Never have I sped around a corner so fast. Luckily, I am able to skid myself to a stop before a green arrow whizzes past like a bullet and lodges itself into the wall, and quite like in the movies, it misses me by millimetres. Oh I'm dead serious; it literally caught my hair, almost my ear. Dammit, I would have been able to use the 'You cut me' line from Divergent. Well, I'll stash that reference away for later....

"What on Earth is going on here!?" Steve bursts in behind me, frantic and in his state where he appears angry but completely reasonable and trying to smooth things out at the same time. It's a gift, it truly is. I just look like a she-demon when I try it.

Curling my fingers around the green arrow — about to give the owner of said arrow a piece of my mind — I wrench the arrow from the wall, which was quite happily embedded within it therefore more difficult to extract than I thought, and point it at the source of the firing.

I narrow my gaze to razor slits. "Oliver Queen you will learn to play nice or I will lodge this so far up your ass it'll be poking your brain! If you even have one."

One of Oliver's teammates — whom I presume to be Roy Harper aka Arsenal because I have not yet met him — muffles a snort of laughter into his hand, a man by the name of John Diggle who is usually Oliver's back up — and very good at combat thanks to military training — tries to hide the smirk forming on his lips behind his shoulder. Felicity Smoak on the other hand, looks completely and horrifically mortified.

Oliver pulls his lips into a tight smile. "Oh how I've missed your threats Nightshade."

I snort. "Shut it Queenie."

He smirks. "Make me Nightshade."

"Whoa, okay, rewind here," Tony interrupts, flying back down to the pristine marble flooring and removing his suit helmet "you two are friends?"

I look up in thought. "Well, more along the lines of—"

"Acquainted frenemies," Archie finishes off, turning his tight smile towards Stark.

I point at Archie. "That."

Standing up from her hiding spot behind the thrown couch — what's the bet Green Machine was the cause of that? — Felicity's heels click and clack against the floor as she anxiously raises her hand as if to ask a question, fretting  and quite quickly talking "There won't be any more fire or arrows shot around right? Because the arrows I'm used to but I really don't like the fire."

I chuckle, my temper easing out. "No, no more fire," I glare daggers at Johnny "but it's great to have another archer around. You're not the only one with an abundance of infinite arrows at your disposal Robbie."

"Yeah Legolas has more than enough. Where do you get all your arrows from?" Tony turns slightly off topic, facing Clint with pure curiosity.

Clint smirks at Tony, playfully replying "From your ass."

Stark's eyebrows rise. "My ass should open up a shop, it is apparently quite profitable."

"Can we please refrain from talking about your ass for five minutes Tinman?" I request quite exasperatedly.

He mock surrenders, his hands up with little effort. "Not my fault I'm such an interesting topic to talk about. People love me; it's a fabulous gift and an irreversible curse. I'm clearly the centre of everything, that's what we can take out of all this."

A dark smirk curls at my lips. "Keep talking and I'll knock you so hard you'll fly from the centre."

His lips sew shut.

"Can we get to the important question of why are they here?" Johnny asks, the heat still radiating from his body even from over here. How could they piss him off so quickly....?

I snort. "I invited them... duh." Honestly, I feel as if I'm talking to five year olds. Certainly in Stark and Johnny's case.

Natasha crosses her arms, her eyes pinned on me in an analytical sense. "Why?"

I smirk. "Because they can help with the 'mysterious'" queue air quotations "dark archer who really isn't mysterious at all. His name is—"

"Malcom Merlyn. Owner and CEO of Merlyn Global, father to deceased son Tommy Merlyn and former member of the League of Assassins. So not to be underestimated." Oliver side glances me throughout his rude interruption, the look all I need to understand the message behind it.

We need to talk.

"How can they help exactly?" Ben inquires, Felicity's quick nervous smile appearing and disappearing as she hastily inputs "Right here guys. We are right here."

Bruce however, is the one to answer while he continues his habitual fiddling with his fingers. "I thought Merlyn was dead, it was all over the news."

Oliver's eyebrows furrow into a knot. "Wait you were in Starling when that happened?"

Bruce shyly shakes his head. "No, I was in Central city helping a friend of mine with a few trifle algorithms for his particle accelerator, but the news reached Central city."

"We don't know exactly how he survived but the past is in the past, we need to focus on taking him down again, permanently this time," John Diggle insists, as usual the one who gets things in order. Not much has changed it seems.

Glimpsing at his friend as he says it, Oliver is sure to chime in "My associates here have everything you need, even things that SHIELD does not. We've encountered him first hand, that's the best kind of help you can get. Lilly? Care to accompany back to my hotel? We need to talk."

It wasn't an offer, or a suggestion. It was a demand. I don't do demands.

Repressing a scowl, my lips pulls into a thin, razor sharp smile that could rival my katanas, and I reply with a tad more heat than necessary "Sure Robbie. I would love to."

Turning back towards the hallway from which I came, Oliver having placed his quiver of arrows and bow down and heading around the corner already, I'm stopped by a firm hand on my shoulder. Glancing up, my face softens instantly when Steve's face contorts with worry. "Be careful okay?"

Just for the sake of making him blush in front of everyone, I kiss the hand resting on my shoulder and beam up at him. "If I was always careful, I would never have any fun."

He chuckles. "Fun? That's what you call it? More so along the lines of trouble I would have put it."

I smirk. "I've told you time and time again Captain, it's my middle name."

Strolling from the room, after I curve around a few corners I come to meet Oliver patiently standing in the elevator, completely calm. I'm either getting a pat on the pack and a D&M, or I'm in heaps of trouble. Let the fun begin.

******

"You did what!?!?!" Unbelievable. Un. Freaking. Believable. I can't believe that he.... That he.....

"You took down Slade Wilson.... And you didn't invite me!?!" This is outrageous! A scandal! Oh and look at him, happily and quite amusedly chuckling away as we walk side by side down the bustling streets of New York, the sun shining down on us but in no way making the day more warm. Damn winter.

"Well you aren't exactly easy to track Lilly." His eyes are dancing with amusement, mischief swirling in with the warmth of the blue irises. Being an assassin you need to know body language, and usually as cliché as it may sound, the eyes hold every answer you wish to find when in the midst of an interrogation. People call it the gateway to the soul and to be honest, I can't think of a more accurate description. When someone is sad, obviously you can see it in their face but the eyes are you're drawn to. Whenever someone is crying, what is the first thing you look at? The eyes. That's how you can tell if someone is feigning crying, because although they may cry, are they truly sad on the inside?

I grow exasperated at Oliver. "You have my number!"

He pauses for a few moments, actually halting in his tracks as he impishly and oh so innocently  says "That's right, I completely forgot," he shrugs, his hands in his pockets and continues walking "how forgetful of me."

Keeping afloat the playfulness in the air, I half-heartedly mock with a deep voice "That's right, I completely forgot. How forgetful of me. I'm Oliver Queen, and I need to ask my personal butler to wipe my bum after going to the bathroom and prepare my morning tea with the Queen of England—"

His laughter breaks me off. "You know I am, to some degree, broke right?'

I snort disbelievingly. "You have a house though right?"

"Well, yes—"

"Food?"

"Of course but—"

"Clothes?"

"Obviously—"

"A nice hotel in which you're staying in now and a private jet?"

"Yeah but—"

I smirk. "If that's broke then I fear to think what I am. Even the rich can't go poor is appears."

He laughs again, something I rarely hear from him. "I'm getting better. Queen Consolidated has been completely turned around and turned into—"

"Palmer Technologies, I know."

He stares at me slightly bewildered. Smiling up at him as we round the curb, I elaborate "I may not be an assassin so much anymore, but I keep up with the news and gossip. I've got people everywhere, I know about a lot of things due to people owing me a lot of favours."

Reaching an exquisite and frankly quite grand and luxurious hotel, the employee at the front door opens it for Oliver and I, politely greeting "Welcome back Mr Queen. Hope your friend enjoys her visit here as we—" he cuts himself off when he recognises my face. Oh dear...

"If you scream my name I will throw you in front of traffic," I deadpan, looking straight ahead instead of his eyes which are undoubtedly filled with fear and follow in behind Oliver, who thanks the doorman and speed walks to the elevator.

Riding the elevator to the second top floor — oh, were you expecting the Penthouse? He's broke remember? — we stride down the hall and towards an open room. Once in said room, Oliver eyes the cleaning crew then me in a way that practically says 'we'll talk when we are fully in private'.

The cleaning man glances up with wide eyes, evidently not liking it when the guest arrives in the middle of cleaning a room. "Disculpe me señor reina, terminamos luego." I apologize Mr Queen, we will be done shortly.

I smile at them warmly, replying for Oliver "Es muy bien, podemos esperar." It's quite alright, we can wait.

Oliver gazes at me in curiosity. "I forgot you could speak a variety of languages."

I shrug. "Just comes naturally I guess."

When Oliver smiles quite convincingly, I almost believe everything is fine. Until he suddenly says "I bought this really soft silk pair of pyjamas the other day. They are ever so comfortable."

I smile back at him. "Silk? I didn't pitch you as a silk kind of guy."

His shoulders move up and down nonchalantly. "I'm rich; I can afford to bathe in it."

There's an unsettling silence when Ollie and I share a look, then, it happens.

I swivel around and throw a hook at the man's chin, but he's quick to dodge. Weaving back he charges at my stomach, gripping all the way around and hauling me into the air as he pushes me backwards, almost looking like Fiona off Shrek when he hauls her over his shoulder. Swinging my legs up, I use his momentum to push myself further over his shoulder, slipping into a handstand when he loses his grip then dropping to the floor and sticking my leg out when another member of the 'cleaning crew' raises a hand gun.

Swinging my leg around, she's too busy taking the safety off the gun to notice that my leg was coming around, falling quite ungracefully to the floor and onto her ass as I scramble for the gun. Having to give up the gun for the next incoming attack, instead of grabbing the gun a few feet in front of me I run towards the wall, jumping up and placing one foot on it to push and spin towards the man who attacked me first, using my power, speed and momentary height to throw a punch down on his face. The satisfying crack of a nose resonates through the air, making me quite happy. Another broken nose to add to the list.

I have to duck incredibly quickly when the woman throws a knife, this time I manage to grab the gun during my darting around. I quickly glance at Oliver to see him dealing with his own trio of cleaning crew. Jesus, this is why I clean my own bedroom. Never trust the butler, maid or any form of room service. They'll screw you over faster than Saruman from Lord of the Rings, Caleb Prior from Divergent or any kind of demon or angel from Supernatural.

I dissemble the gun as the woman charges at me, the man still on the floor wiping his profusely bleeding nose. Why dissemble the gun? Simple, so they can't use it. If I fire the gun then that will surely acquire the attention from patrons in the other rooms if they haven't already heard this bash up going on, and we don't want that.

I stomp a foot to the floor, coating it with ice which creeps up the woman's legs and stills her body from moving any further until is cloaks her entire body bar her head. Clenching my hand into a fist towards the man with the broken nose, he pleadingly gasps for air as I steal all the air from his lungs, the entire space around him within a three foot parameter deprived of breathable oxygen as he chokes into unconsciousness. What? Were you expecting death? Please, I'm in a good mood today. Didn't you read the last chapter? Nicky can pick them up when we're done anyway.

The woman squirms in her ice entrapment, snarling at me. I blissfully ignore her, instead telling her "You look a tad chilly," I click my tongue "should have brought a jumper."

She snorts at me. "I hate you bitch."

I gasp. "Tsk tsk, conceal don't feel."

She darkly chuckles. "Oh you think you're funny because you can control ice and you're making immature references."

I sigh. "a) Have you not read my file? I'm the definition of immature and b) I really thing you just need to let it go."

A cry can be heard.

Snapping towards Oliver, I see he's just about done with one of the assassins — wait... did they send a group of assassins to kill an assassin and vigilante? Ha! Oh that's a funny one! I have to tell that to Johnny when we get back. We'll have a merry laugh. But one has lodged a small knife into Oliver's calf, Oliver barely noticing it after a couple hisses of pain. I parkour over the bed, and while my legs are in mid-air I hook one around the neck of a man with a bleeding gash down his face, positioning myself so I haul myself onto his shoulder and squeeze he air out of him using my thighs.

When he collapses to the floor in a tangled heap, I study Oliver's current situation and decide he's fine. The last agent/assassin flails around as Oliver holds her in a headlock, until she too finally falls unconscious to the floor.

I exhale slowly. "That was a nice warm up. Where are the others?"

Oliver yanks the knife from his calf, dropping the bloodied tool the white carpet — oh how the real cleaning crew are going to despise that. The woman still ensnared within the ice enclosure chuckles sinisterly again, Oliver and I both warily approaching her as she warns "You're in over your head Nightingale. Amos will destroy you. He's got all that oppose him on a tight leash, showing them off like you would a show dog. He's got three super heroes, as well as a God. They're certainly fun to watch squirm in their chains—"

I sigh. "Can we please just skip the long death threat/monologue? Because I have really endured enough for one lifetime thanks."

She snarls. "He's coming for you," he glares at Oliver "all of you." Her tongue moves around in her mouth, her jaw clenching as if she's biting something. "Hail HYDRA," are her last words as the poison from the tooth foams and bubbles in her mouth, her head lolling to the side at an unholy angle.

Oliver stares at her in thought. "Are they always—"

"This dramatic?" I finish off, sighing tiredly as I nod.

"You bet."

*grumbles* HYDRA agents... honestly.

What do you think of the new team up? So that's Wolverine, The Avengers, The Fantastic Four and Team Arrow. Oh, and Sam Hemmings ex-HYDRA agent/son to Victor Von Doom. Not the team Lillian is used to but a crazy team all the same.

Any clue as to who Amos may be? He's strong enough to persuade HYDRA to join - and we all know HYDRA work alone -, strong enough to have three super heroes captured and as the crazy lady said it 'on a leash' and then he's also got Loki, something Lillian isn't too sure how to feel about. Danger is coming....

You know what else is coming? The end..... to this book. The first one anyway. I probably have another good ten, maybe a few more chapters ahead of me depending on how much I fit into each chapter. Do ya'll want a sneak peak of the next book 'Involved with the Enemy' ? Not like a snippet or anything, I haven't typed it up yet, just like the cover or something. Maybe a snippet if you're feeling lucky....

Thanks for reading and that's all for now, bye! :) xxx