Heart Break

Roy having left to patrol earlier Jonathan and Oliver settled on sparring. On the Arrowcave's training mats Jonathan faced off against Oliver, both in ready stances. Jonathan trying to see what Oliver would do first.

Oliver initiated the exchange, launching a rapid jab towards Jonathan's midsection. Jonathan, reacting quickly, tried to sidestep. Oliver's anticipated the move, shifting his weight to throw a cross that connected with Jonathan's shoulder.

Staggering slightly, Jonathan regained his footing and attempted to counter with a combination of his own—a left hook followed by a right uppercut. Oliver, with practiced ease, blocked the hook with his forearm and leaned back to avoid the uppercut, exploiting the opening to deliver a solid body shot to Jonathan's ribs. The impact forced a sharp breath from Jonathan.

Regaining distance, Jonathan circled, wary of Oliver's next move. Oliver advanced, feinting another jab. Jonathan, learning from earlier, braced for a follow-up cross. This time, however, Oliver surprised him with a low kick to the side of Jonathan's knee, disrupting his balance.

Jonathan, now more cautious, managed to anticipate Oliver's next jab, parrying it aside and responding with a quick, precise jab of his own to Oliver's chest. It was a minor victory, but Oliver's nod acknowledged the hit.

Oliver, shifting gears, closed in with a flurry of strikes meant to overwhelm. He threw a left hook, right jab, followed by a knee aimed at Jonathan's midsection. Jonathan, pushed to the limit, managed to block the punches but took the knee, the hit winding him slightly pushing him back.

They paused, both catching their breath. Oliver, standing straight, looked at Jonathan. "You're getting a lot better. You're a fast learner," he said.

Panting, Jonathan grinned through the strain. "Thanks, you're a great teacher," he managed, "Or at least, pain is."

As Oliver and Jonathan squared off for another round, they were interrupted by Felicity's timely entrance. "I'm here, I'm here, what is it you guys needed my help with?" she announced her presence.

Oliver looked at Jonathan, holding his hand up. "Later," he said to Jonathan, before turning to address Felicity. He pointed to the phone they had received from the new archer Jonathan had taken to calling Cupid. "We need a trace on that. There's a new archer in town, and that's our only clue."

Jonathan couldn't resist interjecting, with a smile. "I think there's a much easier way of finding her, but Oliver here is too chicken to do it." His remark.

Diggle, who had been monitoring from a nearby computer, turned towards the group with a half-smirk. "He's afraid she's actually as crazy in love with him as you think she is, Jonathan."

Felicity, caught off guard, spoke up. "Whoa, what's going on? What did I miss while I was out?" Her curiosity piqued.

Jonathan's smile widened, clearly enjoying the unfolding drama. "Only that the new archer, Cupid, contacted us, and that she clearly has the hots for Oliver... or the Arrow, at least."

Oliver, feeling the conversation spiraling, sighed in exasperation. "Just see if you can track down the phone that called this one, Felicity. And ignore these two children."

"Hey," Jonathan protested, feigning offense, "I'm no child." His smile getting larger.

Diggle, merely shook his head before turning his attention back to his computer.

Felicity smirked. "Alright, Oliver, let me see what I can do."

As Felicity dive into her work, Roy's voice crackled through the comms, breaking the concentration in the room. "Guys, we have a serious problem here. I'm looking at least four shipping crates full of weapons."

Oliver's response was immediate, the concern evident in his tone. "Are they military?" He knew what would happen if military-grade weaponry fell into the wrong hands.

Roy's voice was grave as he spoke. "Possible. But the people here to buy them aren't." Which meant gangs everyone thought.

Jonathan, already moving, suited up in a blur. "Give me an address, and I'll be there soon."

Oliver, fixing Jonathan with a serious look, spoke. "Keep Roy safe." To which Jonathan nodded.

With the address secured, Jonathan was gone in a gust of wind. The speedster raced through the streets of Star City, making his way to the docks.

--

Astrape slid to a stop next to Arsenal, his arrival stirring a small cloud of dust on the rooftop. The scene below them, was a secret meeting point for the illegal arms deal they were here to disrupt.

"So," Astrape began, his tone light, "what's the layout, how many guys, and how do you want them knocked out?" A quiet laugh escaped him.

Arsenal turned to him, an eyebrow raised in mock surprise. "You didn't take them all down already? I expected you to rush in."

"Hey," Astrape retorted, a grin spreading across his face even as he shook his head, "I know better than to dive head-on into something. I may be faster than a small caliber bullet, but I can still be hurt."

Arsenal nodded, before he then briefed him on the situation: the number of adversaries, their suspected armament, and the layout that gave the illegal dealers cover but also provided them with quick escape routes.

After finalizing their plan, Astrape glanced at Arsenal. "Give me one second, and I'll take care of this," he declared. With no more than a moment's pause, he vanished, leaving behind a faint trace of electricity that crackled in the air where he had stood.

Arsenal started to count aloud. "One Mississippi, two Mississippi..." he intoned, stretching out the seconds. When he hit "thirty Mississippi," as if on cue, Astrape reappeared right beside him, as though he'd never left.

"Thirty seconds, Astrape. Be honest, you're getting slower, aren't you?" Arsenal joked, laughter coloring his voice.

Astrape rolled his eyes. "Haha, smartass," he shot back. His tone then shifted to seriousness. "Call the cops and get them here to take these guys. I'm going to head back and see if we have anything on that new archer, Cupid."

As Astrape prepared to speed away, his figure blurring into motion, Arsenal pulled out a specialized phone to call the cops. It wouldn't be long before the cops got there.

Back in the Arrowcave, Jonathan approached Diggle, Felicity, and Oliver. "Any news?" he inquired, knowing the answer though.

Felicity, clearly frustrated, shook her head. "No, she must have encrypted it somehow," she admitted.

"Of course," Jonathan scoffed. "All the bad guys are somehow smart enough to encrypt their electronics." Thinking to himself, 'Why did they writers give every bad guy in Arrow the ability to have all their shit so encripted that Felicity struggles to break it.'

Jonathan's thoughts were interupted by the ringing of Oliver's phone. "It's Lance," he announced before answering on speaker for all to hear.

"This new archer dropped another body, he was some techie," Lance's voice came through, grim. "She took the hard drive and destroyed the rest of the equipment here, so we don't know what she wanted."

"Thank you, detective," Oliver responded, as he ended the call.

--

Not long later after Roy had returned a familiar ringtone filled the Arrowcave, Oliver didn't hesitate. "Where are you?" he demanded, his tone angry.

The response came, playfully, grating on Oliver's nerves. "Oh, don't worry, lover boy," the voice cooed from the phone. "I'm in the old Queen Steel factory. You didn't think you could hide from me forever, did you?"

Oliver's reply was a low growl, his patience worn thin. "You dropped another body, and for that, you'll be going away for a long time."

At that moment, Felicity caught Oliver's eye and nodded. He understood immediately, terminating the call with a swift click.

"I've traced her call," Felicity announced, her fingers still poised above her keyboard. "She wasn't lying; she is standing in the old plant, actually inside the nightclub part."

Jonathan, already suited up in his gear, spoke. "Good thing the club shut down; otherwise, she'd have hostages."

"Let's go," Oliver declared, as he grabbed his bow, an action mirrored by Roy.

As they stepped into the darkened club, now silent and abandoned, there was a sense of anticipation among them. The masked figure of Astrape couldn't help but express his impatience, questioning, "Why can't I just take her down right then and there?"

Arrow, his gaze fixed ahead as they moved through the shadows, responded. "Let me deal with this. She's clearly calling me out." The situation was personal, a direct challenge he felt.

Astrape, unable to resist a light-hearted jab, smiled beneath his mask. "I think she's only doing that 'cause she wants you. But still, I'll step in if I need to."

Arsenal laughed at that. "Like he can't take her down with ease," While shaking his head.

"Hey, who knows," Astrape countered, still smirking. "She may do something that catches him off guard." Finishing with two winks.

Arrow, not having any of it, spoke. "Be quiet, stay focused on the task at hand," he urged.

When they finally saw Cupid, she was on the second floor, overlooking the club. Her voice, laced with a sad tinge, carried down to them. "Aw, I was hoping only you would show up, Arrow," she lamented. Her words painted the encounter as something far more intimate. "After all, this is our date. We don't need a third and fourth wheel."

"Enough," Arrow declared, his patience worn thin, he notched an arrow to his bow and released it in one fluid, swift motion towards Cupid.

The arrow zipped through the dimly lit club. But Cupid sidestepped the arrow with grace. She laughed, a sound that echoed in the empty space. "Oh, Arrow, always straight to the point," she quipped, as she deftly dodged another arrow aimed at disarming her.

With a flip of her wrist, Cupid returned fire, launching a series of heart-shaped arrows back at the team. Arrow, Astrape, and Arsenal moved, dodging and weaving around the arrows.

Cupid's laughter taunted Arrow all the while. "Come on, baby, you wouldn't hurt a girl who's just crazy about you, would you?" she teased, executing a backward somersault to avoid an explosive arrow that detonated upon impact with the wall behind her, sending a shower of sparks into the air.

Arrow advanced, eyes narrowed, barely acknowledging her provocations. "Is this your idea of a first date, Arrow? It's a bit explosive for my taste, but I'm warming up to it," she laughed, her tone flirtatious as she launched another volley of arrows, forcing Arrow to take a defensive position.

Arrow, seizing an opportune moment when Cupid focused on evading an electrified net arrow he shot, closed the distance between them. With a decisive leap, he engaged her in close combat.

Cupid attempted to swing at Arrow, her moves predictable. Arrow effortlessly dodged. Without missing a beat, he countered, grabbing Cupid's wrist and twisting it sharply. The move forced her to drop her bow.

Seeing an opening, Cupid tried to throw a punch with her free hand, but her lack of precision made it easy for Arrow to block and respond. He pushed her arm aside and delivered a quick jab to her abdomen, causing her to double over slightly, the wind knocked out of her.

Trying to regain her footing, Cupid took a wild, desperate swing at Arrow, which he easily sidestepped. He could see she was panicking, her movements becoming more erratic. Arrow seized the opportunity, moving behind her in a fluid motion and applying a controlled but firm neck chop.

The fight was over quickly, with Cupid lying subdued on the ground. Arrow had neutralized the threat with minimal fuss.

Arsenal, with a hint of amusement in his voice, couldn't resist commenting as he approached Cupid's knocked out form. "See, Astrape? Arrow didn't need any help at all," he said.

"Yeah, yeah," Astrape replied, conceding the point but not without adding his own two cents. "But you never know what could happen."

As they stood over the subdued Cupid, Astrape's asked. "So, what are we gonna do with her?" Looking towards Arrows direction.

Arrow already had a plan forming in his mind. "I'll make a few calls," he stated, as he hoisted Cupid, preparing to transport her. His thoughts on Task Force X.

----

What do you all think of the chapter? Honestly this one had me struggling. It doesn't help that I also keep thinking of all the things I want to occur in the future.

Also it may be a few days before the next chapter.