Working With Red

Embarrassing and Expositional

Edited: 2022.02.09

"Get up." 

Roy let out a soft groan as his eyes fluttered open, and he nearly jumped when he saw a dark shadow looming over him on the side of your bed. Instinctively, he pulled you closer, his eyes narrowing at the figure. 

"Wait, Ollie?" Roy muttered, shaking his head when he finally recognized the blonde. "What the hell--?" 

"Shh," Oliver hissed, and Roy slowly looked back at you, letting out a sigh when he confirmed you were still asleep. Your cheeks were streaked with mascara, hair a tangled mess as you lightly snored, your sides rising and falling with every breath. You were huddled into Roy, fingers wrapped tightly around his nightshirt, and when Roy reached over to brush a stray strand of hair out of your face, your face contorted the slightest bit. 

"I need you to come with me," Oliver murmured, nodding toward the bedroom door. Roy hesitated for a moment before reaching down to wrench his nightshirt from your grip, slowly rolling you over to the other side of the bed. You stirred for a moment before falling still again, and Roy slipped out of bed, placing his feet on the floor and rising beside Oliver. 

"What's wrong?" Oliver didn't reply as he turned and headed for the bedroom door, Roy hesitating for a moment before following. The two made their way out into the hall and down the stairs into the foyer, where they finally headed into the lounge, Oliver ushering Roy inside before shutting the double doors behind him. 

"Ollie, what's this about?" Roy asked, letting out a yawn. "It's almost four in the morning." 

"I know, but it couldn't wait any longer," Oliver muttered, and when he didn't turn to face Roy, instead keeping his hands on the doors in front of him, Roy knew something wasn't right. 

"Ollie," Roy repeated, folding his arms over his chest, "what's wrong?" Oliver hesitated for a moment before letting out a sigh, shaking his head. 

"Do you remember the key card you gave me before you went to bed?" He murmured. "After (Y/N) had already fallen asleep?" Roy slowly nodded, now cautious. "Well, I took it to the Arrowcave and tried to find what little I could about our friend, Silus." 

"Okay?" Roy replied, shrugging a shoulder. "There's no way you were able to hack into IFLI's network from the Arrowcave, though, right?" 

"Let me rephrase," Oliver mumbled, finally turning to face Roy. "I went back to IFLI and did a little research of my own." Roy's eyes widened as he opened his mouth to respond, though resorting instead to anxiously grinding his teeth when Oliver raised a hand to silence him. 

"I was worried about what (Y/N) had told you, so I took the ID card and went back on my own," Oliver continued, raking a hand through his hair. "I was able to slip past a raging Sparrow--whatever the hell you two did to piss her off, I don't even want to know --long enough to access a computer, but. . ." Oliver trailed off, his gaze averting to the ground as he shook his head. "Remember when you told me that (Y/N) had seen Phoenix's flight log, and that he'd taken multiple trips to Arkham?" Roy hesitantly nodded, his brow furrowing in confusion. "Well, she failed to notice that he'd taken Vulture with him. Jackson and Silus had taken those trips together; the reason as to why is something we never would have guessed." 

"What is it?" Roy mumbled, now fully awake. 

"Jackson has someone on the inside at Arkham, and they've been not only trying to break Isley out, but trying to get one of their own in to do it," Oliver finished, and Roy's mouth fell open as he slowly lowered his arms to his sides. 

"There's no way," he muttered, shaking his head "We would have known--" 

"I'd been tracing the Council of Wings ever since they transferred to Star City, long before the two of you first encountered them," Oliver interrupted. "I'd gotten information from Batman even before they'd settled here; he'd been following up on them for a while ever since he'd caught word of a gang on the east coast raiding ships for weapons. It was the same group of people, Roy. Jackson had gathered them on the east coast long before they decided to come to Star City."