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

7) The vigilante bro code

Waking up tired and with a headache was apparently the new black. And honestly? It sucked. The constant feeling of loneliness wasn't comforting either. Despite meeting the Lance duo the previous night – and that explained why not only her head, but also her body was aching, Vera had been fighting a ninja again –, despite having Felicity, Oliver and Roy around... she was lonely.

Vera missed her best friend, she missed her parents (who she hadn't talked to for a while, she was a terrible daughter, another thing to put on her list of things why she was a terrible person), she missed her brother and her friends from Czechia. She loved each of these people in a different way and they loved her too and it was a feeling of being loved that she selfishly missed the most. Of course, being loved in that one particular way, being with Matt, that she missed too. A lot.

She rolled over and whined into the pillow. Fuck her life.

Vera forced herself to get up and let her mum know she was... okay and that she was staying at friend's in Starling City and she would skype her soon. Which was a terrible lie, Vera couldn't see herself hiding something as big as a fucking break-up with her fiancée from her parents when talking to them, she just couldn't pretend everything was fine, but she had to promise to call soon, otherwise her mum would be the one making the call first, possibly much sooner than Vera would be ready. And declining was like a death sentence with a cross examination preceding it.

She checked the damage on her body when taking a shower – few spectacular bruises were forming at her abdomen, several scratches on her arms and in the mirror – tiny one, but still present – she could see the wonderful colour blue on her lower back and a shade of grey below her eye. At least her throat didn't look too bad when she took the bandage off; considering she had had a blade at it, it could be worse. Her throat could have been slit.

Vera threw a question about everyone's well-being into their group-chat with Anna, Marky and Jitka, hoping to learn some good news for a change. Instead of waiting for a response, she went to a store. She should be eating. It was just something she kept forgetting, she wasn't really hungry, and when she was, she snatched a snack from Oliver's stock and sometimes ordered takeout. She had made precisely one hunt for food so far, honestly wanting to go to a store – instead, she had discovered a tiny corner shop and decided to do her small purchase there. She did the same today too.

When she returned, she was surprised to find Oliver in.

"Oh. Hey Oliver," she greeted him, attempting a smile, maybe even succeeding.

He looked up from the screen. "Hi. Shopping trip?"

Vera shrugged. "When I was in med school, they said something about needing food to function? I guess I remembered something... no wait, I'm pretty sure I know this from kindergarten."

Oliver raised his eyebrow. "Is that sarcasm I'm hearing? Humour?"

Vera couldn't help it. She smiled. "I can do that occasionally."

"Well, do it more often."

"I'll try," she mumbled as she set down her backpack, fishing up a flapjack. Her nutrition plan was terribly imbalanced, she was well-aware. Momentarily? She didn't care.

"How are you doing? You're hurting from the fight with Sara?" he asked all of sudden, concerned.

Vera blinked in surprise. She shouldn't have been surprised he was so attentive... but she was. Then again, maybe the bruise on her face was more distinctive than she had thought.

"Uhm... a little sore, yeah."

"Do you want some more painkillers? We run a little pharmacy here. Painkillers are our specialty. From aspirins to oxycodone."