Surprising arrival

Before the mercenaries could even twitch, the reinforced skylight above them shattered. A shower of glass rained down as a zip-line anchored into the concrete floor, and Green Arrow dropped right into the middle of the standoff.

He fluidly rose from his crouch, his custom compound bow drawn and a flechette arrow nocked, aiming directly at the boss's chest. The remaining mercenaries immediately swung their rifles toward the new threat, but the sudden ambush left them paralyzed.

Oliver's eyes darted quickly around the room, assessing the threat level. He registered the **** guards on the floor, the broken chains dangling from the pillar, and finally, Laurel and Sara. Both of the Lance sisters were heavily armed, holding their ground with lethal poise, and completely, undeniably naked.

Oliver blinked, the tension in his bowstring loosening just a fraction of an inch in sheer surprise. "Laurel... Sara?"

"Where the hell were you?!" Laurel shouted, not even bothering to cover herself, her stolen **** rifle still leveled steadily at the mercenaries. "Do you have any idea what I've been through tonight? You disappeared at Felicity's apartment!"

Oliver kept his eyes firmly locked on the boss, though the tips of his ears turned slightly red under his green hood.

"I was cut off," Oliver explained, keeping his gravelly vigilante voice steady, though a hint of apology bled through. "When they breached the living room, two of the heavies tackled me through the drywall into the outer hallway. By the time I knocked them out and cleared the corridor, you and Felicity were already gone. The closet was empty, and there was a blanket hanging out the window."

"So you just assumed we jumped out a four-story window and left it at that?" Laurel snapped, her bare foot tapping impatiently on the cold concrete.

"I assumed you were being smart and heading for the fallback," Oliver countered defensively. "I went straight to A.R.G.U.S. and met up with Felicity there. Lyla and John helped secure the perimeter."

Laurel’s eyes narrowed. "And Felicity?"

"She's fine. We got her a change of clothes and set her up at a secure terminal," Oliver said. "After that, she helped me track you down."

"Track me down?" Laurel asked, gesturing to her exposed body with her free hand. "I didn't exactly have a comms unit on me. Or pockets."

Oliver let out a heavy sigh, a small, wry smirk playing on his lips despite the tactical standoff. "Laurel, searching for a completely nude woman streaking across town in the middle of the night isn't exactly a covert operation. Felicity just had to tap into the police scanners. It was incredibly easy."

Laurel raised an eyebrow, her deadpan indifference holding strong. "Oh, really?"

"You left a rather obvious trail," Oliver pointed out dryly. "Multiple 911 calls about a naked vigilante, a broken-down car with a bloody hood, a tied-up mercenary in the trunk, and several very confused eyewitnesses."

Sara, still holding her stolen escrima sticks, let out a sharp, genuine laugh, completely unbothered by her own nudity. "He's got a point, Laurel. We haven't exactly been flying under the radar."

Laurel just rolled her eyes, her utter desensitization to her nakedness making the surreal situation almost comical. She didn't even try to cross her arms or hide herself from her ex-boyfriend. "Whatever. The point is, you’re here now." She tilted her head toward him, her tone shifting to expectation. "I assume you brought us something to wear?"

Oliver froze. The tension in the warehouse suddenly shifted from tactical danger to **** awkwardness.

Laurel stared at him, her deadpan expression slowly hardening. "Oliver... tell me you brought us clothes."

Oliver cleared his throat, his eyes darting to the ceiling. "I... prioritized getting here to save you before they hurt you."

Sara let out a groan, while Laurel just let her head drop back in exhausted disbelief.

"Unbelievable," Laurel muttered. She looked back at the boss, who was now watching the bizarre domestic dispute with total bewilderment. Laurel raised her rifle again, completely bare and completely out of patience. "Right. Let's just finish beating these guys up so we can steal their jackets."