Disclaimer: I don't own Young Justice.

Chapter 5

Arrow for Your Thoughts?

"Hard times don't create heroes. It is during the hard times when the 'hero' within us is revealed."

-Bob Riley

Just another night of senseless wandering, following a stubborn hero, and snacking on food from the rubbish, Roy thought angrily as he tore open a bag of sliced apples that had been left unopened from someone's school lunch. Joy.

A flash of green now and again told him that he hadn't lost his target yet. Of course, he had been following said target around for a while now. Practically every path the green archer could take Roy knew. And no, he was not stalking. One would think that a paranoid hero would at least change their patrol routs but no . . .

Roy stilled, hand half way to his mouth, eyes narrowing.

The hairs on the back of his neck shivered in warning and Roy ducked deeper into the shadows, bag of apple slices disappearing into one of his pockets. He pulled an arrow from the quiver on his back and placed it on the bowstring.

A shadow slipped past where he had been, following the direction that Green Arrow left in.

Ok. Maybe tonight's not so normal.

Following Green Arrow was one thing. The other hero had gotten so used to his presence, it seemed, that he ignored the younger hero all together. These followers, however, had not, and Roy wouldn't have an easy time avoiding their notice.

So, stay back a little bit. I'll be too far away to do anything if something happens, but Green Arrow can take care of himself. I just have to . . . make sure nothing goes wrong. Right.

And if something goes wrong?

I am so dead.

Deep breath in, the red and yellow figure darted out into the night, following both the hero and the shadow.

What he found, not two blocks away, made him want to turn around and run away.

It hadn't been just one shadow. There were at least a dozen men dressed in black surrounding the green hero . . . and Green Arrow was fighting them. Knives whistled through the air, intercepting arrows as the hero became overwhelmed, his bow knocked out of his hand, and himself wrestled to the ground.

Roy drew back his arrow, taking aim. If he could time it just right, the man holding Green Arrow would have to loosen his hold, allowing the pinned hero to escape. Now, if he could get a clear shot . . .

From the darkness another figure emerged, one eye covered with a strange contraption that looked like it was supposed to be a modified eye patch. A long cloak whirled around him, obscuring his thin but lean figure. Roy's fingers froze over the feathers on his arrow, his breath hitching.

Count Vertigo.

Being a 'hero hopeful' and living in Star City required knowledge on all of the typical villains of this city. Petty criminals were easy to take out, and usually easy to recognize. Corrupt politicians typically turned out to be a bit harder to point out, but it could be done.

Vertigo, on the other hand, was on a whole other level.

An in, Super-villain level.

Green Arrow can handle this one.

"Knock him out. He needn't be conscious for the preparations."

Pined beneath two hundred pounds of pure muscle Green Arrow had nowhere to move when the hilt of a knife whacked him on the back of his head, knocking him out instantly.

Or not.

Roy's hands shook indecisively.

"Bring him to the base, the machine will be ready soon," the Count paused, scanning the rooftops with a frown. Roy ducked down further, hoping that he hadn't been seen. Suspicious eyes paused over his hiding place and then moved on. "You weren't followed?"

"There are no witnesses."

That really didn't sound good.

"Good. Now hurry."

Roy let in several shuddering breaths as they left, not realizing that he'd been holding it in while the super-villain talked.

I shouldn't test my luck.

A few days ago he'd promised himself that he'd become Green Arrow's partner if he had to save the other's life to do so.

Looks like I'm about to get that chance.

The men left just as silently as they came, four of them carrying Green Arrow just above the ground as they walked. Roy waited until they were well out of sight before he made his move.

He gripped his bow with both hands, sucked in a deep breath, and leaped over the side of the building. Catching himself on the fire escape outside of the window Roy started to track Vertigo's men, never once setting foot on the ground. Roy knew these streets, he knew the back alley's and the shortcuts, probably even better than Green Arrow in some places.

If anyone could find where they'd taken Green Arrow, it was Roy. It was probably a good thing that Vertigo didn't know about him.

The trail, leading all the way to what looked like an abandoned warehouse (a warehouse, really?), wasn't more than a mile from where Green Arrow had been attacked. Roy slipped in through an upstairs window and crept through the rafters till he had a good look at what was happening below.

"Never rush into a situation unknowing . . . that will just get you killed."

A machine in the middle of the room ominously loomed above everyone else. Green Arrow himself was being dragged toward the chair at the center of the hunk of metal and wires. His limp form suggested either unconsciousness or inability to move. Either was bad in this situation.

"So, no, I am not going to kill you, no matter how much I want to," Vertigo flashed Green Arrow a grin, his voice echoing up to the ceiling in smooth, convincing tones, "But what kind of hero would you be without any of your memories?"

Roy felt the air leave his lungs at the same time that Green Arrow hissed, "You-!"

"You will find, Green Arrow," Count Vertigo commented "That you have no choice in the matter." The buckle of the head restraint popped into place loudly.

The men around the machine started to back away and Count Vertigo reached for the button that almost certainly meant turn on and Roy . . .

"Vertigo, don't do this. The Justice League-"

"Won't have any idea where you are."

Roy didn't even think about a plan. He acted.

Power box in the corner. Blow the power, and the machine doesn't work.

Pull back, breath, release.

An arrow whizzed through the air like a red streak, cutting through the wires leading to the power in one slice. A second arrow, let go seconds after the first, nearly pierced Vertigo's hand before he jerked back as the lights went off.

"What the . . ." Count Vertigo shouted in the darkness, voice full of rage as he saw the arrow, "someone is here! Find them!"

Fingers shaking, Roy dropped from the rafters, feet hitting the floor without a sound. Silently he spun around, using his bow as a club, and knocked out three of the henchmen. The last one gave a cry of surprise as he went down, giving away Roy's position. Roy was forced to roll away at the sound of gunshots and more cursing. There were even a few shouts as the men shot at each other, the darkness confusing their senses.

"Someone get the lights!" one man shouted, only to be taken down moments later as his feet were swept out from under him and he landed with thump against some crates.

"I can't," another responded, "The entire power box is busted! There is an arrow in it!"

Deep breath, draw, notch, shoot, roll, repeat.

Three more thugs toppled in the darkness, increasing the panic in everyone else.

"You fools!" a voice, Count Vertigo's, shouted above the chaos. "If I have to do it myself then I will!"

Roy gasped as the room suddenly seemed to vibrate under him and he toppled to the side, breathing heavily and clutching his bow in a white knuckled hand. A brief flare of light showed that one of the thugs had been smart enough to realize that the electricity didn't work and lit a makeshift torch, casting a faint light in the darkened room. Struggling through his sudden dizziness, Roy forced himself to move, closing his eyes as he attempted to keep his balance.

Right, he was dealing with Count Vertigo. Supposedly, the elder villain had an implanted eye that influenced the . . . sound waves? . . . and forced the inner ear to vibrate, thereby causing his victims to loose their sense of balance. In other words, really not good for a long distance fighter like Roy.

Rolling behind the mysterious machine Roy let his back slam against it and used that as an anchor. Right, no doubt he couldn't trust his sight, right now. The only way he was going to be able to get anywhere near Vertigo was to destroy his eye piece. Thankfully, the effect of the device only worked in a cone like area spreading farther as it left the eye . . . which meant that if he could get behind Vertigo he might be able to disable his eye.

Forcing his mind to think while under temporary cover, Roy took a deep breath and notched an arrow. Focusing on his hearing, he pinpointed two thugs to his left, slowly approaching, and another five to his right.

Left it was, then.

Darting out from behind his cover, Roy was hit with the full force of the dizzying waves but continued through it. He dove at the two thugs, snagging the cloth of their baggy pants and yanking as he rolled past, sending them both tumbling into each other. A second later he released an arrow in the direction of the sound attacks, causing them to be momentarily deflected. To everyone watching he looked like a dark red blur. Even in the flickering light of the torch his form was indistinct as he wove between men like a silent shadow.

It wasn't to hard to spot Vertigo, standing next to the man with the torch with his fingers on the sides of his head as if to concentrate his blasts of sound vibrations. Dashing the last few feet Roy lashed out, sending the torch flying and yanked out an arrow. Before either of the two could react he swiped the arrowhead at Vertigo's eye, making the other man jerk back in surprise. It did what Roy wanted though, and caught the edge, cutting the strap that held the device in place (like an eye patch) and forcing it to stop working.

"Arg!" Count Vertigo reached up to his eye as the device came loose, holding it in place but unable to activate it.

Taking his chance Roy slid up behind Vertigo and forced him into a headlock, arrow pointed at the elder's vulnerable throat. With a deep growl he smoothly spoke into the darkness, even the torch light gone out, "Anyone move, and he gets it."

Shuffling thugs froze in their places as they saw the vague form of their boss and his attacker highlighted in the faint light from an overhead window. Vertigo snarled and reached up to pry the arm from around his neck, but Roy only pressed the arrow harder against the skin, drawing a pinprick of blood. The Count paused at the unsaid threat, eyes burning with fury.

"You're bluffing!" one goon shouted, and then, more quietly to his neighbor, "He's bluffing, right?"

Roy shifted his form and the arrow glinted, drawing their eyes to the razor point edge, "Want to test that out?"

Count Vertigo spat angrily as he heard this, "Who are you? Certainly not a pathetic hero. You wouldn't dare do this to me if you were."

Roy's arm tightened, his lips thinning. No, he wasn't a hero yet.

But I want to be.

"Put down your weapons and quietly stand by the door," Roy said, his voice a deep, menacing growl that was only enhanced by his shadowed figure.

The men hesitated and Roy rolled his eyes, shuffling his feet. A flicker of movement from Vertigo forced him to twitch and dodge a hidden dagger being sent back toward him. Before he could even consider his actions he dropped his arrow, grabbed his bow, and whacked the villain across the back of the head with just enough pressure to knock him out. Vertigo dropped and Roy strung another arrow up, pointing it at the gathered thugs, "Do as I said," he paused, "Now."

The brief scuffle with Vertigo was indistinct, but they had all clearly seen their boss drop suddenly. A deep fear spread through them. Who was this man . . . no, this demon who hid in the shadows?

One shuffled, then another, and suddenly they were all rushing to escape through the tiny side door. Arrows whizzed over their heads, seen only by the glint of light on metal as they missed by inches. Warning shots, but the men didn't know that. When they had all left Roy took a deep breath and, for the first time, turned toward the still tied hero.

Said hero was watching him with uncertainty and not a slight amount of fear. Due to the lack of lighting, he'd seen about as much as everyone else, which didn't bode well for his confidence in his rescuer.

Silently, Roy notched an arrow. His face could have been made of cold rock as he aimed, Green Arrow's eyes widening in realization, and fired.

0~o~0

Green Arrow didn't know what to think as the dark figure turned toward him after taking down Vertigo and frightening off all of his men. Of course, the arrow aimed at him didn't help.

His breath hitched as he stared into cold, emotionless eyes, shadowed by the darkness around them. For a second everything seemed to hover as if time had paused, and then the arrow sprang forward with a snap. Instinctively, Green Arrow flinched and closed his eyes, expecting death. After all, why would this shadowed figure come to save him?

There was a sharp clang and the ripping of cloth before suddenly Green Arrow found his arms free and he could move slightly again. He opened his eyes in surprise and glanced up.

The figure stepped forward into a narrow beam of light, highlighting his features. A figure he vaguely recognized.

Scowling the young boy crossed his arms over his chest and glared down at him, eyes narrowed, "Still going to ignore me now, old man?"

Well, this was unexpected.

0~o~0

Sneak Peak: Five years in the future . . .

"Who are you!" Speedy yelled, pulling back further on his bowstring, trying to ignore the shaking in his fingers as the other slowly stood up, black feathers shifting and fluttering around them as they stood from their crouch. "What are you doing here?!"

He knew he should have listened to Green Arrow and left the solo patrolling to the elder hero, but he hadn't been able to resist the temptation. It had been a quiet few days and he had figured that a night running over rooftops wouldn't hurt.

He should have just stayed home.

Beady black eyes (or he assumed they were black, because he couldn't actually see them) glinted at him through the dark mask.

If it had been one of the villains that he knew then he would have no problem taking them down.

Whoever this was . . . they were different.

The dark figure had swooped down right in front of him and radiated the feel of dark dangerous stay away . . .

A small smirk played over the pink lips he could see under the grey beak of the mask the other wore.

"I go by Raven," she hissed, leaning forward, "Who are you?"

Was running away still an option?

0~o~0

I hope everyone liked this chapter! It's all Roy, but, well, he demanded attention after the last chapter.

Who liked the little bonus at the end of the chapter? It has been written for forever but so far ahead in the story that I never seem to get to it. So . . . I put in as a little sneak peak as to what it to come.

By the way, this is probably the last update that I will have in a long time. You can refer to my other stories if you are confused.

Review!

(Updated: 8/29/17)