Ready to Suffer, Ready to Hope *Matt Murdock* (book three of Damned-3b) x Arrow

1) The great escape

She was indescribably grateful to Oliver for taking her in. She had no idea where else to go; she had nowhere else to go. If she wanted to run away, run somewhere Matt wouldn't find her, her only options were Czechia and Starling City. Czechia was way farer, in safer distance, but also way more definite. Any other potential shelter was in Hell's Kitchen, where Matt would find her with no trouble; of course, that was, if he would come after her. She had no idea if he would. After all, she had left the ring behind, because she couldn't imagine getting over this, didn't know how to get over him basically killing himself, over him dying for his ex, who was some sort of a zombie— Vera didn't know anything anymore. Hence the running away. Somewhere far, but with a potential way back, because she still had a job and stuff.

Felicity was very willing. Oliver was absolutely taken aback and less willing, probably because he knew what had happened and didn't approve, but he took her on board anyway. Before she knew it, she was falling asleep, curled up in a ball, her mind blank and frantic at the same time.

She closed her eyes, imagining she was in some sophisticated gadget that was sending her back in time. She just needed to figure out which moment she wanted to return to. Before the tremors to prevent what had happened? Before deciding to say yes, now when she knew her relationship wasn't— wasn't? Before coming back to New York from Czechia for the same reason? Before coming to New York City for the first time...?

She fell asleep hoping that when she would wake up, she would be back in the right moment to change things to better; no matter which moment she would be thrown into.

---

When she woke up, time was still the same. Oliver's gentle hand was on her shoulder, quiet voice announcing her they were in Starling. Which only meant that the nightmare she just had, dreaming in impossibly vivid colours about destruction, betrayal, failure and death wasn't a nightmare, but her life. That was disappointing. Also, she was really tired and her head was under the attack of dull pain.

To make it perfect, she now remembered every detail, recalling the strangest and rawest feelings of the... cacophony after the building collapsed among other things.

So as she followed Oliver and Roy into a cab in the middle of the night in an empty private part of an enormous airport, she gathered her courage, walking by Roy's side.

"Roy?" she rasped, clearing her throat to sound like a human being. The man in question look at her, surprised.

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry I elbowed your face... and... stuff," she murmured, remembering his arms around her, trying to keep her in place, trying to keep her from running into a building on fire, still exploding. Trying to keep her alive.

A tired smile ghosted over his face. "It's okay. Occupational hazard."

"Where to?" the driver asked and Oliver gave him two different addresses.

"Vera? Where would you like to stay? You have several options," Oliver offered kindly and Vera's head spun.

She was a freaking refugee, an asylum seeker, and she could even choose? What the actual hell?

"I don't really care, Oliver. Wherever I'll be intruding the least."

"We were talking with Roy while you were asleep. His apartment is tiny, but you can stay with him."

Vera wasn't sure how she felt about that. Sure, Roy seemed nice enough, she had no doubt she could trust him, but if the apartment was really small... he was a complete stranger and he had already done so much for her...

"You can stay with me and Felicity, the couch is sure free."

Her stomach rolled over at the idea. She wasn't sure she could stay with the two lovebirds; she wasn't sure how recent their get-together was, and seeing them together... not to mention she would be the third wheel. She prayed there was a third option.