Arrow: the Two Archers

Chapter 22: Trust but Verify

"Okay, take it slow, Lyds." Laurel advised with a laugh.

"Practice it slowly first and then try doing it with speed."

Lydia could feel her cheeks redden with embarrassment. In the weeks after the fire, Laurel had started to take a closer look at Lydia's fighting skills. Her assessment was that while Lydia was a decent striker, she could use a bit more speed in her style. And even though the Muay Thai she'd learned in Gotham did a decent job of providing the power to complement the styles she had learned before, she needed something else to provide her that speed. And that led to Laurel beginning to coach her through the basics of Taekwondo.

The motions of kicking and flexibility weren't too much of a problem. But being able to do it all at speed and maintaining coordination was more difficult. It had been a long while since she'd been in this position and she wasn't used to not getting it on the first try.

"How do you even know this much about this?" Lydia asked.

"I told you, Lyds, I got really big into it a couple years ago. And if you're going to do something, even if it's only a hobby, you'd better do it right."

Lydia supposed that made sense, and it sounded a lot like something Shado would say. Still, the level of skill Laurel seemed to have... it didn't feel like what you achieved in something that was "just a hobby".

She didn't get the chance to press further though, her attention being pulled away by Diggle's entrance.

"With all the guys working up top, you might want to think about a side entrance for the Foundry."

"Just put one in. South alleyway." Oliver replied from his place at the computers.
"By the way, there's something I want you to take a look at."

"Let me guess, finally getting into online dating and you need help with your profile."

Oliver sent Diggle a deadpan look while the girls did their best not to laugh out loud.

"No. But there is somebody I'd like to meet."

He pulled up footage from a security camera. It showed a group of men equipped with military grade weapons and armor robbing an armored money transport. Just from one look, Lydia could tell these weren't ordinary stick up men. They were too coordinated for that.

"Yeah, I read about it. This is the third truck to be hit this month." Diggle acknowledged.

"I saw it on the news this morning." Oliver said.
"I couldn't figure out why it seemed so familiar. Then I remembered this."

He pulled up another video, this time drone footage from a desert environment.

"Kandahar, '09, when the Marines took out a Taliban transport vehicle."

"Yeah. Well, there's a reason why it looks so similar. These guys are running the same swarming technique. Where'd you find this?"

"I was researching someone." Oliver answered.
"Bodyguard who works for a private security firm. Blackhawk Squad Protection Group. His name is Ted Gaynor."

The way Diggle took a step back and looked at Oliver with wide eyes couldn't mean anything good.

"Oliver, Ted Gaynor was my commanding officer on my first tour in Afghanistan."

"John, his name is on the List." Laurel told him, holding up the booklet she'd checked as soon as Oliver said Gaynor's name.

"Gaynor's a few hundred thousand dollars short of making that list." Diggle argued.

"Well, we never said it was just one-percenters, did we?" Oliver countered.

"Oliver, this guy saved my life. Received a commendation for it. I don't care what your book says. He's not a stick-up man."