Aero *Completed Story*

Chapter 12

And I'll be around
Only if you want me to
Be there by your side
I'm ready for you
And I'll be around
Cause I know what you're going through
So when you think its time
I'm ready for you

Preston felt like she was twelve years old again. She hated this. Oliver use to make her sit and wait in the car a lot as a kid. And now she found herself doing it again, twelve years later.

But this time she was forced to stay in the car for a completely different reason. Oliver thought she needed to get a little fresh air and get out for a bit. Preston was thrilled with the prospect of going on an excursion with her father. Dinah had packed a few snacks for them before they left. Oliver promised to take her to the park and sit and eat in their favorite spot, a patch of grass that set under a willow tree overlooking the pond. But they hadn't made it there yet. Oliver wanted to make a stop first. And he told Preston that he didn't want to tire her out before their lunch date, so she was forced to stay in the car.

Was this how it was going to be now? She refused to be treated with kid gloves. Yes, she was healing and yes, her injuries had been extensive. But this was not an excuse to take it easy. She looked at it as a chance to push herself and be the hero she had always wanted to be. She wanted to prove to not only herself but everyone she loved that she could be a hero without her wings.

With that thought being foremost in her mind she anxiously looked around for something to do. Then out of the corner of her eye she saw something. She quickly turned her head in that direction to see a man in a convenience store holding a gun up to the cashier, while another man in a masked beanie was pulling things off the shelves.

Before she could talk herself out of it, Preston opened the car door quickly. She stepped a foot out of the car then leaned back in. Desperately she opened the glove box, in search for something to hide her identity. As she rummaged through everything, she suddenly felt a soft leather fabric against her pinky. She pulled on the object. A wave of triumph washed over her as she saw that the object was a spare mask of Green Arrow's.

Immediately she squeezed the contacts out of her eyes and stuck the mask on her face. As soon as she knew it would stay, she stepped back out of the car and made her way over to the store.

Her first steps were hard but with excitement and adrenaline pushing her it seemed to get easier. As she opened the door to the store, she focused her thoughts on the gun in the perpetrators hand. With just a thought, the gun flew out of his hand and landed several feet away from him. His head whipped around to look at Preston.

"What the f..." Before he could finish the words, Preston was picking him up off the floor with her thoughts.

Suddenly, his partner flung himself at her. She felt a sting in her left shoulder, which made her drop the other guy to the ground. Focusing on the other man, Preston shot him with a beam from her eyes. He was now incapacitated.
She took a moment to look at her shoulder, thankfully it wasn't a deep cut. Despite that she began to feel weak. The adrenaline that had been driving her was quickly wearing off. Knowing she needed to incapacitate the other perpetrator before she lost her strength, she looked down at where she had dropped him. He was grumbling on the floor holding his leg in noticeable pain.

Satisfied that he was down for the count, she turned her attention to the cashier. "Call. The. Police." Her breathing had become so heavy she was barely able to get the words out.

After she confirmed the cashier was on the phone with the police, she stumbled out of the store. Her vision was becoming blurry and she felt extremely light headed. But she needed to get back to the car. As she stepped foot onto the street, the dizziness became too much, and she let herself fall to the ground.

***

Oliver walked back onto the sidewalk and headed toward where he parked the car. He felt bad for taking so long, but it couldn't be helped. As he neared the car, he sensed something wasn't right. Approaching the car, it didn't take him long to realize that Preston wasn't where he left her. He immediately became uneasy and started to look around the area. His concern was making him so frantic he didn't notice the small group of civilians that was gathering in the middle of the street until he heard someone in that direction shout for help. His attention turned to the group. He ran over as quickly as possible, his anxiety rising with every step.

As he pushed through the small crowd, his fear was escalating. Then as he saw the reason for the gathering crowd, his stomach dropped. Preston lay in the middle of the street, unconscious. He began to shout her name, but quickly realized she had a mask on. What had she done?

Unwilling to out his daughter as the girl under the mask, he ran to her without saying a word. He knelt down and picked her head up, placing it on his knees. That's when he noticed the injury. He leaned forward to whisper in her ear.
"Preston, what did you do baby?"

Knowing he needed to get her help as quick as possible, Oliver lifted the pinky on his right hand revealing a ring with a Green Arrow engraved on it. On the side of the ring was a small button. Oliver pushed it and waited.

In a little under a minute, the Flash came running up to the crowd. He gently pushed people aside, knowing the beacon from Oliver's ring was coming from just a few steps up ahead. After the crowd cleared away from him, his breath caught in his throat as he saw Oliver cradling Preston in his arms. She looked so frail as her body leaned on Oliver's beefy physique.

Oliver looked up at him and waved him closer. "Flash. Help!" He yelled this loud enough for the crowd to hear. But as Flash leaned in closer he whispered. "Wally take her home as quickly as possible."

All Flash could do was nod as Preston was transferred into his arms.