The Rise of Athena (An Arrow: Season 1 Fanfiction)

Chapter 3: Opening Up

Oliver looked like he was bracing for an attack. His hands were on the wheel of Diggle's car, concentrating on the road. The silence was tense. 

'You okay?' he asked, his voice deep and slow. 

'Yeah. You?' 

'I'm fine,' he said, looking back at the road. 

'No, you're not.' There was silence. Then, he spoke. 

'No. I'm not.' I looked out the passenger window. 

'Where are we going?'

'You've suspected a lot about me, haven't you?' he asked. 'Quite the little detective, huh, Ellie-bear?'

'Yes. You're hiding something. You're - a very bad liar. I can tell when you hide something, or when you're keeping a secret. It's just - I don't know how to skirt it.'

'Trust me, Eve, I didn't want to keep secrets. Of all the people that are close to me, you're the only one who understands. You're the only one who knows why - why I'm like this.' 

'It changed you. The island, Russia, Hong Kong, it changed you.'

'It changed the both of us.' He pulled into a large space, and right before us was an old warehouse. We got out of the vehicle and he locked it. 

'Why are we here?' I asked, putting on my coat and walking with him to the building's entrance. 

'You'll see.' He opened the door easily and we walked into the warehouse. He took me down a set of stairs into a large space. There was a bulky computer and boxes everywhere, and a large table, filled with green arrowheads. I frowned, walking around. 

'What - what the hell? Is this what you weren't telling me?' I walked over and picked up one of the arrowheads, running a finger along its edge. 'Shit, that's sharp.' I looked at him, putting the arrowhead back. I swallowed back my fear and ran a hand through my hair. 

'What do you think? Are you angry?' I sniffled. 

'No - just disappointed. And a little afraid.' He walked to me and enveloped me in a hug. 

'I wouldn't hurt you, Evelyn. Not ever.' I stepped back. 

'So... you're the Hood? You're him? The vigilante?' I stepped back and away from him, continuing to run my hands through my hair. 'I just... I just don't get it. You have everything you could ever want. Why are you doing this?'

'What do you mean?'

'I need you to be honest with me, Oliver Queen. I need honesty from you. Why do you do this? Steal from the rich, give to the poor? Why? What's your M.O.? What on God's green Earth possesses you to take a bow and arrow and shoot people who skirt the law? I thought you'd changed.' 

'I had. Just not in the way you thought.' I wiped the corner of my eye. 'You understand me, Evelyn. Better than Thea. Better than Mom. Better than even Tommy, or Laurel. You know me. I'm trying to save our city.' He went over to the desk with the computer on it and brought over a book, placing it in front of me. I grabbed it and flipped through the pages, seeing a list of names, all over. On one of the pages, it read in curly, decorative letters; Adam Hunt.

'You are the vigilante. Adam Hunt, right?' I held up the book where his name was crossed off, my eyebrows raised. I walked over to the computer, and pulled up something. 'I may know some of these people. Might.'

'You might?' 

'Mhm,' I mumbled, typing on the computer, pulling up the information about Martin Somers. 'Your next target. He was outside this morning when we got out of the courthouse. I might have overheard Laurel talking about it. Hate eavesdropping, but I couldn't help hearing his name.' Oliver walked over to me, looking at the computer. 

'Martin Somers. Laurel's targeted the worst of Starling City, so it's no surprise that he'd be on Dad's list.'

'Exactly.' He strolled around the table, starting to speak. 

'The city's police and the D.A. can't stop him, or won't. Laurel thinks she's the only one willing to bring him to justice. She's wrong.' I smiled. 

'So - what's our plan?' 

'Our plan? No, no, no. I'm not having you get hurt.' 

'Please, I can take care of myself. The fact that you think I'm gonna get hurt is amusing. Also vaguely sexist. You sure you wanna take that road with me?' He hung his head. 

'The fact that I lose an argument with you every single time I argue with you speaks to your childishness.'

'Or my intellect, brother. You showed me this; I'm not going to tell anyone. We make a deal. You trust me with your secret, and I help you. The only way you're going to ever get the bad guys is with an extra hand. That being mine.' I waved my hand. 

'Fine. You win.' 

                                                                              -Time skip-

'He's here,' I spoke into the earpiece. 

'Good. Move around, meet me on the west side of the building.' I jumped down from my position on the shipping container, rolling gracefully. 

'I see why you enjoy these nightly kill sprees. It's a nice night. Perfect cover.'  

'You're sick,' he said back to me. 

'Takes one to know one, brother.' I tuned into the feed from Somers' warehouse. 

'... You, listen up. The longer this goes on, the more likely the media is gonna crucify me. You shut this trial down, do you understand me?' I heard Somers say. 

'Yes, sir,' a guy replied. Just then I saw the lights crackling and shutting off. 

'Athena, move in,' I heard Oliver's voice say over the earpiece. I smiled, hearing my old nickname from Anatoly. I had my signature red daggers/long-knives across my back, remade by Oliver. I'd left my old ones in Russia. I loved those things. Along with that, I had a gun strapped to my thigh. I moved in immediately and began taking down guards in the dark. Just then the lights flickered back on, and I disappeared in time, as did Oliver. Oliver used his lack of being seen to place a rope around Somers' neck and tie him up. He looked directly at us. 

'Martin Somers...' Oliver said, with the aid of the voice modulator he was using to keep his voice lower. I had the same gimmick on me. 

'Who the hell are you two?' he barked roughly. 

'... you've failed this city,' I said emotionlessly, pulling out a dagger. The man begged, but it was no use. I threw it, with expert speed, right next to his head. 

'You're gonna testify in that trial. You're gonna confess to having Victor Nocenti killed.' He stared at us, terror in his eyes. I jumped up to the rafters where he was tied up, and yanking my dagger out, spun it around, staring into his eyes. 

'There won't be a second warning. My friend normally doesn't ask twice, and neither do I. You will testify, or I will kill you myself.' I brought the dagger to bear on the ropes and he fell. I jumped down and left abruptly with Oliver.