Green Lantern & Green Arrow: High Stakes

• “AHHH!” A scream cut through the casino. John Stewart snapped to attention, his power ring began to glow. “Oh my god! Oh my GOD!” cried the woman at the slot machine. Lucia Stewart, his mother. Lights blinked and sirens wailed as coins clattered into the tray below. She threw her arms in the air and hollered again, laughing this time, “Jackpot, baby!” John relaxed just enough to lean against the machine next to hers, “You trying to give me a heart attack, Ma?” Lucia fanned herself dramatically with a cocktail napkin, “Well, somebody’s gotta keep your reflexes sharp, Sheriff Spacey.” He chuckled and shook his head, arms folded, “You’re lucky I didn’t launch a tractor beam at the buffet line.” She collected the coins with gleeful precision, tossing him a grin, “Don’t tempt me, honey. I could buy that buffet now.” John smiled wide, “I told you this’d be fun.” “You were right,” she said, bumping his arm with hers, “And for the record? You’re the best date I’ve had in years.” He pretended to look offended, “That better not be true.” Lucia laughed again, wrapping her hand around his arm, just glad that he was home, “John, I’m proud of you. You know that, right?” He looked at her, softened by the glow of the machine’s celebration lights, and nodded, “Yeah. I know.” She winked. “Good. Now help me carry my winnings before I spend ‘em all on margaritas.”

• The casino lights flickered. One by one, slot machines froze mid-spin. Music cut to static and John’s ring made a strange flicker. The floor beneath them gave a low groan, then shook violently, like something monstrous was coming up from underneath. John turned to his mother, “Get down.” And then the floor of the hall exploded upward and giant, gleaming playing cards the size of hovercrafts tore down through the rooftop like guillotines. Screams broke out across the floor as flying cards descended in a swirl of smoke and chaos. On top of them stood five costumed figures, heads held high like a pack of supervillain royalty. The Royal Flush Gang had arrived. “Ladies and gentlemen,” the King’s voice boomed, “The house always wins. But this evening, we are the house.” He raised his hand and sparks danced across his fingers, crackling blue and wild. With a flick, the entire casino’s power grid blew out. Lights died. Emergency systems sputtered and failed. Jack’s voice cut in, “Let’s go, grab it quick!” John lifted his mother and moved her behind a roulette table, “Stay here. Don’t move.” “Johnny—” “Don’t move.” With no hesitation, John Stewart suited up with an emerald glow that lit the villains back up with an all too blinding light. Queen cackled and twirled a hand of cards between her fingers, sharp enough to slice air. Jack’s red eye flared like a warning beacon, scanning the room in thermal and x-ray all at once. But Ace who landed first, crashing down like a wrecking ball. He was easily eight feet tall, fists like concrete slabs. He charged straight for the cashier vault but John met Ace head-on, trading blows that sent shockwaves through the floor. Ace mocked, “You hit like a weak fart.” John gritted his teeth and created a massive spiked gauntlet over his fist, “And you smell like one.” They clashed again, and just as John got the upper hand, Jack fired a laser from from above with a high-pitched whine from his eye. John whipped up a mirror construct to reflect the blast, scattering it across the ceiling tiles, then countered with a chain that wrapped around Jack’s leg and whipped him across the floor. Then King raised both hands to the air, electricity dancing in arcs that spiderwebbed across the casino. John's ring flickered again, harder this time, and his constructs faltered. Panels sparked and screens shattered. The all the tech in the building felt rigged to blow. Suddenly, a terrible crack echoed from the ceiling above. John turned to see Lucia was still with a group of frightened civilians near the collapsing pillers, frozen in terror as the massive fixture began to fall. “NO!” He launched forward, throwing everything he had into a shield dome that formed around them just as the concrete smashed down like thunder. The dome held as they proceed to be covered by the collapsing casino ceiling. And the Royal Flush Gang was already ascending back onto their cards with bags full of stolen winnings, vanishing into the moon lit sky with trails of smoke and laughter. John transformed his dome into a tunnel through the wreckage. His mother’s hand was clutching his, “God bless you, Green Lantern,” she whispered. But John didn’t respond as he stared into the empty night sky. 

• The casino floor of a different venu buzzed with cheap glamour. Neon lights reflected off gold-trimmed mirrors and waitresses in red corsets weaved through crowds with trays of free drinks. Oliver Queen moved like he belonged there followed by the love of his life, Dina Lance, less comfortable in a place like this. She kept her arms crossed as they scanned the roulette tables, walking shoulder to shoulder. “You sure this is the place?” Dinah asked, eyes sharp. Oliver tilted his head toward a crowd near the bar, “Yeah. He’s got a type, trouble. And look…” There he was, Roy Harper. Not even old enough to rent a car, much less down the amber-colored drink in his hand. But there he sat, flush with chips, slouched in his chair like a guy who owned the damn casino. Oliver clenched his jaw, “Unbelievable.” They cut across the floor. Dinah moved fast, Oliver faster. Roy didn’t even notice them at first, he was too busy raking in a win. Then Dinah grabbed his shoulder. He jumped, “Whoa, hey—” “You out of your mind?” she snapped. “Not… entirely,” Roy said, lifting the drink, “This helps.” Oliver yanked it out of his hand and slammed it onto the table, “Why the hell are you here, Roy?” He just shrugged and stood up, arms slightly raised like a surrender, “Honestly? I’m getting what I deserve.” “Oh, please,” Dinah scoffed, “Spare us the ‘I’ve earned it’ routine.” They dragged him off the floor, into a quieter lounge space. Oliver got right in his face, “You think this is how you celebrate? Sneaking into casinos, drinking like a frat boy, blowing your money on rigged tables?” Roy laughed dryly, “Rigged is fair when I’m the one playing.” Dinah looked like she wanted to scream, but instead she just turned away, trying not to lose it in public. That’s when a voice cut in behind them, “Excuse me,” said a clean-cut casino employee in a vest and tie, “Sir, ma’am, I’m going to have to ask you not to cause a scene here.” Oliver turned slowly, “Oh yeah?” he said, stepping toward the guy, “You oughta be thanking us. We just exposed your establishment for letting a minor gamble and drink under your nose.” The employee started to push back until he actually looked at who he was talking to. His eyes went wide, “Oh, Mr. Queen?” Oliver arched a brow. The employee immediately straightened his posture, “So sorry, sir. If we’d known it was you, of course we’d make an exception. You’re welcome to bring your family and guests anytime. No restrictions whatsoever.” Roy grinned sloppily, “See? VIP treatment for they guy born with a silver spoon up his--.” Dinah snapped out a hand, grabbed Roy by the wrist, and yanked him toward the door, “Come on, high roller,” she muttered. Oliver followed with a scowl. 

• The casino doors hissed shut behind them, and the cold night air hit like a slap. Dinah dragged Roy toward the car, Oliver close behind, hands in his coat pockets making a fist, “You don’t get to pull this crap and then sulk like we’re the villains,” Oliver snapped. Roy scoffed, stumbling slightly, “Didn’t realize I was under house arrest.” “You’re not,” Oliver spat, “But keep pushing it and you’re gonna wish you were.” They were halfway across the parking lot when the sky above them hummed with a strange whirring sound echoing above them like a jet engine crossed with a buzzsaw. Three massive playing cards descende towards the casino. The largest one crashed straight through the casino’s domed roof, glass and metal raining down as panicked screams erupted from inside. Oliver turned to Dinah, “We still got the suits in the trunk?” She popped the keys from her jacket and clicked the car. Beep beep. “Never leave home without ’em.” Oliver gave a curt nod, then turned to Roy, “You’re staying put.” “What? Come on, I can help!” “No,” Oliver said hard,  “You’re drunk. You’re sloppy and right now, you’re a liability.” Roy’s face dropped. “I said I was fine—” “And I said no,” Oliver cut him off commanding, “You want to earn your spot on the team again? Then prove you know when to sit one out. That starts right now.” Roy looked like he’d been punched in the gut. But he didn’t argue again. Oliver popped the trunk, already pulling out the familiar green tunic and bow. Dina was beside him a snapping on her boots. Together, Green Arrow and Black Canary turned back toward the chaos.

• Inside the casino,slot machines sparked and sputtered as patrons stampeded for the exits. Queen cackled as she flipped another card like a blade, slicing clean through a chandelier and sending glass raining down. Ten twirled through the fray behind her like a dancer, grinning ear to ear as bullets from a security guard’s gun misfired, ricocheting harmlessly into the carpet thanks to a sudden stroke of uncanny luck. Then a sharp voice cut through the noise, “Hey! Royal freakshow!” Queen spun just in time to dodge a scream. Literally. Black Canary dove forward, letting loose another sonic cry that cracked the tiles beneath her heels. Queen barely evaded the full blast and retaliated with a flick of her wrist, sending two more razor cards flying. Dinah rolled between roulette tables, narrowly dodging both. Across the room, Green Arrow fired off a quick three-shot combo, standard, glue, and net. But none landed. Ten weaved between them with unnatural grace, like fate itself had her back. “Unreal,” Oliver muttered, already drawing another arrow, “It’s like she’s got horseshoes and clovers taped to her ribs.” Ten winked at him, “More like a stacked deck, handsome.” He scowled, loosing a concussive arrow her way, but a ceiling panel just happened to fall at the same time, blocking the blast, “Oh, come on.” Jack used the distraction to blast Oliver with a blast from his eye. He barely dove behind a toppled poker table, breathing heavy. Black Canary launched herself at Queen in a flurry of hand-to-hand strikes, but Queen kept her back with a fan of sparking cards, pinning Dina against a wall as King charged up with electric energy, “You’re pretty loud for someone so cornered.” And then.. Thunk! Two sudden boxing glove arrow slammed into King and Queen, knocking them off balance followed a burst of smoke. From across the room, Roy Harper stood atop a table, bow in hand and the faint wobble of a guy who definitely shouldn’t be handling pointy objects. “Boom!” he shouted, “Still got it even after a few drinks!” Green Arrow couldn’t believe it, “Roy?! I told you to wait in the car!” Roy grinned, “You also told me pineapple didn’t go on pizza. You were wrong about a lot of things.” Dinah didn’t waste the window, she shoulder-checked Queen away from the wall and kicked King in the crown just as Oliver popped up and landed an explosive arrow in the center of the room, scattering the gang for cover. The fight turned into a proper brawl now, more than before. Arrows flying, Canary screaming, the Gang dodging and retaliating best they could. But every time the gang was cornered, some freak twist of fate saved them. And then pillar crumbling at the perfect moment, a water line breaking right in their faces, filling the hall with mist and an advantage just long enough to make their escape. Finally, as the air cleared and the last arrow missed its mark by a breath, the Royal Flush Gang vanished again, riding their cards skyward into the night. 

• Back at the Quiver, the team regrouped. A map of the coast lit up on one of the displays, showing three blinking red dots. Oliver stood with his arms crossed, jaw clenched as he stated the obvious, “Looks like that was the third casino this week,” he said grimly. Dinah sat on the armrest of a couch, “And they sure aren’t subtle about it.” Roy was pacing in the background, visibly buzzing with energy, fiddling with an arrow shaft between his fingers, “So what’s the move? Hit the next one before they do? Set a trap? I mean c’mon, look at me out there! I nailed that shot. Even when I was tipsy!” Dina snapped her eyes toward him, “Yeah. And that’s exactly the problem.” Roy blinked. “What? I’m the sh—” He caught himself, “I’m great with a bow. Always have been.” “You don’t get a gold star for reckless behavior,” Dina said, standing now, “You think this is all just fun and games, but if we keep letting you pull this crap, you’re gonna start thinking it’s okay.” Roy’s face fell for a moment, then hardened, “So what, you think I’m useless unless I’m perfect? You want me to go back to pretending I don’t know what I’m doing?” Oliver stood up and stepped between them. “Hey. Enough.” Oliver’s voice was calm but firm, “No one’s saying you don’t belong out there. We’ve seen what you can do. But if you’re gonna suit up, I need your head on straight. That’s all we’re asking.” Roy looked away, his shoulders rising and falling with a frustrated breath. But after a long pause, he finally nodded, “Yeah. Yeah, okay,” he muttered, “I promise I’ll do better.” Oliver gave him a small, genuine nod in return, “That’s all we needed to hear.” Dina didn’t say anything, but she didn’t look away either. She just sat back on the armrest, her silence carrying the weight of someone who wanted to believe it wasn’t just talk.

• Before the tension could settle, the Quiver’s monitor beeped, an urgent police frequency blaring over the speakers. “Another one,” Dinah said, leaning in. Roy was already halfway to his gear rack, “Let me guess, casino?” “You know it, kid,” Oliver confirmed, “Same M.O.” They were in motion, suiting up, slinging bows, snapping quivers into place. Within minutes, their motor bikes roared beneath them, weaving through traffic like arrows on a mission. By the time they arrived, the casino was already in chaos. Patrons were running from shattered windows, sirens wailed in the distance, and glass glittered across the sidewalk like fresh snow. But someone else was already inside. A neon-green arc shot across the sky as John Stewart slammed down a massive barrier wall between fleeing civilians and the Royal Flush Gang. His ring constructed twin battering rams, launching King and Ace back into a row of poker tables. Queen hissed, “Ugh. This guy again, too?” John turned when he saw the trio arrive, “Took you long enough.” Oliver knocked an arrow, “Woah woah if you sass us, no backup for you!” Canary cracked her knuckles, “Stop your bickering boys. Let’s make it count.” And then it was on. The Royal Flush Gang met the five heroes with full force, King sending electrical bursts that shot from the casino lights, Ace tearing through fancy furniture with brute strength, and Ten narrowly dodging every hit that should’ve landed. Green Lantern did his best shielding civilians and hammering the heavy-hitters, Green Arrow launching trick arrows across the floor, Black Canary throwing sonics and punches as Speedy covered them from the second level balcony. This wasn’t the easy score the gang was expecting.

• Amid the battle, the clatter of slot machines turned to shrapnel, arrows flew and limelight constructs slammed down like thunder. But somewhere between the clamor, Speedy’s rhythm faltered. He landed a sharp hit, nailing Jack square in the side with a flare arrow, but no one noticed. Not Lantern, who was busy shielding civilians from a wave of electricity. Not Oliver, who was firing precision shots to intercept Queen’s deadly playing cards. Not even Dina, who was trading hands with Ace like she was born in a boxing ring. Roy scowled. He muttered under his breath, “Yeah, yeah, big green light show, real impressive,” before ducking behind a row of overturned promo signs. He wiped sweat from his brow and peeked out at the glowing spectacle around him. For a moment, he just watched, “Don’t need me. Fine.” And he slipped out a side door. The battle raged on, Green Lantern managing to pin King beneath an anvil of will power, only for him to jolt out with two hands and blast Lantern with a surge of his power. The anvil flickered and gave way as his ring hissed. “What!? That’s not possible.” John questioned. Then Ten gave a grin and flick a poker chip. It ricocheted off a broken mirror, triggered a chain reaction of explosions, and gave the gang just enough cover to get away once again. Smoke hung and Green Arrow coughed, “Everyone alright?” John looked down at his ring, stupified, before, scanning the casino to confirm the civilians were safe. Canary complained, “Flush Gang got away again, though.” “Yeah, what else is new,” Arrow muttered. Oliver looked around, suddenly tense, “Where’s Roy?” Dinah paused, “He was on the second level last I saw.” Oliver’s voice sharpened, “ROY?!” No answer. Oliver darted toward the upper floor, weaving through the wreckage, eyes wide, “Roy!” He turned back, panic rising, “He’s gone.” John floated down beside him. “You don’t think..” “They took him,” Oliver said, voice low, dread sinking in, “Those freaks took the kid.”

• Cut to a dim apartment on the edge of the city. It had stained blinds, broken lights, and a ceiling fan that spun with a clatter. Roy ducked in through a window. “Yo, I’m back!” Roy’s voice echoed through the apartment as he shrugged off his quiver, dropping it on the sagging couch. His vest was half-zipped, his knuckles still red from the fight, “You got some weed or anything to take the edge off?” From the kitchenette, a sultry voice purred back, “Welcome back, hottie.” Jade Nguyen, Cheshire, stepped into the room wearing a smirk that said she’d been waiting for him. She twirled a small glass jar between her fingers. She tossed it to him with lazy grace, “I’ve got exactly what you need.” Roy caught the jar and flopped down beside her on the couch, letting his head tip back against the wall, “You’re a terrible influence, you know that?” Cheshire chuckled, sliding beside him, “And yet you keep coming back.” He smirked, eyes drifting shut.

• In Oliver’s safehouse Quiver, lights casted dull lines across the cluttered maps and half-drunk coffees littering the table. John Stewart leaned over the layout, fingers tracing over each casino hit, jaw tight with frustration. “We’ve been over this land-sweep twice already,” he muttered, “Still no sign of Speedy. No clue where the Flush Gang’s holed up. All we’ve got are three casinos and a trail of chips.” Oliver stood across from him, “Yeah, yeah, but check this out.” He clicked a button on his computer, bringing up a page with the bolded header: PROPERTY OWNERSHIP – STAGG ENTERPRISES. “All three casinos. Same owner. Simon Stagg.” John raised an eyebrow but didn’t look convinced, “So? Half this city’s real estate traces back to that fossil. What’s that tell us?” Oliver leaned forward, voice sharpening, “Maybe nothing. Maybe everything. You know how much he’s worth?” John snorted, “More than enough to piss off an army. There’s no end to the list that could have it out for him.” “Exactly,” Oliver nodded, “But these casinos? They’re bleeding money. Bad investments. They were all already circling down the drain before the Flush Gang ever showed up.” John blinked, connecting the dots, “Wait. You’re saying…” “Every one of them was insured. Handsomely. Long before the first card ever flew.” There was a pause. Then John let out a low, incredulous laugh and shook his head, “Who the hell loses money running a casino?” “Someone thick enough to torch his own buildings for the payout,” Oliver said, already grabbing his bow and quiver. “C’mon. I think we just found our inside man.” “But what about the kid?” John asked, “Why take Roy?” Oliver’s expression darkened, “That’s what we’re gonna find out.” John clenched his ring tight, “Time to pay Stagg a visit.” As the two suited up, Dinah stood by the exit, pulling up her jacket, “I’ll stay street level,” she said, “If we’re wrong, and Roy’s out there somewhere else, I’ll be the first to catch wind of it.” Oliver nodded, his voice low, “Be careful, Di.” “You too,” she meant warmly. The team split up with the stakes rising and the answers closing in.

• Without subtlety, Green Lantern and Green Arrow burst into Stagg Tower through a twelfth-story window, showering the marble floor with glass. Simon Stagg, perched like a vulture behind a polished desk the size of a dining table, flinched like crazy before adjusting his cufflinks with a scowled, “I’ll have you both sued for breaking and entering,” he drawled, “You think a Green Lantern ring makes you above property law?” John didn’t stutter, “Don’t test me, Stagg.” Oliver stepped forward, hot on his heels, with a notched arrow aimed straight at Stagg’s red tie, “You know why we’re here, Simon. So how about you cut the crap and tell us, what was the deal? You let the Royal Flush Gang go wild wrecking your buildings, make off with as much as they can carry, and in return you cash fat insurance settlements on dying casinos you couldn’t keep afloat.” Stagg raised a bushy brow, “Colorful theory. But I know you’ve got nothing. No paper trail, no phone calls, no connection tying me to those- what did you call them? Playing card wackos?” Oliver didn’t ease up, “Oh there will be after I take your pompous ass in. Where is the kid? Where’s Roy!?” Stagg looked genuinely perplexed, “I don’t—” “Don’t lie to me!” Oliver’s voice cracked like thunder, and in a blink, he crossed the room, grabbing Simon by the lapels and slamming him against his own cabinet. “Where. Is. The boy?” Stagg’s bravado faltered for the first time. “Oliver—” John stepped in, calm but stern, “Ease up.” But Oliver didn’t. His grip only tightened, “He’s just a kid. He doesn’t deserve this. You wanna make dirty deals, fine. But you don’t drag my boy into it.” That’s when Stagg panicked. He slapped an emergency button beneath his desk. “For the record,” Stagg muttered, “I had no idea you were so personally invested.” The large office doors flung open and the massive flying cards that soared into the room like thunderclouds. The Royal Flush Gang grinned like wolves who smelled blood. Jack’s visor flashed red as he scanned the room. Ace cracked his knuckles. And King, with electricity dancing at his fingertips, stepped off the card with a sneer, “Looks like some people just don’t know when to fold ‘em” he said, lighting his fingers up like a fuse. John’s ring pointed at King and Oliver’s bow snapped up. Stagg ducked behind his desk like a coward. And just like that, all cards were on the table.

• King didn’t waste a time as he launched a shorting wave of blue-white electricity that ripped across the office. John raised his ring to cast a barrier, but the construct died with a pitiful spark. John only saw the energy coming straight at him before Oliver tackled him behind an elaborate indoor fountain. The lightning blasted overhead, exploding pompous art piece into molten shards. “What was that?” Oliver barked, crouched behind the marble basin. John held up the sputtering green on his hand, “Something about King, he shorts it out. I don’t know how, but we’ve gotta take him out first.” “Oh, that’s what you think the problem is?” Oliver snapped, nocking an arrow, “Personally, I’d start with Lucky Girl over there.” Ten was vaulting through the air with grace, the room practically bending around her path. A fallen light fixture missed her by inches, just another coincidence in her favor. “Fine. We do both,” John said grimly, charging just enough juice to send a green construct uppercut straight into King’s chin, only for it to fizzle halfway through. However the distraction allowed Oliver a chance to shot loose a boxing glove arrow that knocked king out, sending his crown tumbling to the floor. He then launched a sticky net arrow that pinned Ten’s foot mid-air. It didn’t stop her, but it slowed her. But that would be enough, because, then it happened, Ten landed wrong and with no more interference in his ring, he made a boxing glove construct of his own that decked Ten out cold. John glanced at Oliver with a smirk and Oliver just responded, “size isn’t everything. Ya know.” before barely ducking under one of Queen’s cards. The fight went on and Jack’s eye-beams blasted holes through Stagg’s private collection of overpriced sculptures before being redirected by John back into his own eye. Queen’s blades tore up Stagg’s desk until she ran out of cards, and Ace went down swinging after a half-dozen high-yield arrows detaining on his chest. The gang hit the ground like scattered cards. Stagg was still cowering in fear when Oliver stormed over, grabbing him by the collar again and dragging him upright, “No more games. You’re done.” Stagg’s lips flapped as he gasped, “Alright! Alright! I admit it! I hired them for the insurance. The casinos were bleeding me dry. I never meant for anyone to get hurt!” John demanded, “Then where’s Roy Harper?” Stagg blinked, confused and pale, “This kid you’re talking about? I don’t—I swear. Why would I- I told them what to hit and when. That’s it! No kid!” Oliver stared at him, eyes wild with a fury that hadn’t cooled since they first broke in. But after a long moment, he stepped back. John gave a nod, and the authorities waiting downstairs swarmed in after the chaos cooled, cuffing Stagg, rounding up the gang, and dragging the gang into reinforced vehicles. But Roy was still missing. Oliver looked to John, voice low and dry, “We’re running out of luck.” John just nodded, “Then we keep looking.”

• The city blurred past in streaks of light and shadow. Dina Lance moved like a phantom through the crowd, eyes scanning every corner, every alley, every face. Hours had passed. Leads went cold. Hope got thinner. Until at first, just a flash of a familiar silhouette crossing the street near O’Niel and 8tth. Worth a look. Dark hair, head down, the practiced quick pase of someone trying not to be noticed. Jade Nguyen, Cheshire. Out of costume, but unmistakable. Dina froze mid-step, narrowing her gaze. As if sensing it, Jade turned. Their eyes met across the crosswalk, and then Jade bolted. “Not a chance,” Dina took off, weaving through traffic and shouting pedestrians, sprinting after her down the grimy stretch of cracked sidewalk, “Jade! Stop!” Jade didn’t look back. They tore through an alley, Dina just a breath behind. Jade vaulted a dumpster. Dina slid under a fire escape. Both of them were fast, but Jade had the head start and knew the terrain. She ducked into a crumbling old apartment building near the corner, the one she’d been calling home. Dina hit the building’s front doorway a few seconds later, nearly kicking it off the hinges. She didn’t go in yet. Instead, she stepped back behind the wall, breath steadying as she pulled out her comm, “Ollie, I think I’ve got something,” she whispered, “Correction. I think I’ve got someone. Jade Nguyen. She just ran into a busted apartment building near Eighty Fifth. And she looks very guilty.” A pause. “You remember our run in with her family. Something tells me, she might have Roy.”

• The apartment door burst open in a crack of green light and splintered wood. John Stewart stepped in first, power ring glowing like a loaded gun. Oliver was right behind him, bow drawn, heart pounding, shouting, “Roy?!” But then he saw him, a frozen dear in headlights. Slouched on the floor, surrounded by trash and a haze of stale smoke, Roy Harper had a band tied around his arm and held a needle in his hand. His eyes were wide but he didn’t drop it. The silence was deafening. “Speedy…” Oliver’s voice cracked, “You’re a junkie?” The words felt radioactive. Roy tugged his head away, jaw clenched. Oliver could only help but feel like an absolute failure. John crossed the room in two strides, swatting the needle from Roy’s grip with a hard slap of emerald energy, “What on Earth do you think you’re doing?” Roy sprang up to his feet, “I’m not- It’s not what it looks like!” “I’ve heard that before,” John said coldly, towering over him, “I’ve buried people who said that.” “You don’t know anything about me!” Roy shouted, shoving John back, but it was like pushing a wall. Dina stepped in from the hallway, breathless and trying to keep things from imploding, “Roy. We can help you. Let us—” “Help me?” Roy scoffed, “You don’t even treat me like I’m part of the damn team. I’m just some feather-headed mascot with a bow! I don’t need any more help. I need respect.” Oliver looked like someone had ripped the floor out from under him, “You think this is the way to go about it?” he asked, voice low, “Running off with the bad guys? Hiding out in some dump? You think she understands you?” Roy snapped, “She understands me better than you do! She gets what it’s like to grow up fighting for scraps. I wasn’t born with Queen privilege! You had everything handed to you. You don’t get it, and you never will.” Oliver stepped back like he’d been physically hit, “You think that makes her good for you? She’s a killer, Roy. This path? It ends in ruin.” Roy snarled, “Yeah? Pretty sure that’s what people said about you before you decided to play Robin Hood and took me under your wing’.” John clenched a fist, “That’s enough.” He took another step forward, constructing green handcuffs around Roy’s wrists, “We’re checking you in, bub.” Oliver held up a hand to stop him, “Don’t,” Oliver said quietly, “Even if we force him into rehab, he’ll just bust out. He’s not ready.” Roy gave a hollow laugh, “Glad someone finally believes I’m capable of something.” John looked at Oliver like, ‘are you sure?’ and Oliver nodded. The green cuffs faded away and Roy gathered his gear, starting toward the door. Dina called after him, “And what about her? You really think Cheshire’s in this for you?” He paused in the doorway, but didn’t turn back, “She’s with me no matter what,” he muttered, “That’s more than I can say for the rest of you.” Oliver’s barely got his next words out, “If I see you with her again, Roy.. Don’t expect me to hold back. I’ll treat you both like the enemy.” Roy didn’t flinch, kept his shoulders stiff, disappearing into the night with the sound of broken trust echoing behind him, “Whatever,” Roy said. And he was gone.

• Back in the Quiver, Oliver leaned back against the table, arms folded, eyes heavy with thought. Dinah sat nearby, bandaging up a bruise on John’s arm in silence. Finally, Oliver broke the quiet, “He’ll land on his feet,” he said, “He’s a pain, but he’s tougher than people think.” John got up, “I sure hope so. Otherwise…” he exhaled slowly, “me and the League might be the ones who have to stop him someday.” That hung in the air a moment until John turned, arms behind his back now. “Which brings me to something else,” he said, “You two ever think about going pro?” Dina arched a brow, “Pro?” John nodded, “Full Justice League status. Not just the occasional helping out type. You two are already doing the work. Might as well wear the badge.” Oliver snorted, half amused, “Listen to you. You’re starting to sound like that Batman creep.” John smiled faintly, “And he’s wrong how often?” Oliver gave a sideways glance to Dina, who raised her hands innocently, “I go where you go, love.” John stepped closer, sincerely, “Think about it. We could use people like you. Grounded. Sharp. The kind who don’t forget where the real fights are.” Oliver gave a thoughtful nod, staring at the map screen one last time as it faded to black. “Yeah,” he said, “We’ll think about it.” Dinah stood and walked over, folding her arms around Oliver’s shoulders, “But secret bases in Antarctica or calls at 3 a.m., are deal breakers.” John smiled, “No promises.” Outside, the city kept spinning. The casino crisis in the rearview, but somewhere out there, a wayward archer still had time to find his way home.

• Somewhere far off, a siren whined and a dog barked into nothing. Jade Nguyen’s boots splashed through a puddle as she ducked behind a dumpster, chest heaving, hair matted to her cheek from the chase. She doubled over, catching her breath. Her hoodie was torn, “Old milf’s faster than she looks,” Jade muttered. She reached into her pocket, pulled out a small communicator, and clicked the side three times. “Pickup requested,” she said between breaths, “I was red hot but I’m clear now.” A number of moments passed, then static crackled back in her ear, followed by a modulated voice, “Confirmed. Coordinates locked.” Jade looked up just as a dark, unmarked helicopter with its lights off descended behind the row of buildings. She ran to it without hesitation, vaulting over a fence and scrambling up onto a rooftop. Jade leapt, grabbed the rope ladder midair, and hoisted herself up one fluid motion. The chopper lifted into the sky, vanishing into the clouds as the city below disappeared behind them. She collapsed into one of the side benches, letting out a long exhale, finally smiling again, “Better luck next time, Blondie.”