Six Months Later..."Damian, we've been chasing dead ends for the last four months." Thea said frustrated.

"You still haven't seen the guy, you don't have a name, or even a motive.

I walked to the window and started out at the New York City skyline.I pulled a hand through my hair and turned to look at the young woman who was putting on makeup."Fine." I sighed. "Last chance, and if it gets us nowhere, we can go home."Thea smiled through the mirror and nodded her head. "Okay, last one."She walked out of the bathroom and straightened my tie and pulled my suit jacket down tight before buttoning a single button."I've been meaning to ask." I said to her. "What went on that day on that night on the roof?With Roy?""The night we were searching for William?" She asked as she looked in the mirror to put an earring in.I nodded which she saw through the mirror."Well, he tried to apologize." Thea said. "Very big of him to do so, and then told me he wanted us to leave on the right foot and his decision for leaving me hadn't changed."Well if his feelings had changed you wouldn't be busting up gangs for any piece of possible evidence we can get our hands on." I said trying to lighten the mood."We'll chat about this later." She said to me as she grabbed her purse and we headed for the door.We rode the elevator down to the ground floor where we exited out onto the busy Manhattan streets as the sun began to descent upon the city."With how big this place is, I'm surprised it's not overrun with superheroes and villains." She said shrugging as she hailed a taxi. I pursed my lips and shrugged. "Maybe in another universe. "We got out in front of a club and due to Thea's reputation, she was let passed the bouncer without having to wait in line. The bass echoed loudly in my oversensitive ears and the strobe lights were distracting to my overstimulated eyes as well. "You good?" Thea asked as I rubbed them. "Yeah, my enhanced sense are going crazy right now." I said to her."Ooo, can you like feel in your mind if there's bad guys around?" She asked bouncing on her feet. I raised my eyebrows at her. "No Thea, I don't have the force." I said to her. She gave a small smile.Ever since Oliver died and the Roy falling out it was rare to see her smile. I did my best to cheer her up, but it was no use. She smiled when she wanted and was impossible to crack at any other time."Come." She said grabbing my hand. "I need a drink.""You ever been clubbing?" I asked as she pulled me along."You know I have, Damian. I used to snort coke and do drugs in the bathroom." She said to me."When was this?" I asked shocked."Started right after my goody-goody best friend ran off to Minnesota to play hockey." She said as she ordered a couple shots.She gave me a look that told me to look around, sure enough guards were positioned in front of the doors leading to the back. Equipped with full auto guns in their hands."I count two." Thea said to me.I peered around the rest of the club before I saw them. "I count six. Two on the floor and two more near the bathrooms." I said to her."Good eye." She said to me."Too bad I count seven." She said to me. "Wanna have some fun?" She asked winking at me.I was too late to notice the bartender was moving her hands under the counter.Thea was quick as she grabbed her by the hair slamming her head against the counter.I pulled off my tie as the next man advanced towards me with a sword.I sidestepped his first swing and pulled my tie around his throat before throwing him to the ground. I punched him in the face knocking him out.Time slowed as my spider sense kicked in. A gun was being pointed at the back of my head.I ducked and spun raising my hand in the process covering the end of the barrel with a web.Thea was kicked as she jump and kicked him over the edge of the second bar."How many is that?" I asked her. "I haven't been counting.""Three. Two more approaching she said.I noticed the guards at the door hadn't moved and were watching closely.I grabbed Thea's arm and threw her forward as she raised her fist crashing into the first guy. The second guy looked to see if he could help the first guy and I took my chance. I jumped at him and kicked him through the wall.Thea ripped up her dress to make it loose around the legs revealing two throwing knives in which she threw at the last two guards.Two clunks sounded and the guards dropped to the floor.Thea and I walked the rest of the way to just outside the door at the end of the hall. The Itsy-Bitsy spider climbed up the water spout." A man said in a sing song voice on the other side of the door.

"Down came the rain and washed the spider out. Then came the Shocker and beat him to a pulp.Just as we opened the doors the man brought his hand down on the desk crushing a spider under his hand."I don't think that's how it goes." I said to him.He just chuckled in his seat."What's so funny?" Thea asked him."Welcome bug." He said flashing a golden smile""Who are you?"He pointed at himself. "Oh me, I'm just the messenger. You've finally made it to the next step of the hunt.Thea walked forward and put a knife through the mans hand."What's the message?" She asked as the man screamed in pain."Chicago, is where you'll find your next clue." The man said. "If you make it there, Herman Schultz sends his regards.The tv behind the man suddenly began to flash. Numbers were counting down."He's rigged the place to blow." I said backing up."Yeah, no shit." Thea said grabbing my arm as we took off running towards the back exit as we crashed through the doors. I quickly shot a web to a nearby roof and pulled us to safety as the building below us exploded.

"I guess the good news is we got a lead, finally." Thea said to me.I smiled at her."Back on track.""Alright, if I was supervillain who hired someone to tell me who and where he was. What would I do?" I asked standing on the roof of Trump Tower."I don't know, most side villains tend to draw attention to themselves." Thea said standing next to me. "No police chatter though, odd for Chicago.""I've always wondered, why do you wear red. Do you like blood?" I asked. "It kind of sticks out. It's not like you're the red arrow, even Roy wasn't called that? Do you wear it for him?""Oh my god. You don't ever shut up." She said as I struck a nerve."And you don't ever talk." I said to her. "All I do is ask you how you're feeling. When was the last time you asked me how I was doing, how I'm feeling." I asked her. "I've had no one but you since I left Central City, but it feels like I've been alone the entire time. "Her face fell like she had just been punched in the gut. "We got a bank robbery in progress, some dude wearing a yellow suit. He's got some lightning technology. Requesting back up. North LaSalle Dr and Madison." The police radio went off."We'll talk after we go to work." I said to her I as I pulled her into me and began to swing towards the sirens.

 I dropped Thea behind the police cars and landed just inside the bank. "How lame do you have to be to name yourself based on a bedroom technique?" I asked the man facing away from. "I'm the Shocker because I Shock things." 

He said showing off his gauntlets."Ooooo, shiver me timbers." I mocked him. He dropped the money bags. "Are you ready to get squashed, bug? I jumped into the vault kicking Shocker backwards into the far side. "Okay, I'll give you that one. It was decent." I said as Thea came running in behind me."Less talking more apprehending." Thea said hitting him with A taser arrow. "Really Speedy, you just upgraded him." I said shaking my head. The shocker touched the wall electrocuting it. I would have to focus on my hand-to-hand abilities rather than my evasive ones."Oops." She said giving me an apologetic look. I shot continuous webs at Schultz until he was trapped in a cocoon of webs.

 I flicked my web canisters out and replaced them with new ones. 

"You know, I'd say it was a good fight but I got put into a coma by six other villains. They cheated but yeah, they at least hit me.The shocker exploded out of the webs and sprinted at me.I slid under his legs hitting him in the face with a web and pulled him down. Schultz got up and growled at me.Thea shot two arrows which the shocker caught in midair and laughed. Thea just smirked as the arrow beeped before exploded in his face. "Nice one." I said to her as I jumped at the shocker kicking him into the wall where he electrocuted himself and fell to the ground smoking. I jumped on top of him and webbed him to the ground until I was positive, he wouldn't move. "You will never beat the Master, after all it is his game. You're just playing it."Who's the master. "The greatest hunter known to man." He hissed at me."Well Mr. Schultz clearly not because I don't know him." I said as the authorities piled in and apprehended the villain. "Thanks for the help, Spider, haven't seen you on the news in Central City. Glad you're okay. The world needs heroes like you." The officer looked around me at Thea. "You too, Speedy. "Damian." Thea said as I swiped the card on the door and pushed it open followed closely by Thea. "Oh, this is just great." I said putting the key on the tv stand and looking at the only one bed when I had specifically asked for two. I dropped my spider emblem on the tv stand as well before taking off my shoes. "Damian!" Thea demanded. "Can we talk? "I rubbed my eyes. "What is there to talk about? "Umm, I don't maybe the topic of you blowing up on me on the roof." She said dropping the bag with her suit on the ground. I turned around and saw the depressed and anxious face looking back at me."All I've done since you found out about Nora was worry about you." Thea started. "First, you go running off a thousand miles away. Then I come back and find out you're a superhero, who's in a coma by the way. Didn't see you in years and the first time I do you're in a coma. Turn around and I find out you came back to Star City and didn't even come see me. Then when you finally wake up we come to each other heartbroken, we sleep together and you don't want to even speak about except how you dropped the bomb that you used to be in love with me... and never told me." Thea said starting to cry. "All I do is worry about you Damian, but I don't ask you because if you wanted to talk about it you would."I was at a loss for words. How was I even supposed to respond to that. She was right, I never returned to Star City after I left for college until I applied for a job and never reached out." I'm sorry." I said putting my hands in my face. "You're right, completely right. She sat down next to me and put her head on my shoulder. "How are you doing?" She asked. I shrugged. "Some days I'm great, and then the next day I'm not. My heart will always hold a special place for Nora, but she's gone. There's nothing I can do about it, I miss her terribly and I miss Oliver. Sometimes I feel all alone, completely dark. Others I feel like I'm moving on, taking two steps forward and then it feels like I get hit three steps backwards. "Thea wrapped her arm through my arm."You're never alone, Damian." Thea said. "I know how you're feeling."I nodded to her. "Let's go to bed." She said to me trying to pull me up. I looked up at her. "I think I'm going to sleep on the couch."Her face fell but she picked her head up and nodded."Goodnight Damian." She said to me."Goodnight, Thea."The lights went out and I laid there staring up at the ceiling listening to the cars on the street below."Damian." Thea whispered through the darkness."Yes?" I asked."I wear red because it symbolizes Strength and when people look up and see that strength being used to protect them. It inspires hope."