Arrow: the Two Archers

Chapter 1: the Lost Girl Returns

Lydia was out of options.  She had nothing except the clothes she had on and the duffel bag on her shoulder. She was walking through the streets of Starling City, getting drenched by the torrential downpour in the process, looking for the apartment building. She let out a sigh of relief before hurrying inside and up the floors. She was really hoping this would work.

Stopping in front of one the apartments, she knocked on the door. A young woman opened the door. Lydia was surprised to see that she somehow looked exactly like the woman in the picture, even after five years.

"Um... can I help you?" the woman asked.

"Are you Laurel Lance?" Lydia replied, just making sure her assumptions were correct.

"Yes. And you are?" Laurel confirmed.

"My name is Lydia Rooke. I'm the girl who got rescued with Oliver Queen. You might've seen me on the news."

Laurel nodded.

"Oh, yeah. I thought you looked familiar. But... what are you doing here?"

"I don't have a place to stay. Oliver said you could help me."

As she noticed Laurel was ready to turn her away, Lydia began to feel desperate. This was her only chance.

"Please. I have nowhere else to go." she pleaded.

Laurel took so long to react that Lydia started to think she had decided to refuse and was just looking for a polite way to send her away. Fortunately, Laurel instead stepped to the side to let her through.

Lydia tried to convey as much gratefulness as she could as she stepped inside the apartment. It was surprisingly welcoming. It was neatly furnished and organized. It slightly reminded Lydia of her old house.

"It's a nice place." she commented.

"Thanks. I try to keep it tidy." Laurel replied.
"Let me show you around."

Laurel led Lydia around the apartment and showed her the different rooms, including the spare bedroom where she would be staying. Upon entering it, Lydia took a good look around. It had been a long time since she'd had a room, or even a bed. She slowly put the duffel bag down.

"Do you have any extra clothes in that bag?" Laurel asked.

Lydia shook her head with a grimace.

"Not really."

"In that case, I have some clothes you can borrow." Laurel said.

"Oh, no that's fine. These are alright."

"Those clothes are completely soaked. Come on, I'll get you some new ones." Laurel insisted.

She left the room and came back with a wide assortment of clothes she'd found in her closet. She then left to let Lydia change in private. After a few tries, Lydia eventually found a set of clothes that fit.

*

Not long after, Lydia was sitting with Laurel in the living room. The older woman had been kind enough to give Lydia some food, which she practically devoured. In the meantime, Laurel saw this as an opportunity to get to know her unexpected guest.

"So, what can you tell me about yourself?"

"I'm a seventeen year old girl who has lived in Starling City her whole life. My dad was a doctor and my mom was a nurse. I used to live in the Glades before I got stranded." Lydia said.

"How did you get stranded on the island?" Laurel asked.

When Lydia took a while to answer, Laurel immediately regretted asking that question.

"I'm sorry. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"No no, it's okay. It's just... it's difficult." Lydia assured.
"When I was little, I had always wanted to go to Japan. Five years ago, my parents finally managed to get the money we needed to go there. Nothing too much, just a week. But I was happier than I had ever been.
Then, on our way there the plane crashed. I was the only survivor. A twelve year old girl lost on an island. If it weren't for Oliver, I probably wouldn't have made it."

Laurel was shocked at hearing this. But at least now it made sense why Lydia had said she had nowhere to go. This girl literally had no people left. Though she did wonder why Oliver hadn't taken the girl with him and instead left her on the street. It's not like Queen Manor had a shortage of rooms.

"Why did you let me stay?" Lydia asked.

Laurel smiled.

"Because I like helping people. And you needed help." she answered.

Lydia smiled at this. It was just like Oliver had said: Dinah Laurel Lance, always trying to save the world.

"It's getting late. We should probably get some sleep." Laurel said, noticing how late it was.

Lydia nodded her agreement and the two of them went to their respective rooms.

*

(5 years ago)

"Mom, how much longer until we land?" asked twelve year old Lydia.

Her mother smiled kindly at her daughter.

"Not long, Bluejay. We'll be on the ground in no time." she assured her while pulling her into a hug.

"On the bright side, sweetie, you have a really nice view from up here." her father pointed out.

Lydia looked out the window. She could see a vast expanse of ocean and a small island chain. The biggest one was the one that drew her attention. It looked deserted, completely abandoned and wild, nearly inhospitable. It looked pretty from the sky, but it was not a place she would want to spend any time on.

She was confused when she saw something leave that island, shooting up into the sky.

"Mom..."

Lydia was cut off by a sudden explosion that shook the aircraft. The blast tore the plane to pieces. Lydia watched in horror as her father's seat by the aisle was ripped away and he vanished through the tear in the fuselage.

"DAD!" Lydia screamed in pure panic.

Her mother hurried to pull her into her arms and curl around her defensively.

*

(Present)

Lydia was startled as someone shook her awake. Reacting on instinct, she pulled the person down and applied pressure to the throat. She immediately stopped though, when she realized she was choking Laurel. She scrambled away in panic, curling into a corner of the room.

"It's okay, Lydia. It's alright. You're safe." Laurel told her softly, trying to reassure her.

But Lydia didn't feel safe. The nightmare had felt too vivid. She stayed in her corner, shivering while thunder roared outside.