I didn't sleep very well. My mind kept returning to the things I'd done, people I've killed...and Vinyl. 'I can't believe I turned her away like that.'
I pulled myself out of bed, taking a glance around the room. It was just as I had left it, my bow laying on the end table with a can of Manticore next to it.
I got to my feet and grabbed the can, 'At least this has one good use.' Pulling my pants from my duffel I laid them on the floor. I poured it on the small bloodstain around the new hole in the thigh. The blood turned green and ran off with the rest of the concoction. "I don't know who'd drink this."
I shook off the various liquids and hung them on the coatrack in the corner to dry.
I grabbed my school bag, casting a glance at the bow on the table. I remembered what Rainbow told me, and why I can't help her. "I guess it doesn't matter anymore..."
I threw the bag on, and ripped open the door. I stopped for a minute, looking back at the room.
'I tried. That's the important thing, right?' I sighed.
'You're going to be late.
'Does that even matter at this point?' Making a hypocrite out of myself I took off at a run, barely stopping to lock the front door.
I took my usual seat on the bus and glanced out the window, lost in thought. 'What's prison going to be like? I mean with all I've inherited I'm sure I can handle anyone in there. At least one on one.
"Is this seat taken," Bon-bon asked, snapping me back to reality.
"Um...I don't think so," I moved over, letting her sit down.
"You don't usually ride the bus, Oliver." Bon-bon stated, reaching in her bag for something.
"No, I usually drive myself..."
"Your 750-TI is still in the shop off Queen and Gambit."
"Anyone ever tell you, you're a bit of a creep?" I asked, trying to shut down the conversation.
"I'm intrigued that you didn't join the archery team, I thought for sure that was right up your alley." Bon-bon paused, brushing her hair back.
'She's wearing a wire!' "Too much homework, and work hours for competition, Bon-bon." I reached in my bag forcing my list to the bottom, out of sight.
"You know, you can talk to me right?"
"I can't talk to anyone," I countered, letting my gaze return to the passing city.
Bon-bon tried several more times to start conversation before the bus finally pulled into the CHS parking lot.
'It's about time.' I sighed as we made our way off the bus.
I started towards the school, trying to keep my anxiety at bay long enough to survive today. 'One more day and I'll be out of here.'
I ripped open the glass door and made my way to my locker, refusing to make eye contact with anyone.
"Oliver Queen," The captain sighed from behind me.
I growled, slamming my locker, "What?!"
He scoffed, shocked, "Excuse me?"
"How much are you making for grilling me, huh? Who's paying you?" My grip shifted on my book, getting ready to swing it. "It's no secret that CC PD only works if somebody's lining their pockets! So who's paying you?" 'Why do I care so much?'
"You're not wrong," The captain admitted, "but my only interest is the truth. Rich or poor I want justice."
"Captain Heartstrings, you have--" I pulled back ready to strike.
"Oliver Queen," Celestia called from down the hall.
"You'd better get to class, it wouldn't look to good on your record."
I begrudgingly lowered my book, allowing the captain this small victory.
I sighed, making my way to the principal's classroom.
"It's good to see you finally made it, mister Queen. When I heard the busses were running late I thought for sure you'd miss out on valuable class time."
"May I turn in the paper now, and work on something else with the remaining time?" I asked offering the completed assignment.
"You have it done already?" Celestia asked, pride and shock blending her voice, "I only assigned it Tuesday."
"Like I said, I don't have time to sleep." It wasn't much, just Equestrian law. Pretty straightforward, all I had to do was compile and present evidence of conspiracies...hypothetical of course, and conclude the paper with a lesson in spotting illegal conspiracies. Really not that hard when that's literally all I do.
"I'd say, just keep track of it for now. But if you want to work on something else for the period do it quietly. Okay?" Celestia pointed me to my usual seat at the back of the room, next to Lyra.
"I got it." I acknowledged, making my way to the back of the room.
I cautiously took my seat, scrambling to collect my thoughts as I opened my sketchbook to the first blank page and started drawing concepts for new arrow gadgets. It was something to keep my mind off of my looming confession more than anything constructive.
"Olivier," Lyra glanced over at me, voice breaking, "I need to talk to you."
"After class," I sighed, "That'll be the best time for both of us." Did I just come off as an ass to another one of my allies?
I focused on the design of a new grappling arrow that would double as a survival axe if the occasion arose. Although I knew I'd never be able to build these things, or after today, be able to use them it was still a comfort to be able to stretch my imagination.
Before I'd finished the bell sounded, packing up I hesitantly followed Lyra out into the hall and away from passing students.
"Listen, Oliver..." Lyra started, only able to meet the gaze of the floor, "I'm sorry. I...you're a good friend, but I don't want you to try and stop me."
"Lyra," I asked, confused and scared, "What's going on?"
"Just...don't blame yourself. It's not your fault."
'What the hell? what do I do?!'
I barely had time to finish the thought before Lyra shoved me back into the open locker, slamming it closed behind me.
"Lyra!" I screamed, only able to see her eyes through the slits in the steel door.
"I'm sorry, but I can't let anyone stop me." Lyra picked up her bag, "I'll see you in another life, Oliver."
"Lyra!" I kicked the door, "don't do this, Lyra!?"
I watched her silently walk away. Unable to react, to stop her.
"Son of a bitch!" I started desperately ramming the door, tears running freely.
The steel door finally broke its hinges, and exploded open forcing me to fall flat on my face.
I pushed myself up, spitting the blood from my mouth.
"Oliver? what happened?"
"Lyra," I pinned someone to the lockers too blinded by adrenaline to see who they were.
"...She just went into the gym..."
I let her go and took off running.
I threw open the doors, Lyra was on the stage across the room injecting something into her arm.
I pulled a dart from my pocket and threw it towards her.
The syringe shattered, its contents evaporating into a black mist when it touched the floor.
"Lyra Heartstrings, do not fail this city!"
She turned to face me, her eyes and hair had turned black as midnight, "Lyra is gone, only the Lyre remains."
"Don't make me do it, Lyra, please." I reached for my other dart, tears running down my face.
Lyra dropped to all fours, snarling like a rabid animal.
"I will do it, you know I will." I brushed my fingers over the fletching, aiming for the throat. 'I can't do this! This is Lyra...
She lunged, leaping from the stage to the floor in front of me.
"What did you take?" I demanded as I squared off with my best friend.
"One of us isn't going to make it out of this alive, Green Arrow." A wicked grin split her face, "who's it gonna be?"
"I...I can't accept that, you're going to be fine...I...I'm gonna fix this."
I screamed as her leg connected with my ribs, dropping to the floor.
"Maybe if you cry a little more I'll kill her quick."
Something snapped in my mind, the pain drained from my body. Forcing my eyes to meet hers I spat, "You get out of her, bitch!"
I swung for her face.
She gripped my wrist, turned my arm, and pulled. "You wouldn't hit a woman would you?" She turned, throwing me across the gym like a rag doll.
I impacted, rolled and came to a halt under the window.
"Son of a..." I forced myself up to my feet, struggling not to pass out.
"Language," Lyre chastised as her foot connected with my sternum, sending me out the window.
I laid there coughing, struggling to breathe. 'This is it, there's nothing I can do.'
Lyre gripped a shard of glass, turning it over in her hand, "What's that thing you always say?" She turned it over, backhanding it. "You have failed this city?"
Going for the kill...here we go.
I rolled, barely dodging the blow. Using momentum to my advantage I brought my foot up.
My boot connected with her skull, knocking her over.
I Braced my foot against her back, gripping her shoulder with one hand and her bicep with the other. "I'm sorry, Lyra."
"You don't get to..."
I cut her off by breaking her arm. 'Oh, god!...what have I done?!'
She screamed, breaking my fragile heart.
I kneeled down and silenced her with a blow to the back of the head.
"Shit," I fell off of her, coughing, gasping for air.
When I could finally breathe again I risked a glance in her direction.
Lyra's arm bent the wrong way behind her back, laying face-down in the dirt surrounded by shattered glass.
I turned over and vomited up the bagel I had this morning.
'What have I become?'
I slashed the bile from my lips and staggered over to my best friend's broken body.
'She...she doesn't have much time. I have to get her to Memorial, now!'
I gently rolled Lyra over onto her back, careful of her arm and waking her back up.
I moved her feet towards her body. Then standing on her feet for leverage I gripped her good arm and lifted her over my shoulder. I put my right arm between her legs and forced myself upright, gripping her good hand around her leg.
I stumbled the first few steps, but quickly got into a groove, carrying my friend towards the parking lot.
I staggered onto the blacktop, struggling to stay awake.
"What the hell?"
I glanced over, one of the local cops was making his way over to us.
'She doesn't have time for this bullshit!'
"Hey, kid," I heard his gun clear its holster, "What the hell's going on here?"
I turned, glaring, "You don't want to stop me."
"Yeah, well I'm the one with the gun. How about you put the girl down and I don't shoot you."
"Fine," I gently laid Lyra down and took a step back.
The "cop" kneeled next to her, acting like he was checking her vitals.
I silently made my way behind him. waiting for the right moment.
"Captain, I've got..."
I looped my arm around his neck, cutting off his airflow. "You have failed this city."
In a few seconds his body went limp and I tossed him aside.
'Key, keys, keys...' I frantically searched his belts, throwing aside the useless items, 'yahtzee!'
I picked up Lyra, laying her across the backseat.
"Officer Buck, you okay? What you got out there, over?"
I picked up the radio, pressed the button, "You have failed this city." I ripped the CB out of the car and tied up the unconscious officer.
"Hang on Lyra, you're gonna be okay."
I started the car, and tore out of CHS.
Within a few seconds I'd figured out the lights and sirens.
"Just hang in there," I glanced in the rear-view, "God, please!"
I pulled up to the emergency entrance, all but driving through the doors.
I threw open the door, rolled over the roof and tore open Lyra's door. "Get me some help out here!"
I didn't wait. I couldn't. She couldn't.
Lifting Lyra I made my way into the hospital, screaming my head off on the way in.
Redheart greeted me from behind the desk. "How can I help you?"
"Redheart, Lyra needs saline, charcoal solution, and dialysis." I shifted Lyra slightly on my shoulders.
"Sign in and we'll get to her as..."
I slammed my dart into the desk in front of her, "NOW!"
Redheart looked from the dart to me, and back again. "Okay," She turned down the hall, "Orderly! We've got an overdose!"
She turned back to me, "Do you have any idea what she took?"
"No, Some of it was an injection. I got there just in time to stop one of the injections." I placed Lyra in the wheelchair a gruff, grey orderly rolled up.
"What happened to her arm?" Redheart asked, "it looks like a compound fracture."
"I...I had to do something, she just went insane. It was like she wasn't human anymore...she almost killed me, and god knows how many others." I shook my head, trying to clear my tears.
"Nightmare," Redheart spat, turning Lyra's head, "Stage two, you might've just saved her life."
"She's...she's going to be okay..." I sighed, coughing.
"Take her to OR 1 stat!" Redheart ordered, "and padge doctor Horse, tell him we've got another CHS special."
"What's that supposed to mean," I demanded, grabbing Redheart's coat.
Redheart sighed, "The last three cases of Nightmare this month have come from CHS."
"Someone's giving this to kids?!" I couldn't believe it, I still can't. How someone can just give this shit out to kids. "I'm gonna find em. They're going down hard."
My speech devolved into a coughing fit.
Redheart looked from her lab coat back to me, "Are you..."
I didn't hear the rest of her question, my vision faded and my head cracked off the tile.