Edited: 2022.02.09
"Get up."
Roy let out a soft groan as his eyes fluttered open, and he nearly jumped when he saw a dark shadow looming over him on the side of your bed. Instinctively, he pulled you closer, his eyes narrowing at the figure.
"Wait, Ollie?" Roy muttered, shaking his head when he finally recognized the blonde. "What the hell--?"
"Shh," Oliver hissed, and Roy slowly looked back at you, letting out a sigh when he confirmed you were still asleep. Your cheeks were streaked with mascara, hair a tangled mess as you lightly snored, your sides rising and falling with every breath. You were huddled into Roy, fingers wrapped tightly around his nightshirt, and when Roy reached over to brush a stray strand of hair out of your face, your face contorted the slightest bit.
"I need you to come with me," Oliver murmured, nodding toward the bedroom door. Roy hesitated for a moment before reaching down to wrench his nightshirt from your grip, slowly rolling you over to the other side of the bed. You stirred for a moment before falling still again, and Roy slipped out of bed, placing his feet on the floor and rising beside Oliver.
"What's wrong?" Oliver didn't reply as he turned and headed for the bedroom door, Roy hesitating for a moment before following. The two made their way out into the hall and down the stairs into the foyer, where they finally headed into the lounge, Oliver ushering Roy inside before shutting the double doors behind him.
"Ollie, what's this about?" Roy asked, letting out a yawn. "It's almost four in the morning."
"I know, but it couldn't wait any longer," Oliver muttered, and when he didn't turn to face Roy, instead keeping his hands on the doors in front of him, Roy knew something wasn't right.
"Ollie," Roy repeated, folding his arms over his chest, "what's wrong?" Oliver hesitated for a moment before letting out a sigh, shaking his head.
"Do you remember the key card you gave me before you went to bed?" He murmured. "After (Y/N) had already fallen asleep?" Roy slowly nodded, now cautious. "Well, I took it to the Arrowcave and tried to find what little I could about our friend, Silus."
"Okay?" Roy replied, shrugging a shoulder. "There's no way you were able to hack into IFLI's network from the Arrowcave, though, right?"
"Let me rephrase," Oliver mumbled, finally turning to face Roy. "I went back to IFLI and did a little research of my own." Roy's eyes widened as he opened his mouth to respond, though resorting instead to anxiously grinding his teeth when Oliver raised a hand to silence him.
"I was worried about what (Y/N) had told you, so I took the ID card and went back on my own," Oliver continued, raking a hand through his hair. "I was able to slip past a raging Sparrow--whatever the hell you two did to piss her off, I don't even want to know --long enough to access a computer, but. . ." Oliver trailed off, his gaze averting to the ground as he shook his head. "Remember when you told me that (Y/N) had seen Phoenix's flight log, and that he'd taken multiple trips to Arkham?" Roy hesitantly nodded, his brow furrowing in confusion. "Well, she failed to notice that he'd taken Vulture with him. Jackson and Silus had taken those trips together; the reason as to why is something we never would have guessed."
"What is it?" Roy mumbled, now fully awake.
"Jackson has someone on the inside at Arkham, and they've been not only trying to break Isley out, but trying to get one of their own in to do it," Oliver finished, and Roy's mouth fell open as he slowly lowered his arms to his sides.
"There's no way," he muttered, shaking his head "We would have known--"
"I'd been tracing the Council of Wings ever since they transferred to Star City, long before the two of you first encountered them," Oliver interrupted. "I'd gotten information from Batman even before they'd settled here; he'd been following up on them for a while ever since he'd caught word of a gang on the east coast raiding ships for weapons. It was the same group of people, Roy. Jackson had gathered them on the east coast long before they decided to come to Star City."
"And, they left one of their own behind?" Roy asked shaking his head. "You mean to say there are more of them in Gotham?" Oliver hesitated for a moment before humming disapprovingly, moving across the lounge to take a seat in one of the armchairs in front of the dark fireplace.
"Not necessarily," he mumbled, rubbing at his forehead with his fingertips. "When I said that Jackson and Silus took those trips together, I didn't think about the possibility that Jackson would leave him there on the way back to Star City. (Y/N) may have discovered the itineraries, but the flights they had booked contained two tickets each, save for the most recent flight. There's only record of one passenger making the trip back."
"So, it's Silus that's in Gotham right now." Roy took a seat in the armchair across from Oliver. He scoffed, running a hand through his messy red hair. "It makes sense; send in the teleporter to maneuver around the nuthouse. . . But, that would mean he wasn't with Jackson tonight. He's been in Gotham this entire time, and we didn't realize it!"
"Exactly," Oliver replied, his blonde bangs curtaining his eyes as he hung his head. "We've been in the dark for a while, now; it makes me wonder if we're already too late to stop this--"
"That's bullshit," Roy hissed, fists curling atop the armrests. "Now, you sound like you're giving up!"
"No way in hell am I giving up," Oliver snapped back, his head shooting up in order to look Roy in the eye. "I'm not going to allow them to bust Ivy out of that place."
"(Y/N) needs to know about this," Roy murmured after a moment, averting his gaze to the double doors behind him. "If the Council of Wings is planning on busting Ivy out and they've already got this much of a head start, then we don't have much time. She needs to get on-board."
"Not yet," Oliver shook his head. "I don't want her to stress about this, on top of everything else."
"Oliver, by the time you decide to tell her, Ivy could be busting down the front door!" Roy exclaimed. "You need to tell her."
"Roy--"
"Tell her, or I will." Roy studied Oliver's face as the blonde sucked in a deep breath, sitting back in his chair. Roy could tell Oliver was apprehensive; not even Green Arrow wasn't at least a little frightened of a villain with a reputation like Poison Ivy's. However, it didn't seem to be what was truly bothering him. There was something else making Oliver squeamish, something Roy could sense but couldn't quite put his finger on it.
"Fine," Oliver finally murmured, shaking his head. "I'll tell her when the time is right."
"When the time is right?" Roy repeated, scoffing. "No, you need to tell her, now! Before Ivy comes looking for her!"
"I'll handle it, Roy!" Oliver replied. "We still don't even know when the Council of Wings is planning on breaking her out, nor what the Council's plan is! We need to keep this whole thing under wraps until we get more information."
"Do you remember what happened the last time we kept something like this from her?" Roy muttered, his eyes narrowing as he met Oliver's gaze. "She buried her trust in me, and it cultivated her anger toward you. I don't want that to happen again." Oliver opened his mouth to reply, though hesitated for a moment.
"Seems to me like she trusts you again," he eventually muttered, folding his arms across his chest. Roy frowned.
"I guess," he shook his head, "but what does that have to do with her finding out about the Council working with Ivy?"
"It doesn't," Oliver stated, "but I'd like to put that on the back burner for a second. Let me ask you something; what was going on between you and (Y/N) when I walked in just a few minutes ago?"
"What?" Roy spat, eyes widening. "Ollie, we should be worrying about Ivy breaking out of Arkham, not this!"
"In a minute," Oliver replied flatly, cocking an eyebrow. "Answer me."
"We weren't doing anything," Roy muttered, leaning back in his own chair. "I heard her making noise across the hall--she screamed, or something--and I was concerned so I walked in, but. . . she was just sitting in bed, crying."
"Another nightmare?" Oliver asked, his expression softening when Roy nodded.
"I don't understand what happened this time," Roy murmured, shaking his head. "I asked her if she was okay, and she told me to go away. I asked her why she wanted me to leave, and she just said that I'd given her hope, or something like that. Then, she started crying again."
"What happened after that?" Oliver asked.
"She asked me to lay down with her, so I did," Roy replied, shrugging halfheartedly. "That's it." Oliver let out a hesitant hum before sighing, running a hand down his face.
"Okay, then," he mumbled. "Tell me this; have the two of you done. . . anything?" This caught Roy off guard, and he swallowed dryly as his gaze averted to the floor, which didn't go unmissed by Oliver. "Roy?"
"What kinds of things?" Roy mumbled, his voice barely above a whisper.
"To put it blatantly, have the two of you slept together?" Oliver asked, and Roy immediately shook his head, which, in turn, caused Oliver to let out an inaudible sigh of relief. "Well, have you done anything. . . else?"
"What do you mean?" Roy's brow furrowed. "Like, the gross stuff, without actually doing it?" He cringed as Oliver nodded, and both men averted their gazes once more. "First of all, what the fuck, and second of all, no, we haven't done anything like that."
"Are you implying that you've done other things?" Oliver muttered, now serious again. "What have the two of you done?"
"I. . ." Roy trailed off, nervously folding his hands in his lap. He wasn't exactly sure why, but he felt nervous, talking to Oliver about this. It was strange to him because Oliver had never really cared if he'd messed around with any other girl in the past. Why were you such a big concern?
It could be because we're living together, Roy thought. I sure as hell hope Oliver wasn't expecting us to see each other as brother and sister, or something. He hesitated again before shuddering, his lip curling up in a grimace. I think the fuck not.
"You, what?" Oliver eventually said, pulling Roy from his train of thought. Roy shifted uncomfortably in his chair before letting out a sigh, his fingers digging nervously into the palms of his hands.
"We haven't done anything like that," he repeated, shaking his head, "but we have kissed."
"Just a kiss?" Oliver pushed. "Nothing else?"
You mean, like having a full-on make-out session in the Arrowcave?
"No," Roy finally answered, lifting his head to look Oliver in the eye once more. "Just a kiss." Oliver studied Roy for another minute before letting out a sigh, rubbing lightly at his eyes with his fingertips.
"Good," he murmured. "Otherwise, I'd have to report it to Batman--"
"Why does he have to be involved?" Roy interrupted, suddenly becoming curious. "Whatever happens between (Y/N) and I is our own business."
"You'd love to think that, wouldn't you?" Oliver muttered with a scoff, catching Roy by surprise. "You do realize why (Y/N) is here, right?" Roy reluctantly remained silent, and Oliver let out another sigh. "The daughter of one of the most ruthless villains in the world. She's not normal, Roy. It'd be different if she was the daughter of a villain that wasn't considered a metahuman, but even then, she would have been put under the protection of the Justice League. However, because Pamela, who is absolutely classified as a metahuman, is her mother, she will most likely forever be under League protection and monitoring."
"So, the League is protecting her," Roy stated, shrugging. "That doesn't have anything to do with the relationship between (Y/N) and I."
"It conflicts with the League's code," Oliver replied. "She's still listed as a risk and potential threat in the League database--not necessarily a villain, but dangerous enough."
"But, her mundane father was a cop; law enforcement!" Roy countered, shaking his head. "Does that not count for anything? How about the fact that he died for his country? He is the human part of her!"
"Forgive me for saying something so insensitive, but that doesn't matter," Oliver muttered. "Mundane or not, (Y/N)'s father doesn't add into this equation. All the League is concerned about is Poison Ivy."
"But, (Y/N) isn't a metahuman!" As much as he was dying to retort, Oliver bit his tongue. He waited until the fire burning in Roy's topaz eyes died down, and even then, the blonde welcomed the next few moments of silence as the tension in the room eased away bit by bit.
"She still has metahuman blood running through her veins, Roy," he finally murmured. "Just because the metagenes in her body haven't been activated doesn't mean they're not there. If (Y/N) were to be kidnapped or fall into the wrong hands, anyone could find a way to weaponize her metagenes and turn her into another Poison Ivy--or, worse; something we've never seen before."
"What are you talking about?" Roy mumbled. "'Something we've never seen before'?"
"Human blood mixed with the blood of a plant-human metahuman," Oliver explained. "She's a hybrid--imperfect. There's no telling what could happen to (Y/N)'s body over time. Maybe she'll forever remain human; maybe not. The fact of the matter is, as long as she has Ivy's blood running through her veins, she won't be able to live a normal life. Whether she chooses to join the League as Tiger Lily, or try to make a better civilian life for herself in spite of her mother, the League will be tracking her every move. Not to mention, if there's the possibility her metagenes activate and she becomes a metahuman, extra precautions will have to be taken."
". . . Such as?" Roy asked, his mouth becoming dry. Oliver cleared his throat as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat, rubbing the back of his neck.
"If she becomes a metahuman, there's the possibility that her powers will grow out of control, and she'll have to be incarcerated--"
"The hell, I'm going to let the happen!" Roy snapped, shooting up from his chair. "You can't lock her up like a fucking criminal!"
"Roy, this is all completely hypothetical."
"No," Roy hissed, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "(Y/N)'s fine. Nothing's going to happen to her."
"Roy, none of this is under my control!" Oliver exclaimed, rising to his feet in front of the boy. "My orders come directly from the League, and I have to abide by the League's rules! This not only includes taking (Y/N) in for her own protection, but to keep her body dormant. With the possibility that her body could evolve and her metagenes activate, I have to keep her environment controlled."
"And, you thought turning her into a vigilante was the best solution to that?" Roy hissed, scoffing as he began pacing in front of the fireplace. "Making her a vigilante would just subject her to even more danger! If you were really that concerned with keeping her safe and her powers confined, then you wouldn't have made her a vigilante!"
"I allowed her to train like us so she would have a chance to defend herself in case Ivy came looking for her!" Oliver snapped, his voice growing louder. "Like you said before, I am not her father, but I will protect her as a part of this family and will die before willingly giving her to that bitch!" Roy opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off as Oliver continued, the look on his face hardening.
"Do you know why I volunteered to take her in?" He rambled, earning a brief shake of the head from Roy. "I did it so (Y/N) would be as far away from that woman as possible! I figured having the two of you working together would help her gain a better understanding of what it's like for someone her age to cope with something like this!" He paused, taking a deep breath as he ran both hands down his face. "And, now. . . It's like my ability to protect her is diminishing. If Ivy escapes, I. . . I don't know what I can do for (Y/N), anymore."
Roy didn't know how to respond. It had been a while since he'd seen Oliver get this worked up. It almost made him pity Oliver. The man cared for you more than anyone; Green Arrow, a member of the Justice League, had volunteered to take in another teenager. Roy couldn't believe anyone would be that strong-willed--with Batman as an exception.
Even I'm not that strong. . . Roy sighed, reaching up to place a hand on Oliver's shoulder.
"I know it may not look like it, especially after everything that's happened, but I want you to know I'm worried about her, too," he finally muttered, and Oliver raised his head to look him in the eye. "I may not be as strong or even as determined, but you know I never back down from a fight. If the Council of Wings is planning to bust Ivy out of Arkham, then we need to formulate a plan to stop them before they do."
"I know," Oliver replied, placing his own hand on Roy's shoulder. "Your perseverance and resolve are what set you apart from most--not to mention your damn stubborn attitude--and those are things a lot of vigilantes lack."
"I don't exactly consider myself a vigilante, you know," Roy murmured, letting out a chuckle. "I'm more like a sexy redhead with a kickass suit and a bow in his hands." Oliver rolled his eyes, but he couldn't resist the urge to smirk. "You know, I only became Speedy in the first place because you allowed me the freedom to blow off some steam while doing something that entertained me."
"And, that was. . . ?" Oliver trailed off, cocking an eyebrow.
"Hurting people while on a temperamental rant," Roy replied, to which the both of them chuckled. "In all seriousness, I can understand what (Y/N)'s going through. With the absence of a mother who's a batshit-crazy metahuman, I know what it's like to lose the ones you love. When you took me in, Ollie, you gave me another chance. If. . . If we can manage to do the same for (Y/N), you can bet your ass I'm down."
"First, we need to take care of Ivy and the Council of Wings," Oliver finished, smiling. "Which brings me back to what I was talking about to begin with."
"There's more?" The exhausted look on Roy's face returned.
"Yes," Oliver muttered, rolling his eyes. "Interestingly enough, Jackson Albis has asked the mayor of Star City--me--to accompany him on a trip to Gotham as a thank-you for allowing him to rebuild on the Nodell Towers' site." Oliver ignored the look of caution that flitted over Roy's face. "What's more, the only reason he asked me is because he met with me the other day--"
"You ran into Phoenix?" Roy interrupted, and Oliver shook his head.
"Not exactly. Jackson Albis met with Oliver Queen. He explained to me that he had an idea to better Star City's security 'with the interests of the people in mind'; he basically offered to sell me the weapons he's been stealing, though the only reason I know this is because of our investigation of the IFLI building a couple of months ago. He wants me to meet his partner in Gotham, the man he claims 'makes it all possible'. I could only think he was referring to Silus, however he also mentioned their team would be receiving a new member within just a few months' time."
"Ivy," Roy hissed, and Oliver nodded in agreement.
"We can only assume," he muttered. "Either way, Dinah and I are going to be gone for about four days by the end of next month, which means that while we handle Jackson and Silus in Gotham, you and (Y/N) will be handling the rest of the Council here in Star City."
"Wow, thanks for the head's up," Roy scoffed.
"I'm giving you a month's notice," Oliver deadpanned, lowering his hand back to his side, and Roy did the same. "Will the two of you be okay by yourselves?"
"Are you kidding?" Roy replied, scoffing. "We're specially-trained young adults with weapons and a secret lair; we can handle anything that comes our way."
"I don't know why I asked," Oliver muttered sarcastically, though smiled nonetheless. "But, Roy, while I can trust the two of you will take care of each other, I don't know if I can trust you two to be alone together."
"Again with the whole sex thing?" Roy whined, giving Oliver an incredulous look. "Ollie, I told you we haven't done anything!"
"You two have already kissed," Oliver insisted. "That's step one."
"You really think (Y/N) and I are going to mess around while you and Dinah are gone?" Roy asked. "I swear, nothing's going to happen! You can trust me!"
"I don't know," Oliver murmured, placing a hand on his chin. "Maybe it'd be safer if I just sent (Y/N) to stay with Barry--"
"In Central City? Where she'll be surrounded by a plethora of other villains that have ties to Ivy? What a better way to have her identity leaked!" Roy spat sarcastically.
"I'll admit, it's not the most ideal scenario," Oliver almost immediately replied. After a moment or two of a heated mental debate, he met Roy with the most serious look he could muster at five o'clock in the morning.
"Can you promise me that you'll take care of (Y/N) and keep her safe?"
"Yeah," Roy replied with a curt nod. "You have nothing to worry about." Oliver's gaze stayed locked with Roy's for a moment longer before he averted it to the floor, letting out another sigh.
"Good," he murmured, shaking his head, "because with all of this new information coming at us, Tiger Lily--(Y/N)--is going to be in more danger than she's ever been in, in her life."
Spoilers:
*Heat, no smut. Please respect that there are younger viewers reading this.
* More Dinah x Oliver
* Zayne
* Exposition dump
* Some pretty epic fight scenes
Thank you for sticking with me.
~ GalaxyMari