to be left alone. 

It wasn't that she was just mad at Roy anymore; now, you felt you couldn't trust him. He was the only member of your little family that knew about the operation, and he'd had the audacity to even bring up the topic, much less use it as insult to your face. 

Roy felt differently about the situation. Ever since that night, he hadn't forgiven himself. For three straight nights, he'd shuffled in and out of his room, pausing to stand in front of your bedroom door as he contemplated what he could say to you. The guilt he'd felt since that night was something unbearable; he knew he'd overreacted. What he'd felt that night wasn't irritation, or even impertinence; he was embarrassed. The night he'd kissed you secretly meant a lot to him. While he refused to admit to himself that he'd begun to develop a strong liking for you, he knew when he'd kissed you that you'd kissed him back. It had given him hope, something he hadn't felt in a very long time, and he was struggling to keep it from slipping away. 

When you had confronted him about it, he hadn't had the chance to think of what to say became defensive. When you'd brought up the idea of being with Zayne, is countered every conflicting though in Roy's head, and it was enough to send Roy over the edge. He knew he should've backed down, but his embarrassment and jealousy had gotten the best of him. He'd let it take control, which, in turn, ended with your current disdain for the archer. 

Roy wanted to take it back; he wanted to take it all back. He wanted to take responsibility for the kiss, he wanted to apologize, he wanted to get his damn head on straight and figure out just how he felt about you. But, now that he'd fucked up beyond belief, he was afraid he'd ruined the relationship the two of you had worked for the past few months to build. 

By the looks of how you were acting, he was worried that he was right. 

"Where?" you muttered, your dull gaze drifting from the screen to Oliver. 

"Tonight, they're not operating out of IFLI," Oliver replied as Dinah pressed a key on the keyboard in front of her, and the screen changed from an image of the IFLI building to one of a warehouse--coincidentally, the same warehouse in which you had spilled your entire life's story to Roy. "We think they may be storing some kind of weapon in this vicinity. While the warehouse is the main target, there are multiple smaller storage sheds surrounding the perimeter of the property, which could be storing additional supplies. However, your mission is not to intercept them." 

"We're infiltrating?" you answered, as more of a statement than a question. Oliver nodded. 

"Phoenix would only want his most reliable and strongest to accompany him to the warehouse, if they are, in fact, keeping any of their assets hidden there," he replied, gesturing up to the screen. It switched to a photo of the inside of the IFLI building, though it was a photo of a data processing center; the entire room was filled with computers on two long counters spanning the majority of the room, accompanied by a line of filing cabinets on the back wall. "This means he will most likely keep his weaker forces back at IFLI to make sure the building isn't left defenseless. From what I know, I can predict that Sparrow, Wren, Vulture, and Pheasant will be accompanying him. . ."