@ofravagers continued from here
A grunt sounded as she backed into him, stopping the plan to take off running after their intended target. Oliver was frustrated as well, but not about the exact same issue. âWe arenât here to act as judge, jury, and executioner!â he bit out after sheâd turned to face him. This was not the first time heâd had this argument, though it was the first time heâd had it with her. There were numerous times at the onset of his becoming the Green Arrow that he had to remind himself that people were redeemable - that shooting at a non-lethal spot was better.Â
âAnd then what does that make you?â he asked, not at all holding back the contempt he felt at her attitude. âYou think theyâre killers? You want them to suffer because of it? If you go around doing the same thing to them, how are you any better?â It would be so easy to write Rose off based on her family history, and if he were anyone else, that might be the course of action to take. But Oliver couldnât. Even after all these years, he believed that circumstances made people who they were - that the hand theyâre dealt affects the way they react in a given situation. Rose had been shown one way of life by Slade, she just had to know there were other ways to go about things.
âDonât I get a say in that?â he had picked up the sword, thumb and forefinger on either side of the blade as he held the handle out toward her. âYou want to make a difference? Show people that violence isnât the only way. Itâs one thing to defend yourself, to subdue a criminal, itâs another to stop and make them live with their choices.â
How strange. Rose remembers her father telling her the exact opposite of what Oliver was trying to convey. For the longest time as Ravager, she was told only she can be judge, jury, and executioner. This wasâŠfor a lack of better words, odd.  Rose cursed himself as the perp ran off and shook her head. Sheâd find him later. She owed Oliver that much. âI donât mean to be difficult.â And truly she didnât. Rose just wanted to understand. What was her purpose here? Did she really come to help and fight the good fight or was she here with ulterior motives? On some days she isnât sure who she is. The âwhyâ is especially daunting.
 âThose same guys didnât care about her!â And she knew she was projecting. She knew this. Oliver and all these âgood guysâ were there for the honest people of New York City but when it came down to it when she was fighting herself, who would fight for her this way? Itâs admirable. In a way that twists her stomach and Rose chews the inside of her cheek as she bites back all the things, sheâs held inside with contempt. âI never said I was better than those guys. Iâm not better than most people, Oliver. Remember?â
 When he held out her Katana, Roseâs gaze fell on the blade before it flickered up to meet his eyes. Why was he still there? âSlade would have disowned me a million times over for fucking upâŠwhy donât you do the same?â