Working With Red

Divide and Conquer; or, However It's Supposed to Go

"The Council has been dormant as of late, and you know that," Oliver defended, pointing an accusatory finger at the redhead. "Until we find out what they're up to, you're needed here. The Team has been handling everything else on the east coast just fine, and there's been no need to send you two out into the field if the Council isn't showing any activity." 

"No, there's no reason to send (Y/N) out into the field!" Roy suddenly snapped, bringing the three of you to a collective stunned silence. "I don't go on missions with the Team anymore because you or the League or who-the-fuck-ever wants me to babysit twenty-four-seven! For months, the only time we've been granted leave was when it had something to do with the Council, and you only send the two of us out together! Can you remember the last time you and I took on an assignment together? Or, even a patrol?! I've been handling shit with (Y/N) on my own because you're always M.I.A. on League business, and you refuse to let the two of us out of the house without a chaperone because (Y/N) has no control of herself! You have no idea what I've been dealing with these past few days, and everything just seems to keep piling on, especially with you keeping us in the dark!" 

With every word, the memory from last night of the two of you on the Ferris wheel grew dimmer and dimmer, and the pit in your stomach hollowed. You tried to consider that this wasn't Roy talking; it was Red Arrow missing his partnership with Green Arrow, and probably growing sick of having to keep track of you. However, even under that consideration, it didn't make you hate yourself for bringing him down any less. You weren't aware Roy had been feeling this way; reevaluating what he'd said in your head, you thought about the past few days when Roy had gone out on his own and come back all banged up. Red Arrow had been taking things on by himself, without telling you when he'd be leaving, when he'd return, or what he was up to. With Oliver and Dinah's League duties and trying to decipher the rumored connections between the Council, Poison Ivy, and other undisclosed League business... 

Were you driving a wedge between Red and Green Arrow? Worse, were your metagenes driving a wedge between you and Roy? 

"That's not fair," Oliver suddenly murmured, blue eyes narrowing. "It's not (Y/N)'s fault that you and I haven't been spending much time together these days. It's also not fair for you to bring up something like that in front of her. You should've spoken to me about this privately, Roy." Roy's chest moved up and down steadily with his heavy breathing, but in the stalemate he held with Oliver, you could sense he was finished and was forcing himself to calm down. You were somewhat relieved, but you couldn't bring yourself to peel your eyes from the toes of your shoes, where they had landed after Roy's outburst. At the moment, you were too ashamed and embarrassed to look at anyone. 

"Back to the assignment at hand." Oliver heaved out a sigh as he returned to the list of target bases. "We've gotten everything prepared for the two of you; where you'll be staying for the next several days, a schedule for meeting up with the heads of security for each location, as well as a file containing specific instructions you are to follow during your mission. I'll be doing my best to monitor you from Gotham, but in the time leading up to my meeting with Jackson, my attention will be mainly focused on that." After a prolonged moment of awkward silence, Oliver sighed again tiredly. "Any questions?" 

"It's still not going to work," Roy mumbled. "I could easily pull up a hood and change my suit and call myself Green Arrow, and maybe they'd believe it, but (Y/N) looks nothing like Dinah. They're military officers; they're not stupid or naïve. They'd have records of what the League members are supposed to look like, even if they don't know our secret identities. We can't just throw a suit on (Y/N) and call her Black Canary." 

Oliver's expression turned stern again when he saw the shift in your slumped stature. "Roy--" 

"Actually, I have an idea," Dinah piped up before he could continue. All eyes, including yours, shifted to the blonde, who had her hand raised in the air. She then smiled down at you, and you immediately felt your spirit lift the tiniest bit. "What if we play (Y/N) off as my protegee?"