***
When I got to my apartment I practically ripped the suit off my body to get into my pajamas. Then I ran into the bathroom to splash water on my face. I looked up at myself in the mirror and shook my head in disbelief. "Diane why are you so stupid?"
I walked out of the bathroom and let myself fall over on the couch. Why would Barry do that? Why did I let Barry do that? My thoughts were interrupted by knocking on the door, I was seriously debating on not opening it, but I decided not to let what just happened get to me. Reluctantly I got up and opened the door, my first I instinct was to slam the door shut when I saw Barry standing in the doorway but I forced a smile as he awkwardly stood at the doorway.
"Sorry I know it's late." Barry apologized as he walked past me and into my apartment. He began to pace around the romm and then looked around. "Can I come in?"
"Well, your kind of already inside." I replied as I closed the door behind me. "What's wrong?"
I knew exactly why he was here, and it was a subject I did want to get I to but can't avoid. "I just did something really stupid, and I needed someone to talk to." He walked up to me wrapped his arms around me, I stiffened at the action but I slowly returned the hug. "You were the first person I could think of."
"It's okay. Just tell me what happened." I asked, I hated that I had to be in this situation and the guilt that keeps building up is only making it worse. Barry pulled away so I sat down on the couch and waited for him to join me.
"Okay, so what I'm about to tell you is pretty crazy. And, well I'm not sure how your going to take it. Because like I said its pretty crazy." Barry began to ramble nervously. "And your hobestly the only person who can really help me."
"Barry the point?" I asked wanting to get this conversation over with.
"Okay, I kissed her." He nervously stated as he looked down at his hands.
"Care to be more specific?" I continued although I perfectly knew what he was talking about. It was really hard for me to look him in the eye and lie to his face, because if I didn't I would only make myself seem suspicious.
"Artemis, I kissed Artemis." He quickly admitted and I pretended to act shocked as I moved away from him.
"Why the hell would you do that?" I asked the question that I have been asking myself.
"I don't know it just kind of happened." Barry continued as he covered his face with his hands. "It should have known that a girl like her wouldn't see me in that way."
"You don't even know what type of girl she is." I reminded him. "In fact you don't know her at all."
"I know but it felt like I did, there was just something about her that I just can't explain."
"What can you see in someone who hides behind a mask?" I continued as I tired to reason with him.
"I might not face seen her face, but there was something about her eyes." Barry said as he tired to reason with himself. "But it was dumb of me, to think that she would want anything else with me other than just partners."
"Barry ler me tell you something you deserve someone better than her." I told him honestly. "Yes, she's my friend but let me tell you that she's filled with so much darkness and I wouldn't want you getting hurt by that."
"It doesn't matter anymore, she already made it clear that we wouldn't meet up again." He said seeming very frustrated with himself. "You know I would make up the lamest excuses to meet up with her. And she would always show up, so I thought she might actually be interested in me."
"Barry do you have feelings for her?" I asked starting to get worried. A lump began form in my throat at the thought of hurting him even more than I already have.
"I don't know what I feel." He admitted, but that didn't clarify anything. "I'm just confused."
"What about Iris?" I asked curiously, he looked up at me in almost shock.
"Iris. I just don't know what I feel anymore. I know she won't ever see me as anything more than a friend."
"Maybe, this whole Artemis thing is just you trying to get over Iris?" I suggested but that didn't seem to lighten the situation
"Whatever it is, it just seems like the hero never really get the girl." Barry claimed in defeat and that only made my guilt grow stronger, all of this is my fault
"Barry don't say that." I told him as I took one of his hands in mine. "Look I promise you that you'll find a girl that will love everything about you, because she'll see you as the amazing guy you are."
Barry leaned in and gave me a tight hug. "I'm so glad you decidedo to move to Central City. I wouldn't be able to do this without you."
***
"Because your worth being on time for." He said looking me in the eye, I was still trying to process what he just said when I felt his lips pressed against mine. I felt myself stop breathing as one of his hands found itself on the back of my neck. But for some reason I didn't push him back, I was caught completly off gaurd and I didn't know how to react.
I closed my eyes and slowly began to wrap my arms around his neck wanting to pull him closer. I parted my lips allowing him to deepen the kiss, now that I responded to his kiss, Barry placed both of his hands on my hips. His hands felt warm as the ran up and down my sides. Suddenly I felt my back press against the cold brick wall of the building as Barry held me in place. I ran one of my hand through his hair and I felt an all too familiar rush of euphoria wash over me and I suddenly pulled away.
I quickly shot out of my bed and scrambled out, I ran my hands through my hair in frustration. " I felt suffocated in the room and began to do the most cowardly thing I could think of, run. Not caring what time it was in changed out of my pajamas and got into my car heading straight for Starling.
***
When I arrived at Starling I left Dr. Wells a voice mail explaining that I wouldn't be coming into work today, hopefully he wouldn't get to upset with me. But that wasn't what worried me the most, I just needed to talk to Oliver about what I'm planning to do. I walked inside the hideout to find Oliver staring at a red arrow. When he saw me he immediately walked towards me and handed it to me. "Diane I need you to run some test on this."
"Oliver I need to talk to you about something." I said ignoring his request.
"We will once you run these test for me." He continued to insist, knowing that this was important to him I sat down in front of the microscope and began to inspect the ridges of the arrowhead.
"Last time I saw a spade that lethal, It broke up a pretty good royal flush I was holding." Dig joked as he waked into the room, he put a hand on my shoulder to get a closer look. "Glad you to see you back kid."
"At least I know I can get a proper welcome from you Dig." I replied before I looked back down at the microscope. "This is hand-soldered out of high-carbon steel." I said giving it back to Oliver. "Where'd you find it?"
"Isaac stanzler's chest." He replied
"Ted Grant's psycho sidekick." Dig clarified, but I had no idea who that was.
"Was murdered while being transferred by the SCPD." Oliver informed, yet there was something off about him. "By an arrow."
"Think this is the same archer that killed Sara?
"No." Oliver said as he pulled up some pictures on one if the computers. They were pictures from a crime scene where the victim was dressed like the Arrow. "That one was different. These bodies were staged, dressed up to look like..."
"Copycat archer." Dig finished, catching on to what Oliver was implying. "Guess all that positive publicity you've been getting."
"Well, whatever the reason, we need to find him." Oliver ordered. "I would like Felicity to do a work-up on all of this ASAP."
"Copy." Diggle said as he began to walk out of the hideout when suddenly he stopped in front of the T.V.
"Well, Felicity looks a little busy right now." I stated as I looked as at the T.V where Ray Palmer was having a press conference with Felicity by his side.
"Doing what?" He asked as he made his way over to where Dig and I were standing.
"A few months ago, I made a promise to help revitalize Starling City. But I knew I couldn't do it alone. I needed help. A lot of help. From people who are even more intelligent and dedicated than I am. All of us are working very hard with one goal in mind...to save our city." Ray effectively delivered his speech he suddenly turned around to reveal the building's new logo, for the now Palmer Technologies. "But to do so, Queen Consolidated needs to be something else.
"You okay?" Dig asked when Oliver walked away from the T.V.
"I'm...I'm fine." Oliver said as he picked up a hammer and began to hit it against the the head of the arrow shattering it to pieces.
"You don't seem fine." I said voicing the obvious, he was clearly jealous but we all knew him well enough to know he would never admit that.
"Look at this." He said pulling out a tiny piece of paper from the arrow.
"What's that, a note?" Dig asked, while Oliver placed the piece of paper under the microscope.
"It's an address." Oliver corrected and he got up from his chair and walked over to where his suit was displayed. "Diane suit up."
I nodded and quickly followed his orders. When we arrived at the address the place looked empty accept for the giant heart made up of arrows and a bunch of articles tapped to the wall. "Nobody's home." I said as I looked around the candle lit room."These are all articles about the Arrow. Looks like someone has a fan."
"And this isn't a spade." Oliver observed as he took another look at the red arrow. "It's a heart."
Suddenly a phone on the dresser began to vibrate and Oliver picked it up and put it on speaker. "It's you. I can't believe it's really you." Our mystery woman began to speak through the phone. "Did you like your present?"
"Do you mean Isaac Stanzler, the man you killed?" Oliver angerly replied.
"I see the way you take care of your city. Makes me wonder Who takes care of you? I want to help you. To fight with you. To kill for you." She continued, and it was clear there was something severely wrong with her. "Mr. Stanzler was just the first. He might be the second. I thought we could punish this one together."
"I'm going to find you." Oliver threatened.
"Well, that's the idea. But you'd better hurry, I don't think he's got very long." Oliver's very dedicated fan warned.
***
When we got back to the hideout it was only to two of us and I saw it as the perfect opportunity to talk to him about what I came here for. "Oliver can we talk now."
"Sure, but make it quick we have someone to find." He reminded me.
"Oliver this is important to me, so can I have your full attention." I claimed sternly and Oliver seemed to snap out of his irration.
"Diane, what is it?" He asked now showing some concern.
"Oliver I have to tell them." I said not meeting his eyes. "I have to tell them the truth about me, who I am, what I do."
"You better not be talking about what I'm thinking." Oliver warned, and I realized that convincing him might be harder than I initially thought.
"Yes, I'm going to tell Barry and everyone at S.T.A.R Labs the truth."
"He's not ready for that yet."
"Yes, he is." I informed him, I have complete faith in Barry and what he came do. "He's doing great."
"He's only been doing this for a couple of months." Oliver countered, his anger slowly rising. "I trained for five years and you were trained since you learned to walk. And even then we weren't prepared for this life, we had a lot to learn!"
"You're right." I admitted finally looking at him in the eyes. "But I can't keep lying to them in this way. They trust me and everyday that I'm there I'm going against that trust. So I'm going to tell them."
"No your not." He ordered in an all too familiar tone. "Tell me what happened."
I stiffened at the question and looked away from him. "Why do you ask that."
"You would never go against my orders unless something bad happened." He pointed out. "So tell me what happened."
I was about to come clean when suddenly Felicity walked into the room. "Sorry, am I interrupting something?"
"No, I was just leaving." I stated as I began to walk away from Oliver. "If you guys need me I'll be upstairs with Roy and Thea."
***
A few minutes after my discussion with Oliver, Felicity called Roy and I saying that we were needed. She gave us a quick summary of what she was able to dig up before we met Oliver at an old gardening warehouse. The three of us walked into the practically abandoned warehouse and stopped at the hallway. "Roy, find Gravano." Oliver ordered. "Diane and I will take care of Cutter."
"Got it." Roy replied and then we split up. Oliver and I walked through the whole warehouse and there wasn't any sign of Cutter.
"Maybe she isn't here." I stated as I began to grow impatient.
Oliver sighed and stopped looking. "Arsenal, there's no sign of cutter." Oliver directed to Roy, but there was no relpy. "Arsenal."
"I'll go look for him." I offered as I placed my bow on my back strap. "You keep looking for Cutter."
Oliver nodded in confirmation and I walked off to where we last saw Roy. "Hello, lover." I heard Cutter say probably using Ro'y's communication piece.
"If you hurt him..."
"I didn't touch him, boyfriend. I'm a one-guy woman. But I am a little disappointed you brought your wing man." Cutter interrupted Oliver's threat, and by the few words she has spoken it was clear that she was completely insane. "Tonight's not about him. It's about us. Together against the world. Just like we were meant to be."
"There is no we." Oliver stated and I continued my search for Roy.
"We're more like one soul, you're right. You and I are more alike than you think." The for that this psycho continued to talk the more worried I was for Roy's safety.
"Carrie, listen to me your not well." Oliver attempted to reason, but there was no way of reasoning with someone who does't have an once of sanity.
"If I'm out of my mind, it's because that's what love is. Our own little slice of insanity."
I continued looked around the room and there was no sign of him, suddenly I felt a piercing pain in my shoulder. I turned around to find a red arrow sticking out of my shoulder, a bit down on my lip as I pulled it out.
"Love hurts doesn't it?" I turned around to find Cutter walking towards me. "Tell me Artemis, have you ever been in love?"
"You bitch." I exclaimed, mostly angry at myself for letting my gaurd down. "Who the hell do you think you are?"
"Well, I'm Cupid, stupid." She stated as she stopped in front of me and I let out a laugh.
"More like psychotic and obsessive."
"Wow someone's very bitter about the subject." Cutter stated as she stepped closer, and ignoring the pain on my shoulder I aimed my bow at her. "So I'm guessing that's a yes?"
"Like I'd ever tell you."
"If you don't I won't tell you where your friend in red is." She continued completely unfazed by the fact that where was an arrow pointed directly at her.
"Once, but it didn't turn out so well." I admitted without giving away too much.
"I know what it's like to lose someone you love. Love is the most important thing in the world." Cutter began her little speech about love. "But I already found someone else to love and that's what counts."
"That was beautiful." I responded sarcastically. "Now, how about you tell me where my friend is."
"That was the deal wasn't it." She realized and began to walk towards one of the main warehouse doors. "Follow me."
We walked into the room and I immediately noticed Roy laying unconscious on the floor as Gravano dangled from the ceiling with a bomb strapped to his chest. I ran towards Roy to make sure he was okay and when I looked up Cutter was holding a cupcake with a lit candle on top. A few second later Oliver came into the warehouse slowly taking in the scene that was infant of him.
"Make a wish. Mine's already come true." Cutter said clearly excited to have her "lover" so close. "For the two of us to be together forever."
"Please help me." Gravano yelled out standing on the chair that was preventing him from being strangled. "Don't leave me with this psycho!"
"Quiet!"
"You don't want to do this." Oliver said attempting to convince her of doing the right thing.
"Sure I do." She replied with a pout, Oliver aimed his bow at the rope that was wrapped around Gravano's neck.
"Oh, I wouldn't do that." Cutter warned. "That rope's laced with a trip wire that's hooked up To a little thing on his chest that goes, boom!"
"So what do you want, then?!" Oliver yelled in annoyance, aiming the arrow back at Cutter.
"Not much. Just you."
"Never going to happen." He said bluntly, Cutter's expression immediately darkened.
"Such a party pooper." She said before she kicked the chair that Gravano was standing on. I immediately shot an arrow at the rope before it strangled Gravano. When he hit the floor Oliver ripped the box off his chest before it went off, then tossed it up shooting an arrow straight threw it making it go off in mid air.
"I never thought I'd be happy to see you!" Gravano said now that he was safe, but his relief didn't last long before Oliver kicked him in the face knocking him out instantly.
***