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One Year Later
QUEEN MANOR
Oliver Queen
The night begins, and the formal party goes smoothly as ever. All of the guest are old business partners of my parents who have become close family members to us over the years when me and Thea were little. The manor tonight is filled with money, champagne, suits, dresses and caviar. “Oh Oliver, back from the dead, once again!” I see one of Dad’s close friends pat me in the shoulder teasing me as they have no idea what I’ve been through.
“Nice seeing you Uncle! Thank you for being here, and I hope you’re enjoying the party!” I say to him getting uncomfortable, but once again playing it off. These people are the people putting their own money to invest into my come back into the industry.
“Thank you for having me and Tina, Oliver! Robert, your dad, would be so proud of you for bringing back Queen Industries to its roots again.” My uncle says making me feel prideful of what my father would’ve wanted me to accomplish.
“All with the help of one smart blonde!” Felicity walks up behind me giving herself the credit and being cheesy. She places her hand on my shoulder hanging on to me and smiles at my uncle and my aunt shaking their hands as they introduce each other.
“I knew Oliver couldn’t have been making all these great new inventions of the Q-Core on his own!” My uncle teases me again and we all laugh together.
“I invent, and Oliver sells.” Felicity says and we both smile as she’s exactly right.
“Well it was nice seeing you, I’ll let you go before I cause anymore trouble here.” He says and we shake hands and I press my left hand on top of his closing the shake.
“Thanks again! I’ll see you around the party.” I say dismissing him and as we shake our hands he notices something about my left hand.
“Ah? Who’s the woman?” He says starring at my wedding ring and looks at Felicity and I shake my head.
“Mystery man.” I correct him and he chuckles away. He dismisses himself and Felicity sighs and we turn towards each other. “This is a mess.” I say not believing in myself that I can do this but the people that are here, and this manor being brought back to life reassures me that I’m doing something right. Or maybe they’re here to watch me fall.
“Don’t say that, it’s not. We’re doing just fine! Everyone is invested in our ideas and I’m sure they’re ready for the biggest idea we’ve both got in our brains to put out there!” Felicity says reassuring me and bringing me back to the headspace I need to be. She fixes my suit and pats it, wiping off my lint that have been laying on it since the night started. I smile lightly and then look around for Drake but Drake hasn’t shown any sign of life here.
“Is Drake here yet?” I ask Felicity as she would know since I don’t have my phone on me.
“No, I haven’t seen him yet.” She responds and this makes me nervous as he promised me he would show up. Something must’ve come up with The Justice League that needed his attention probably. I then look around once again scanning the room and spot Rene and Diggle wave at us. I wave back at them and smile as I’m happy to see them here at least.
“I hope he’s alright.” I say hoping the best for him and Felicity rolls her eyes as I’m underestimating Drake.
“Drake is going to be more than alright. After everything he’s been through, I’m sure he can deal with stopping an alien invasion- Not saying that’s what’s happening!” Felicity shouts scared and nervous as if she has predicted the absolute worse on the world. I look at her confused and shrug it off as that is not the case.
“Mr.Queen! The great inventor of the Q-Core!” I hear a man walk up to me and I look at him not knowing who he is. He must be one of the investors that I had my assistant invite.
“That’ll be me.” I say and give him my hand to shake and shakes it tightly trying to win dominance, but after everything I’ve been through, my strength is unnatural.
“Andrew Palmer.” He introduces himself to me and takes his hand back as he wins the dominance contest. “I can’t believe that you’ve finally found a way to create a source of energy to supply all of Star City.”
“-And The Glades.” Rene interrupts as he walks into the conversation with Diggle on his side. Andrew pays no respect to Rene due to Rene’s class status in the Glades and it bothers me that he would judge. The Q-core is meant to bring all of Star City together, not keep us divided.
“Nuclear Energy is the way!” Felicity says bringing life back to the conversation and Andrew Palmer seems threatening to me.
“Well I’m glad to see you back in the game. Hopefully we don’t butt heads in the coming up.” Andrew says and then dismisses him as I smile back, killing him with kindness.
“That man is ASS!” Rene says once Andrew Palmer is fully gone. “Oliver, where’s Drake?” Rene asks me and as he does, I spot a blonde waiter walk upstairs with food. The only problem is, no one is upstairs, the party is on the main floor only.
“I’ll be back.” I say excusing myself from them and walk away as I get a curious feeling to follow. Something isn’t right.
_____
Silver Siren
I walk around in my waiter uniform and carry a metal plate upstairs hiding my face from any guest that might recognize me as Drake Lance. I sneak around the party staying close to the walls and avoiding eye contact with any people. My look shouldn’t give me away, but if Oliver Queen or the ex-vigilantes hear that there is someone that looks like Drake Lance, then I’m busted. The long platinum blonde hair, and bleached eyebrows shouldn’t give me away, but just in case, I need to be careful.
I walk upstairs as I’m on a mission, a job more likely. I’m getting paid for this but also getting my benefit from it. As I get upstairs knowing there isn’t any guest here, I lay the metal plate on a table and walk towards the room that I was told would hold Moira Queen’s belongings. I walk in, closing the door softly behind me and as I walk in, I walk into a room with all the belongings of Moira Queen still present. The woman is dead for god’s sake. I look around and find a archery stand with 3 arrows all on the bullseye which impress me.
I walk towards a cabinet with a dozen of framed photos of the family together when they were younger. I pick up a photo of this Earth’s Laurel Lance and look at it seeing how innocent this one is, how kind she must’ve been. I place it back and then open the cabinet underneath the photos and find the safe.
____
Oliver Queen
I walk up the stairs and find the metal plate that the waiter was holding set down on a table near my mother’s room. I lift the metal cover off the plate to see nothing on the plate and set it back down as something is definitely wrong. I walk towards my mother’s room opening the door and sneak in watching the blonde waiter touch the arrows on the arrow target.
I pick up my bow and arrow and shoot an arrow directly at the bullseye. The waiter jumps frightened and then turns around staring at me shocked. I don’t recognize the waiter as he’s not anyone who I hired myself. I checked the list to make sure that the people I hired where safe and not crooks like this one. How did this one sneak past me.
“Mr.Queen! Oh so sorry, so sorry!” He says playing the innocent card and it takes me a minute to realize who this is. Silver Siren. I look at him as he’s changed his entire look, long blonde hair and bleached brows. Nobody would recognize him as Drake neither myself who spent years brain washed to work alongside with him. “I’m so terribly sorry Mr.Queen!” He says continuing to play as someone else and he hasn’t realized that I’ve noticed his look.
“That’s a beautiful bracelet. Reminds me of one that belonged to my mother.” I say spotting the diamond bracelet wrapped around his wrist that he failed to hide from me, along with some of the masculine rings that belonged to my father on his fingers. “It can’t be the same one…” I say looking down at the slightly opened cabinet where the safe hides. I use my arrow and open the cabinet with it and Silver Siren stands there continuing with his act. “Because her bracelet and my dad’s rings are in this safe…” I say to find the safe opened as well and knowing his skillset, I’m not surprised. “… the manufacture clearly explained that this is uncrackable.” I say opening up the safe and finding it raped empty of all the many more jewelry that where in there.
I look over at Silver and as I bust him. I look at him wanting to reveal his true colors to me and he can’t escape from me. I’m blocking the only door out of here. I watch Silver’s face turn from the confused waiter he plays to his real sociopathic self. “Oops… Nobody told me it was uncrackable.” He says softly mocking me as he usually does to entertain himself. It’s his ego that he needs to keep up, and I’m not here to feed it.
“I can’t let you take those.” I say to him knowing that I’m gonna have to leave here with a fight, and I’m not in the right suit to fight, neither do I want to.
“Look, you wouldn’t beat up a sneaky little siren any more than I would beat up an ex vigilante.” He says walking towards me taking the bracelet off his wrist going to give it to me. He then kicks me in my knee and punches me in the rib, throwing me down to the floor. Silver stands over me and puts his hands on his hip looking at me disappointed. “Of course, sometimes exceptions have to be made.” Silver says and then crawls up on chair placed by the big window and opens the window.
I lay on the ground as I haven’t been beat up like this in awhile and watch Silver crawl on to the window. “Goodnight Mr.Queen.” He winks and back flips out of the window and I get up slowly walking towards the window as a fall like this would break his ankles but he lands perfectly fine.
____
Silver Siren
I walk off the small pain from my ankles and walk towards a limo as I take off the waiter bowtie, and unbutton a couple buttons from my shirt to reveal my smooth pale toned chest. I walk up to a limo and open the door as I find myself in the car of the gay congressman of Star City. He’s been eyeing me and asking me for drinks every 5 seconds and he’ll be handy for my next plan.
As I get in, he looks at me like he’s won the lottery and every fantasy of his has come true. “Can I have a ride?” I play the seductive role being charming with my bright smile and bite my lip softly, making it natural.
“You read my mind.” He says and I giggle putting on the seatbelt. I get comfortable in his car and decide I’m in the safe zone. “As anyone ever tell you that you look like the Black Canary singer?”
“All the time.” I chuckle playing it off as I feel absolutely disgusted for looking like that goody two shoes.
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