Invisible Heart 4/?
Title: Invisible Heart 4/?
Rating: NC-17
Summary: She's invisible, a ghost, untraceable...but he sees her. AU
Banner by kc_2009.
“Mr. Queen.”
Oliver stilled his hand, pen hovering above the signature line. “Yes?”
“Ms. Mercer is here requesting to see you. I don’t have her on your calendar.”
No, Tess wouldn’t be on his calendar. Sighing, Oliver laid his pen down. “It’s fine, send her in.” Grabbing any important documents, Oliver opened his desk drawer and dropped them in. Settling back into his chair he waited, watching the door for her entrance. It wasn’t long before the doors were thrust open and Tess stormed in.
“You’re assistant was reluctant to let me in,” Tess said off handedly as she swept into his office, the sound of her heals demanding attention with each step.
“I can’t imagine why,” Oliver said dryly, remaining silent as she closed the distance between them and took a seat across from him. He watched her, one thigh sliding over the other as she crossed her legs. A corner of her mouth lifting up into a smirk as she leaned on one arm of the chair. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”
“I can’t come visit an old friend?”
Oliver laughed. “Old friend right. Ex, enemy, but not old friends.” Those sharp eyes narrowed at him. Tess always did have a glare that would cut a normal man down at his knees.
“I’m not your enemy Oliver.” Tess paused for a moment, debating on whether to push the issue, but realizing quickly that he wouldn’t listen to reason. “You know why I’m here.”
“Yes, and you know my answer.”
Tess watched him thoughtfully. Oliver had always been guarded with her, always suspecting her actions to be part of some evil design. “I don’t think you’ve taken the time to look at all the facts. You have the most to gain.”
“The only fact that I know, is I don’t want to be a part of any of your business dealings or be connected to you in any way.” Oliver watched Tess frown, which surprised him, because there was no possible way Tess could have expected him to have a change of heart.
“Don’t let our past get in the way of a merger that would only serve to benefit everyone concerned. You’re being petty.”
Oliver stood up quickly and walked around his desk. “I’m being cautious,” he snapped. As he came to stop in front of her she stood, glaring up at him.
“You’re being an idiot,” Tess responded sharply. “Knowing you, I really doubt I still hold a special place in your heart. You go through women like their going out of style. So what is it Oliver?”
“You know what it is. You betrayed me. For years you had fallen off the face of the Earth, I had no idea what happened to you. And then one day Lex is gone and you pop up, newly named Tess Luthor.”
“I can’t help where I came from, and I’m not going to sit here and explain myself to you. Oliver Queen isn’t a saint either, or have you forgotten that?” His eyes only narrowed, just slightly, but Tess noticed, and it soothed her to know she had gotten to him.
“Is this how you go about a possible merger?”
“I know the possibilities in your mind are non existent,” Tess said evenly and took a step back. “I’m not here to ask you to reconsider the merger, I’m here to ask you to reconsider your opinion of me, which is tainted by your dislike of Lex and Lionel Luthor. My methods may have been questionable at times, and I can see why you would suspect me. But as I’ve said, Oliver Queen is no saint. And I had my reasons. As the cast off spawn of Lionel Luthor I think it was within my right to take over the family business.” It had been Tess’ intent to approach Oliver calmly, try to make him see reason. Yet as she spoke her voice rose and her words became harsh.
“I only call it as I see it.” Oliver said grimly, even though he had been slightly affected by her impassioned speech. Regardless, Oliver couldn’t ignore her past sins and even though he may have be in the wrong at time, he couldn’t forget her connection to Lex and Lionel Luthor, even if it wasn’t by choice.
“Of course you do.” Spinning on her heals, Tess walked away, only stopping as she reached the door. Turning to face Oliver, Tess pinned him under her gaze. “Think about it Oliver, this time look at the whole picture, not just what you want to see.”
Oliver watched her leave, frowning at the closed door for a while after she left. The last thing Oliver wanted to do was think about any offer of Tess. Walking over to his desk he buzzed for his assistant.
“Mr. Queen?”
“I’m heading out early today, I have some things to take care of.” He was angry, tense and wound up, needing some way of expelling all of the pent up energy. The sun would be down in a few hours, patrolling was starting to seem like a good idea.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oliver holstered his crossbow and knelt on the corner of the roof, his eyes running over the cityscape of Metropolis for anything out of the ordinary, eyesight aided by his glasses. They weren’t just for stylish reasons.
Although Oliver wasn’t fond of any type of costume, they seemed slightly cartoonish in his opinion, he liked to think his Green Arrow gear was slightly more appealing then the majority. At least he didn’t have tights, a cape, or worse...bat ears. At that thought, Oliver smirked.
Standing with a sigh, he considered for a moment heading home. It was a slow night for crime in Metropolis. Over an hour ago he had ended his connection with Victor. Most patrols were down with someone in your ear, manning police scanners, the street camera, at the ready to pull up any schematics or street maps. But as crime went that night, it was lacking. Oliver had opted to run the rest of his patrol on his own, leaving Victor on standby. Sometimes the silence was nice. Being part of a team was great, the back up was handy, and team’s accomplishments far exceeded what he could have done on his own. But there was something to be said about being on your own. In that respect Oliver could understand why Bruce was always so reluctant to be a part of a team. Of course Oliver suspected Bruce’s lack of social skills played a big part in that.
Almost ready to leap to a rooftop and head back to the clocktower, Oliver stopped suddenly. Glasses weren’t necessary to see the large bird figure that landed on another rooftop. Although they did aid him in determining that the figure wasn’t a bird, it was a man.
It seemed within the past few years the emergence of vigilante, costumed crime fighters was on the rise. Some didn’t mind you rubbing shoulders with them, some did.
The man on the other building could be none other then Hawkman. The Green Arrow had never met him, but he had made it a point to know about the others. So far that Oliver knew Hawkman didn’t have any current allegiances.
There was no reason for Oliver to approach the winged man. The night was slow, and Oliver had a pretty full team and wasn’t really looking to recruit. Of course, curiosity finally got the best of him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“I think you over exaggerated when you said you needed my help,” Carter commented.
“Well my request wasn’t really for patrolling. But Superman is MIA tonight, explosion in Russia, so I thought you could fill his shoes for the night.”
“I always figured his shoes would be hard to fill, but now I’m starting to reconsider.”
“It is a slow night.”
Carter grunted in response. “What I wouldn’t give for a good fight right about now.” There was no response from the voice in his ear, but he knew she heard him, most likely refraining from speaking at the risk of egging him on.
One moment he was considering the best place to find some serious action, and then the next he was on full alert, turning his head just slightly. It was mostly a feeling, a shift in the air, something he could recognize from the centuries of experience he had accrued. Then there was a sound, very subtle. It could have been the wind, a bird, some irritating insect rustling about, but for some reason Carter seriously doubted that. Turning slowly, clutching his mace, he let his sharp eyes survey the dark roof top. “Who's there?” No sound, none at all. It was almost as if time had stopped. “No point in hiding, I’ll find you one way or another, and when I do...”
“No need for the theatrics.”
Carter’s head whipped around at the grated voice. At first, he saw nothing, just shadows. Then slowly a figure stepped into the city light’s, a very green figure. “I’m not exactly the kind of man you should be sneaking up on greeny, it isn’t beneficial to your health.”
“I’m a pretty healthy guy, and sneaking up on you was pretty easy.”
“You won’t be so smart when I’m pounding your thick head into the ground,” Carter growled, advancing on the stranger.
“Hey buddy, I’m not the bad guy here. Don’t get your feathers in a bunch.”
“Slow down, he isn’t the enemy.”
Carter paused at the voice in his ear, frowning. Just because the the man in front of him wasn’t the enemy didn’t mean he couldn’t beat his face in.
Either from earlier observation, or Carter’s momentary distraction, the hooded man in front of him picked up on what he couldn’t see.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oliver narrowed his eyes. If there was one thing he complimented himself on, it was noticing the details. Being CEO of Queen Industries required him to be aware of any minor change. The Green Arrow need to notice details also, any small movement from an enemy could mean the difference between him going home alive at night or going to his funeral. And although he couldn’t see Hawkman’s eyes, he had heard him speaking earlier. At first Oliver had assumed there was someone else there, but upon making his presence known, he had immediately realized that wasn’t the case. Then there was Hawkman’s sudden silence, the slight shift in demeanor from the way his body stilled to the way his head tilted just slightly and then the he tensed. “It seems I’m not the only one you’re conversing with tonight.” There was no visible equipment, but knowing the quality of equipment his team used, Oliver was still suspicious.
“How about you stick to your own affairs kid. I have better things to do then shoot the shit with a boy in leather who’s still wet behind the years.” This time Carter ignored the response on the other end, regardless of the fact that it was just a sigh.
“Oh yea old man?” Oliver asked, his voice cocky and challenging even with the voice distorter. “Let’s see what you’ve got. Unless the person you’re talking to has other ideas?”
Hawkman growled as the young man advanced. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“Hawkman, trouble to the south. A hold up.”
Stopping in his tracks, Hawkman frowned. “Another time then.” With a push of his wings he was off the roof.
Staring up at the man flying away, Oliver again thought over the small hints he’d observed. The other man had been ready for a fight, something stopped him.
Whatever Oliver’s eyes couldn’t see, his glasses would have picked up on. Although he could have had Victor analyze the images at that moment, something about this bit of information made Oliver want to keep it to himself. When he got home, he’d enhance the images of Hawkman, find the earpiece Oliver knew had to be there, and check the police reports, no doubt finding one around the same time frame that Hawkman made his exit.
As Oliver leaped to the next rooftop, he ignored the nagging voice in his head that told him he was doing it only because of the potential voice that could have been in Hawkman’s ear.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chloe sighed as she ended communication with Hawkman. The elder man always did like to do things his own way. While he followed instructions well, he still went off script a few times if it suited him.
Seconds ticked by as she stared at the enlarged map of the city. It was just after one in the morning and all was quite in Metropolis. Clark would be back home soon, and any major crimes he would be able to resolve in an instant. Sometimes it was nice having your backup and best friend be the man of steel.
Yet even knowing that her night was over, Chloe’s hands still itched for the keyboard, to do what she had been resisting since Hawkman had encountered the Green Arrow.
Giving up with a sigh, Chloe sat up again. Slowly, guilt began creep up within her, not because of what she was about to do, but because she had no intention of telling anyone, ever. Chloe wouldn’t lie to herself, her sudden curiosity with the Green Arrow probably wasn’t healthy, and if someone knew....well, she didn’t really want to go there.
But he knew, he had have known she was talking to Hawkman, and that interested her. Chloe couldn’t remember the last time something or someone and peaked her curiosity like that.
Playing back the video, she listened to Hawkman and Green Arrow’s brief conversation. If Hawkman hadn’t realized he was being watched, then without a doubt the green leather hero had to have known Hawkman was communicating with someone.
If he was still using the same equipment, picking up his signal wouldn’t be hard. Breaking through his comm wouldn’t be difficult either, if he hadn’t updated his firewalls since her last confrontation with him. Those were too many if’s and she doubted the Green Arrow would fall victim to any of them.
But there was still a chance.
Figuring it was worth a shot, and feeling as if she was committing some crime in the darkness of Watchtower, Chloe went to work.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“I don’t know if I should be disappointed that this was so easy again, or flattered that you left me an open door.”
Oliver stilled in the shadows of a building. The mugger was cuffed and sitting on the curb where the police had just arrived. It was as he began to make his exit, that the familiar voice interrupted him. The logical part of him said to keep silent, but it was quickly silenced. “What do you think?”
“I think you left the door open.”
It was the same voice, but it was different. Oliver could hear the smile ithere, the slow and easy way she spoke compared to the other night. The previous night had been about business, this was different. “Thinking pretty highly of yourself.” Oliver aimed for the roof.
“No, but I have to believe that you wouldn’t make this kind of mistake twice. So while I question your sanity, I seriously doubt you are careless enough not to take precautions.”
“Oh come on,” Oliver began as he flew off the ground. As his grappling arrow took him to the roof he grabbed the edge, flipping into the air and landing on his feet. Conversations with unknown woman who liked to hack your equipment were best done in private. “Just admit your flattered.”
“Let’s just say curious.”
“Curious enough that you probably made a bad decision twice?” Oliver asked, and stood at the ledge, staring down at the city.
“Am I being reprimanded by the hero who did the same thing?”
Oliver smirked, knowing she was right. Unbeknownst to anyone, he’d kept one earpiece linked to the same signal from that night the unknown voice and the blur had played them. Oliver had even gone as far as to keep it from Victor so he wouldn’t be able to monitor the feed or protect it with the upgraded software. The team would have his hide if they knew. “Not at all, just making an observation. This random conversation has nothing to do with the fact that I ran into your little bird friend would it?” There was a pause, and Oliver had no doubt she was debating on how to respond.
“I’m not quite sure I know what you are talking about.”
“Of course.” But Oliver decided to leave it at that. While it wasn’t a confirmation, she didn’t deny it very strongly, and he couldn’t really fault her for not telling him. “Shouldn’t all nice girls be in bed and not making phone calls to strange men?” She laughed, and the light hearted sound was so sudden, so out of the blue, that it almost took Oliver off guard.
“Please...what are you going to be knocking at my window next?”
The warning bells were going off. In fact they had been for a while, but Oliver had done a pretty good job of ignoring them. Except now, they were loud and clear. That warm pleasure that came from flirting with a woman and receiving a like response was more then evident now, and for the first time Oliver realized it wasn’t just curiosity, the need to know show she was...it was attraction. Oliver Queen was attracted to a voice. If only the rest of the world knew. “Or you could just leave your window open.”
“Really? I didn’t know the Green Arrow had taken to accosting innocent women.”
“I doubt you’re innocent, and trust me sweetheart, if I start accosting woman, you’ll be the first.”
“If you could only find me.”
Maybe it was just a tease, but Oliver would have sworn it was a challenge. “Call me crazy, but it almost sounds like you want me to.”
“I’m calling crazy.”
“So you don’t think I could find you?” Oliver raised his hand, pressing it against his hood with just enough pressure. The time illuminated in front of his eyes. It was getting close to two in the morning, the night was slow, and Oliver Queen had morning meetings.
“Oh, I know you can’t find me.”
“Cocky aren’t we? That sounds like a challenge.” Stepping away from the edge Oliver walked a few feet then made a running jump, leaping through the air and landing on another rooftop.
“I’d hate to see you waste your resources finding an invisible woman.”
“I take it you don’t necessarily mean invisible in a literal sense, because I wouldn’t be surprised.” She laughed softly as he made his next leap.
“No. But I think it would be safe for me to assume you’ve already done want you could to find me and hit a dead end.”
“I can’t wait to shake your confidence.”
“Oh really? Is that a threat?”
Oliver flipped into the air, landing in a crouch, stood, and walked towards the edge. “A promise.”
“It seems like I must be taking your breath away. Or maybe it’s just the exertion from moving from rooftop to rooftop.”
He stopped, staring down at his bike, hidden in an alley. As much as Oliver was enjoying himself, much to his own annoyance, he couldn’t ignore that he still knew nothing about the woman on the other end and what her game was. “What is it you want?” For a moment he worried the sudden change in their light conversation might have run her off, but he wasn’t disappointed.
“Nothing. What do you want?”
“We already know what my intentions are. To find out who exactly you are. But at the risk of me doing so you needlessly initiate contact with me. So, I’m going to ask again, what do you want?” It wasn’t his intention for his words to come out hard, tinged with anger. To say that the woman on the other end had him riled up was an under statement. She seemed to always be multiple steps ahead of him. She knew things about him, about his team, yet he knew nothing of her. Finding her seemed almost impossible. Oliver would have almost believe she was taunting him, but something told him otherwise.
“Is it so hard to believe nothing?”
“Considering I know nothing about you? Yes, it is. All I know is that you, and this blur, managed to steal the hard drive. I have no idea what your intentions are, even though you claim they are good. I suspect you are working with Hawkman, but you haven’t confirmed it. And the very fact that you are untraceable makes me suspicious.”
“We all have secret identities. Yours is green leather and a hood.”
“And yours is your anonymity,” he stated. “Even I’ll admit secret identities aren’t fool proof.”
“It depends on how thorough you are.”
Oliver couldn’t help but wonder what made her so sure. Was she really that foolish or was there something else to it? “You already admitted you aren’t physically invisible. Somewhere, there is a woman, in her mid twenties, sitting behind a computer, alone.” There was silence after he spoke, and at that moment he really thought she had disconnected. “Is that what it is? I would imagine invisible people get pretty lonely.”
“I think the city is safe tonight don’t you? Have a good night.”
And then he knew for sure she was gone. Her exit was so abrupt that he was almost startled. Oliver had assumed with another chance he’d learn more about her, but if anything he was even more confused. Sure, he suspected she was in league with Hawkman, and if that was the case, then it only supported his suspicion that she was on the side of good. But besides that, he knew nothing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chloe removed the earpiece and set it aside before settling back into her chair with a shaky sigh. The conversation with the Green Arrow had taken on a decidedly personal tone that she hadn’t exactly been prepared for.
As much as Chloe hated to admit it, he had been right. She was alone. And something about his cocky, flirtatious attitude that first night had kept him in her thoughts. When she’d heard him over Carter’s mic she’d smiled to herself, allowing Hawkman a little more leeway then she should have as they continued to verbally spar.
Chloe had been unable to resist herself. But contacting the masked hero had been a mistake, one she couldn’t make again.
Yet even once she was home she couldn’t get the Green Arrow off her mind.
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