Who: Cissie and Malcolm what: Cissie gets her groove back (well part of it) and Malcolm... catches an arrow? When: Backdated to June 4, 2014 Where: Merlyn house, Long Island Rating: Low
Malcolm jogged down the stairs and headed into the kitchen to grab himself a bottle of water. He was dressed in a black t-shirt, jeans, and a pair of sneakers. It was one of those rare days on the weekend when he didn't have any plans, no meetings, and he had decided to just stay home and relax. At the moment, relaxing meant being able to get in some time in the archery range of the training area. While in the kitchen, he grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl and took a bite.
The last few... well weeks really, they'd been hard. It was to be expected. The funeral had been three weeks ago, the police had called her in to talk to her. The person who'd done it was dead. Cissie had been harder on herself than anyone, but now... Now with some time, some space, she seemed as if she was coming out of it. She'd taken her uniform back from where she'd left it, in her old room at Casa de Arrow. Having it back in her custody was the first step. The next one was a bit more difficult. She'd tried picking her bow back up but she kept getting flashes. And that was something she didn't know how to fix...
It could have been worse. She had stopped losing sleep... Instead when Malcolm came down she was sitting in front of the TV not really paying attention to what was on the screen, with her laptop on her lap. "Thought you were going to sleep like the dead all morning," she said glancing over her shoulder.
"I don't get a chance very often to sleep in," he replied with a smile. Malcolm picked up a second apple and called out, "Catch," before tossing it to her. He walked over to where she was sitting and nodded towards the television. "Busy?"
Cissie caught the apple with no real issue, not even having to move the laptop or her person. "Well... I guess once every so often won't cause an apocalypse." She took a bite and shrugged. "Not really. Mostly just on for background noise. It was too quiet when I got up this morning. Of course the TV was switched to the financial news station," she said verbally poking at him. She took a breath and finally saw what he was wearing. "Heading out for a run?"
Malcolm rolled his eyes, but was smiling as he took another bite of his apple. "What can I say? I have to keep up with things. But no... not running. I figured I might put in a little time on the range and shoot some holes in a bunch of targets. Care to join me?"
Shooting holes... oh. It took her a second to realize what he meant. Which really? For her? That was too long. Because in the past? How long would it have taken?
"Um... yeah. Going shooting?" She'd tried it yesterday but she'd messed it up. Her hand had started shaking. It was less than earlier weeks, but... "I guess I could?" She just wasn't sure she wanted him to see how uneasy she was right now.
Malcolm continued eating his apple as if nothing was wrong, but he'd noticed her hesitation and the her reaction. "Good... maybe I can actually teach you a thing or two. Or vice versa." He smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze.
Okay, so she wasn't getting out of this. Maybe Malcolm hadn't noticed? Either way, Cissie closed the laptop and clicked the TV off before getting up. "Teach me a thing or two?" She raised an eyebrow and tilted her head, trying to put on the bravado to cover what she was really feeling. "We'll just have to see about that. When's the last time you picked up a bow? Hmm?" God this was going to be a disaster..
Malcolm chuckled and finished off his apple before finally replying, "Too long ago for my liking." He headed back to the kitchen just long enough to throw away the apple core, then smiled and began heading towards the door to the training area. He placed his palm on the scanner and waited to hear the click that signaled that it was now unlocked.
"Seriously," she said with a sigh. "The fact that you have a biometric lock on this place? I'm not sure if I should be more concerned about that than I am." She followed him into the training area, throwing her hair up into a ponytail. How long had it been since she'd been down here? She'd been working over at Ollie's the last few weeks, but her gear was stored down here...
"Hush... it's been there since the first time I showed it to you. Would you seriously want people who don't know what they're doing using any of the equipment in there?" Malcolm just shot her a questioning look and arched his eyebrows. "Besides... your handprint is in the database for access too. It's just safer."
Okay... that had been a much more serious answer than she'd been expecting. "I was kidding..." Okay maybe she should just be quiet now. Stop trying to be quippy to overcome the fact that she was uneasy. "Sorry...?"
"It's ok." Malcolm walked over to one of the bow racks and selected a compound bow. "Sorry I overreacted." He grabbed a quiver full of target arrows and put it on, adjusting the fit as he made his way over to the practice targets.
Admittedly, there were some questions that she had but generally it felt like eccentricities. Like if anyone found this room? Weapons plus intruders did not a good equation make.
Standing at the edge of the room, Cissie watched her father's stance. It spoke of years of practice put into the art. It was perfect, almost seamless. It was almost as if he was doing it without having to think, like it was second nature. Cissie leaned against the wall, mentally comparing his stance to hers... But then when was the last time she'd been able to just stand and shoot while in the field. Her own arrows were only a few feet away. "What's your distance going to be?"
"I figured I'd start at 9m, then move out to the full 18m," he replied. Those were the standard distances for indoor target archery and it was also how Malcolm had designed the archery area of the training room. Malcolm pulled an arrow from the quiver and took his time, aiming and firing down the range.
Moving so she was far out of his line of fire, in fact so far that she was far from the firing line, she watched as he took his stance and started firing. One thing she could say about her father, he had really good form, something that Bonnie had always said was important. Now normally, Cissie would have ignored anything her mother said, but this time? Yeah... this actually WAS important. "Not bad," which was an understatement as he hadn't missed a single shot.
Malcolm smiled and glanced over his shoulder when she complimented him. "Years of practice, kiddo. Years of practice." He fired another arrow and nodded as it grouped up nicely with his first. "Besides... it's always pretty easy to hit a non-moving target. The trick shooting we used to do on the circuit was more challenging."
Non-moving target was right. Sure they trained just standing and shooting but... No. She really couldn't. Not now. "Yeah, I heard some of those stories." Her tone wasn't all that enthusiastic. She just... Archery had always been something that was hers. She could do it. Bonnie couldn't lay claim to her talent. But now... she'd tainted it...
He fired another arrow and lowered his bow. "It wasn't all drama and the Bonnie show," he joked. "Some of the time it was a lot of fun and everyone knew each other. Kind of like a dysfunctional little family or sorts." Malcolm noticed that she still hadn't made a move to pick up her equipment yet. "Cissie, can I give you some advice?"
At his joke, the teen just sighed and shook her head. "Not if you hear her tell it." That much was true. Which probably made sense as to why after a while, Cissie had started blocking out Bonnie's stories. "Dysfunctional family? Yeah... that sounds about right." More like her Arrow family now. But it worked!!! That was the important thing. "Advice? Uh... sure. I guess." She glanced in his direction and tilted her head to the side.
"Don't give up on something you love. Everyone makes mistakes in their lives, but you have to decide what comes next. You can use it to become stronger, or you can let the experience hold you back. This thing with Michael... I know it's hit you hard. But your skills with a bow are something you earned. You didn't inherit them, Cissie. It's a talent that you developed." Malcolm smiled faintly and nodded towards her equipment. "Even if you're not ready now, don't give up on it forever."
She probably should have seen this kind of advice coming. Malcolm wasn't stupid. And moreover, she wasn't really hiding anything right now. If she'd been looking at herself from the outside in, she would have been amazed just how much of her vulnerability she was allowing everyone to see. She'd made a practical career out of "being fine". But now... well what was there to hide anymore? "I've tried..." it was a good start. "I tried picking it back up. But I'm shaking. I tried using my skills to kill someone... I want to trust myself. but..."
"But you're afraid." It wasn't a question. "And there's nothing wrong with that, Cissie. That's why you take it slow. If you're shaking, then you keep at it until you feel you're back in control. You went through a traumatic experience and that should shake you. If it didn't, then something is wrong... especially at your age."
Everyone had been telling her to take the time she needed, that it would go away with time. Hell Clint hadn't even minced words, and she probably appreciated that the most, being told that this was going to stay with her. Because... on some level? She deserved it. It was possible that she was being too hard on herself, but somehow she doubted it. But this... "So that's it? Just... keep shooting and one day it'll feel right again?" Somehow it felt wrong. She looked at her equipment. Just sitting there...
"That depends on you," he replied. "Like I said, you have to make the decision. Use it as a learning experience, or give up." Malcolm drew another arrow from his quiver, aimed, and fired at the target. He hit it dead center, just slightly to the left of his other arrows.
Give up? Yeah. No. Those words weren't in her vocabulary. Pause was, stop was but not give up... It was pretty frank advice too. There was a relatively ease the last time she'd picked it up. Picking it up wasn't the issue.
It was just sitting there. If it had eyes, Cissie might have said that it was watching her. She frowned at Malcolm for a moment before moving to pick it up. It felt heavy in her hand. More so than it should, but maybe some of it was just in her head. Still. The moment she went to notch the arrow, she started feeling her hands shake. and she started to lower it. "I don't like the words give up. I've come too far for that..."
"Then don't give up. Take back what's yours, Cissie." He lowered his bow and turned slightly to look over his shoulder at her. "Besides... I've never thought of you as someone who'd ever quit and give up that easily."
Okay... she could do this. It was just a target. She'd done this a million times. All she needed to do was to turn her brain off and shoot. Let muscle memory be the lead.
Raising the bow again, she managed to get it into position. So far so good. She pulled the string back till it was up against her cheek. 'Both eyes open. Relax...' Her eyes were on the target. She was about to let the string go when her hand started shaking, her mind jumped back into it and before she could stop it the arrow was off course and heading towards Malcolm. She let out a yell, trying to warn him. Her mind panicking, her face panicking. Oh god. What had she just done!
On pure reflex and without even thinking, Malcolm's hand quickly snapped up to catch the arrow before it could hit him. However, he realized seconds later what this now meant. Damn... "I'm okay," he quickly told Cissie, trying to play down the fact that he'd just caught an arrow. "Don't worry... I'm fine."
There was a clatter as the bow fell to the floor. Cissie's eyes were wide, her hand covering her mouth, hyperventilating a bit. She was sure just a second ago that she'd killed him. But... How?! How the hell had he done that?! The last time someone had caught an arrow the guy was Kryptonian! So... "You're..." She blinked a few times staring at him. "How the hell did you do that?!" He was okay. She kept telling herself that and trying to get herself to calm down. No one was dead.
Malcolm dropped the arrow and walked over to where she was standing, placing his hands on her shoulders to try and calm her down. "I'm fine... just breath, kiddo. Alright? It's okay. Arrow's slip sometimes." The last thing he wanted to do was to explain how he could catch an arrow.
If her mind weren't going in about ten different directions right now, if she weren't panicking the way she was, then she probably would have been paying more attention to the fact that her father had just caught an arrow. That would be something for later when she remembered.
She looked at him almost as if he'd grown a second head. Arrows slipping was one thing. But that?! She took a shaky breath and tried to center herself. Her hand was shaking. She closed her eyes, not looking at him as she nodded. Arrows slipped. These things happened. But they shouldn't... If she was this unstable she would never be able to get it back!
It took her a few minutes, but she didn't say anything. Her eyes got hard, with something in them. Anger? Determination? She picked up the bow, but it was still shaking in her hand. She NEEDED to do this.
He noticed the change in her eyes immediately and took a step back as she picked up her bow. Malcolm handed an arrow to Cissie and moved so he wasn't between her and the target. "Try again," he said firmly. "You can beat this."
She didn't move right away. If this was going to work, she needed to clear her head. Get into the zone. Bonnie had never called it that, she wasn't sure when she'd started mentally referring to it as such, but it worked. The emotions, the panic, they weren't going to help her now. Not in this moment. Sometimes, yes but not now.
The grip she held on the bow tightened and she started to notch the arrow. She could do this. She HAD to do this. It was this or give up and start playing with throwing knives and she was crap with those. Pulling the string back again, she stood there for a few moments just breathing, string against her cheek. Her hand was shaking, just a little. But she just needed to make it on the target. There was a spot. Between two of Malcolm's arrows... 'Don't picture it. His face isn't going to be in your head every time you shoot.' She let the arrow fly. It hit the target. Not perfectly, it actually knocked out of Malcolm's off as it hit diagonal. But it was there... She just needed to get her hand to stop shaking, get her confidence back up.
Malcolm nodded, but was already handing her another arrow. "Again." If she didn't have time to over think things, she would be fine.
Wait... another arrow? Okay... She had figured she'd be able to take some time to look at it but, maybe not? She took the arrow, notching it and pulling the string back again. Cissie pursed her lips together as she let it too fly. It hit the target a little bit closer this time. Still telling herself to just relax, or trying to. Damnit she COULD do this!
Malcolm circled around behind her, smiling and nodding in approval. But once again, he handed her another arrow and simple said, "Again."
This time she didn't even mentally question it. She took the arrow, her posture a little straighter this time, form a little better. Focusing in on the target itself, she blocked out all other distractions. It was just her and the arrow. Her hand wasn't shaking. Her mind was down to a low rumble now. And somewhere she knew just because she could do it here didn't mean... 'No! Stop that!' The arrow was flying before she realized it. Finding its spot on the target. Which was funny because she'd been telling her mind to shut up and had been on automatic when firing.
They were making progress. Her hand was no longer shaking and she was automatically utilizing her skills, despite any doubt she might have. "Again."
The next arrow was notched almost automatically the moment that it hit her hand. Cissie's eyes never left the target. Her grip on the bow loosened a bit, more of a handshake than a death grip. Her shoulders were solid. The bowstring on her cheek, she breathe, feeling the arrow before letting it go.
This time, the arrow hit in the very center of the target. But it was a moment before Cissie realized it. Her hand was sturdy, no shaking and her eyes widened slightly surprised. Wait! That was a bulls eye!
Malcolm broke into a grin and nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. "That's my girl!" he said proudly. "Bulls eye."
She turned, bow still in hand, to look over at her father, with a small smile on the side of her lips. She wasn't sure if this was worth celebrating but there was no question about the results. "Bulls eye," she repeated with a nod. She let out a breath and looked at the bow. "It isn't the weapon," she said. "It was me."
He laughed and nodded, pulling her into a hug and kissing the top of her head. "Yeah. It's you, kiddo. Congratulations... I'm really proud of you. I knew this was something you could beat."
"Probably something I'm going to be beating for a while," she said, the same smile on her face. "But guess I can do it." she looked up at him for a moment before nodding. This was one step toward taking it all back. She could move on, get over this, learn to live with it. But Clint was right. And she knew it. "Funny... it kinda felt like I was back in training just then. Y'know, back when I was starting. Minus Bonnie's voice and all the second hand smoke."
Malcolm chuckled and rolled his eyes. "I can guarantee that I'm a much different teacher than Bonnie is. And you won't have to worry about the smoke. Seriously though, you're right... you can do this. And you've just proved it to yourself."
"Probably for the best. Would really like to avoid getting Cancer..." Which wasn't so much a joke really. Cissie let out a sigh and nodded. "Yeah. Guess that's one step closer toward the final goal." She looked down at the bow and then at the target.
"Exactly. And since we're talking about goals, I have a question for you. Graduation... do you want a party?" he asked with a smile.
Uh... he was asking this now? Cissie hadn't even thought about that. She hadn't really been thinking much about Graduation other than throwing herself into studying for finals because it kept her mind off other things. "Um... maybe? Hadn't really given it much thought..."
"Fair enough. Let me know when you decide so I can get the arrangements made." Malcolm retrieved his own bow and hung it back on the rack.
Cissie didn't let go of her bow. She grabbed her quiver and took the red arrows out of the target, slipping them back in. It was time for them to come upstairs. "I can do that. But for now..." she hesitated just for a second. "Drinkables?"
"Drinkables works for me." He grinned and reached out to give her shoulder a squeeze before leaving the training area.