Multiverse Reborn: Arrow

Chapter 4

After dinner, Oliver pulled his girlfriend and sister into his room.

"So, is there something that you guys want to tell me about how you reacted when these new vigilantes were mentioned?" Oliver asked.

"No." Thea said.

"Really. So, it wouldn't mean anything to me if I told you that I was planning to becoming a vigilante when I got home." Oliver said.

"Wait, what?" Laurel asked.

"Star City is falling apart. The police aren't enough because only a few of them aren't corrupt. I've spent the past five years turning myself into a weapon to use to fight the corruption of our city." Oliver said.

"You're serious about becoming a vigilante?" Thea asked.

"Completely." Oliver said.

"Then yeah, I'm the archer in red." Thea said.

"And I'm guessing that makes you the woman in black?" Oliver asked Laurel, who sighed and nodded.

"Yeah. We haven't exactly gotten off to a good start though. I swear the reason most people don't trust us is because they think that we make problems worse than they were when we arrived." Laurel said.

"Really, and is there any basis to that claim? Oliver asked.

"Not at all." Thea said.

"Thea, we show up, try and beat the crap out of people." Laurel said.

"And they get arrested." Thea said.

"And let me guess, they get released on counts of being brutalized." Oliver said.

"Yeah pretty much." Laurel admitted.

"It sounds like while you guys have good intentions, but you lack the structure or training to be effective." Oliver said.

"Really, that's kind of judgemental." Thea said.

"Am I wrong?" Oliver asked.

"Not quite. I mean we're operating out of my apartment." Laurel said.

"Wait, does William know about this?" Oliver asked.

"He knows that his mother and aunt are trying to make this city safer." Laurel said.

"Why would you want to do this anyways? You spent your life believing that the law is sacred. So what changed." Oliver asked.

"I became a mother and I realized that while thanks to the help your mother's been giving me financially that I can afford to keep William safe, the rest of the city can't and the police, they aren't enough and neither is me just being a lawyer. There are too many corrupt individuals embedded in the system for it to work the way it's supposed to and I wanted to change that. I could argue in a courtroom all day, but in the end it wouldn't change a thing. I want to save Star City and if that means going outside the law, then so be it." Laurel said.

"And you?" Oliver asked as his sister.

"After you and dad went down on the Gambit, I fell into a downward spiral. I partied, I drank, I even did drugs. I was drowning and I didn't see a way out. Then Laurel came in and she refused to let me push her away and actually got mom and Walter to agree to make me move in with her and William. She saved me. I got clean and I want to make sure that other girls don't make the same mistakes I did." Thea said and Oliver nodded.

"You both want to save this city, I get that, so do I. But you can't do that if you're only making things worse." Oliver said.

"What and you think you can help us?" Thea asked.

"Yeah, I do. And if you'll give me a chance, I'll prove it." Oliver said.

"Wait, wouldn't you need a suit?" Laurel asked.

"I have one, but I think I know a guy who can provide all three of us with better suits." Oliver said.

"Wait, where did you get a suit?" Thea asked.

"Yeah, I doubt there was a seamstress on the island." Laurel said and Oliver sighed, since he'd known that he'd have to tell them eventually.

"I wasn't on the island the entire time." Oliver said.

"Wait, what?" Thea asked.

"My third year away I spent in Hong Kong being forcibly employed by a morally corrupt organization called Argus and if I told anyone I was alive, they'd be killed." Oliver said.

"What?" Laurel asked.

"It's a long story. And then I spent last year in Russia." Oliver said.

"Really?" Laurel asked skeptically.

"Yeah." Oliver said as he lifted up his shirt to reveal his restored Bratva tattoo.

"Wait, that's the mark of a Bratva captain." Laurel said.

"Yeah. I promise I'll tell you everything, just not tonight." Oliver said.

"Ollie, if want us to keep quiet, you'd better start giving us some details." Laurel said and Oliver sighed.

"Fine, but Laurel, can we go to your place. I'd rather not have this conversation with so many possible ears around." Oliver said and Laurel and Thea both nodded.

"Let's go." Laurel said.