Invisible Heart 5/?
Title: Invisible Heart 5/?
Rating: NC-17
Summary: She's invisible, a ghost, untraceable...but he sees her. AU
Notes: My god I haven't posted in FOREVER. I really, really recommend going back and reading the previous chapter, I had too and I'm the one who wrote it. I would be forever greatful for some reviews. I'm hoping this isn't in a one time thing and I'll be in the mood to start the next chapter tomorrow. Thanks to Gen for helping me with this fic multiple times. Also, for Kayla since she's been bugging me for some fic and I'm lazy. And for Sly, just because. :)
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kc_2009.
“Oliver?!”
With some strain Oliver lifted the weights and settled them back into their rightful place. Easily he sat up, grabbing the bottle of water off the floor and the towel next to it before standing and heading out of his work out room. “Yea! I’m coming!”
It didn’t take him long to find Victor, already waking the computer. “Seven in the morning. It’s early even for you.” Downing the half empty bottle, Oliver made his way into the kitchen, tossing it into the trash and grabbing another from the refrigerator before making his way to Victor.
“I’ve been up since four,” Victor responded, not even lifting his eyes from the screen.
“Four?” Oliver said in surprise. “No missed calls from you,” he pointed out as he took a seat in one of the nearby chairs and lounged back into it.
“No, it wasn’t exactly imperative, and I thought it would be easier to discuss in person. Especially since you had been patrolling last night.”
“Alright, well consider me curious. What’ve we got?”
“As you know I make it common practice to keep track of our more troublesome enemies. Well last night I hit on something with Constantine Drakon.” Victor looked over at Oliver finally, checking his response and not surprised to find a frown. “This bit of information actually came form the CIA’s database.”
“CIA? Moving up into the big leagues aren’t you.”
Victor gave a short chuckle. “Well, it can be an interesting challenge, but I do attempt stay out of their neck out of the woods. We really don’t want the government coming down on us.”
“No,” Oliver commented darkly, “they do have a habit of making trouble for us.” It wasn’t hard for him to remember the few politicians who had made it their business to lead campaigns against vigilantes. That wasn’t the issue at hand though. “So what’s our good friend Drakon up to?”
“The CIA or some government agency has an agent that is working undercover, the source of the information is very vague, so I’m still not sure how much weight I’m holding in it, but it appears that they actually have the time, place, and target of an assassination that Drakon has been hired for.”
“Really?” Oliver raised his eyebrows and leaned forward, his interest piqued even further. Drakon was dangerous, but even more frustrating was how difficult he was to keep tabs on. Usually he was in an out before you knew he was even there, and he had been a particular thorn in the Green Arrow’s side for some time now.
“Yea, if the information is good, I think we might have something.”
Oliver looked over at Victor, only hearing the ‘if’. “Where’s the problem?”
“How easy we got this information. Drakon isn’t easy to keep track of, as you well know. Either we are catching a break, or walking into a trap.”
Oliver frowned, turning his head to look at the computer as Victor pulled up various pictures. “Where is that?”
“Metropolis Museum of Art. That’s the place. The ‘when’ is six nights from now. There’s a fundraiser to raise money for art programs in Metropolis’ public schools.” Victor glanced at Oliver through the corner of his eye. “I think this is a mission for the likes of Oliver Queen.”
“You’re right,” Oliver frowned as he spoke, “this is almost to easy. My assistant already sent my regrets, I was going to send a generous donation instead.”
“Well, I’m sure you can cancel your Friday night plans to make an appearance.” Minimizing the pictures Victor pulled up another. “And our victim.”
The quick glance Oliver got of the women in the picture was enough to make him lean forward, scooting the chair in to get a better look. Victor pulled up another picture next it, both obviously taken at the same time. He noted the grateful smile on her face as she took the cup from the street vendor. Her profile was the only thing visible, but he could tell she was attractive. The next picture appeared to be from across the street as the previous one had been. The smile was no longer on her face, but this time her face was turned, looking across the street in the general direction of the photographer, every detail of her face now available to him. His suspicions where correct, she was an attractive woman. Dressed in simple casual where, minimal make up, and her short waves styled in a way that suited her, Oliver knew if he would have passed her in a crowd his eyes would have followed her. Focusing again on the mission Oliver realized she was young, possibly younger them him. What kind of woman was she that she had a hit out on her? Oliver’s thoughts strayed to Dinah who was his age, pretty, and when she wanted too, she could look innocent. But there was always something in her eye that Oliver knew was dangerous. This woman, she was small, petite, very much the girl next door type. Nothing about her seemed dangerous, to anyone. Oliver knew of course how appearances could be deceiving, but still...
“What do we know about her?” Oliver asked without taking his eyes off of the pictures.
“Nothing.” Victor noticed the way Oliver looked at him sharply and continued. “The CIA has nothing on her. I tried facial recognition, but I still came up empty handed. Listen,” Victor turned in the seat and faced his friend, “I’m not joking about this woman. The CIA even managed to get a fingerprint from her, which it sounds like they had a tough time getting, and still found nothing. So for all we know, this woman could just be as much trouble as Drakon.”
“Possibly,” Oliver said thoughtfully, speaking more to himself then Victor. Yet he still couldn’t help but frown in concern at the pictures. There was a reason she had a hit on her, whether it was because she was one of the good guys or the bad guys he couldn’t say, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that this woman didn’t deserve to die at the hands of Constantine Drakon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Clark came around the computers and stopped at Chloe’s side. “You can’t be serious. I left here two hours ago, I come back and your doing the same thing. Is this really important?”
Chloe sighed dramatically, turning to face her long time friend with amusement. “Important to preventing world wide domination? No. Important to preventing Rapunzel from going insane in her tower in the sky? Yes.” Turning back to the screen she continued scrolling. “I have an opportunity to spend an exorbitant amount of money on some formal wear on the tab of Tess Mercer. So yes Clark, I’m going to spend all day finding an expensive dress, shoes and jewelry and then spend even more money to have it shipped next day. Unless Superman can find it within his heart to pick up my purchases for me?”
Clark glared at the back of head. “I would imagine I could find other things to do that are a bit more important.”
“I’m sure.” Chloe shrugged and turned back to him with one eyebrow slightly cocked. “But how many times have I dropped things to do something for you?”
Clark frowned. “That was important.”
“And this is actually for a reason. So I may be spending extra money, but Clark really, it isn’t like I have a closet full of formal wear. In fact, I have none. If I recall correctly, after I left, Tess made it her business to destroy anything I had ever come in contact with. Plus, you wouldn’t go to a fundraiser wearing Sears where people are going to be donating thousands of dollars.” Chloe cocked an eyebrow, waiting for his response, but he said nothing.
When she turned back to the screen he sighed. That little bit of guilt at her predicament, that seemed to never go away, was there again. Chloe never rubbed it in, reminding him what she had given up. Even then he didn’t suspect that was her intention from the way she had smirked at him during her small speech. It didn’t stop him from regretting the decisions she had to make though. “Let me know where. If I can squeeze it in...”
Looking over her shoulder, Chloe smiled. “Thanks Clark.”
He watched her in silence, not really concentrating on what she was looking at, but commenting when she asked his opinion. “Are we sure this is a good idea.”
The conversation about her clothing hadn’t been important, but now his voice held genuine concern. This time she turned to face him fully. “Nothing we do is always full proof. But you’ll be around Clark, I’ll be fine. Plus, the intel is good.” Chloe couldn’t help but notice the wary look he was giving her. Clark had always played the part of the doting older brother, but it seemed his hovering tendencies had worsened since she had made her life changing decision. Chloe did her best to put him at ease usually, but she knew sometimes her efforts were fruitless. When it came down to it, only Tess and Clark knew who she really was. At some point, when Chloe Sullivan stopped existing, Clark, knowing that he was her only friend, and the only one that knew who she really was, felt it was his duty to watch over her. It was tiring to a point, but some part of her was grateful that he hadn’t given up on her yet, realizing that her decisions were more then he needed on his own plate. “Clark, I’m going to be talking to Tess soon. I’ll go over the details with her.”
Clark nodded, pushing his concerns to the side for the time being. There were still a few days left that they could discuss it, and if need be, him talk her out of it. “Anything else?”
“No.” She smiled, but slowly it seemed to fall as she felt the need to ask, as she always did every few weeks. “How’s Lois?”
Clark opened his mouth and closed it for a moment, just watching Chloe. Every time they talked about Lois the conversation took on a much more morose feeling. Lois was the only real family she had left. Chloe’s mother had passed soon after she decided to erase herself. In a sad way, it had been a relief to Chloe, no longer having to be concerned about someone using her comatose mother for their own dangerous plans. The loss of her mother was one thing less that could link back Chloe to her previous life, yet it was for that same reason Chloe still remained troubled. It was for that reason Chloe still asked about Lois every week with a frown touching her lips and brow scrunched in concern. “She’s good. Paving her through the Daily Planet single handedly.”
“Good,” Chloe said with a smile, proud of her cousin. Yet the idea of being at the Planet, an up and coming reporter, was a bittersweet dream for Chloe, one that was so far out of her reach now. Shaking off thoughts of her past and a future that would never come to be she focused on Clark again, taking note of his sad frown. “Don’t go there Clark.”
“I know...I wasn’t.”
“There would be I nothing would love more then to bring Lois into my life. But just like you won’t tell her your secret, I can’t tell her mine.”
“Yea, I get that. But keeping a secret is a bit difference from making your cousin forget you ever existed,” Clark pointed out.
Chloe frowned and sighed, because he had a point. Chloe had kept things from people her whole life. If Lois ever found out what Chloe did, she’d kill her. “I know...”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Quiet, it had been entirely to quiet since he had found out about Constantine Drakon’s return and the job he had taken. The fundraiser was in four days. Drakon would soon be in town, scoping out the area, planning the assassination. Oliver had made it the teams top priority to try and seek him out. If they get to him before the fundraiser it we be better for everyone all around.
Even so, Oliver couldn’t help but want to come face to face with the woman in the picture and discover exactly what it was she had done to be put on Constantine Drakon’s list.
“Slow night again hero?”
On his bike, Oliver almost let off the gas at the sound of the voice. It had been the last think he expected to hear.
Almost two weeks had passed since he’d last heard her voice. When their last conversation ended Oliver had been under the impression it had been under less then ideal circumstances. He hadn’t expected to talk to her ever again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oliver tapped his glasses again, pulling up the coordinates. He had reached his target. The building wasn’t abandoned, but the top three floors were. The building also was owned by one of Drakon’s past employers, at least that was what Victor has surmised from his intel. Drakon, who had been spotted, wide in the open, as he normally did before a hit, was two hundred miles away. It was safe to say that he could be using the empty floors as storage. It wasn’t unlike him to prep a space for equipment before his arrival.
“Sampson and Stein Towers, what could you be doing there?”
Oliver frowned at his own foolishness. A few random conversation with a nice voice and he was foolish enough to stay on the line so that the woman could track him. Although she claimed to be one of the good guys, there was no real proof of that. Hell, she could be in league with Drakon for all he knew. Still...it didn’t seem feel that way. “Has anyone ever told you that you are to nosy for your own good?”
“Well now that would be revealing something about myself. But I think it would be safe to say by continuing to pursue you that I am curious by nature.”
It was a hint into her character, but it probably wasn’t something that he couldn’t have surmised himself. Just as she could probably assume he was a bit reckless by allowing her to break into his comm and track him. “So I’m being pursued? That has lll kinds of meanings.”
“Really...I’d try to deny it, but I get the impression that your ego wouldn’t allow me too.”
Oliver definitely was being reckless, because she had him spot on. If she denied their mutual interest in conversing with one another he would have called her a liar. “I am very charismatic, it’s no fault of your own that you can’t resist my company.”
“I was right about the ego. And charismatic? Usually those are the people who go far in life right? Important, move up quickly to high places?”
Oliver frowned as he continued to walk through the darkened rooms, nothing to be found but old office equipment deposited for storage. Nothing appeared to be disturbed, and while there could be something he couldn’t see, Oliver was in no position to be searching the entire three floors at the moment. He knew he should have invested money in upgrading his glasses to x-ray. As if the abandoned floors of the office building weren’t enough, the woman on the other end was quickly building a perfect picture of him. Go far, high places, important...sure, try CEO of Queen Industries. Instead of addressing her he decided to be one of the things he was best, a flirtatious bachelor. “So you aren’t denying that you can’t resist my company. I’m flattered.”
“Of course you are. We’ve already established the size of your ego. Rest assured, there is no reason to make up stories to a woman who will never meet you in person.”
“Stories...not quite. I promise you, the size of my ego is well earned. I have no doubt that I could prove that to you.” Oliver had no doubt she got his hidden meaning.
“If that’s the case, why so desperate to flirt with a voice?”
It was weird to hear her actually say it out loud, that they were flirting. Although, she did have a point. Oliver Queen didn’t have to find company, it came to him. Oliver Queen didn’t have to play word games with a voice. Yet there he was, suited up, investigating a hitman, and flirting with a woman who he knew nothing about, who obviously had powerful allies, and who he would most likely never see. He couldn’t help but be disappointed by that last fact. “The only other way of talking to a faceless, pretty voice is to pay for it.” She laughed in his ear and Oliver couldn’t help but smirk.
“I should be offended since you’re calling me free, but since the actual gratification you are getting from this conversation doesn’t exactly compare to that of calling a 900 number I’m not that worried.”
“All those women would do is get you is worked up. There is no gratification in that.” Well, besides taking care of it yourself, and he wasn’t exactly sure he should be going there.
“So there is right now?”
There was a hint of seriousness in her tone, and he considered her question before he answered, needing, without understanding why, to make her know that there was something to their conversation. And he couldn’t help but wonder, was she asking to inflate her own massive ego like he might have done, or was she just as lonely as he suspected and she needed to know. “Well to put it plainly I’m still talking with you like a sixteen year old boy, even though I have no idea who you are or your intentions.” Silence. For a moment he thought he had offended her rather then flattered her. It was a strange sort of flattery. But it was the truth. Oliver only hoped she could appreciate that. He chose to ignore that fact that he was actually ‘hoping’ she would, because that was the last thing the Green Arrow should have wanted from a faceless voice.
“It does seem, that on your part, you are playing a dangerous game.”
Oliver thought to respond, but she started again.
“I suppose I could try to assure you that I really mean neither you or any of your friends harm, but I understand you can’t just take my word.”
Oliver sighed as he ducked under a low doorway. “If only it were that easy.”
Emerging into the hallway, his glasses the only thing helping him to see into the darkness, he heard noise just before something hit him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chloe gasped at the loud grunt and the sounds that came over the speaker. Her ear had long ago learned the sounds of a fight, the sounds of fists hitting flesh and bone, bodies being thrown into furniture, sounds of pain, grunts as fists were thrown and kicks hit there target. Chloe knew a fight when she heard one...and when it was sounding like a struggle. She wanted to say something, anything. But really, what could she do...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He had been distracted, he should have known better. But none of those regrets would mean anything if he was dead. A bullet flew through the air and he turned, almost avoiding it, but it hit his arm. Just as he moved to attack again, ignoring the pain, the gun cocked and was pointed straight at him.
“Not this time Green Arrow. I think this time your done for.”
“No, no keep him talking.”
Oliver wanted to argue with the voice on the other end, because really, what was the point, but chances are that would have gotten him shot right then and there.
“Keep him talking!”
“You aren’t Drakon. I assume he sends his regards.” The man across from him, tinted green from his night vision, didn’t even smirk. Stone faced killer to the end.
“He knew you would come.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Clark!” Chloe screamed as soon as she switched over to the other link on her comm.
“Chloe, wha-”
“No time. Superman needs to get to Sampson and Stein Towers. Now. The Green Arrow has a gun to his head.”
“Chloe-”
“Now Clark!” She swallowed, breathing heavily. “Please.” She couldn’t be sure when or if he took flight, but he had to have. Clark wouldn’t leave her hanging.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“He couldn’t even come himself?” Oliver asked, the Green Arrow’s guttural voice being what the hit man heard. “You’d think he would have wanted to kill me himself.”
“Drakon does not hold you in such high regard. No more talking.”
Oliver knew that it was his last moment, whatever the female voice had meant when she said keep the hit man talking he probably would never know. All Oliver had left was himself. Either way he was going to get shot, but he wasn’t going to do it just standing there. As he prepared to lunge, the gun went off.
Oliver had barely moved from the spot he had been standing in when a blur moved in front of his face. Oliver stopped, eyes opening wider as the hit man flew across the room. It was then that Oliver was able to focus on the person that now stood in front of him. “Superman.”
Clark frowned and turned, spotting the man in green leather in front of him. “Close call?” He asked, opening his hand to show the now powdered metal of the bullet. Clark shook out his hand and turned, letting his x-ray vision comb the entire building for more intruders. Finding no one he turned back to the Green Arrow. “He was the only one.”
“Thanks.” Oliver said, not exactly sure how to respond to the man standing in front of him.
Clark nodded and turned to walk away before turning back. “If you were looking for something, I saw nothing here.”
Then he was off, straight out the window. For a moment Oliver just stared, not really in shock, but trying to piece together what exactly had happened within the past few moments.
“I’m really sorry.”
The voice came over his comm, shaking him out of his reverie, yet he couldn’t find words.
“It was my fault. I know better. I should have never distracted you from what you were doing.”
“It would be safe to say that the blame could easily be placed upon me,” Oliver said immediately, because she had been so quick to accept the blame for the gun to his head, and it really didn’t seem fair to leave her with that.
“I’m glad you’re okay. But I think it would be best for all concerned if...I didn’t contact you again. It was reckless of me and had the potential to endanger lives. I’m sorry.”
The regret and hurt in her voice was honest and Oliver couldn’t ignore the slight squeeze in his chest as he realized what her intention was. “Wait, that’s hardly fair-.”
“Goodbye Green Arrow.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chloe sighed and took off her earpiece, staring at the screen as she monitored Clark’s progress across the country. It had bothered her more then it should have, to break off contact with him. Her interaction with the masked vigilante consisted of a handful of conversations that weren’t even face to face. It wasn’t enough for her to feel regret or loss. She should be able to move on from some ridiculous crush.
After a few minutes of sitting there in silence Chloe frowned at her predicament. Once again she found herself falling for a super hero. Her and her super hero complex.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oliver pulled off his vest and threw it across the room in anger before walking over to the mirror and surveying the bullet wound on his arm. It had passed through, clean. Except it hurt like hell and it would put him out of commission for a while. Grabbing his phone he sent a text to Emil. With any luck he’d be over in less then thirty minutes to patch him up.
In the mean time he stripped off the rest of his leathers and pulled on a quick pair of shorts while trying to keep the bleeding to the minimum. The silence gave him time to think, piece together what he knew, or at the very least absorb what happened. He headed back to the living room to await Emil’s arrival.
The arrival of Superman didn’t exactly answer many questions, but it did quell some of his concerns. As the woman on the other end had said, she wasn’t a threat, and he was starting to believe that. It was only all to clear that when she told him to keep the hit man busy it was to allow for Superman’s arrival. The time between when she had told him to keep the hit man talking and Superman’s arrival may have been about a minute, then that quickly he had been there. Oliver was in no doubt of the alien’s speed, what Oliver marveled at was that the woman on the other end seemed to have Superman on speed dial. In all of Superman’s exploits Oliver couldn’t recall one thing leading anyone to believe Superman worked with someone.
Except the other missions, the blur stealing the target right in front of their eyes, the first time he heard that voice. Bart was fast, very fast. But the blur was gone, almost as if he had disappeared into the air. All the piece added up perfectly.
Oliver groaned as he collapsed into the sofa and put his head back, grateful for the comfort of it, and more specifically for being alive. Except he still couldn’t even focus on the part of almost losing his life. Things were starting to make a bit more sense now. It was Superman working with her the whole time, which was strange, because everything Oliver knew about Superman didn’t point to him as a thief, someone to hide from what they were doing. It would seem that Superman didn’t want anyone to know, not even Green Arrow or Batman, that it was him taking the objects that they sought. Why the secrecy he wasn’t sure. It could have been as simple as not wanting people to realize that Superman was a clepto, but he suspected it was more.
As his thoughts started to slow, he forgot about Superman and instead thought about the woman that seemed to haunt him. She had pursued him, even when it seemed that she preferred to keep her relationship with Superman a secret. When he’d suspected that she could be dangerous she denied, but never gave up proof. She was loyal to Superman, that much was sure. It made him wonder, briefly, what type of relationship she had with Superman that she continued to protect him, that the man of steal seemed to jump when she needed help.
Which led him to his other conclusion. She had been protecting Superman, yet when the gun was to Oliver’s head she revealed her partner in crime to save Oliver’s life. That fact wasn’t lost on him. In fact, it was all he could think about. Oliver hadn’t known her, not really, but she’d exposed herself in a way, and Superman, to save his life.
The elevator buzzed with Emil’s arrival and Oliver sighed, grateful for the interruption. Because she had been right, she was on the good side. Knowing that made the sadness in her voice as she said goodbye even more frustrating. If anything, knowing what he knew now, he was determined more then ever to find her.
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One last note, if you comment, and the comments box is out of place, please let me know. I clicked on it accidentally and it is all 'off'. :( Please still comment though. I'm hoping the problem is just for me.