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Published:
2019-01-17
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2024-02-15
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110/?
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The Daughter That Was Left Behind

Summary:

Before the Gambit, Oliver Queen met QC intern Felicity Smoak. When he boarded the Gambit, he left something behind. Now, five long years later someone is waiting for him.

Chapter Text

Felicity Smoak was half-listening to the news as she searched her house for her keys. She knew they had to be somewhere on her dining room table, but there was just too much stuff on the table to find them right away.

“Megan?” She called upstairs, “are you ready? We’re leaving as soon as I find my keys.”

“Do I have to go?”

“Yes, you have to go. It’s really important for you to-“

The report she was watching was pre-empted as breaking news was announced. “Oliver Queen is alive. The Starling City resident was found by fishermen in the North China Sea five days ago.  Five years after he was missing and presumed dead following the accident at sea which claimed the Queen’s Gambit.” The anchor read. “Queen was a regular tabloid presence and a fixture at the Starling City club scene. Shortly before his disappearance, he was acquitted of assault charges stemming from a highly publicized drunken altercation with paparazzi. Queen is the son of Starling City billionaire Robert Queen, who was also on board but now officially confirmed as deceased. We here at Channel 52 would-“

“Mommy?” Megan asked. She’d come downstairs to find her mother staring at the television. “What’s wrong? I thought we had to go.”

“Nothing’s wrong, baby. Let’s go.” They were heading out the door when Felicity’s phone rang. It was Moira.


 

Starling City-2007

Felicity was sitting in the cubicle she’d been assigned for her summer internship at Queen Consoliated. Today was only her second day of the internship, and she couldn’t wait to get started and gain valuable first-hand experience. That excitement lessened somewhat when she was told her first rotation was helping the IT technicians with work orders and help desk tickets. The woman she was supposed to shadow had gone upstairs, to a restricted area, and left Felicity in her cubicle bored out of her mind.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. “Anybody down here?” A male voice called.

She nearly fell out of her chair. “What- I- yes, how can I help you?” she said standing up and walking over to the doorway.

“I’m Oliver Queen, I-“

“I know who you are. You’re Mr. Queen.”

“No, that’s my dad.”

“Yeah, but he has a job, I mean he’s at work. Upstairs. So he couldn’t come down to the IT department and listen to an intern babble, which will end in 3.2.1. What do you need?” she said.

“I- um- I was having some trouble with my laptop. Dad said someone in IT should be able to fix it.” he said gesturing to the computer in his hands. “I don’t suppose-“

“Come to mama.” The blonde said as she took it from him.  She started typing something into a control window. “What’s the issue?”

“It’s running slowly. Keeps freezing. Don’t know why, since it cost me a few grand.” He said in an annoyed tone.

“You’ve got a lot of viruses.” She blurted out. Then, corrected herself. “I mean, you don’t, as far as I know, its just- there’s a lot of viruses and malware on this device. From some of the….things you’ve looked at and sites you’ve visited. I’m deleting the viruses and installing some antivirus software.”

“Anyway I can stop it from happening again?”

“Well, um, visit some less…..obscure sites, I suppose.” She answered. “Here you go.”

He nodded, slightly ashamed and took the laptop. “Thank you, Ms.-“

“Smoak. Felicity Smoak.” She said. “Have a good one.”

An hour later, someone came into the room and demanded to know who had spoken with Oliver earlier that day. Felicity admitted to it and was taken to aside by the head of IT. The man wasn’t happy an intern had assisted the CEO’s son rather than call a ‘more qualified person’ in his words and to never do it again. His tirade was interrupted by Robert and Oliver coming down to the IT department to thank Felicity personally for her help. The head of IT changed his tune then.

That day wasn’t the last time she saw Oliver Queen before his tragic accident.


 

Present

It took Felicity all of her self-control to wait until Megan was already at preschool before calling Moira. After what felt like an hour, Megan had been dropped off and Felicity was able to talk to Moira.

“Have you seen the news?”

“Yeah, I did. Is it- Is he-?”

“Yes, its true. I went to see him last night. I didn’t want to call you that late. I’m on the way to the hospital to pick him up now.”

“What did- how did he react? To finding out about Megan.”

“I haven’t told him.” she admitted. “I didn’t want to overwhelm him.”

“When are you going to tell him?”

“In a few days. I want him to settle in some before I break the news to him. Have you told Megan?”

“No, she wasn’t in the room when the story broke. But she’s a smart kid, and she knows Oliver is her father. It’s only a matter of time before she figures it out.” Felicity said.

A little while later, across town, Oliver was only half-listening to his mother as they walked into the Queen Mansion. He didn’t pay any attention to what his mother or Walter said, and went over to greet Raisa.

“Good to see you, Mr. Oliver.” she greeted him before turning to Moira and Walter. “Mr. Merlyn called. He wants to join you for dinner. Should I set a place for Ms. Sm-“

“No, they won’t be joining us.” Moira answered. After talking with Felicity, the blonde agreed to give Moira a few days to break the news of Megan’s existence to him.

Oliver gave her a confused look after she turned away. Then, he heard footsteps from upstairs and Thea came running down. After hugging him and saying she knew he was alive, she started to ask something else, but Moira cut her off. Clearly, there was something going on they didn’t want to tell him.

At dinner, Tommy started catching Oliver up on what he missed. Who won the five Super Bowls he missed, the ending of LOST, Barack Obama’s election. After he ran through all of that information, he turned to a different topic.

“I’m kinda surprised I’m the only guest you’ve got over.” Tommy remarked. “I guess she might’ve wanted to give you time. Knowing her, the news was a bit of a bombshell and-“

“What are you talking about?”

“Tommy, there hasn’t been a good time to tell Oliver-“ Moira started to say.

“Oh, that’s why you stopped me earlier.” Thea said in realization.

“What aren’t you telling me?” Oliver said.

“It’s nothing that can’t wait until tomorrow.” Dinner was tense after that.

The next day, Oliver went to Queen Consolidated with his mother and step-father. He and Tommy were going to see the city in the afternoon and Oliver had convinced his family going to QC would be a good thing. It was familiar to Oliver. In the middle of his tour of R&D, someone dropped something, and it landed with a bang. Oliver jumped and started having a flashback. When he came back to the present, everyone in the room was staring at him so he excused himself to gather his thoughts. He soon found himself wandering the halls of the second floor.

Oliver was clearing his head, and running through his plans to honor his father when something ran into him. A quiet and high-pitched voice saying ‘sorry’ registered in his brain a few moments later. He looked down to see a little girl was brown pigtails and blue-green eyes looking up at him. They were very familiar eyes.

“Are you supposed to be out here?” The girl just stared at him. “C’mon, I’ll take you back to the daycare. I’m sure they’re looking for you.”

“No! Daycare is for babies. I’m not a baby. I’m looking for my mommy.”

“The nice people at the child care center can help you.” he tried to reason.

“No, they’re mean and stupid and they say mean things about me and my mommy when they think I can’t hear.” She said crossing her arms.

Megan liked preschool. Her teacher was nice and she had lots of friends. She didn’t like daycare. She only had to go on days preschool was closed but she still hated it. The staff always treated her like she was a baby, not letting her read like she wanted to. Two of the staff made comments about her mom every time she got dropped off. Megan didn’t understand what the comments meant, but she knew they weren’t nice.

Oliver was about to respond when the click-clack of heels could be heard coming down the hallway. They sped up as the woman wearing them turned the corner and saw Oliver.

“What do you think you’re doing?” A blonde woman asked.

“Look, I-“

“Not you, her. Megan, you can’t just run away from the daycare like that. I didn’t know where you were, I was so worried. You can’t scare me like that.” she said as she hugged the little girl. Something about this woman seemed familiar to Oliver, but he couldn’t quite place it. “I need to have a talk with the daycare staff. They don’t pay enough attention if a four year-old can beat their security measures. Was anyone even watching you or did you just walk out the door with no one noticing for half an hour? I’m gonna fracking-“

“Felicity Smoak?” He asked. Her babbling had jogged his memory.

“Oliver?” she said as she turned towards him.

Chapter 2

Summary:

Oliver reunites with a face from his past and meets someone he never expected to.

Chapter Text

“Felicity Smoak?” He asked. Her babbling had jogged his memory.

“Oliver?” she said as she turned towards him. Once she got a good look at him, she recognized him instantly. There was something different, harder, about him now. His hair was different. She thought he looked better with short hair.

“You did use to call it ‘serial killer hair’ for some reason.” He said.

“Frack, I said that out loud.” She said mortified. “I take it your mom told you about Megan. I wish she’d given me a heads up. I know you’re her father and you’ve got a right to meet her but-”

“My mom didn’t tell me anything. I was- I needed some air and I ran into Megan here. Is she-?”

“Yes, she is.” Felicity said cutting him off. Before she could say anything else, Megan started tugging on her skirt.

“What are you two talking about?”

“Megan, do you remember what I told you when you asked about your dad?”

“You said before I was born he got lost along with grandpa and no one could find him.” the little girl answered.

“Well, a few days ago, someone found him.” Felicity knelt down next to her daughter and pointed at Oliver. “Megan, this is your dad. His name is Oliver. Say ‘hi’.”

“Hi, Megan.” Oliver said as the girl stared at him.

He wasn’t sure what to do as she studied him. Felicity stood back up just as Megan moved closer to Oliver. She stopped right in front of him and looked up. “Hi. Where were you?”

“Very far away. That’s why it took me so long to come home.” he explained. He was saved from having to explain anything else when Moira came down the hall from one side and a frantic-looking woman in her early 20s came from the other end.

“There you are Megan, I’ve been looking every- oh, hello Ms. Smoak.” The daycare worker said.

“Hello Ms. Smoak. That’s all you have to say? I left my daughter in your care, you lost her and it took you,” Felicity looked at her phone, “thirty-six minutes to find her, and all you have to say is ‘Hello Ms. Smoak’? Are you serious?”

“Now, Ms. Smoak, as you know Megan is-“ the woman began to defend.

“You lost my granddaughter?” Moira asked from behind Oliver.

“Mrs. Queen, I-“

“I think you, the other members of your staff and I need to discuss a few things later.” Moira said, effectively dismissing the woman. “Can I trust you to get Megan back to the center on your own?”

The woman nodded and went to take Megan’s hand, but the little girl refused to go. “No! I don’t like you. You’re mean! You called me and Mommy names!”

“Oh, she did, did she?” Felicity said. The other woman looked terrified. “C’mon honey. You can come with me.”

“What about Daddy?” Megan asked.

“You told him.” Moira said looking between Felicity and Oliver.

“He’s standing right here.” Oliver said. “And I figured it out for myself. She has my eyes, mom.”

Megan looked at Oliver in awe. “Grandma Moira is your mommy?”

“Yes, she is.” Felicity said. “Why don’t we let Grandma and Daddy talk for a little bit, okay?” she began to lead Megan away. “Come to my office when you’re ready.”

As soon as the hallway was clear, Oliver turned to his mother. “When were you gonna tell me? Were you gonna tell me?”

“Of course I was. I just- I didn’t wanna overwhelm you.” Moira said. “You were gone for five years. There’s a lot you need to adjust to. I didn’t want to expose you to too much too fast.”

“When were you gonna tell me?”

“In a few days. After the media circus calmed down somewhat.” Moira said.

“I- I’ll talk to you at home.” Oliver said walking away. He stopped before turning back to his mother. “Is IT still on the 18th floor?”

“Yes, she’s in 1803.” Moira answered. She suspected Oliver wouldn’t have taken the news well to begin with, but not like this.

Oliver arrived at Felicity’s office and knocked on the door. “Hey, I was hoping-“

“Yeah, we probably should talk.” Felicity said. she then turned to Megan. “Honey, why don’t you use some crayons and paper and made something for Daddy?”

“What if he doesn’t like it?” Megan whispered to her mom. Now that she had a dad, the little girl was worried about doing something to make him leave again. she didn’t want him to leave. Oliver looked horror struck at how worried she was.

“He’ll like whatever you make, baby.” She reassured her. Turning back to Oliver, she spoke again. “How do you wanna go forward?”

“I don’t under-“

“I’m asking what you’re gonna do now, knowing Megan’s your daughter. Do you want to get to know her? Are you gonna help raise her? I need to know.”

“I wanna- she’s my child. I want to know her, I wanna see her grow up. I’m in, for all of it.” He said. “I missed so much already.”

“Good.”

“Who else-?” Oliver wanted to know who else knew about Megan.

“Everyone in the city suspects. Originally, I just told your mother, which Thea overheard. Then, the press were curios why Thea’s new friend after- after you went away was me. When I began to show, they put it together.” she answered. “My mom, your family, Tommy and Laurel are the only ones who I’ve actually told the truth to.”

“That’s what he tried to ask me last night.” Oliver said. “At dinner, he seemed confused someone else wasn’t there. I’m guessing it was you two.”

“Yeah, it was.” She said. The room fell into silence and the only nose was Megan coloring.

“What’s she like?”

“Smart. Fascinated by everything. Compassionate. Stubborn, which she gets from you.”

“So, mostly like you, with some Queen stubbornness thrown in.” Oliver joked.

“I don’t think that’s all me. You’re smart, or you were back when we met, you just didn’t care enough to try. And you’re compassionate. You did plenty of stupid stuff, but none of it was mean-spirited.” She told him.

“Hey, your mom said you were down here.” Tommy said as he walked into the room. “Also said the secret was out.”

“Uncle Tommy!” Megan yelled as soon as she noticed him come into the room. Her drawing for Oliver lay forgotten.

“Hey, kiddo.” Tommy said. “Why aren’t you at daycare?”

“Don’t.” Felicity and Oliver both said.

“I hate it. Everyone there’s stupid.” She answered.

“Well, since Megan isn’t at daycare, and you’re busy, why don’t Oliver and I take her for the day?”

“Remember what happened the last time you watched her?” Felicity asked.

“She doesn’t have any glitter, so it won’t happen again.” He said.

“I don’t know if Oliver’s up for it.” she said. He had turned a little pale at the suggestion.

“He’s nervous because he’s new at this, it’ll pass.”

“Can I, Mommy? I wanna go with Daddy and Uncle Tommy.” Megan asked.

“Ok, but I want you to be on your best behavior. No running off. Hold their hands when you cross the street. And no tantrums. Can you do that?” Felicity asked. The little girl nodded enthusiastically. “Ok, go have fun.”

Chapter 3

Summary:

Oliver and Tommy run into some old faces, and some trouble, while watching Megan for the day.

Chapter Text

“Uncle Tommy?” Oliver asked Tommy as the other man got Megan settled into her car seat.

“We- sometimes I think Megan’s the only reason any of us got through that first year. She was the last piece of you we had and it gave your family something to focus on. Somewhere along the way, we became friends and when Megan was born, I wanted to make sure she knew about her father. So, that’s why I’m Uncle Tommy.”

“Thanks for being there when I couldn’t be.”

“Where are we going?” Megan asked, reminding them she was there.

“I don’t know, that’s up to your dad.”

“I need to see Laurel.” Oliver said quietly.

“Everyone’s happy you’re alive and you wanna see the one person that isn’t?”

“I need to- there are things I need to say to her. Things she deserves to hear from me.” Oliver insisted. “I have to at least try.”

“If you insist.” Tommy said as he drove towards CNRI.

They parked and Oliver let Megan out of her car seat. She was bouncing up and down in excitement but he didn’t know why. She tried to take off but Oliver was able to catch her in time. “Remember what you promised your mom? You said you wouldn’t run off.”

“Sorry. I got excited.” She said looking up at him. “Are you gonna tell her?”

“We’ll see. I want you to stay where I can see you, okay?” he said and she nodded. She reached up to take his hand so they wouldn’t be separated and they walked into the building. As soon as they got inside, however, Megan broke free again and ran off.

Tommy chuckled at the look of shock on Oliver’s face as they followed the five-year-old through the office. When he heard the laughter, he shot his friend a look. “What? Kids don’t always listen. You shouldn’t be surprised.”

After they entered the office, Megan took off to find Laurel. She didn’t know why they came here, but she was happy because she had something to show her.

“Megan? What are you doing here?” the attorney said as soon as she saw the girl. “Where’s your mom?”

“At work. Come here, I wanna show you something.” She insisted as she grabbed Laurel’s hand and tried to pull her away.

“Give me just a minute.” Laurel told her coworkers as she let herself get pulled away. “What is it?”

“I wanna show you my daddy. I met him today.” She said excitedly. Laurel stopped in her tracks. She wasn’t quite ready to see Oliver yet.

“I’m not sure-“

“Megan, we talked about not running off and- Laurel?”

“Hello Oliver.”

“You know my daddy?” Megan piped up.

“Yes, Laurel was my friend for a very long time before I went away.” He answered before turning to Laurel. “I was hoping I could talk to you.”

“Megan, why don’t we give Laurel and your dad some space to talk, okay?” Tommy suggested ushering the little girl away from them.

“I don’t have anything to say to you, and I don’t wanna hear whatever you wanna say to me.” Laurel said stiffly. “Why are you here, Ollie?”

“To apologize. It was my fault. I wanted to ask you not to blame her.”

“For what? Falling under your spell? How could I blame her for doing the same thing I did?”

“I never meant-“

“She was my sister. I couldn’t be angry because she was dead. I couldn’t grieve because I was so angry. That’s what happens when your sister dies while screwing your boyfriend.” Laurel’s voice got quiet. “We buried an empty coffin because her body was at the bottom of the ocean where you left her. It should’ve been you.”

“I know its too late to say this but I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry too. I hoped you’d rot in hell a whole lot longer than five years.” She said before walking away.

The trio left the building in silence and were walking towards the car when Megan spoke up. “Why was Laurel so sad when you talked to her?”

“Before I went away, I did something that wasn’t very nice and it hurt her feelings.”

“Did you say sorry? Mommy said if you hurt someone’s feelings, you’re supposed to say sorry.”

“I did, but I don’t think she’s ready to forgive me just yet.”

“Ok, now that we’ve done that, how about- what the hell?”

In the middle of Tommy’s sentence, a van with blacked out windows drove up behind them and men wearing masks stepped out from behind a dumpster. They shot Oliver and Tommy with tranquilizers and the last thing Oliver heard before passing out was Megan screaming.

He came to tied to a chair. Tommy was unconscious on a pallet in front of him. One of the masked men stood in front of him with a tazer.

“Where’s my daughter?”

The man tazed him. “I ask the questions, you give me answers. Did your father survive the accident? Did he make it to the island? Did he tell you anything?”

“Yeah, he told me I’m gonna kill you.”

“You’re delusional. You’re zipcuffed to that chair.”

Oliver held his arms up to demonstrate that he wasn’t cuffed to the chair and attacked while they were still processing. He took two of them down while the third ran away. Stopping to check on Tommy, and unable to find Megan, Oliver ran after the last man. He caught him, got the answer he needed and killed him. He found Megan in the van they’d been abducted in right as Tommy began to wake up. They had blindfolded Megan and tied her hands up so she couldn’t remove the blindfold. Tears were running down her face.

“Wha- what happened?”

“I’ll tell you in a minute. Megan, are you okay? Did they hurt you?”

“No, they were just really mean.” She said, looking ready to cry. Oliver wished the men were still alive so he could kill them again. “I wanna go home, I want Mommy!”

“Ok, okay. We’re gonna go home and I’m gonna call Mommy. Everything’s gonna be alright.”

 

They wound up back at Queen mansion and explained what happened to the police. Oliver was barely paying attention to Lance since all he could hear was Megan sniffling and telling everyone who tried to comfort her that she wanted her mom.

“-probably figured you’d pay a king’s ransom to get your boy back, or a Queen’s ransom.”

“Get out.” Felicity said in an angry voice from the doorway.

“Mommy!” Megan said as she ran over to Felicity. Her mother picked her up and hugged her tightly, crying slightly in relief.

“Sorry, was I unclear?”

“Ms. Smoak, I-“

“I don’t care what you have to say, Detective. Those men didn’t just take Oliver and Tommy, they also kidnapped my four-year-old daughter and she could’ve gotten hurt or worse. And you think this is a good time to made snide remarks and insinuate things about Oliver? You have your statements, now get out.”

“This isn’t-“

“I think its best if you leave now.” Walter said. Over the last five years, he’d gotten to know Felicity very well and could tell that she was going to do something drastic if Lance didn’t leave. “If Oliver remembers anything, he’ll let you know.”  The two detectives left.

“Shh, baby. It’s okay. The mean men are gone and you’re okay. You’re safe.” Felicity told Megan who started crying again. She whispered the same thing over and over to the little girl, trying to calm her down.

“Felicity, I’m so sorry. If Megan hadn’t-”

“Not right now, Oliver.” She said. Megan seemed to be getting calmer “Do you want me to put you down now?” the little girl nodded.

“Did you say thank you?” Megan asked her father.

“Say thank you to who?”

“The man in the hood. The one who saved us. I didn’t seem him but I heard him fighting the bad men and help you and Uncle Tommy.” She explained. “When someone does something nice, you say thank you.”

“I wanted to but he left before I could.” Oliver said.

“I think someone might need a nap.” Felicity said as she watched Megan yawn.

“Naps are for babies. I don’t need a nap.” She said. “And I wanna finish my present for Daddy.”

“Ok, lets go upstairs so you can finish it.” Felicity and Oliver followed her upstairs to her playroom. While she was focused on drawing, Felicity turned to him. “Do you know why they took you?”

“I don’t-“

“Don’t lie to me, especially after what happened today.”

“They asked about my father and his death. The hood guy showed up before I could tell them I didn’t know anything.” He admitted.

“We need to talk about Megan. What’re we gonna do?”

“About what?”

“Custody, living arrangements. Who she stays with when. How we’re going to make decisions where she’s concerned. How we deal with vacations and things like that.” she answered. “We need to have some kind of plan, preferably soon. I don’t want to push you, but I also want Megan to have some form of stability.”

Chapter 4

Summary:

Oliver and Felicity try to figure things out, and Oliver spends the day with his daughter.

Chapter Text

Oliver and Felicity were sitting in a booth in the back of Big Belly Burger. He’d called her earlier that day, wanting to begin talking about custody of Megan. She seemed to be mostly concerned with making sure their daughter was happy and had a stable situation at home, so he hoped things would go well.

“I don’t really know how to start talking about this.” He admitted after they’d both ordered.

“How about you say what you want to happen, and I say what I want and we start trying to find a middle ground?”

“I want to be Megan’s dad. I want her to stay with me on a regular basis. I want us to make decisions about her together. The schedule and things like that, I’m not sure about yet, but that’s what I figured out so far.” He said. “What about you?”

“I’m fine with her staying with you sometimes, but I think for the time being, I should have her most days. I’m the parent she’s used to and I want to ease her in to going back and forth between us. I also don’t think its fair if I just throw both of you into the deep end of parenthood.”

“What do you mean by ‘staying with me sometimes’?”

“For right now, only a few days at a time. Or every other weekend or something.”

“I don’t want it to be that infrequent. I missed so much already. Seeing her two days out of 14 doesn’t seem fair.”

“You can see her more than that. I expect you to. I see your family all the time, I know you’re going to be there. When I say ‘stay with you’ I mean you have her for the whole day and overnight with me not really being there.”

“You can be there. If you want. I wouldn’t expect you to leave because it’s ‘my day’ or something.”

Felicity paused for a moment. “I think we need to think about this a little more. Make a list of things you want to happen and we’ll meet up next week to talk about it. There are plenty of things I haven’t considered when it comes to Megan that we need to work out. We seem to be in good shape though. We’re on the same page at least.” Her phone began to buzz. “I gotta go. I need to pick Megan up from preschool.”

“Can I come with you?” he asked. “I know its only been a day but I miss her already.”

“Yeah, if you can fit your very large muscular body into my Mini Cooper. Seriously, how are you this muscular. It’s like you’re photoshopped and- I’m babbling.”

He chuckled. “I hadn’t noticed. I’m sure I’ll be fine.”

They were driving away from the restaurant and drove past Digg who was out looking for Oliver. They pulled up outside of the preschool and got out of the car. While they were waiting, Oliver asked if he could take Megan tomorrow for the whole day. Felicity agreed after some discussion about what he wanted to do with her. Soon enough, a line of preschoolers all holding hands came out of the building being led by a woman in here late 20s. Megan saw her parents and tore off in their direction. 

“Mommy! Daddy!”

“Hi, baby.”

“Hi Megan. Did you have fun at school?”

“Yeah, so much fun. We did letters and counted and I made you a gift, Daddy, and-“

“Why don’t we get in car and you can tell us all about it?” Felicity asked.

“Daddy’s coming home with us?” she asked excitedly.

“Yeah, if that’s okay with your mom.”

“I told him about all your art on the fridge and he said he had to see it.” she told the little girl.

They went to Felicity’s house and Megan excitedly showed Oliver everything. He got to see her stuffed animals, all her toys, her drawings on the fridge, where Felicity hid the cookies from her. The tour ended when Felicity announced it was snack time. After Megan’s afternoon snack, Oliver played with her while Felicity worked a little more. He wasn’t sure the rules of the game they were playing, but it didn’t matter because they had fun.

After some begging, and no shortage of Megan giving him puppy eyes, Oliver stayed for dinner. It was mac and cheese, which was apparently her favorite. He eventually had to leave, Hood business to handle, but Megan started to cry, saying she didn’t want him to go.

“Honey, you’ll see him tomorrow.”

“I will?”

“Yeah, you get to spend all day with him tomorrow.” Felicity assured her. Megan was satisfied with that and let Oliver leave in peace.

 

Oliver picked Megan up early the next morning. The four year old wanted to know where they were going and what they were going to do.

“I promised Grandma Moira we’d have breakfast with her. She was sad she didn’t get to see you last week.”

 “Is Raisa gonna make chocolate chip pancakes?” she asked excitedly.

“I don’t know, but I think if you ask her, she’ll make you some.”

“Ok. I’ll ask really, really nice. Mommy says if you ask someone for something, you need to be really, really nice so they’ll want to do it.”

“Your mommy’s a smart lady. You should listen to her.”

Breakfast started out well. Since Megan had asked very nicely, Raisa made her special chocolate chip pancakes. While she was engrossed in her food, Moira started talking to Oliver about working at Queen Consolidated.

“I’m not sure if that’s what I want.”

“I understand that, but its our family’s company, Your father’s-“

“I know that, Mom. But I just got back. I found out I’m a father. I didn’t go to business school. It’s- I’m not saying no permanently.” At least, not now he wasn’t. “I’m saying, I need to figure things out, a lot of things, before I can consider what you’re saying.”

“That’s fair enough.” Moira conceded.

When breakfast was over, Megan and Oliver went to the aquarium. Felicity had suggested it. He listened while Megan told him all about the animals they saw and explained which ones were her favorite. She liked clown fish the most because they had funny names and she liked that they were orange. He bought her a stuffed clownfish before they left. He dropped Megan off at Felicity’s house before leaving to get ready for his ‘back from the dead’ party Tommy was throwing. He’d invited Felicity but she said no.

 

The next day, Oliver finished telling the judge his account of what happened when the Queen’s Gambit went down. Walter and Moira made it sound so easy and it was in theory. Read a statement, be declared legally alive. He knew when he returned that he’d need to explain what happened, more than once. That didn’t make talking about the storm, his father’s death or the island any easier. He sat back down and let his lawyer take over.

"Your Honor, we move to vitiate the death-in-absentia filed after Oliver’s disappearance at sea aboard the Queen’s Gambit five years ago. unfortunately, we will not be requesting the declaration of death filed for the petitioner’s father, Robert Queen, be rescinded. The Queen family is only entitled to one miracle, I’m afraid.”

The judge banged her gavel and approved the motion. She then asked if there were any other matters to discuss. Oliver was confused by the question, but someone else in the room wasn’t. A man in the back of the room stood and approached the well.

“Yes, Your Honor. In light of Mr. Queen’s return from the dead, my client will be suing for five years of unpaid child support.”

“And your client is?”

“Felicity Smoak.”

Oliver, Moira, Walter, Tommy and Thea all gasped. Felicity wouldn’t do something like this. She’d claimed, from the very beginning, that she didn’t want or need the Queen’s money. It didn’t make sense, especially given how well Oliver and Felicity’s conversation went two night ago. The crowd began to become unruly and the judge demanded order.

“Where is Ms. Smoak?”

“She couldn’t be-“

“Um, hi. That’s me.” Felicity said awkwardly from the doorway. Getting Megan to preschool had been harder than usual that morning and she arrived at the courthouse later than she wanted to. “Why are you looking for me? Is this about Megan?”

“Your attorney says you wish to sue Mr. Queen for five years of child support.” The judge stated. “Since that is a matter for family court, I want to know why you chose now to declare such a thing or what you hope to gain from it.”

“My attorn- I don’t have an attorney. Well, I do have one, but I didn’t contact her about suing Oliver. I don’t want to sue him. Why would-?”

“This man is not your lawyer as he claims?” The judge said, gesturing to the man in the expensive suit who’d caused this scene.

“I’ve never seen this man before in my life.” She said. “Oliver and I are in the process of working out a custody agreement. We planned on presenting it in family court in a few weeks after further discussion. I don’t know who this man is, but he doesn’t represent me.”

“Ms. Smoak, if I could speak to you-“ The lawyer said. He’d read in the paper about Oliver Queen being alive. He, like everyone in the city, knew Megan Smoak was Oliver Queen’s daughter. If he could represent Felicity Smoak in her custody battle, it would fast-track his career. His plan was to offer his services pro bono and reap the benefits of a big payout after she won. He hadn’t had a chance to approach her and offer his services yet.

“I don’t know you. I don’t even know your name. You aren’t my lawyer. Why would I want to talk to you?”

The judge ended the hearing and people began to file out. Soon, only the Queens, Tommy and Felicity were still in the courtroom. “I don’t know what the frack just happened, but I had nothing to do with it. Please tell me you believe me.”

“I do. We all do.” he assured her.

“The paparazzi love drama, especially child custody drama. And plenty of people heard ‘Oliver Queen is alive’ and saw dollar signs. We should’ve guessed the vultures would swoop in at some point.”

“Don’t insult vultures like that, Mom.” Thea said.

Chapter 5

Summary:

Felicity tells Oliver a little about her last five years, the Hood confronts Somers and Oliver has a new experience before discovering something startling at the mansion.

Notes:

Just as a quick note, not everything Oliver does as the Hood/Arrow will be shown. Some of it's happening in the background.

Chapter Text

They walked out of the courtroom and Oliver collided with someone. that someone was Laurel and a very awkward conversation followed between the two of them. Luckily, Laurel’s coworker interrupted their stand-off by pointing out that they needed to get to their hearing against Martin Somers. It was a name that Oliver recognized from his father’s list.

As soon as they stepped outside the building, the press saw them and pounced. Flashbulbs started going off as reporters badgered everyone, but mostly Oliver and Felicity, with questions about their ‘bitter, court battle’. A few slightly less skeevy reporters shouted questions about Oliver’s father’s last words or what he was planning on doing now.

While Digg was trying to hold the press at bay, Oliver helped Felicity into the waiting car, got in himself and drove off. Tommy and John were left standing on the curb, confused about what had just happened.

“Wow, its been a while since I dealt with press like that.” Felicity remarked. It was too quiet in the car for her liking. “They’ve left me alone for so long that I guess I kinda got used to it.”

“They did?”

“The tabloids need drama or bad behavior to sell papers. They followed me everywhere when I was pregnant, but after I gave birth and didn’t do anything crazy or drastic, they stopped bothering me. I was too boring for them.”

“You’re not boring.”

“For the first year after Megan was born, I was. I went to work, I went shopping or to the park with her, I visited your family so that they could spend time with her, I went home. Nothing I did was particularly interesting.”

“So, the press hearing we’re in the middle of a very ugly custody battle-“

“Is like Christmas came early for them. They love drama that puts kids smack in the middle of Mommy and Daddy’s problems.”

“Good thing we’re pretty much agreeing on 80% of the custody things we’ve discussed so far.” He remarked. “Where do you need to go?”

“Queen Consolidated. I’ve got projects to finish. What about you?”

“I don’t know. Mom wants me to take up a position at the company but-“

“But that’s not what you want. It wasn’t five years ago, and I’m guessing it isn’t what you want now.”

“It’s not, but I don’t know how to tell her. I’ve said the words, but I don’t think she believes me.” Oliver said. “I just came back to civilization, I’m trying to adjust and I just found out I’m a dad. I can’t juggle all those things and be a Vice President.”

“Energy and persistence conquer all.” She said.

“What?”

“Energy and persistence. Keep telling her ‘no’. Have the same amount of energy and force behind it each time. If you keep doing that, she’ll eventually stop. It works, trust me.”

Felicity knew it would work on Moira because it had before. When she was pregnant with Megan, Moira had tried on several occasions to bribe Felicity into leaving town and not revealing who Megan’s father was. Every time, she heard the same confident response that Felicity didn’t want or need their money and just wanted to give the Queens a chance to be part of Megan’s life.

The rest of the drive was quiet and Oliver dropped Felicity off at QC before heading to the foundry to train and find information about Martin Somers. That night, he went to Somers’ office at the docks and threatened him, demanding he go to the police and confess to the murders he ordered.

The next day was Saturday and, per family tradition, Megan and Felicity went over to the Queen mansion for breakfast. The practice had started shortly after Megan was born when Thea would pester Felicity to come over every single day so she could see the baby until finally, the blonde caved and they planned for every Saturday to be the day she’d bring her over.

They had breakfast and then Megan asked if she could play outside. It was a beautiful day out, not too hot and not too cold, so everyone agreed and headed into the backyard. As soon as they stepped outside, Megan poked Oliver in the side and shouted “Daddy’s It!” before running off.

Oliver stood there, dumbstruck for a second. “You’re supposed to go chase her.” Felicity told him. “Please tell me you’ve played Tag before.”

“I have.”

“So, go play Tag with your daughter.” She said, gesturing to where Megan had run off to.

Oliver chased Megan around the backyard for a little bit, before she announced she didn’t want to play Tag anymore. Oliver, who was starting to tire from chasing the energetic four-year-old, was fine with that. He didn’t understand how she had so much energy. He was just sitting down on one of the lawn chairs when Megan grabbed his hand.

“Daddy, come on. I wanna show you something.” She pulled on his hand, trying to get him to stand up.

“What is it you want to show me?”

“I found something when we were playing Tag.” She continued to tug on his hand. “Come see!”

“Ok.” he said standing up. He let her take his hand and lead him towards a cluster of trees. They walked around one of the trees to where there were two stones sticking out of the ground.

“Look! It has your name on it!” Megan said, pointing to one of the stones.  Carved into the stone were the words ‘Oliver Queen, 1985-2007, A loving son and brother whose light was dimmed far too soon’. The one next to it bore his father’s name. The sight was a shock. He knew, logically, that since he’d been declared dead, there was a grave somewhere with his name on it, but he didn’t think he’d ever see it. He also didn’t expect it to be on the mansion’s grounds. “Why is your name on it?”

“When your daddy and Grandpa Robert went away and we couldn’t find them, we thought they died.” Thea said, walking up behind them. “Grandma Moira got them gravestones to remember them, so we could come out here and see them.”

“But Daddy’s alive, he doesn’t need one.” This didn’t make any sense to her. The little girl knew what death was, and her father who was alive, wasn’t dead. Since he wasn’t dead, why did he have a stone that meant he was? “He was just far away.”

“I know, but when he was far away, I’d visit him out here. Uncle Tommy, Grandma and your mommy did too. That’s how we told him all about you.”

“Oh.” She said. “Now that Daddy’s back, you don’t need to come out here.”

“You’re right.” Thea said. “Why don’t we go inside? It looks like it might rain.”

“Ok.” instead of taking Thea’s hand though, she turned and hugged Oliver’s leg. “I’m glad you’re here so Mommy and Aunt Thea and Grandma don’t have to talk to a rock anymore.”

“Me too.” Oliver made a mental note to have the gravestone removed as soon as possible.

That night, Oliver went over to Laurel’s to clear the air with her. There were a lot of things he needed to apologize for, and quite a few he needed to explain. The part he played in Sara’s death couldn’t be ignored, but neither could the fact that he’d gotten Felicity pregnant while they were ‘on a break’ and she’d found out after he ‘died’. He also really wanted to reconnect with one of his oldest friends, or at the very least, convince her not to hate him. While Oliver was trying to repair the bridges he’d burned five years ago, Triad assassins had broken into Laurel’s apartment and attacked them, trying to kill her. He fought them off, with help from Digg, before realizing he’d been too lenient with Somers. It was time to kick things up a notch.

He’d confronted Somers at the docks. The man confessed to having people killed by the Triad if they found out about his smuggling operation. Oliver recorded the confession and passed it on to Detective Lance when the man tried to arrest him. With the exception of a Triad assassin getting away, the night was an overall success.

Monday morning, it was time for the ceremony opening the Applied Sciences building named after Robert Queen. Moira asked Oliver on the way out the door if he had his speech prepared. He didn’t write one, to her annoyance. He couldn’t find the right things to say and didn’t want to half-ass something honoring his father. Moira asked how he expected to be a successful business man if he wasn’t willing to put in the effort. His response shouldn’t have surprised her, but it did.

“I’m not a businessman. I don’t want to work at Queen Consolidated. I never wanted to be CEO. I’ve been telling you this for days.”

“What are you going to do with your life then?”

“I don’t know.”

If he didn’t have Megan to think about, Oliver probably would’ve shown up late to the event, or drunk or both, and made an ass of himself. He didn’t want to cause a scene or embarrass his family like that. Anything he did could affect his custody of Megan, especially if it made him seem irresponsible or unfit to be a parent.  He didn’t want to work for QC, but he didn’t want lose Megan more. Playboy Oliver Queen might’ve been the easiest way to get his mother to back off, but it would make things harder for him in the long run.

Chapter 6

Summary:

In which Oliver is a slightly better liar, Lance is like a dog with a bone and Megan hates being called cute.

Chapter Text

Felicity had just gotten to work for the day when there was a knock on the door to her office. She yelled for whoever it was to come in and Oliver entered the room. He had a nervous look on his face and was holding what looked like a computer in his hands. A heavily damaged computer.

“Hi, Felicity. I kinda- I need a favor. My computer got kinda-“

“Are those bullet holes?”

“I was getting some coffee and suddenly two guys burst into the coffee shop. I ducked under the table to hide, I got an email so the computer made a noise. It startled the robbers and they had weapons so-“

“Wait, so you and Mr. Diggle were at a coffee shop, robbers came in and he didn’t get you out of there before they shot your laptop?”

“Digg wasn’t with me, I kinda left the mansion before he showed up this morning.” He admitted. “Which, I know that was stupid of me but- I really need what’s on here. if you could recover anything, you’d be a lifesaver.”

She stared at him for a moment. She knew there was something he wasn’t telling her. After about thirty seconds of complete silence, she took the laptop from his hands and started working on it. His story was another thing to add to her ‘weird things about Oliver’ file along with people being suspicious about Robert’s death and fighting off the people who attacked Laurel’s apartment.

After about half an hour, Felicity was able to pull all the data off of the laptop. By looking at the registration, she knew it wasn’t Oliver’s, but belonged to someone named Warren Patel. He had blueprints of the exchange building, where the auction for Unidac Industries was being held that night. She gave Oliver the information and he stood to leave.

“Whatever you’re messing with, if anything happens to Megan because of it, I will end you.”

“It won’t.”

The auction took place, Oliver stopped Floyd Lawton, Diggle got shot and Oliver had to reveal his identity to him. Obviously, John wasn’t happy to learn the truth. While the Queen family was holed up in the mansion wondering where Oliver was, Felicity began to think back on the last day. Oliver bringing her the laptop was fishy enough, but then the auction was attacked by a sniper. Right after Oliver disappeared, the police caught sight of the Hood. She couldn’t believe she was thinking it, but was Oliver the vigilante?

Felicity and Megan had fallen asleep by the time Oliver came back from the foundry. No one saw him as he snuck into the house and headed to his room. The next night, Felicity and Megan were coming over for dinner with the Queen family. Shortly after the pair arrived, Raisa announced they had another visitor. A blonde woman he didn’t recognize came into the room.

“Mom?”

“Grandma!” Megan yelled as she ran over to hug Donna. She hugged the little girl back before turning to Felicity.

“Mom, what are you doing here?”

“I’m here for our visit. Didn’t you get my text?”

“You didn’t send me a text.” She said.

“Yes, I- see?” She pulled her phone out and showed it to Felicity.

“To send a text, you have to actually press ‘send’ on the text.”

“Oh. I’ll just do that now.” Donna hit the send button. She put her phone down and walked over to Oliver. He was about to introduce himself when she reached up and slapped him across the face. “That was for getting my daughter pregnant and then abandoning her.”

“I didn’t abandon her.” he said quietly. “I didn’t- when I got onto the boat, I didn’t know she was-“

“Mom, drop it. Please. It wasn’t his fault.”

“He isn’t completely blameless either.”

“Why is Grandma mad at Daddy?” Megan asked Thea.

“Because when he was away, Mommy got very sad. Grandma didn’t like seeing me sad so she got mad at your dad. She’s still a little angry, even though everyone’s happy he came back.” Felicity explained.

“I didn’t know Felicity was pregnant when I left. I won’t lie and say I would’ve stayed home if I knew, but it’s possible I would have. I already missed so much, I’m not gonna miss anything else.”

Dinner was awkward after that. It seemed that Donna didn’t just dislike him, she also disliked his mother, although he wasn’t sure why. Neither woman let anything slip, but he guessed it had something to do with Megan or Felicity’s pregnancy.

It wasn’t until he was driving Thea home from school that he discovered the truth. He was heading back to the mansion when she spoke up.

“So, last night was awkward.”

“Yeah, it was. I can see why she reacted that way though.”

“Yup. But at least Donna and Mom didn’t have the buy-out fight in front of Megan.”

“What buy-out fight?”

Thea froze. “She didn’t tell you.”

“Tell me what?”

“When Felicity told Mom she was pregnant, Mom thought she was after money. She offered her a lot of money to leave town and never contact any of us again. When you were declared dead, she doubled the amount. Felicity kept turning her down. She wasn’t after money, she just wanted to do the right thing. Wanted us to have a chance to be in Megan’s life.”

“Mom tried to pay Felicity to go away?”

“Yeah, and Felicity’s mother found out shortly after the baby was born. It’s kinda why she glares at Mom every time she sees her.”

Having heard what his mother had tried to do to Felicity, there was a conversation Oliver and his mother clearly needed to have. He didn't blame Felicity or Donna now for things being tense between them. He was waiting for his mother to come home to talk with her in person. Unfortunately, before he could talk to his mother alone, the police burst into the house. They had a warrant to arrest Oliver for being the vigilante. He wasn't worried or anything, until he heard a high-pitched voice speak.

“Daddy?”

Megan had seen the whole thing and didn't understand what was going on. Lance began to say something but Felicity cut him off. “You have what you came for. You can go now.”

“Now, look-”

“I don't care.” She told him. “You're doing your job, yes. But last I checked, your job doesn't include bad mouthing Oliver to his daughter. And none of us asked to hear your opinion, so I don't understand why you're still here.”

“Just because-”

“C’mon partner.”

“Glad one of you isn't an asshole.” Thea said from where she was standing.

Lance and his partner left. Walter began calling the family lawyers. Moira turned to her driver and asked him to bring the car around. She was going to the police station. Megan was still confused and asked her mom what was going on.

“The police think your dad is the Hood.”

“But the Hood is a good guy. He helps people. Why are they angry?”

“Well, the Hood might be a good guy, but he broke some rules helping people and it made some people mad.”

 

Oliver sat in the interrogation room as Lance threw accusations at him. He didn’t respond to any of it other than to deny being the Hood and saying he wasn’t who Lance thought he was. Eventually, Moira arrived and demanded to speak with Oliver while Walter informed the detective that their lawyers were on the way. He refused to use their normal attorney and insisted Laurel represent him. The bail hearing went quickly, and before he knew it, the judge had ordered Oliver wear an ankle monitor until trial.

Needing to be seen while Diggle put on the hood that night, Oliver decided to throw a huge party. It was going to be prison themed of course. Thea, Moira and Felicity all wondered aloud, to him, if that was a good idea. He brushed it off by saying he wanted to show everyone that he wasn’t worried about the trial.

Oliver came back from a meeting with Lance and the DA only for Megan to run up to him as soon as she got inside the house “Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!”

“Megan! Megan! Megan!” He responded.

“Do you like my costume?” she asked, spinning around. Megan was wearing a kid’s police officer costume. She looked adorable and Oliver had to fight the urge to say that. Yesterday, she’d gotten upset when Thea called her cute, because according to her, she was ‘a big girl, not a baby’. Still, she looked pretty cute. “I got it for the party!”

“I like it, but this is a party for grown-ups.” He told her.

“I know, but Mommy said I could go for a little bit to see everybody and show them my cool costume.”

“Oh, well, if Mommy says so…” Oliver trailed off. He was saved from having to respond by Felicity’s arrival.

“Megan, can you go over to Aunt Thea for a second? I need to talk to your dad. About some boring grown-up stuff.”

“Ok.” she said before running off.

“They’re right, aren’t they?” Felicity said when Megan was out of earshot. “The police. You’re the Hood.”

“No, I’m not. How could you think-?”

“I think your story about being saved from kidnappers had one too many holes in it. I think you brought me a busted laptop that had blueprints on it and the very next day, the Hood was seen fighting a hitman across the street from that same building.”

“That’s just-“

“What? A coincidence?” she interrupted. “No. Your ‘back from the dead’ party being across the street from Adam Hunt’s office is a coincidence.”

“I’m not the vigilante.” He said irritably.

Still unconvinced, Felicity left to find Megan. Oliver watched her leave, wondering how she was able to work out what no one else, except Lance who hated him, could. He finalized his plans with Digg before heading down to the party. He reached the pool deck and saw a group of women huddled off to the side. Moving over there, he heard them all gushing over something.

“I like your costume.” One of them said.

“I know. She’s like a little adult.” Another, who was already pretty drunk, remarked. “So cute!”

“I’m not cute!” A tiny, and very cute, voice yelled. “I don’t like you! Go away!”

Oliver pushed to the front of the crowd where Megan was. She was holding Felicity’s hand like her life depended on it. The four-year-old was sitting on one of the deck chairs, glaring at the woman who called her cute.

“They’re so cute when they’re angry.” One of the women said patronizingly. She moved her arm to pat Megan on the head.

“Touch her and you won’t get the arm back.” Felicity said in a serious tone.

“Relax.” The woman insisted.

“I will, once you get away from my child.”

The woman scoffed and walked off. She tried to catch Oliver’s eye, but he wasn’t paying attention to anyone except Felicity and Megan. She was starting to think letting Megan come to the party was a mistake. Or, at the very least, they should’ve left before any drinking started.

“Hello, Ms. Police Officer Lady.” Oliver said taking a seat next to Megan.

“Daddy!”

“Are you having fun?”

“No. The grown-ups keep treating me like a baby and Mommy didn’t dress up too.”

“It’s not Halloween.” Felicity defended. “Besides, I don’t think I could beat your awesome costume.”

“But Daddy dressed up!”

“I know he did, honey.” Felicity said right as Megan yawned. “I think its time to go home. Time for bed.”

“No, you said I could stay.”

“I said you could stay for a little bit, but you’re sleepy which means its time for bed.” She said, picking the girl up from the chair. “Let’s go find Mommy’s car.”

“Stay here tonight.” Oliver said.

“I’m not sure-“

“If you parked here, you’re probably already blocked in. And the roads around here aren’t lit very well.” He told her. “Just for tonight. There’s an empty room next to mine. Or next to Thea’s if that makes you more comfortable.”

“Fine.” She didn’t really want to drive home at this time anyway.

Felicity and Oliver took Megan upstairs and put her to bed. Oliver went back to the party, while Felicity didn’t, electing to spend the rest of the evening on her computer. A little after midnight, he checked in with Digg, making sure things went according to plan. After the phone call ended, there was a knock on his door. Before he could answer, a man with a gun broke in and attacked him. Lance stopped the man and had to admit that, since the Hood had been seen that night, Oliver was innocent.

Lance was on his way out when a woman’s voice called out to him. “Hope you learned your lesson.”

“Lesson about what?”

“You accused Oliver with no real evidence. You put his life in danger.” Donna Smoak yelled. “Which in turn meant my daughter and my granddaughter were in danger! I’m sorry about your daughter but if you think your family is the only one that matters, you shouldn’t be a police officer.”

“Look, lady, I-“

“I don’t care. You could’ve gotten someone killed. Someone who didn’t have anything to do with it. Stay away from my family.”

The next morning, Oliver’s exoneration was all over the news. Moira, Walter and Thea all seemed happy. Megan was noticeably not happy.

“What’s wrong?”

“I was hoping it was Daddy.”

“What?”

“I was hoping Daddy was the man in the Hood.”

“Why?”

“Because he’s like a superhero. I wanted Daddy to be a superhero.”

Chapter 7

Summary:

In the past Oliver tries to get to know Felicity. In the present, he talks with his mother and realizes Megan won't be so young forever.

Chapter Text

“I was hoping Daddy was the man in the Hood.” Megan said, pouting.

“Why?”

“Because he’s like a superhero. I wanted Daddy to be a superhero.”

Oliver wasn’t sure what to do, but Felicity was. She walked over to Megan and bent down. “Daddy doesn’t need to be a superhero. You wanna know why?” the little girl nodded. “Because you are one. And it wouldn’t be fair to me if both you and Daddy were superheroes and I wasn’t.”

“Mommy, you can be a superhero too.”

“I can? What should my power be?”

“Super ‘puter things!”

“Super computer things? I like the sound of that.” She remarked. With the crisis averted, it was time for her to go to school. “Oh, its almost time for preschool. We need to get ready.” Megan ran off back upstairs and she turned to Oliver. “We need to talk later.”

Before he could ask what this was about, Megan came running back downstairs. “C’mon. We’re gonna be late.”

“Megan, school doesn’t start for over an hour. We have plenty of time.”

“But I wanna go now! I wanna see my friends and tell them all about Daddy’s party, and my cool costume and-.”

“Oliver, our daughter loves school.” Felicity cut in. “It might seem weird to you, but she wants to go. Let’s go get in the car.”

“I want you Daddy to take me!”

“Well, someone’s in a mood today.” She turned to Oliver. “Do you mind taking her?”

“Nope, not at all.” He answered.

Megan sat in her car seat with her legs kicking back and forth. She was really excited to go back to school and see her friends again.

“What are you so excited about?”

“School. I get to see my friends again and tell them about Grandma visiting, and what I did this weekend and playing with you and Auntie Thea and-.”

Before she could finish listing all the things she wanted to tell her friends about, they reached the school and Oliver got out to let Megan out of her car seat. She put on her pink, sparkly backpack and ran towards a group of kids standing on the playground.

“Hi Megan!” Several of them yelled at her, waving.

“Hi Ally! Hi, Emily! Hi, Becca!” she said to her friends.

“My mommy said your daddy’s a superhero, is that true?”

“Mommy says no, but I think he is.” She whispered to her friend. “That’s how he survived on the island.” She turned back to Oliver. “Bye Daddy!”

Just then, one of the teachers came outside and started to lead the kids in. “Bye Megan. Have fun at school.” He got into the car and drove off.

Her friends started asking her questions, wondering what she knew about the island Oliver was marooned on. “Did the island have coconuts?”

“Were there those trees like in the movies?”

“Was it sandy?”


 

2007

One week after she fixed his computer, Oliver Queen came back to Felicity’s cubicle. “Hey.”

“Hi.” She said politely. “What bring you down here? Don’t tell me you froze your computer again.”

“Nah, I took your advice and went with some more….mainstream options.”

“I really didn’t need to know that.” Felicity said, closing her eyes for a few seconds. She didn’t, and shouldn’t, need to know what kind of porn her boss’s son looked at or where he got it from. “Why are you down here then?”

“I was bored. Hoped we could hang out.”

“Hang out? You know I’m at work right now, right? Like, this is my job, people expect me to do it.” She said incredulously. “And I can’t really tell Mr. White that I didn’t do my work because Mr. Queen’s son came down and wanted to ‘hang out’, regardless of how attractive you are.”

“You think I’m attractive?” He said cockily.

“Don’t pretend to be humble, you can’t pull it off. You know what you look like, in spite of that mop on your head. Ugh. Anyway, I’ve got work to do and you’ve got- whatever it is you do.” She turned back towards her work.

“What about after work? You don’t work 24/7.”

She spun back around and shot him a look. “What is this?”

“What’s what?”

“Your angle here. I’m not exactly your type, not being a leggy brunette and all, and I doubt you’re talking to me because you wanna hear about the latest processors. What’s your interest?”

“I guess you’ll have to hang out with me to find out.”


 

Present

After being cleared of being the Hood, Oliver only had one thing on his mind: talking to his mother. She’d tried to bribe Felicity, more than once, and the only reason it hadn’t worked, and he’d even gotten to meet Megan, was because Felicity was the one person in the city who was more stubborn than Moira.

He’d returned from dropping Megan off at preschool and ran into his mother. Not wanting to delay things any further, he asked if they could talk and followed her into the sitting room.

“So, I was talking to Speedy a few days ago, and she said something interesting. About you and something that happened when I first disappeared.”

Moira sat up a little straighter and looked directly at him. “What did she tell you?”

“That you tried to pay Felicity to go away. To leave and never contact our family again.”

“You have to understand-.”

“What? What do I have to understand? That you didn’t want Felicity or Megan in your life? That you thought she was using our family tragedy to her advantage, that she was that kind of person?” He said.

“I didn’t- I didn’t know her back then, not really.”

“You knew we’d been….something before Dad and I left. You knew- she wasn’t some random woman. Yet, you treated her like some vulture looking to get rich or famous.” He argued. “You almost- if Felicity wasn’t so strong-willed, I never would’ve met Megan. My daughter would’ve grown up without me.”

“Oliver-.”

“Save it.” He said, turning and leaving the room.

Digg and Oliver went to the foundry to spar for a few hours before Tommy called, asking if he could meet for a late lunch. They spent the meal catching up before Oliver realized it was time to pick Megan up from school. Tommy ended up tagging along. They pulled up outside the school and waited for the class to be led out. The doors opened and the same teacher led the class outside. Megan was walking towards Oliver’s car when a little boy called out to her.

“I like your shirt.”

She was wearing a shirt Oliver had bought her when they went to the aquarium. It had drawings of different fish on it. “Thanks Billy! My daddy got it for me when we went to see the fishies. I like your shoes.” Billy’s black and blue sneakers lit up every time he took a step, which was super cool for preschoolers.

“Why are you growling?” Tommy asked. His friend had started to grip the wheel tighter and let out a growl.

“That boy, he’s flirting with her.”

“He’s four. They don’t know how to flirt.” Tommy pointed out. “Don’t worry so much. They’re not dating….yet.”

“Not helping.” He said before getting out of the car. He walked over to his daughter, whose friend had gotten picked up before he reached her. “Ready to go?”

“Yeah.” She said, taking his hand and walking over to the car with him. Then, she saw who was in the passenger seat. “Uncle Tommy!”

“Hey munchkin.”

“I’m not a munchkin!”

 

He took Megan back to the mansion and got her settled in one of the sitting rooms with some toys. Raisa also made her an afterschool snack. The afternoon was quiet and then Felicity came to pick her up.

“We need to talk. About your night-time activities.”

“Felicity, I’m not- the police dropped the charges.”

“Yes, they did. Doesn’t mean they were wrong.”

“If I was the Hood, how could I have been here and across town at the same time?”

“You couldn’t, and you had a house full of people who saw you here. You know who they didn’t see? Your bodyguard, and since no one knows what the Hood’s face looks like, having someone else wear the suit wouldn’t be a big deal.”

“You can’t-.”

“You know, you aren't a very good liar, Oliver.”

Chapter 8

Summary:

Oliver tries to avoid admitting the truth, Megan has questions about a certain island and Walter brings Felicity a mystery.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

“You know, you aren’t a very good liar, Oliver.” Felicity said. leaning back in her chair. “Or maybe that’s because you haven’t tried to lie to me before.”

“I’m not-“

“You remember I grew up in Las Vegas, right? I can spot someone’s tell from a mile away, including yours.” She pointed out. “You’re the Hood.”

He debated denying it one more time, but if he remembered anything about Felicity, it was how stubborn she was. “Yes, I am. Although I hate that name.”

“Well yeah, its stupid.” She remarked. “Why? I mean, I assume you aren’t doing this for giggles.”

“My father asked me to right his wrongs, I’m trying to do that.”

“And let me guess, that’s how you got that laptop.”

“Yes. The hitman who was targeting businessmen, the same one who shot up the auction, it belonged to him. It was given to him by his ‘employer’.”

“You put our daughter in danger.” She said angrily.

“No, I-“

“When you were taken, you and Tommy, Megan was with you. You put her in danger.”

“No. The person who orchestrated the kidnapping did. I didn’t know or even suspect that was going to happen. I wouldn’t have brought her with me if I did.” he argued. “If you believe nothing else I’m saying, please tell me you believe that.”

She sighed. “I do, which is why I’ve been trying to figure out who ordered the kidnapping.”

“You’re looking for them?”

“They kidnapped my baby. Of course I am.” She said matter-of-factly.

Oliver looked at her and made a decision. She knew his secret already, so asking for her help wasn’t as big of a risk as it was yesterday. “I don’t suppose you’d wanna join the team?”

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’m not exactly the archery type.”

“No, but you’re a skilled hacker, if my memory’s correct. And sometimes, we need those skills.”

“We? So it was Mr. Diggle under that hood during the party.” She remarked. “I don’t kill people.”

“Neither do I, except when I have to. Like the armed kidnappers who attacked me and could’ve hurt my daughter.” He responded.

“I’m not saying yes, but I’m not saying no either. I just- there’s a lot I need to think about.” Felicity said before leaving foyer to find Megan playing in one of the sitting rooms. She bent down to her daughter’s level. “Did you have fun today?”

“Yeah!” She yelled excitedly. “Wait, I need to ask Daddy something. Were there coconuts on the island? Was it sandy? Did it have palm trees?”

Megan was four years old. In her mind, every island was a tropical island because that’s what she’d seen on TV. All islands were warm and had palm trees and coconuts. It wasn’t until her friends asked her questions about the island Oliver was on that she remembered she hadn’t asked him all of the burning questions she had.

Oliver looked at Felicity, unsure of how he should answer her questions. “No. It wasn’t a like that. It was really cold and rainy most of the time.”

“Oh. Did you bring a sweater so you wouldn’t be cold?” the little girl asked.

“No, I didn’t.”

“That’s because he didn’t listen to me.” Felicity interjected. Megan always argued when she tried to make her wear a sweater. She’d say that she wasn’t cold, so she didn’t need one. She could also tell that Oliver was starting to get uncomfortable at the discussion. “He didn’t bring a sweater and he got really cold.”

“If it wasn’t warm and sandy like in Ariel, what was it like?” She asked. Megan called The Little Mermaid Ariel because for some reason, she had trouble with the word mermaid.

“Well, it was a bit like camping, but without a tent or a sleeping bag.” He answered.

“That doesn’t sound very fun.” The pre-schooler said.

“C’mon, honey. It’s time to go home.” Felicity said, taking her daughter’s hand. Oliver walked them to the front door and on the way out, she turned back to address him. “I’ll call you later about….you know.”

“Ok.” He said.

 

The next day, Felicity was at work when Walter came into her office. He seemed anxious which was weird for her to witness. She didn’t think it was possible for the man to get nervous.

“I was wondering if I could ask you for a favor.”

“Sure.”

He handed her a few sheets of paper. “There’s a discrepancy in one of the company accounts. I was wondering if you could look into it.”

“Me? Not accounting?”

“Yes, you. I’d like to keep this quiet if I can.” Walter explained.

“Ok, I’ll see what I can find out.” Felicity told him. He thanked her and left the room.

She spent the next few hours looking through all of Queen Consolidated’s transactions for the last five years. Nothing suspicious showed up, so she searched even further back. In 2005, she found a check for 2.6 million dollars that had been written to a company called Tempest LLC. The name didn’t sound familiar to her, so she looked into it. Soon, she discovered the company didn’t exist. Felicity held off on telling Walter what she’d discovered right away, wanting to learn more before talking to him about this again.

 

Felicity got off of work and, like the previous day, went to the Queen Mansion to pick up Megan. Despite her conflicted feelings about Oliver’s actions, she was happy Megan was getting to spend more time with her father. She arrived at the mansion to discover that her mother was already there.

“Mom, what are you doing here?”

“Oliver invited me to your family dinner tonight.” Donna answered. “He mentioned we’d gotten off on the wrong foot and wanted to clear the air.”

“Remember, the three of us were going to have dinner tonight?” Oliver asked. They’d agreed to have dinner, just the two of them and Megan, but that was before Felicity had confronted Oliver about being the Hood.

“Oh, right. Sorry. I guess I forgot because of work.”

Notes:

About yesterday's news: I have no idea what to say, because the news hasn't fully processed in my brain yet.

Chapter 9

Summary:

The Queen family gets a scare and Megan gets to spend some time with her grandmothers.

Chapter Text

They ended up eating at a moderately priced Italian restaurant in Pennytown that Felicity recommended. After the waiter left their table upon taking their drink orders, Donna, Felicity and Oliver all stared at each other. Megan was preoccupied with coloring the kids menu and didn’t sense the awkwardness.

“So, Donna, I know Felicity told me this before I….went away, but what do you do?” She also face-palmed when he asked that.

“I work at Caesar’s Palace.” She answered.

“The casino in Las Vegas?”

“Yeah, my mom’s a cocktail waitress, remember?” Felicity interjected.

“Something Felicity swore she’d never become, but if your step-father wasn’t quite so understanding, that’s exactly what would’ve happened, because she almost had to drop out of her Master’s program when she found out she was pregnant.” Donna said with an edge to her voice.

“Mom. He’s already apologized. He’s already told you he didn’t know I was pregnant. I know you’re upset but don’t take it out on him for not knowing. I’m the one who waited to tell him.”

“You did?” Oliver asked.

“I- you left the day after I found out. We weren’t really- I didn’t know where we stood. I didn’t feel right showing up at the docks to tell you. My plan was to call you after you got back and- obviously, that didn’t happen. And in a very mean twist of fate, and some bad planning on my part, I told your mother I was pregnant the day before your funeral.”

“What are you talking ‘bout?” Megan said, looking up from her coloring.

“What happened when I found out I was going to have a baby.”

“What happened?” The girl asked.

“Well, I got really excited, so I told Grandma Donna and Grandma Moira. And they were excited too.”

Moira’s excitement wouldn’t be considered positive, but she didn’t need to know that. Oliver saw Donna snort before taking a sip of water. He realized he still hadn’t discussed his mother’s reaction with Felicity and he didn’t want to put it off any longer.

“Speaking of when you told my family, I wanted to-“

“Why don’t we talk about it later?” Felicity suggested.

Oliver nodded before looking over to Donna. “I can’t change the past. I won’t sit here and pretend like I was better person five years ago than I actually was. If I could’ve been here for Felicity and Megan from the start, I would have. All I can do is try my best moving forward. And tell you I’m not the same man as I was back then.”

Donna seemed satisfied with that response and let the matter drop. Dinner was a lot less awkward after that. Donna had driven her rental car to the restaurant, so Felicity wound up needing to give Oliver a ride back to the mansion.

“Are we gonna talk about it?” He asked her, referring to Moira’s attempts to buy her off.

“Yeah, but not right now. Tiny ears are listening.”

“I’m sorry.”

“For what? It better not be your mom’s behavior, because you didn’t have anything to do with that. The only person who needed to apologize was your mother, and she has.”

“She actually apologized?” He asked a little surprised.

“Yes.” Felicity hadn’t gotten a formal apology, but Moira had apologized in a way. She’d tell him about it later, when Megan wasn’t around.

She dropped Oliver off back at the mansion and then drove home. Oliver went inside only to change so he could head back out and cross a name off of his list. As he walked to his room, he realized that maybe it was time for him to move out. He was in his late twenties, he had a child of his own, but he was still living with his mother. the situation also meant Felicity kept having to see someone who wasn’t nice to her in the past every time she came to pick Megan up. He didn’t think that was fair. Not deciding anything now, Oliver headed to the foundry to continue his mission.

 

The next day, around lunchtime, Oliver drove to QC. He was supposed to have lunch with his mother, who hadn’t really talked to since he confronted her about what happened when Felicity was pregnant. He pulled up to the building right as Felicity walked out. He didn’t see his mother, so he walked over to her to say hi. Felicity was taking her lunch break and going to a bistro around the corner. He wanted to ask for her help with something Hood-related, but she told him that was a conversation for later and continued on her way. As she turned the corner, Moira exited the building talking to a dark-haired man in a suit.

Suddenly, someone on a motorcycle drove up and opened fire on the pair, hitting the man. Oliver took off running after the shooter, but lost them when a car got in his way. He rushed back to QC to find Moira being taken into an ambulance. She hadn’t been hit, but when the gunshots rang out, the man she was with pushed her out of the way and she fell and hit her head. Since she might have a concussion, the EMTs that were responding to the call wanted to take her to the hospital just in case.

At the hospital, Lance pulled him aside to ask him what he saw and why he ran after the shooter. He knew the detective was still suspicious of him, but he explained that he was trying to get the license plate number of the motorcycle. He only half-believed Oliver and told him that was a stupid thing to do. Oliver mentioned his concerns about his mother’s safety, but Lance told him the man who’d been killed had ties to organized crime and that he was most likely the intended target.

They went back into Moira’s hospital room and Megan ran in a few seconds later. Donna and Felicity followed in after her. “Grandma? Are you okay?”

“Megan, use your inside voice, okay?” Felicity said.

“I’m fine. My head just hurts a little bit because I fell down.” Moira assured her. “You know what might make me feel better? A big hug from my granddaughter.” Megan ran over to her and hugged her tightly.

“I’m glad you’re okay.”

“Me too.”

“You brought her here?” Oliver asked Felicity while Megan was telling Moira about preschool.

“Yeah, I thought it was a better idea than waiting until the end of the day and dealing with a bunch of press.” She answered. “Detective.”

“Ms. Smoak.” Lance excused himself to return to the precinct and continue working the case.

“Can you come to my father’s old steel factory?” Oliver asked after Lance left. “I’m sure Megan doesn’t wanna leave yet and your mom can watch her.”

“Why would I wanna go to a steel factory?”

“I need your help.” He admitted.

Felicity walked over to her daughter and asked if she’d be okay with both her grandmothers for a few hours. The preschooler asked where she was going, and she said Oliver needed her help with some boring grown-up things.

Felicity followed Oliver to the factory and entered the lair he’d set up. She saw his computers and nearly had a heart attack. “This set-up hurts my soul, so much. How can you make these beautiful babies suffer so much?”

“Uh, what?”

“Your computer set-up, its very bad. So is your system in general. I’m gonna fix it, before I start having nightmares about it.” She said as she started moving things around. “Is this why you asked me to come?”

“No, actually. I need your help IDing the shooter from today.” He said. “It’s the third death of this kind in less than a week, which Lance seems to think isn’t going to stop soon.”

“Sure, this totally doesn’t have to do with your mother.”

“Yes, I’m angry someone shot at my mother. and I can’t stop thinking about how many other people have, or will, also be hurt by this guy if we don’t stop him. Please, just help me find a connection.”

“Okay.” Felicity said as she continued her work.

Sometime during her reparations of the system, John entered the lair. “Hey man, I- what is she doing here?”

“Relax. I already knew he was the Hood or whatever. And I already knew you were working with him.” She said without looking up.

“You did? How?”

“I’m a genius, certified, and both of you are crappy liars.” She answered. “Ok, updates are done. Let’s find out what our victims have in common.” She announced as she started searching for a connection. The program ran for several moments before Felicity read what the screen was outputting. “Huh, that’s weird?”

“What? What’s weird?”

“They all work, supposedly, for Frank Bertinelli in some way, whose, allegedly, in the mafia.”

 

After a few hours at the hospital, Moira was cleared by the doctors to go home. Megan and Donna went with her. The latter going because while Moira had been cleared, she still had a concussion and trying to keep up with a hyperactive 4 year old wouldn't be easy.

They arrived back at the mansion and Megan immediately wanted to play with her grandmothers. Thankfully, Donna had a better idea. When the preschooler ran upstairs to grab some dolls to play with, she followed after her.

“Why don't we save the Barbies for later? Maybe when your parents come back.” Donna didn't have anything against Barbies, but Megan tended to make a bit of a mess while playing with them and she wanted to avoid that.

“That's a good idea. Barbie looks like Mommy and Ken looks like Daddy! Do you think they know that?”

“Well, I think your mom does, I don't know about your dad.” Donna said. “How about we watch a movie instead? I think your Grandma Moira’s head still hurts a little bit.”

“Okay.” The girl said, running to find Moira. “Grandma, wanna watch a movie with me and Grandma Donna?”

“I’d love to. What are we gonna watch?”

“Ariel!” She yelled a little too excitedly. Moira winced at the volume.”Sorry, I didn't mean to be so loud.”

“It's okay, sweetheart.”

“Why do you wanna watch The Little Mermaid.?” Moira loved her granddaughter, and The Little Mermaid was a good film, but she’d had to sit through that movie way too many times already.

“She's my favoritest princess, and Daddy took me to see the fishes and I saw ones that look like flounder and the fish from the song, and when Daddy told me about his island, it made me think about Ariel. Can we watch it? Please?” Megan threw in a quivering lip and wide eyes at the end just for effect.

“Of course we can.” Moira sighed. One more time wouldn't kill her.

“Yay! Grandma Donna, come watch Ariel with us!”

They watched the movie. When it was over, Megan announced she wanted to be a mermaid when she grew up.

Chapter 10

Summary:

Oliver tries to figure out who's behind the shooting at QC.

Chapter Text

“Other than the organized crime connection, there really isn’t anything the victims have in common.” Felicity told Oliver. “In my defense, the organized crime connection is very strong. And it’s definitely the reason they’re dead.”

“How can you conclude that?”

“You do remember that I grew up in Las Vegas right?” She said. “Seems like someone’s hunting down Bertinelli’s men.”

“Any way you can find out who?”

“Is it possible? Yes. Will it be easy? No. There are plenty of people who hold a grudge against Frank Bertinelli and that doesn’t even consider business rivals. For either business.”

“This sounds like a mob war waiting to happen.”

Felicity got some searches running so that Oliver would know when another attack occurred before realizing the time. It was getting close to dinner time and she should probably leave to pick Megan up. They drove back to the mansion, which was surprisingly quiet when they got there. They expected Megan, having spent all day with her grandmothers, to be bouncing off of the walls from excitement. Instead, they found her in the TV room drawing with some crayons. Donna was watching her.

“Megan, look who’s here?”

The preschooler looked up and saw her parents. “’Mommy! Daddy!”

“Hey, sweetie. Did you have fun with Grandma Donna and Grandma Moira today?” Felicity asked.

“Yeah. We watched Ariel and then Grandma Moira read me a story and Grandma Donna drew pictures with me.” She told them. “Wanna see?”

“Of course we do.” Megan proudly showed them her picture. They weren’t entirely sure what it was supposed to be of, but that didn’t matter.

“Wow! That’s a very good drawing. You’re very talented.” Oliver told her.

“Really?”

“Yes, I love it. I like all the colors. Do you like it?”

“Yeah, but- sometimes I don’t think my drawings are very good.”

“But they’re so good!”

“No, its not. It doesn’t even look like the fishies Daddy and I went to see.” She said.

Now, the drawing made sense. The blobs of color were clearly different types of fish and the blue was the water in their tanks.

“Yes it does. See, this one’s a clown fish, right?” Felicity said, pointing to some orange circles. Megan nodded. “And they are those blue fish like Dory, right?” The girl nodded again. “We know what they are. You did a really good job!”

“You really like it?”

“Of course I do. Would I lie to you?” She asked. Megan shook her head. “Other than drawing this great picture, and watching the Little Mermaid, did you do anything else fun?”

“Well, I wanted to play Barbie, but Grandma Donna asked me to wait.” She explained. “Barbie looks like you. And Ken looks like Daddy!”

Felicity had been compared to Barbie before, mostly by chauvinists who didn’t respect her opinion or her degree. She’d never heard someone compared Oliver Queen to a Ken doll however and couldn’t help but burst out laughing. “Really?”

“Uh-huh.” She picked up the dolls and held them out. “See?”

“You’re right, that does look like your dad.”’

Oliver watched all of this unfold with a perplexed look. He’d been called a lot of things and compared to plenty of people, but being compared to a doll was a first. “I think we both know that I have something Ken doesn’t.” He said with a raised eyebrow.

“What’s that?” Megan asked in confusion.

Panicking, and not wanting to explain the grown-up joke, he answered. “An amazing daughter named Megan of course.”

“Oh.”

“Megan, why don’t you go grab your things so we can go home?” Felicity said. The preschooler ran off and Felicity glared at Oliver. “I shouldn’t have to say this, but don’t make dick jokes in front of our four-year-old.”

“Sorry, it just kinda- I didn’t think it through.”

“Please don’t let it happen again. I don’t wanna have to explain to a curious preschooler why boys and girls have different bathrooms.” Felicity said.

“That’s fair enough.”

Felicity and Megan left when the little girl came downstairs. Oliver headed out to Frank Bertinelli’s house. His cover story was that he was helping his mother out with some things while she recovered from her injury earlier that day and all she’d told him was that she was meeting with one of Bertinelli’s employees to discuss a project. Frank saw an opportunity to get Oliver to say ‘yes’ to a proposal his mother had been turning down, but was called away before he could give him a sales pitch.

Frank claimed he had to leave, but asked his daughter Helena to take Oliver to dinner. Based on her expression, she wasn’t happy about the request but went along with it at her father’s insistence.

“Kinda surprised you agreed to this,” Helena said after they were seated at an Italian restaurant, “I mean, I thought you were with your daughter’s mother.”

“I am,” he lied. He and Felicity hadn’t had a chance to discuss their relationship since he’d been back, “but this isn’t a date. It’s a business dinner.”

“I don’t think my father knows that.”

“I don’t think he needs to, do you?” He challenged.

It wasn’t long before Helena brought up the island. She asked him about being alone there and if there was ever a time there when he felt “free”. It became clear early on that she wasn’t dealing well with the pressure of being who she was. Dinner was cut short when Digg called saying he needed to talk to Oliver right now.

He returned to the foundry where his partner told him that Frank’s lieutenant was going around the city, threatening everyone who paid Frank protection money for another payment. Based on the people he’d already threatened, the Russos, who owned the restaurant Oliver and Helena were just at, were the next targets. Oliver changed into his hood and headed out to help them.

Oliver reached the restaurant right before Salvati, Frank’s lieutenant, could break the owner’s hands. He started fighting the mafia members threatening the couple, focusing on the muscle men first and deciding to deal with Salvati afterwards. In the middle of the foray, the motorcyclist who’d shot at Moira arrived and started attacking the mob members as well. The biker then started fighting Oliver, giving Salvati a chance to escape.

Oliver and the unknown assassins fought for several minutes, and while his opponent was good, it was clear that they weren’t as experienced as he was at this. Still, Oliver wanted answers about what their motive was and why they’d taken to shooting people in broad daylight. When the motorcyclist tried to shoot Oliver, he fired an arrow at their helmet visor and used the momentum to pull the helmet off. Helena stared back at him for a few seconds before running off.

Oliver made it back to the foundry but was still in shock at who the person killing Bertinelli’s men was. Why was Helena attacking people who worked for her father? He couldn’t answer that, but he knew Felicity might be able to find something. He called her and asked her to find anything on Helena that would explain why she was killing her father’s men. It didn’t take Felicity long to find an answer. Helena’s fiancé Michael had been killed and all signs pointed to it being a mob hit.

Chapter 11

Summary:

Oliver tries to help Helena, while Felicity goes a different route.

Chapter Text

After learning Helena was the person killing members of the Bertinelli crime family, Oliver went back to the lair to process the news. John was already down there and he had to explain what happened. He argued that Helena had to have a good reason for doing what she was doing, but John was skeptical. She was killing people and didn't seem to care very much about anyone who might wind up in the middle if the shooting at Queen Consolidated was anything to go by.

Oliver insisted that he could get through to Helena if he tried and resolved to learn her reasons as stop the mob war she seemed intent on starting. He called Felicity the next morning, asking her if she could track a phone for him. He didn't tell her who he was trying to follow, just that the person was connected to the shooting.

She tracked Helena’s phone to a graveyard, and Oliver drove there to meet her. Helena was visiting her fiancé’s grave when he walked up behind her. She was starting to tell Oliver about Michael when a black van drove up behind them and two men forced Oliver and Helena into this van. To Oliver's surprise, one of the men abducting them was Nick Salvati, Frank's right-hand man. How had the man figured out that Helena was the shooter?

The pair were taken to a warehouse and tied up. Salvati then outlined that he knew Helena was the assassin because he’d found her cross necklace at the Russo’s restaurant after the fight last night. He demanded to know why she was killing people who worked for her father. Helena explained that she knew her father had killed her fiancé. She loved Michael and when he died, she vowed she'd make her father pay for his death. Nick revealed that he was the one who killed Michael, using his signature way of killing to do it. He did it on Frank's orders since they'd discovered proof that Michael was really an FBI informant and they'd found a laptop full of evidence of the family's activities.

She then revealed that Michael wasn't the informant, she was. She'd wanted a life free of her family and resolved to destroy her father’s empire to achieve that. Salvati was in the middle of telling Helena shed burn in hell for betraying her family when Helena broke free from her restraints and attacked him. Oliver had been playing helpless, but when Helena rushed forward, he didn't see the point in doing that any longer. He dislocated his thumb and began fighting one of the other mobsters on the building.

He dealt with the muscle while Helena took on Nick. He tried to avoid killing the two men, but it was hard to just disarm them when they were trying to shoot him in the head. He didn't want to kill them, but they weren't going to stop, so Oliver broke both of their necks. He turned back to where Helena was in time to see her break Nick's neck.

“Helena?”

“I didn't have a choice Oliver. No one can know my secret.”

They separated, but something a both the encounter made Oliver want to talk more with Helena about what had happened. He decided to go to her apartment so they could talk. She was just getting out of the shower when he got there.

“I'd ask how you got in, but the Hood comes and goes as he please.”

“How'd you know?”

“Your fighting style and then I saw your eyes.”

Oliver then tried to convince her that she was mistaking revenge for justice, but she insisted they were sometimes the same thing. She believed she and Oliver were the same and that his mission wasn't any more valid or right than hers was. He argued that they weren't the same, but she wouldn't listen.

Oliver believed he could get through to Helena, but not right now. She'd just learned the truth about her fiancé’s death. She'd killed someone she'd known for years, despite how unaffected she wanted to seem. Her emotions were too high to see reason right now.

“Will you let me show you a better way?” He asked her.

“Sure. Tomorrow.” She said, sounding sincere.

Believing her, he left. He brought John and Felicity up to date on the situation and told them he was handling it. They both seemed skeptical but didn't argue right away. Oliver knew he could make Helena see reason. His hopes were dashed the next day when Felicity told him Helena, or at least her cell phone, were in a part of town controlled by the triad. Knowing what her mission was, Oliver knew she hadn't gone there for innocent reasons.

With Felicity's help, he found her quickly and stopped her from killing a prominent triad member, kicking off a gang war. Helena was less than thrilled by this turn of events since her father didn't have the manpower to win a war like that. He'd died and she'd have her revenge. Oliver tired once again to try a different way, but she rejected his offer and told him to stay out of her way. It became clear that Helena only cared about her father’s death and not anything else, including e people who were going to end up caught in the crossfire of the gang war.

He went back to foundry to work out, and burn off some energy. He'd just finished his set of push-ups and was moving on to the salmon ladder when he heard footsteps. Turning, he saw Felicity standing there.

“Where's Megan?”

“Having a Niece-Aunt sleepover with Thea. They haven't had one of those in a few months.” She explained. “Which is good a because it means I can work without worrying about interruptions.”

“Work on what?”

“Helena’s not gonna stop until her father’s either dead or in prison. We both know which one she wants to happen, but who knows how many innocent people will die in the war she wants to start.” Felicity said taking a seat in front of the computers. “So, I'm gonna find some evidence or something that I can anonymously send to the SCPD and get him arrested.”

It didn't take long for Felicity to dig up something on Frank and she sent it to the police, who then shared that information with the FBI. Frank's arrest made the news the next morning. Oliver got an angry phone call from Helena soon after the story broke, demanding to see him. She wasn't happy her father had escaped justice in her eyes and warned Oliver to stay away from her or else she'd expose that he was the Hood.

Megan, who'd had a fun time at her sleepover with Thea, was just waking up and walking into the kitchen for breakfast when Oliver got back to the mansion. She told him all about the fun she and Thea had had and he listened with rapt attention. She was so excited that she knocked her cup of juice over and it spilled on Oliver's shirt. Not thinking, he took it off so he could throw it in the laundry.

“Daddy, why are you covered in boo-boos?” She asked.

“When I was on the island, I got hurt.” He answered simply, rushing to put the stained shirt back on. He didn't want anyone to see his scars and he definitely didn't want Megan to see them.

“Do they hurt? Do you want me to kiss them better? Mommy always kisses my boo-boos better.” She told him.

He wanted to tell her no, but she looked up at him with such big eyes, clearly wanting to help her dad feel better, so he relented. “I don't need you to kiss all of them better. How about this this one?”

He pointed to a very faint scar on his arm where he'd accidentally cut himself as a teenager. Megan kissed the scar with a loud smack of her lips before looking back at him. “Did I make it better?”

“Yes. You made it so much better.” He told her. “Thank you.”

Chapter 12

Summary:

Oliver and Felicity talk about their relationship and a trip the zoo is a little more exciting than anyone would've guessed.

Chapter Text

The day after Helena’s father had been arrested, Megan’s preschool was taking a trip to the zoo. Everyone in her family knew it because the preschooler was so excited to go see all of the animals that she mentioned it to anyone who would listen. She didn’t like the zoo quite as much as the aquarium, but that was just because, according to her, fish are the coolest animals because they get to spend all day in water.

She was bouncing up and down in excitement when Oliver dropped her off at school, telling her to listen to her teacher and have fun. He was looking forward to seeing his daughter after the trip so she could tell him all about the animals and which ones were her favorite. There was something about seeing Megan get so excited about the world that healed a part of Oliver whenever he got to see it.

 

While Megan was on her trip, Oliver was getting Verdant, the club he decided to open, ready for a final inspection. A night club gave him a good, and legitimate cover, for coming and going from his father’s old steel factory at odd times. Since clubs were open late, no one would think it was weird for Oliver to be coming home at 5am either. He finished up his meeting with the fire marshal, the building had to be evaluated to determine maximum capacity, and then went to visit Felicity at Queen Consolidated. Between his arrest, the mess with Helena and confronting his mother, Oliver hadn’t had time to discuss some other, more personal things with her. Like, what exactly was their relationship and what was she looking for from him now that she knew the truth.

Oliver knocked on the door of Felicity’s office so that he wouldn’t startle her. She turned and greeted him. “What brings you by?”

“I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“If its about what I did last night, I told you, the cops won’t be able to trace it back to me even if they wanted. I doubt they’d want to, since Bertinelli wasn’t exactly an upstanding citizen, but still.” She told him.

“That’s….not what I wanted to talk about. I wanted to talk about us. Something I’ve been putting off for a while.” He said. “We were- before I went missing, we were something. We never got around to deciding what. And I came back, and now we’re partners for you-know-what and we’re coparents to our daughter. And I’d like to be more than just a teammate or coparent.”

“You want us to be…like before?”

“Yes.” He said quickly. “Unless you don’t want to, which I would completely understand and-“

“No, I- I want that too.” She admitted.


 

Starling 2007

Ever since the day Felicity fixed Oliver’s computer, stopped by Queen Consolidated at least once a week to talk to her. At the beginning, he kept trying to convince her to go out with him, but when he saw that it wasn’t working, he used the time to get to know her.

He learned that she was terrified of kangaroos but loved pandas. He learned that her favorite color was red and that she didn’t really have a least favorite color, although she didn’t think she looked good in orange. While she’d gotten an internship in the IT department, her real goal was to work in applied sciences where she could use her brain to help people and make scientific breakthroughs. When he listened to her explain all of this, Oliver felt a little dumb. Felicity had a plan, she had goals she was working towards and knew exactly what she was doing with her life. Oliver was a four-time drop-out and didn’t usually think beyond the next party he was going to.

“What’s with the look?” Felicity asked him suddenly.

“Nothing, its just- you’ve got it all figured out and I kinda- I’ve got no idea what I’m gonna do with my life. I know what my parents want me to be doing but-”

“You’re what? 22? The fact that you don’t have it ‘all figured out’ isn’t that surprising.” She said. “You’ll figure it out. Before you know it, you’ll have a whole five year plan ready.”

“Yeah, sure.” He replied sarcastically. “So, its Thursday.”

“I know.”

“Which means tomorrow’s Friday and the weekend will be here.” He said in a knowing tone. “And my offer to hang out doesn’t have an expiration date. I don’t suppose you’re free?”

“As a matter of fact, I am.” She said, suddenly deciding to take Oliver up on his offer. “But just to be clear, we’re hanging out as friends. this isn’t a date.”


 

Starling- Present

After their talk was over, it was time to pick Megan up from preschool. The little girl babbled all about her class’s trip to the zoo and all the animals she’d seen. She seemed fidgety as Felicity drove back to the mansion. She told them there was something cool she found that she wanted to show everyone.

Felicity pulled up outside of Queen Mansion and Oliver got Megan unbuckled from her car seat. Their daughter dragged them inside and insisted they get Thea, Moira and Walter so everyone could see her surprise at the same time. Donna drove up behind them and came into the house.

The family gathered in the foyer and Megan put her backpack on the ground and opened it. She pulled out a stuffed tiger and put in on the ground. Felicity was about to comment on how lifelike the stuffed animals was when it blinked and started walking around. Thea and Moira both gasped and backed up into the wall. Donna let out a scream.

“Megan?” Felicity managed to ask with her voice only quivering a little bit.

“Yes Mommy?”

“Is that a tiger cub?”

“I found her at the zoo. Can I keep her?”

Felicity, for the first time in a long time, was speechless. How did Megan manage to take a tiger cub from the zoo without anyone noticing? More importantly, how bad was Starling Zoo’s security that a tiger cub was able to escape?

“Megan, honey, we can’t keep a tiger as a pet.” She turned to Oliver. “Call animal control.”

“Why not?” the little girl asked.

“Well, she’s just a baby. She needs to be with her mommy. Her mommy’s probably missing her already.” She answered. “How did you even find her? She was supposed to stay with the other tigers.”

“She was with the others, but then the Zoo man went to feed them and when he was working, she ran away through the door he used to get into where they lived. Ms. Ashley and the others went away, but I saw her and she looked lonely, so I took her with me.”

“You just put her in your backpack and left the zoo with her?”

“Yes. I wanted to give her a home.”

“I understand that, honey, but she already has a home. She has a mommy and a family that love her. And they miss her.”

“We can be her family.” The preschooler insisted.

“We could try, but I don’t know how to take care of tigers. I don’t think she’d be happy here.” Felicity said.

The tiger cub was well-behaved for a wild animal. She simply walked around sniffing and looking at things in the foyer, unaware of the conversation the humans were having. Animal control arrived fairly quickly, along with two zookeepers. They were able to tranquilize the feline fairly easily and got everything ready to take her back to the zoo. Megan was crying as her mother told her it was time for the cub to go home.

“Wait, can I say bye-bye?” Megan asked as one zookeeper was picking the cub up to go home.

“I don’t think that’s-“ he started to say, but then he saw that all of the adults in the room were glaring at him. “Yes, but we need to get her home. Her mother’s been worried about her.”

The tigress had been displaying a mix of depressive and aggressive behavior since the staff realized one of the cubs was missing. They hoped the sooner they recovered the cub, and the healthier it was, the sooner the other tigers would return to their normal behavior.

Megan bid the animal goodbye and watched as the zookeeper took her into a van to take her back to the zoo. The other zookeeper turned to face the family. “Someone will be contacting you tomorrow morning to discuss the consequences of….all of this.”

“Consequences?” Oliver asked.

“Your daughter stole a tiger cub from the zoo.”

“And your zoo’s security was so lax that a tiger cub was able to get out of its enclosure and a four-year-old was able to walk out of the facility with a live animal in her backpack. If anyone is at fault or liable here, its you.”

“She still-“

“She’s four and that cub is what, a month old? And they outsmarted you. How do you think that looks?” Donna said. “You need to rethink your security and not blame a preschooler for your mistakes.”

The zookeepers left with the tiger. Once they were gone, Megan asked if they could go back to the zoo the next weekend to say ‘hi’ to her friend. Oliver and Felicity both responded with ‘we’ll see’. Felicity got Megan into the car to drive home, and the girl asked if they could get a kitten, since she couldn’t keep the cub.

Chapter 13

Summary:

Walter brings Felicity a mystery, the Queen family throws a party and the Dark Archer makes an appearance.

Chapter Text

The day after the trip to the zoo, Megan went to preschool like normal. She was still very upset about not being allowed to keep the tiger cub and asked Felicity if they could get a kitten three times by the time she was dropped off. The teacher had somehow been informed about what had happened, so she asked the class to sit down on the carpet while she talked to them about how animals who lived at the zoo liked living there and that it was their home.

Megan pouted. The tiger cub seemed like it wanted to come with her. If it didn’t want her to take it home, why didn’t it run away from her when she found it? She asked the teacher, who didn’t seem to have an answer.

“Maybe it thought you’d help it get home. It was confused and scared.”

“I’m not scary. My mommy isn’t scary. She could’ve stayed with us!”

“You took a tiger home?” One of the students asked in awe.

“A baby tiger.” She confirmed. “I wanted her to be my pet, but my mommy and daddy said no and called the zoo man to take her back to her mommy.”

“It might be upsetting, but that was the right thing to do.” The teacher said, trying to regain control of the class. “The cub would’ve missed her mommy. How would you feel if someone tried to take you away from your mommy and daddy?”

“Sad. Scared.”

“That’s how the tiger felt.” The teacher said before clapping her hands together. “Now, who wants to d some arts and crafts?”

 

While Felicity was at work, the news broke that Adam Hunt, the Hood’s first victim, had been found dead in his office. The police didn’t come right out and say it, but because he was killed by arrows, they suspected the Hood. Felicity knew it wasn’t Oliver. For one thing, Oliver told her he only killed if he absolutely had to. For another, he spent the whole night dealing with the tiger situation and trying to calm Megan down after she wasn’t allowed to keep the animal. Clearly, this was the work of a copycat.

She was turning back to work when Walter knocked on the door of her office. “I was hoping to speak with you about something.”

“Sure.”

He reached into his jacket and pulled out a small notebook. “I want to know everything you can find out about this book. Where it was made, where it was sold. Everything.”

“Is something wrong? It’s just- I’ve known you for five years and you’re kinda freaking me out a little bit.” Felicity confessed.

“It may be nothing, but I’d like to be sure.” He said. “Please let me know as soon as you find something.”

 

After the fiasco with the tiger, Oliver didn’t end up going to bed until nearly four AM. He woke up around 9 the next day and made his way downstairs. While he was eating his breakfast, he realized it was a few days into December and the mansion seemed shockingly devoid of Christmas decorations. His family loved Christmas, why weren’t there any lights or decorations up?

Thea was playing hooky from school, so he asked her. “You went missing, then you got declared dead. Neither of us were feeling very festive that year, so we just kinda ignored the holiday. Then, we did the same thing for the next four years.” She answered. “Felicity wanted us to try, for Megan, so last year Mom and I took Megan to see Santa and went to Felicity’s to have ‘Christmas dinner’ the night after Chanukah ended.”

“You stopped celebrating Christmas because of me?”

“We didn’t have a lot to celebrate. If you wanna decorate or celebrate, we aren’t gonna stop you.” She said before walking away.

That night, at dinner, Oliver confronted his family. He said he wanted to celebrate Christmas this year. He wanted Megan to get to have a Christmas like he did growing up. He pointed out that they stopped celebrating because he went missing and reasoned that his return should be the reason the resume celebrating. They couldn’t really argue without making it sound like his return wasn’t a good enough reason for them to do that. It was decided they’d have a holiday party the following Friday.

 

The next morning, Starling woke up to the news that another person the Hood had previously targeted was found dead. Oliver was once again being blamed. Based on what Felicity had found while monitoring the SCPD’s systems, not every cop thought the Hood was to blame. Detective Lance thought he was innocent, since the Hood got what he wanted from the two dead men months ago, and killing them now didn’t seem to serve any purpose. His voice of reason was being drowned out by officers who saw an easy explanation.

Oliver had reached out to Lance and somehow gotten ahold of one of the arrows used in the second murder. He was hoping Felicity would be able to track down where the arrows came from, or better yet, who bought them. She tracked the info quickly and Oliver went to visit the address they were shipped to.

While he was trying to clear his alter ego’s name, Felicity was delving into the mystery surrounding the notebook Walter gave her. It was bought along with about twenty others as a bulk order nine years ago. Nothing about the manufacturer seemed sketchy except for the fact that it was a subsidiary of Queen Consolidated. She kept digging, wondering why a blank notebook set Walter so on edge.

She started to come up with a theory. It was a long shot, and if it didn’t work, she’d blame the idea of seeing too many spy movies, but she wondered if maybe the pages weren’t blank, but the ink was just invisible. A few minutes with a UV and she got her answer. Writing appeared, and she realized it was a list of names. She called Walter and told him what she’d found.

A week later, Felicity had decoded more of the List and realized some of the people on the List were people Oliver had targeted as the Hood. And two of those people had been killed in the same week. She learned that one of the names still on the List was Doug Miller, the head of Applied Sciences. She told Walter about his name being in the notebook who said he’d subtly find out what Miller knew.

 

The Queen Family annual Christmas party was well underway. Megan was running around, enjoying herself and telling every adult who’d listen about what she asked Santa for and the presents she’d already gotten for Chanukah. The adults indulged her, thinking her excitement was cute.

She was looking for Felicity when she ran into someone’s leg. She looked up to see a tall man with dark hair. He asked her if she was okay and she nodded, but didn’t say anything. She had seen the man before, but she didn’t know who he was. He bent down to her level. "What's this behind your ear?" He asked, as he pulled a quarter out. "How did that get there?"

She giggled a little bit, but she still didn't the man, and she didn't know why. 

“Hey, Dad, I-“ Tommy said, walking over to the man.

“Uncle Tommy!” Megan shouted in excitement.

“Hi Megan.” He answered. “Where’s your mom and dad?”

“I dunno. I’m trying to find them.” She answered.

“Why don’t we go look together?” he offered.

“Okay.” She said, taking his hand. They walked away from Malcolm. “Who was that man?”’

“My dad.”

“I don’t like him. He’s scary.” She declared. Eventually, they found Felicity and Megan told her mother about everything that had happened in the half hour they were apart.

The party’s happy atmosphere was ruined an hour later, when some terrifying news broke. The archer who’d killed Adam Hunt and Nelson Ravich had taken five people hostage. He demanded that the Hood meet him in an hour or he’d start killing hostages.

Chapter 14

Summary:

Oliver faces off against the Dark Archer.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Everyone at the Queens’ holiday party watched the news report in shock. The upper crust of Starling City had been assuming for days that the murders were the Hood, but now there was another archer running around the city, targeting innocent people? And this archer had taken people hostage to draw his rival, the Hood, out. The mood died quickly and the guests departed.

Thankfully, Megan was too distracted by the cookies Raisa made to see the news report, so she didn’t know what was going on, just that people were leaving and her mom wanted to take her home. She whined a little bit, but Felicity pulled out her no-nonsense face and the preschooler started saying goodbye. While she was saying goodbye to Thea and Moira, Felicity turned to Oliver.

“What’s your plan?”

“I’m gonna stop him.”

“That’s a goal, its not an actual plan.” She stated.

“Go in, get the hostages out. Find the Dark Archer and stop him.”

“Call me if- I don’t know how helpful I can be, but-“

“Hopefully it won’t come to that.” He said before Megan was ready to go.

Digg tried to convince Oliver not to get involved, thinking the police were a better option. He didn’t listen, suited up and headed out. When he got to the warehouse, the police were already there, but hadn’t been able to breach the building. The Dark Archer had booby-trapped all the exits, making it impossible to send in a SWAT team right away. They had to wait for the bomb squad.

Lance was yelling about how waiting was the worst idea he could think of, considering they only had fifteen minutes until the archer’s one-hour deadline was up when Oliver slid into the warehouse through a window. Once inside, he freed the hostages and led them up to the roof so that the police could get them to safety. He turned around and went to face the other archer.

Oliver went walking down a hallway in one of the lower parts of the building when he sensed someone stepping out from behind him.

“Thank you for coming. After the warehouse, I knew I’d need something dramatic to get your attention.” The masked man said. He had some kind of voice modulator, so the only thing Oliver knew was that the archer was male.

“What do you want with me?”

 “What any archer wants- to see who’s better.” He said as he fired an arrow at Oliver.

Oliver dodged it and fired his own arrow back in return. They moved deeper into the warehouse and continued to fight. Oliver and his opponent were evenly matched, but the other archer managed to get a lucky shot in while Oliver was jumping down from one of the rafters to retrieve his bow. The Archer then shot Oliver another time in the back. He fell to the ground and the man started kicking him in the ribs.

“I know about the list. The man who wrote it wants you dead.” Oliver stopped moving, so the Archer rolled him over and was about to remove his hood. “They call you the Hood. Let’s see what you look like without it.”

When his opponent bent down, Oliver jolted into action and stabbed a discarded arrow into the man’s leg before hitting him across the face. The other archer stumbled back and Oliver got up off the floor and somewhat painfully made his way out of the building. He called Digg for help before passing out.

 

Walter was leaving his office and getting into the elevator. He was on the phone with Moira, but told her they’d probably be cut off due to how bad the cell reception was. There was another man inside and Walter thought he looked rather familiar, but couldn’t place his face. The CEO hung up the phone as the doors closed. He felt a prick in his neck and the room started to spin. As he lost consciousness, it occurred to Walter that the other man worked for Merlyn Global Group.

 

Oliver bolted awake and squeezed his eyes shut when the room he was in was far too bright for him. He wasn’t sure where he was, but this definitely wasn’t the foundry. He tried to sit up, but his whole body hurt.

“Hey, relax. Relax, you’re safe. You’re in the hospital.” Digg said, noticing he was awake.

“What happened?”

“Felicity back-traced your signal. I cleaned you up and got you out of there.”  He said. “You’ve got a pneumothorax, three broken ribs and a concussion, but the doctor said you’re gonna be fine. Some people are here to see you.”

He stepped away and Moira, Thea, Felicity and Tommy came into the room. Moira and Thea started fussing over Oliver, who looked at them in confusion since he didn’t know what cover story Digg had given them.

“Did they find the driver who hit him yet?” Tommy asked.

“He didn’t hit Oliver. Oliver just had to swerve to avoid him and, on his bike, - Let’s just be glad all that happened was Oliver crashing his bike. And that he was wearing a helmet.” Felicity said.

“Where’s- is Megan here?” Oliver asked.

“No, Raisa’s watching her. I didn’t- she was asleep when Mr. Diggle called me and I didn’t want to wake her up and bring her here and worry her.” She said. “And I wasn’t sure what shape you were gonna be in-.”

He nodded. Moira and Thea both apologized for their behavior at the party before leaving to go home. Felicity stayed behind to talk to Oliver, knowing that they needed to discuss what happened with the other archer.

“You know, when I confront someone on the list, I tell them that they failed the city. Tonight, it was me who failed.”

“Oliver, five people are alive and home with their families, enjoying the holidays because of you.” Felicity pointed out.

“The other archer-.”

“He’ll get his.” Digg said. “You’ll give it to him.”

“That’s not our biggest problem.” Oliver admitted. “The other archer told me somebody compiled the list. I always thought it was my father. What if it wasn’t?”

“What are you talking about?”

“I think there’s someone else out there. Someone who’s a bigger threat than the archer.” Oliver said after a moment of silence.

“When you say list, do you mean like a list of names?” Felicity asked. “Ones written in invisible ink in a small beige notebook with a weird symbol inside of it?”

“Yes. How do you know that?” Oliver admitted to being the Hood, but he hadn’t told Felicity exactly how he chose people to target, just that he had a system.

“Walter- a few days ago he brought me a notebook like the one I just described. He seemed freaked out about it and wanted to know everything I could find out about it. I told him I uncovered the list of names and-.”

“Do you still have it?”

“Did you tell him any of the names?”

“Yeah, I still have it. And I told him about the two dead guys, and also someone from Queen Consolidated whose name was on the list.” She admitted. “What if what I told him gets him killed?”

“I doubt that’s gonna happen, but I’ll talk to him when I get discharged.”

 

Oliver had to spend the night under observation, much to his annoyance. John came in early the next day and told him Walter hadn’t returned from his office last night. Oliver hoped that it wasn’t related to the list or the Dark Archer, but wasn’t very hopeful. When he was about to be released, Felicity visited with Megan. She saw that her dad was all banged up and ran over to hug him.

“I think you’re squeezing Daddy too tight. He has boo-boos remember?” Felicity said.

Megan loosened her grip a little bit. “Sorry Daddy.”

“It’s okay.”

“Why do you have boo-boos?”

“I was being silly and I fell off of my bike.” He said, going with the cover story Digg had concocted.

“Maybe you should get training wheels.” The preschooler suggested, which made Felicity and John burst out laughing.

“That’s a good idea.” Felicity said after she had collected herself. “C’mon, let’s drive Daddy back to the Grandma’s house.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Digg said, “not with his injuries.” His concerns were valid, but they weren’t the reason he decided to speak up.

“What?”

“Between his collapsed lung and broken ribs, going up and down stairs several times a day isn’t good for him.”

“Daddy can stay with us!” Megan exclaimed. “We only have stairs except on the outside.”

Neither of her parents could really argue, and they didn’t want to ruin here enthusiasm, so Oliver left the hospital and rode to Felicity’s house with Megan. If he wasn’t excited to spend more time with his daughter, he might’ve tried to swipe the smirk off of John’s face.

Notes:

Just a head's up, there won't be a chapter next week due to boring, real life stuff.

Chapter 15

Summary:

Oliver gets to spend some time with his daughter, he and Felicity discuss their relationship, and we see how Oliver and Felicity become 'something' in the past.

Chapter Text

Felicity and Oliver got him settled into her house. Thankfully, Felicity had a guest bedroom Oliver could use rather than one of them needing to sleep on the couch or, more awkwardly, sharing a bed. Digg stopped by shortly after they got home with a suitcase Thea had packed for Oliver.

Megan was very excited that her dad was staying with her and Felicity, so it took both parents awhile to get her calmed down and convince her that she needed to use her inside voice.

“But Daddy’s here!” The preschooler said in self-defense.

“I know, sweetie, but he’s tired from when he hurt himself. It’s okay that you’re excited, but Daddy needs to rest right now. Okay?” Felicity said. “You can play with Daddy, but I don’t want it to be too loud. And he can’t carry you around or chase after you.”

“Ok. Can we watch cartoons?”

“I think watching cartoons will help me feel better.” Oliver spoke up. “What are we gonna watch?”

“Dinosaur Train!” Megan declared, handing him the remote. “Mommy says I need a grown-up to turn the TV on.”

Oliver furrowed his brow and looked over to Felicity. “She tried to turn it on by herself when the batteries were dead. She thought unplugging it would work and almost stuck her fingers in the socket. Megan can use the remote, but a grown-up has to turn the TV on and off.” Megan was a smart girl, but she was only four after all. “There’s a few things I need to take care of. I’ll be in my office, so yell if you need me.”

Oliver got settled on the couch and turned the TV on. Megan directed him to where to find Dinosaur Train and they started watching. Watching a kid’s show was surreal for him, but Megan seemed to be happy. He got surprisingly engrossed in the show after a few minutes and asked Megan who all the characters were. She was excited that she knew something her dad didn’t know and got to explain it to him.

As one episode ended and another started, Megan leaned over so that she was laying against Oliver’s shoulder. “I’m happy you’re staying here, Daddy.”

“Me too.” He told her. He wasn’t happy about what happened with the Dark Archer, Walter’s disappearance, the knowledge of the list and several other things, but he was looking forward to spending more time with Megan and Felicity while he recovered.

“Are you and Mommy gonna start kissing now?” she asked him.

“Why do you ask that?”

“Because you like Mommy and Mommy likes you. And Auntie Thea told me when grown-ups like each other, they kiss.”

“Auntie Thea shouldn’t be telling you things like that. You’re too young.” Oliver remarked. “I don’t know. I need to talk to Mommy first. I need to make sure that she wants to kiss me too.”

Felicity finished the last few things she needed to do and came back into the living room. She wasn’t happy that Oliver was hurt, but she was happy there was someone who could keep an eye on Megan while she wrapped the last few presents she needed to wrap and start some searches for Walter. Plus, any time she got to see Oliver interact with Megan, it melted her heart.

The preschooler saw her mom come into the room and ran over to her. “Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!”

“Megan! Megan! Megan!” She responded. “Dinosaur Train got you this excited?”

“No. Are you and Daddy gonna kiss?”

Felicity froze and looked at Oliver who shrugged. “Why are you asking, sweetie?”

“Ally’s mommy and daddy kiss. And they live in the same place.” She said. “And now you and Daddy live in the same place.”

Felicity’s expression turned into a sad smile. Megan had spent years wondering why she didn’t have a dad. Now, she had one, but she didn’t understand why her mom and dad weren’t like her friends’ parents. Felicity had felt the same way after her father left.

“And you wanna know why me and Daddy aren’t like Ally’s parents.” She said, and Megan nodded. “Sometimes, being a grown-up isn’t easy. I like Daddy and he likes me, but there are some things we need to talk about. But there’s one thing we definitely, 100% agree on.”

“What’s that?”

“That we love you.” She said, hugging her daughter.

“I love you too, Mommy.” Megan let go of Felicity and went over to Oliver. “And I love you, Daddy.”

Oliver returned the hug. “I love you so much.”

Megan announced that she didn’t want to watch cartoons anymore and asked Felicity for paper and some crayons so she could color. Oliver turned off the TV while Felicity got the art supplies. The four-year-old started doodling, giving Oliver and Felicity a chance to talk.

“So….about what Megan just asked.” Oliver started.

“Well, you said you wanted us to get back together. So did I. Then, things kinda got sidetracked when you were being framed and- we agreed but then we never talked about it. And now that you’re staying here….. I thought it might come up.” Felicity said. “We’re together. right?”

“Yeah, we are. But this is- it’s new territory for me. And I don’t want things to move too fast.” He admitted. “We never- I feel like we do things in the wrong order. We were friends, then we jumped right into being together, then I was dead, then we became co-parents and now we’re dating.”

“I was never a big fan of tradition anyways.” She said with a chuckle.

“That’s what I liked about you.” He said, giving her a quick kiss.


 

2007

Felicity walked into the club where Oliver asked to meet her. After weeks of him asking her to hang out, she finally relented. Clubs weren’t usually her scene, but she decided to give it a try. She knew she looked out of place in her jeans and flowy top, surrounded by women wearing dresses than were incredibly short and tight. Worse case scenario, she’d get bored and could take a taxi back to where she was staying. She started looking around for Oliver when she suddenly found herself face-to-face with him.

“Hey, you made it.”

“Don’t sound so surprised. I said I’d come. I keep my promises.”

“I wasn’t- I didn’t mean it like that. it’s just- you didn’t seem super excited about coming.” He said.

“Clubs…aren’t really my thing.” She admitted.

“Then let’s get out of here.” He suggested. “I wanted us to hang out. We don’t have to do that here.”

“Ok.” She said, letting out a sigh of relief.

They wound up at a bowling alley, where Felicity kicked Oliver’s butt in three straight games. The place closed at 2AM and they needed to leave.

“That was fun.”

“Yeah, it was.” Oliver agreed. “Wanna hang out again next week?”

“Won’t your…friends at the club miss you? Or your girlfriend?”

“I don’t have a girlfriend.” He said quickly. “And the club is fine, but I like hanging out with you. But no bowling next time. I can only take losing so many times in a row.”

They hung out the next week, and the week after that. it soon became a habit where every Friday night, Oliver and Felicity would hang out. They grew closer during those few weeks.

One week, Oliver and Felicity met at a pool hall. He lost the first game to her before suggesting they play darts, which he was somewhat good at. After winning one round, they started ordering drinks. Two rounds later, Felicity decided it was time to go. They took a taxi to Felicity’s apartment and he walked her to her door. She invited him in for some coffee.

A cup of coffee turned into them talking for a few hours. Talking led to her kissing him. Kissing led to them having sex. The next morning, they both woke up and remembered what had happened. Oliver admitted that he had feelings for Felicity but didn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable. Her internship was ending in December, she didn’t know where she’d end up afterwards. They decided not to put a label on anything and just figure things out as they go.

Four weeks later, Felicity was sitting in her bathroom, staring at a positive pregnancy test. She was going to call Oliver, but saw that he had texted her. He was leaving with his father on a trip to China in an hour and wanted to say goodbye. She dialed his number.

“Hey, are you feeling better?” He asked when he answered the phone.

“Yeah. Sorry I missed you. The salty air didn’t seem like a good idea.”

“Is everything okay? Your voice sounds weird.”

“I’m fine. I just- have a nice trip.” She told him before saying goodbye. Oliver would be back in two weeks. She could tell him about the baby then.

She planned out exactly how she was going to tell him, but she never got the chance to. Oliver Queen never made it back to Starling.

Chapter 16

Summary:

Megan adjusts to Oliver being around all the time and pancakes are eaten.

Chapter Text

The next morning, Oliver was fast asleep when Megan snuck into his room. it was Saturday, and Saturdays meant Felicity made pancakes and she didn’t want her dad to miss out. She jumped on his bed, which startled him awake. He sat up, let out a growl and looked around for the threat.

He expected a blow to come at his face, but nothing happened. The jungle habitat of Lian Yu gave way to the soft blue walls of Felicity’s guest room.

“Daddy?” Megan asked.

Hearing her voice snapped Oliver out of survival mode and he calmed his breathing. He saw that Megan was sitting on the bed, looking at him with a scared expression.

“Are you okay?” She tried to wake him up and he could’ve attacked her. He almost hurt his daughter. What kind of parent did that?

“You started growling at me.” She said. “Why did you do that?”

“What’s going on in here?” Felicity asked, coming into the room.

“I came to get Daddy for pancakes and he made a really mean face and it scared me.” The preschooler said.

“I’m so sorry, Megan.” He said before looking at Felicity. “It was an accident.”

“Megan, was Daddy awake or asleep when you came in?”

“Asleep. I was gonna wake him up.” she said.

“Okay. Come here.” Felicity said, sitting on the edge of the bed. Megan went to sit next to her mom. “Oliver, you come over here too.” He slowly moved over so that he was on Megan’s other side, but not too close to her. “He didn’t mean to scare you. I think we should let him explain what happened.”

“You know how I have boo-boos from the island?” He asked his daughter, who nodded. “Well, sometimes I get bad dreams about them. And when I get surprised, I think someone’s trying to hurt me, and I wanna stop them, which is why I made that mean face.”

“But I wasn’t trying to hurt you.”

“I know that, sweetie, but when you jumped on the bed, I didn’t know it was you, I thought it was someone else.” He explained. “I’m sorry I scared you.”

“It’s okay. I’m sorry I woke you up, Daddy.” She said, hugging him. “Mommy should get you a nightlight.”

“What?”

“If you have bad dreams, Mommy should get you a nightlight. She got me one so that I wouldn’t have bad dreams.” Megan said, matter-of-factly. “Or maybe you just need someone to sleep with. Do you wanna borrow Mr. Buttons?” Mr. Buttons was Megan’s teddy bear.

“Thank you, Megan, but I don’t wanna take him away from you. I’ll be okay.” Oliver told her.

“You can sleep with Mommy.” She suggested.

“What?”

“If you have a bad dream, you can sleep in Mommy’s bed. She always lets me do that.” she explained.

“Uh, I-.”

“How about we try not to startle anyone anymore okay?” Felicity suggested. “Now, let’s go eat pancakes!”

Megan jumped off the bed and ran off, leaving Oliver and Felicity alone. “I’ll be gone by tonight.”

“What are you talking about?” She asked.

“I scared Megan. I could’ve hurt her. I understand if you don’t want me to be around her or living here-.”

“Oliver, it was an accident. She startled you and you had a flashback or your instincts took over, or whatever you wanna call it.” Felicity said. “I can’t hold an accident against you, and now she knows not to startle you.” She stood up. “Let’s go before Megan eats all of the pancakes.”

“She’s four years old.”

“And she’s basically the Cookie Monster when it comes to pancakes.” Felicity told him.

They walked into the kitchen where Megan was already seated at the table. She’d gotten the bottle of syrup and started pouring it onto her pancakes. Felicity, remembering the last time Megan did her own syrup pouring, rushed over to stop her.

“Hey, hey, hey. Why don’t I do that?” She asked.

“But I can pour it!” Megan said.

“And last time, you poured it all over the table, remember?” Last time, Felicity had gotten up to get more coffee and by the time she sat back down, Megan’s pancake, and the table, were soaked in maple syrup. It was a disaster to clean up.

“It was an accident.” Megan insisted.

“I know, but I don’t want it to happen again.” She said as she handed Megan her plate. “Plain or blueberry, Oliver?”

“What?” He asked, suddenly tuning back into the conversation.

“Do you want a plain pancake or blueberry?” She repeated, gesturing to the two different stacks of pancakes. “You can sit down, you know.”

Oliver sat down and took a blueberry pancake off of its stack. He drizzled a little bit of syrup and started eating. While they ate, Megan told her parents all about what she wanted to do today. A few of her suggestions, like making a snowman, weren’t feasible, but some of them Felicity said they could do, like coloring and going to the park. The whole scene struck Oliver as very domestic and he was a little afraid this was a dream.

“Do you like them?” Megan asked. “I love Mommy’s pancakes.”

“Me too.” Oliver agreed. “Especially the blueberry ones.”

“I wish we could have chocolate chip.”

“I don’t think you need any more sugar this early in the morning.” Felicity said. Soon enough, the pancakes were all eaten and Felicity told her daughter to go get dressed so they could go to the park. “You don’t have to come if you don’t want to. I know you’re a little banged up.”

“There’s benches and stuff at the park, right?” Oliver asked and he received a nod in return. “Then, yeah, I’ll come.”

“There’s something I wanna know, but you don’t need to go into detail. Did she just startle you or were you also having a nightmare?” Felicity asked after several moments.

“More of a memory.” Oliver had been reliving the day on the island when Billy Wintergreen and Fyers tortured him. “I’m gonna start locking the door from now on.”

“You don’t have to, but if you feel like you should, I won’t stop you.” Felicity said.

Their daughter ran back into the room. “Why are you still in your PJs? We need to go to the park!”

“The park isn’t going to get up and walk away." Felicity teased as she stood up.

“It could!” Megan insisted.

Felicity and Oliver both changed and the small family left for the park.

Chapter 17

Summary:

Oliver, Felicity and Megan enjoy some time at the park, while Felicity remembers telling his family about the baby,

Chapter Text

As soon as Felicity, Oliver and Megan made it to the park, Megan took off running towards the playground. The park was nice and all, but the playground was better than the one at preschool and Megan liked going there.

Oliver and Felicity sat down on a bench where they could see Megan playing without making it seem like they were hovering. They watched her run around the playground excitedly.

“If only we could bottle that.”

“What?” Oliver asked.

“If we could somehow bottle the limitless energy Megan has, I could get so much done.” Felicity elaborated. “How are kids this energetic?”

“I think it might have something to do with the amount of syrup you put on her pancakes this morning. Syrup’s basically sugar.”

“Ah, you’re probably right.”

They watched in silence as Megan played on the jungle gym. She coming down the slide when she let out a squeal of excitement and ran over to another kid that arrived at the playground. She hugged the boy and yelled for him to come play with her. Oliver saw that the boy was Megan’s friend Billy from preschool and started grimacing.

“What’s with the face.?”

“I don’t like that kid.”

“Why? He’s four.”

“He’s flirting with our daughter.” He defended.

“Oliver, Megan is four. They don’t know what flirting is. He’s her friend and its cute. Please don’t make it more than it is.”

“It’s cute now, but I was once that kid. Four-year-olds grow up.”

“You’re kinda paranoid.” Felicity said. “And you aren’t so bad.”

“I was back then. I was a drunken mess who didn’t care how my actions affected anyone. I mean, you were pregnant, we were kinda together and I got on the Gambit with Sara. You can’t tell me that didn’t upset you.”

“I never said it didn’t, but when push came to shove, I didn’t really have the right to be angry. Or at least, I didn’t think I did. We weren’t exclusive, we never talked about being exclusive. You also didn’t know I was pregnant, so its not like I told you and you said ‘that’s nice, I’m gonna go on a sex cruise with Sara’. You were an adult and could do whatever you wanted.” She said. “Then, I had bigger things to worry about.”


 

Starling 2007

Two weeks after Oliver and Robert left for China and the Queen’s Gambit lost contact with anyone on the mainland, the Coast Guard called off the search for the Gambit. A week after that, Oliver and his father were declared dead.

Felicity was now eight weeks pregnant and she knew it was time for her to talk to Oliver’s family about what was going on. She drove to Queen Mansion and told the maid who answered the door that she needed to speak with Moira immediately. She was shown to a sitting room and asked to wait.

“Eliza said you wanted to speak with me.” Moira said walking into the room.

“Yes, there’s something I needed to tell Oliver, but I didn’t get a chance to. With him- I can’t tell him, but I feel like you should know.” She said. “I’m eight weeks pregnant and the baby’s Oliver’s.”

“How dare you?”

“What?”

“My son is dead. His funeral is tomorrow and you come here, claiming to be pregnant with his child in an attempt to get money out of me. I can’t believe anyone would sink this low.” Moira said. “You can see yourself out and stay away from my family.”

“No.”

“What did you just say?”

“I said ‘no’. I don’t want your money.”

Moira levelled a disbelieving look at Felicity. “If you aren’t after money, why are you here?”

“Because Oliver is gone and I thought maybe his family would wanna be in his child’s life. Guess I was wrong.” She said, standing up.

Seeing she was about to leave, Moira changed her tactic. “Two million that’s my offer.”

“What?”

“Two million dollars. Leave Starling, don’t tell anyone about who your baby’s father is.”

“I don’t want your money. I want you to be a part of this baby’s life, to tell him or her all about Oliver since he’s gone.” Felicity said. “But since you want nothing to do with me or this baby, I guess I’ll go.”

“You’re having a baby?” A voice said from the doorway. Felicity turned and saw a brunette preteen standing there. “Ollie was gonna be a dad?”

“Yeah, he was.”

“Thea, you should go upstairs.”

“Why? So you can make her leave? That baby is the last piece of Ollie that we have.” Thea argued.

“It’s okay. Telling you this the day before the funeral probably wasn’t the best idea.” Felicity took out a piece of paper and handed it to Thea. “That’s my number. If you wanna talk, text me. I’ll see you around.”

“You’re coming tomorrow, right?” Thea asked. “To the funeral.”

“I was planning to, unless your mother would prefer I didn’t.” Felicity answered pointedly.

“Of course you’re welcome to come.” Moira said.

Felicity left the mansion and drove home. After she left, Moira made a call. Still suspicious of Felicity. she wanted to find out everything she could about her.

The next day, Felicity arrived at Oliver and Robert’s memorial service and Thea immediately ran up to her. Her plan had been to sit in the back of the crowd, but the 12-year-old insisted that she sit up front with her and Moira. It was awkward to say the least.

Suddenly, someone took a seat on her other side. “Hey, I’m Tommy.”

“Felicity.”

“So, what are you doing after this?” He asked.

“Are you seriously hitting on me at your best friend’s funeral?” She asked angrily.

“I’m in mourning, you’re in mourning. Let’s mourn together.”

“Thanks, but no. Maybe one of them,” she pointed to a group of women dressed in tight black dresses, completely inappropriate for a funeral, standing off to the side, “will take you up on that.”


 

Starling City- Present

After about an hour at the park, Felicity decided it was time to go home. She stood up to get Megan, who was still playing with Billy, but Oliver stopped her, saying he’d do it. Megan and her friend were playing Tag, or some variation of it, but they both stopped when Oliver cleared his throat.

“You’re really tall.” Billy remarked when he saw Oliver. “Who are you?”

 “My name’s Mr. Queen. I’m Megan’s father.” He told him. “What are your intentions towards my daughter?”

“I’m four. I don’t know what that means.” The little boy said.

“It means-.”

“Daddy! Are you gonna play with us?” Megan interrupted.

“No, Mommy told me to get you. It’s time to go home.”

“But I don’t wanna!”

“Megan, we need to go home now. Say goodbye to your friend.” He told her.

The preschooler seemed to realize this was a losing battle and gave up. “Bye Billy!”

“Bye Megan, bye Megan’s daddy!” The little boy responded before running off to find his parents.

Chapter 18

Summary:

Oliver has some trouble getting back into the field after facing the Dark Archer.

Chapter Text

The six weeks following Oliver’s confrontation with the Dark Archer went pretty much the same. He played with Megan. His relationship with Felicity continued to grow. He used any spare time he had available to go to the foundry and train. He lost against the Dark Archer. Next time he needed to be ready. He needed to be better, to be faster, to be stronger. He trained and trained but, even after his injuries healed, he didn’t go out as the Hood.

To make matters worse, no sign of Walter had been found. He was last seen at Queen Consolidated, but there was no footage of him leaving the building. There hadn’t been any attempts to contact his family about a ransom. No one wanted to say it, but they were pretty sure Walter had been killed, but his body simply hadn’t been found yet.

Oliver not suiting up led to an increase in crime, especially in the Glades. The Hood was MIA, so the criminals of Starling didn’t have anything to be afraid of anymore. When the news report about Starling’s crime being on the rise ended, Felicity muted the TV.

“Are you telling me you’re really okay with this?” She asked.

“I didn’t say that.”

“Then you realize you should get back to crossing names off of The List.”

“Mom and Thea are both inconsolable. I think they should be my priority right now.” He told her.

“We know Walter knew about the List. I think he might’ve tried to warn someone on it. Has it occurred to you that looking into the List might lead you to finding out what happened to him?”

He didn’t respond to that and Felicity scoffed and unmuted the TV. She and Oliver both knew he needed to suit back up and head out as the Hood. He was using Walter’s disappearance and his family’s worry as an excuse to avoid it, and she’d get to the bottom of that excuse sooner or later.

 

Across town, the fire department was trying to contain a blaze in an apartment building. One firefighter managed to put out the part of the fire right in front of him and turned to lend a hand to one of his brothers. The closest man to him turned and sprayed him with some kind of chemical. Seconds later, he went up in flames.

The next day, Detective Lance and the Fire chief showed up at CNRI to tell Joanna, Laurel’s friend, that her brother had been killed in the line of duty. Distraught, she started looking into the fire and realized how Danny died didn’t match with the circumstances of the fire he was fighting. He wasn’t the first fireman who’d died like Danny had either. Laurel brought the evidence to her father, who told her to let the fire department handle it. Instead, she stole the phone the Hood had given him and contacted the vigilante herself, informing him she thought Danny had been murdered. He told her he’d look into it.

“Does that mean you’re going back out?” Felicity asked.

“No. I’m gonna ask John to look into Danny and alert the police about anything he finds.” When Oliver called Digg to tell him, Digg tried to convince him it was time for the Hood to get back to work. Oliver told him no.

Digg was able to find a connection between all of the mysterious deaths. The same pick-up truck was in the area during all three fires where a firefighter died. Felicity used the information to track down the truck that was near the scene of a fire currently burning. Despite his reservations, Oliver suited up and went to stop the killer.

He arrived too late to stop another murder. He made it to the location as the killer threw a firefighter into the blaze. Oliver was able to see the killer had a tattoo of some kind on his wrist before fleeing the scene. He called Laurel later, as the Hood, and told her what car the killer drove and about his tattoo.

“You’re really gonna let her deal with this guy by herself?” Felicity and John both asked when he ended the call.

“She’s smart, she won’t go running headfirst into danger.”

“She’s also incredibly driven.” Felicity argued. “Best case scenario, she gets the answers she wants from the fire chief and they figure out who this guy is. What happens if that doesn’t work out? If they stonewall her? She might do something reckless to bring this guy to justice.”

“Do you wanna explain why you’ve apparently given up on your mission and saving the city?” John asked him later, after Felicity had gone home to take care of Megan.

“The Dark Archer almost killed me. On the island, I didn’t care if I died because I had nothing to lose. I was stranded. There was next to no chance I’d make it home. Now, it’s different. Thea and my mom just got me back. I have a four-year old daughter and girlfriend. What happens to them if I die?”

“You have something to live for. If anything, I’d think that would make you stronger, fight harder. It gives you an edge.”

Laurel had gone to the police chief to ask about the fire house dubbed the ‘Fireflies’ and hit a dead end. One of their own, Garfield Lynns, had died battling a fire two years ago, but there was no way he could’ve survived and the chief didn’t want to answer any questions about it. She called the Hood and told him she was out of options. He said he’d take over from there.

Tommy had convinced Oliver to hold a benefit for the fire department at Verdant. The department had lost some funding over the last few years and always appreciated donations. Some were frustrated it took four firefighters dying for the city to start caring about them. During the event, Oliver was able to talk to the fire chief. He asked him about the Noddel fire that Lynns supposedly died fighting, claiming he heard about it on the news. The chief was just beginning to explain what happened when Felicity started to smell smoke.

It soon became clear that Lynns was there and he’d set the club on fire. She yelled ‘fire’ at the top of her lungs and everyone started running out of the building. Lynns moved closer to the chief and covered him in the accelerant. Oliver ran off while this was happening, going to the foundry to change into his hood.

“I told you that we could save the building, but you got scared. You lost your nerve. You left me in there to die.” Lynns told the chief.

“How did you get out?”

“I was pulled from the wreckage. Listed as John Doe in the burn unit. In a coma for months. When I woke up and saw what was left of who I was, I only had one thought.” He pulled out a lighter and lit it, tossing it towards the chief.

Oliver shot an arrow, which knocked it onto the floor. “Go!” He yelled at the terrified chief. “It’s over.”

“I’m not afraid to die.”

“I know. You’re afraid to live. Let me get you out of here. Let me get you help.”

“Thanks, but I’m already burned.” Lynns said before walking into the flames.

The Hood’s heroics were all of the news the next day. Megan was excited since the Hood was her hero. As she told her parents, the Hood was ‘her favoritest hero other than Mommy and Daddy’. They chuckled at that and she got angry.

“It’s not funny! I wanna be just like him when I grow up!”

“I thought you wanted to be just like Mommy?” Oliver asked. He was glad she saw him as a hero, but didn’t want to think about his daughter becoming a vigilante.

“I do, but I also wanna be like him.” She said.

Megan went to preschool. Felicity went to work. Oliver went to Verdant to work out. When Digg arrived, he told him they were getting back to working on the List.

Chapter 19

Summary:

Thea's 18th birthday comes and in the past, Felicity meets someone who doesn't make the best impression.

Chapter Text

Two weeks after Oliver went back to working on the List, all anyone in the Queen family could talk about was Thea’s 18th birthday. She’d been dropping hints to everyone for a month about exactly which car she wanted and what color and every other little detail. She wasn’t very subtle, but then again, she didn’t have a reason to be. Moira would get her exactly what she wanted and no one expected things to go any differently.

“What are you gonna get her?” Felicity asked Oliver when she was getting ready for work one day.

Even though he was completely healed, Oliver was still living with Felicity and Megan. The press had caught wind of this as well and the rumor mill started back up about Oliver and Felicity getting back together and what that meant for the decades-long Oliver Queen-Laurel Lance saga. The paparazzi loved love triangles after all, even though Laurel was dating Tommy and Oliver hadn’t been unclear about who he wanted. Her party was happing tonight and she knew he hadn’t gotten a gift yet.

“I don’t know to be honest. Every time I think of an idea, I realize I’m thinking about the 12 year old version of Thea and not who she is now.” He admitted. “I don’t even really know who she is.”

“Yes, you do. You missed a few years, but she’s still your sister.” Felicity assured him. “And I do know her, so I might be able to help on that front. What ideas did you have?”

While Megan played, Oliver bounced his idea for presents off of Felicity. She shot some of them down, but said others had potential. After he’d narrowed his ideas down, he changed the subject.

“I know how my mom reacted. I know how Thea reacted. You haven’t really told me what Laurel’s response to us or your pregnancy was.” He said. It hadn’t escaped his notice that Tommy was ‘Uncle Tommy’ but Laurel was only ‘Ms. Laurel’ to Megan. He’d need to be blind not to see the awkwardness that ensued whenever Felicity and Laurel were in the same room. Clearly, something had happened.

“Does it matter anymore?” She asked. “It was five years ago. She’d just lost her sister. She was angry and in pain. A lot of what happened was a ‘heat of the moment’ type reaction.”

“The fact that you won’t tell me is why I’m asking.” He responded. “It makes me think things go ugly.”

“They almost did.”


 

Starling 2007

After Felicity met Tommy, and he tried to hit on her, no one else approached her. She could tell many people were curious about who she was and why she was there, but no one tried to talk to her. A priest then arrived and the funeral began. For the entire service, Felicity could feel eyes on her. She tried to ignore the sensation and focused on the priest’s words and Thea’s hand holding hers. The officiant said the final blessing and the funeral ended. People started milling about. Thea stood up to greet the attendants with her mother, leaving Felicity alone.

She was still in her seat, looking at the headstone, when she felt someone tap her on the shoulder. She turned around to see a brunette woman standing there with an angry look on her face. She recognized her as Laurel Lance, who she’d seen on tabloid covers.

“I’m sorry, but who are you?”

“My name’s Felicity.”

“Ok, and what are you doing here? Why are you sitting with Ollie’s family?”

“His sister insisted and I wanted to say goodbye to him.”

“Why? He killed my sister.”

“They were killed in a boating accident, and regardless of what he did, Thea still lost her brother and her father. Today isn’t the day to tell her how horrible you think he is.” She said.

Laurel paused. “You’re her aren’t you? The girl he’d been seeing before his trip. The one he was cheating on me with.”

“He wasn’t cheating on you. You two had broken up. And we weren’t together.” Felicity said.

“Sure you weren’t. You’re just sitting there, with his family, because Thea asked you too. Whatever he said to you, whatever he told you, it wasn’t real. He was a liar. He’d say anything to get what he wanted.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. I’m gonna go check on Thea.” Felicity said, standing up.

The crowd slowly moved inside for the wake and the guests broke off into groups to eat and talk. Felicity avoided getting into conversations with most of the guests, and if she was asked how she knew the family, she’d just answer by saying she was a friend of Oliver’s.

Laurel was leaving the bathroom after freshening up when she heard voices coming from another room. Curious, she moved closer to the door to listen in.

“And you’re sure you’re okay?” Thea asked.

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” Felicity answered. “Oliver was…important to me, but he was your brother.”

“I think I’ve cried all I can.” She responded. “And you aren’t just taking care of yourself anymore.”

“I know.”

“He would’ve been happy, you know that right?” Thea said. “I mean, the idea of being a dad would’ve terrified him, but he would’ve been so excited.”

Having heard that Felicity was pregnant, and Oliver was the father, Laurel burst into the room. “You lying homewrecker!”

“You two weren’t together. I didn’t wreck anything.” Felicity said.

“Oh, you didn’t?” She yelled. “You slept with my boyfriend and got yourself knocked up. What was your plan? To trap him? How do you even know it’s his?”

Laurel said that, and Felicity saw red. She walked over to Laurel and, without saying a word, slapped her across the face. She wasn’t a violent person by nature, but she didn’t like what the law student was implying.

“How dare-?”

“No, my turn to talk. You don’t get to do this. I let what happened outside slide because you lost your sister, but that was your one freebie. You don’t get to lambast Oliver at his own funeral. You don’t get to insult me because you and Oliver broke up. You don’t get to call me a golddigger or homewrecker when you don’t even know me nor know what happened between Oliver and I.” Felicity said. “Thea lost her father and her brother. Moira lost her son and her husband. My child lost his or her father. You aren’t the only one in pain. You aren’t the only one grieving. And your grief isn’t more important that someone else’s. If you can’t be civil, you shouldn’t be here.”

“She has a point.” Thea said.

Laurel threw Felicity one last dirty look before storming out.


 

Starling Present

Thea’s party was in full swing. She’d gotten the exact convertible she wanted and faked surprise when Moira handed her the keys. She said something about taking it out for a test drive, but decided not to right away. A group of her friends followed her outside to admire the car. They came back inside and split up. Oliver saw his sister sneak upstairs with a boy and followed them.

He found them in her room before anything could happen and told the boy to leave. Thea was angry and embarrassed about his actions and stormed out. She yelled that she wanted to take her new car for a test drive. Felicity advised him to let her go cool off before talking to her. A few moments later, they heard a crash and ran outside. Thea had crashed her new car into a tree. The police were called, Thea was taken to the hospital where they did a blood test. The doctors found drugs in her system and arrested her.

“This can’t be happening.” Felicity told Oliver when he told her the news. “The test has to be wrong.”

“Well, Thea’s a girl with little supervision and more money than she knows what to do with.” He pointed out. He was sad that his sister seemed to be falling into the same behavior that he had, but he wasn’t surprised.

“No, you don’t get it. Thea doesn’t drink, Thea doesn’t do drugs and the reason she doesn’t do it is because of what happened on the one year anniversary of your disappearance.” Felicity explained. “I’m telling you. She would not have taken anything, and if she did, she wouldn’t have tried to drive.”

“What happened?” Oliver asked, afraid of the answer he might get.

Chapter 20

Summary:

Felicity tells Oliver what happened to Thea four years ago and gives him a nudge in a good direction.

Chapter Text

“No, you don’t get it. Thea doesn’t drink, Thea doesn’t do drugs and the reason she doesn’t do it is because of what happened on the one year anniversary of your disappearance.” Felicity explained. “I’m telling you. She would not have taken anything, and if she did, she wouldn’t have tried to drive.”

“What happened?” Oliver asked, afraid of the answer he might get.

Felicity sighed. “Before I tell you, you have to remember something. Thea was 13. Her father was dead. Her brother was dead. Her mother was barely making it through every day. That’s not a good situation for anyone to be in. I also want you to remember that she hasn’t had any slip-ups or repeats of what happened.”

“What happened?”


 

Starling September 2008

Thea looked away from Felicity’s television to the woman herself. “How can you watch this stuff?”

“I don’t, but Megan seems to like it.” The blonde answered as she began picking up toys off the floor. The baby was watching the video with wide eyes from her spot in her playpen. She didn’t even seem to realize anyone else was in the room with her. Thea had come over because she claimed she needed to get out of the house. Today was the one-year anniversary of the Queen’s Gambit going missing. Felicity really needed to run to the store and asked if Thea could watch Megan while she ran out.

“It’s just music and shapes moving around.” The 13-year old argued.

“Yeah, she’s five months old. That’s kind of all her brain can really process at this age. You’ll be able to tune it out pretty easily.” She reasoned. “I shouldn’t be gone for more than half an hour. I just need to go to the store and bringing her with me is such a hassle for as little as what I need to get.”

“Well, get going then.” Thea said with a smile. “It’s just down the street. Megan and I will be fine.”

 

Twenty minutes later, Felicity unlocked the door to her house with her shopping in one hand. As soon as the door opened, she could hear Megan crying. She wasn’t just being fussy, she was crying, wailing even. Panicking, Felicity dropped her bags and ran towards her screaming child. Megan was still in her crib, her face was red from screaming and her legs were kicking back and forth.

“Hey, babygirl, what’s- Thea?” She asked. Thea was unconscious on the couch. Felicity shook her shoulder and she didn’t wake up. Her skin felt clammy and when Felicity checked her pulse, it was very weak. She had no idea what to do, so she did the only thing she could think of. “Yes, hello? I’m at 1421 Adams Street, I need an ambulance.”

 

Thea heard a low beeping noise as she was dragged back to consciousness. Her vision was blurry when she first opened her eyes, but after blinking a few times, it cleared. She was alone in a hospital room. A few minutes later, a nurse came and saw that she was awake. She took some readings before leaving the room. Seconds later, Moira came into the room.

“Mom, where-? What happened?”

“Thea, what’s the last thing you remember?” Her mother asked.

“I was at Felicity’s. She needed to stop at the store. What happened?”

“What happened is you Od’d in my living room while watching Megan.” Felicity said in an angry voice from the doorway. “I left my infant with you and you decided that was a good time to take a bunch of Vicodin.”

“Felicity, I’m sor-.”

“No. No. I’m not doing this. What if something had happened to Megan while I was gone? What if there had been an emergency? You would’ve been too high to do anything. You could’ve died. Megan could’ve died. So just saying sorry isn’t enough.” She shouted.

“Felicity, I understand you’re upset but-.” Moira started to say.

“Upset doesn’t begin to cover it. Megan is five months old. She’s helpless. She can’t talk, she can’t walk, she needs the person watching her to actually watch her.” Felicity said, angry tears rolling down her cheeks. She wiped them away and took a deep breath. “I know today’s a hard day, its been a hard year, but I can’t risk this happening again. I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“I don’t want you around Megan until I’m confident this won’t happen again.” She said. “If you want to see Megan, you need to get some help.”

“What?”

“You heard what I said.” She said firmly. “You need to get clean before I’ll let you see her again. I have to do what’s best for Megan.” Felicity turned and left the room. A few moments later, she heard someone follow after her. “You aren’t going to change my mind. What if Megan hadn’t been in her playpen? What if she’d crawled over to where Thea left those pills and ate one? Thea’s in pain, Moira, I understand that, but I can’t let this happen again.”

“I know.” Moira responded. “But I’m the one who decided not to notice what was happening to Thea. This is also my fault.”

Thea left the hospital and went to straight to an elite rehab center in California. The press were told that Thea was going to an exclusive boarding school on the east coast for a semester, needing distance from Starling and the memory of her father and brother. Recovery was difficult, but Thea stuck with it. She went to every group session, she made her way through the 12 step program and faced the issues she was trying to run away from head on.

It took Thea months before Felicity finally started to forgive her and start bringing Megan around her again. At the beginning, it hurt the teen more than she could say, but the longer she was clean, the more she realized how terrified the blonde must’ve been when she found her. After what Felicity began referring to as ‘The Incident’, whenever Thea started to feel the need to take something, she called Felicity or Tommy or her mother.


 

Present

Felicity finished telling Oliver the story and waited for his reaction. “She- that happened?”

“Yes. And that was the rock bottom she needed to hit to get some help. She’s been clean and sober ever since then.”

“As far as you know.” He wanted to believe Thea was innocent, but he was also so angry about what Felicity had just shared with him.

“No, I know she has been.” Felicity argued. “I’ve gotten very good at knowing when people are hiding things from me. And even better at noticing when someone has a substance abuse problem.”

“I understand that, but…addicts are never former addicts. They’re always recovering addicts. It never goes away.” He said.

“Well, whether she fell off the wagon or not, maybe a certain archer should go after the man behind Vertigo. Thea’s not the first person to crash their car, or worse, because of it.”

Chapter 21

Summary:

Oliver faces off against the Count.

Chapter Text

After telling Oliver about Thea’s overdose in the past, and giving him a nudge to find the Vertigo dealer, Felicity took off towards the police station. She knew Thea was likely scared and confused about what was going on. Even though Thea was an adult, and she wasn’t technically family, one of the officers let her into the interrogation room to see her.

The brunette looked up when she entered the room. “Felicity, I- I didn’t take- someone must’ve drugged me. I didn’t take anything. I wouldn’t- please tell me you believe me. I- you know I don’t-.”

“I know.”

“That sounds a lot like you admitting to doing drugs in the past.” Lance said from the doorway.

“And if she did, detective?” Felicity cut in. “Thea was in a dark place after the Queen’s Gambit’s accident. She could’ve made some less than smart choices, driven by emotion. I’m sure you of all people can relate.” She had an edge to her tone at the end.

“What are you implying?”

“That you, a recovering alcoholic, have a lot of nerve sounding so sanctimonious right now.” She said bluntly. It was a rude thing to say, but she was still really pissed about Lance’s attitude towards Oliver, especially his reaction to Oliver, Tommy and Megan getting kidnapped.

This angered Lance. “Thea is now an adult and you are not her attorney.”

“No, I’m not. I came down to keep Thea company until her lawyer could get here. She did ask for one, didn’t she?”

Felicity sat with Thea, engaged in a staredown with Lance, until Jean Loring, the Queen family attorney, arrived. After Jean was there and asked to speak with Thea alone, Felicity left.

 

The next morning, after dropping Megan off at preschool, Felicity texted Oliver and asked how his search was going. He said it was off to a slow start. Queen Mansion had a lot of cameras, but there were also a lot of people at Thea’s party and finding video evidence that cleared Thea would be difficult. She thought about it while she was at work and called Oliver on her lunch break.

“We might not be able to clear Thea's name, but even if we can’t, we need to stop whoever’s behind Vertigo.” She told him.

“Thea’s arraignment was this morning. The judge rejected a plea deal.” Oliver said. “She could go to prison.”

“You worry about the drugs, I’ll find a way to help Thea.” She said before hanging up. She finished her lunch quickly and drove towards the Glades. Parking outside of her destination, she got out of her car and hoped the person she needed to talk to would at least hear her out.

She walked into the building and found the person she was looking for fairly easily. “I’m sorry to drop by without calling, but I need your help with something. It’s about Thea. The judge wants to make an example out of her, but we both know she won’t do well in prison.”

“I know.” Laurel responded. “I can try talking to my dad. He knows the judge so- I can’t promise anything.”

“All I’m asking is for you to try.” She said. Laurel and Felicity had a civil relationship, but that was it. The anger involved in their first meeting stopped them from truly being friends, but they could get along when they needed to. “I’ll get out of your hair now.”

 

Oliver, meanwhile, had tracked down the dealer who’d been at Thea’s party. All the man could tell him was that his supplier was someone called The Count. Using that information, he got in touch with the Bratva to set up a meeting with the Count. He made them believe that, as a captain, he was interested in getting involved in the drug trade. They told him they’d have a meeting set up within the next day. After leaving the garage they used for a front, he went to the SCPD. The police were aware of Vertigo’s existence, and according to Tommy, their friend McKenna worked on the vice squad. She gave him a file about the Count, but asked him to let the police handle things.

The Bratva organized a meeting with the Count. Oliver went as himself, claiming he wanted the drugs to make Verdant a more ‘interesting’ experience for his customers. The meeting was just starting when several police cars drove up and interrupted it. the Count ran off, but not before injecting Oliver with his product. Digg dragged him away and cured him using herbs from Lian Yu.

When Oliver woke up, John told him the Count had gotten away in the chaos, but he left behind a sample of the drugs. He went to Felicity’s to find her and Megan both eating breakfast. He hadn’t realized he’d been out for so long. Megan was excited to see him, but wanted to know why he didn’t come home last night.

“I fell asleep at Grandma’s house.” He told her. He was happy to see her, but her excited yelling was hurting his head.

“Why didn’t I get to come?” She asked. “I like sleeping at Grandma’s too!”

“Honey, Daddy didn’t mean to exclude you. Why don’t we talk to Grandma and maybe this weekend you and Auntie Thea can have another sleepover?” Felicity suggested. “Besides, Daddy’s not fun at sleepovers. He goes to bed too early.”

“Why? Staying up late is more fun.” Megan told Oliver with all the seriousness a four-year-old could manage.

“I keep hearing that.” He said. “Why don’t you go get dressed for school?” Megan ran off to get dressed and he looked at Felicity. “Hey, I kinda need a favor.”

“Does this have to do with how clearly hungover you are?”

“I met the Count and he dosed me with Vertigo, actually.” He said. “I’m fine though. And I have a sample of the drug.” He pulled a syringe out of his pocket. “And I was hoping-.”

“I could analyze it and tell you where it was made or what the components are?”

“The first one, please.”

“No problem. If you’ll call your mother and ask if Megan can sleep over there this weekend.” She said, taking the syringe from him.

“Does she know what’s going on with Thea?” Oliver asked.

“Kinda. I told her someone gave Thea something that made her act silly and crash her car. I told her the police thought she did it on purpose. It’s the best way I can explain it to her since she’s so young. And she’s smart, so she knew something was going on.”

Within a few hours, she called Oliver and told him the drugs were made at an abandoned juvenile detention center in the Glades. Oliver wanted to face the Count alone, despite being unable to use his bow due to the drugs’ after effects. Thankfully, Felicity and Digg talked some sense into him and he agreed, begrudgingly, to let John come with him.

They quickly made their way through the building and fought their way through the Count’s men before finding the man himself. Oliver tussled with the dealer for a few minutes before overpowering him ad injecting him with his own drugs. Right after he injected the syringes, he heard sirens so he and Digg fled the building.

Oliver decided to call it a night after that, despite it being fairly early. He called Thea to check in and see how she was doing. She told him that, thanks to Laurel, she’d made a deal for two years of probation and community service instead of jail time.

He drove to Felicity’s house and told her the news. She didn’t seem surprised. “You knew?”

“I’m the one who asked Laurel for help.” She said. “If anyone could talk Lance into going easy on Thea, it would be her.”

“I thought you two didn’t get along.”

“We aren’t friends. We probably will never be friends, but we’ve reached a point where we’re civil to each other, even friendly sometimes. And we both knew Thea going to prison was a bad idea.” She said.

Chapter 22

Summary:

Megan and Oliver talk about something important, and Digg and Felicity begin investigating Moira.

Chapter Text

The morning after Oliver had taken down the Count, he woke up and walked into the kitchen of Felicity’s house. Megan was sitting at the kitchen table, bouncing up and down.

“Somebody’s hyper.” He remarked. “Did you help yourself to cookies for breakfast or something?”

“No. Mommy said its not allowed. She gave me cereal. Can I have cookies for breakfast?” She asked.

“No, cookies are for dessert, they aren’t for breakfast.” He told her. “So, if you aren’t hopped up on sugar, why are you so excited?”

“What day is it?”

“March 3rd.” He answered.

“And do you know what that means?” She asked.

“It’s almost Pi day. Mommy’s favorite day of the year.”

“No Daddy! It means my birthday’s in exactly one month!” Megan said in an exasperated tone. “I’m gonna be five!”

“Of course.” He said, while internally beating himself up. Megan’s birthday was April 3rd, and he didn’t know that. He didn’t know his own daughter’s birthday. What kind of father was he? “Do you know what you want this year?”

“I dunno.” She said with a shrug.

“What did you ask for last year?”

“Grandma and Mommy got me everything I wanted, ‘cept one thing, but I can’t ask for that.”

“Why not?” He asked.

“Because I got it.” She said. “I wanted you to be alive so I could have my daddy back. And then someone found you and you came back.”

Oliver was speechless. Thankfully, Felicity had walked up by this point and knew what to say. “it’s okay if you still need to think about what present you want for your birthday. You don’t have to decide right now.”

“Okay.”

“Grab your backpack. We don’t wanna be late, do we?” Felicity said, causing Megan to run off. Shen then looked over to Oliver and gave him a sad smile. “I probably should’ve told you about Megan’s big birthday wish every year. With everything going on, her birthday snuck up on me.”

  

After the drama of Thea’s arrest was over, things quieted down for Oliver and his family for a few days. He continued to go out as the Hood and cross names off of his list, but things in his personal life calmed down significantly. That was until Digg and Felicity both, independently of one another, approached him about his mother.

John felt like something wasn’t quite right about Moira’s behavior lately. It seemed to him like she was hiding something. He also brought up the fact that Walter went missing shortly after mentioning the names on the List to her.

Felicity’s argument was a lot less circumstantial. Walter had a notebook like Oliver did. He came to her asking about it, which meant it wasn’t his, since he wouldn’t need to ask if he already knew what it was. Given how secretive he was about the book, he could’ve only gotten it from a handful of people, those who lived or spent a great deal of time at Queen Mansion. And Thea, Felicity and Megan could automatically be ruled out as the source, for different, but obvious, reasons. Moira was the only logical explanation of how he got the notebook. She also brought up the fact that Moira had invested in a fake company called Tempest, and when confronted about it, the lie she told wasn’t that believable.

 Oliver was reluctant to suspect his mother, and he told them both that. Felicity sighed and declared she’d find more proof if she had to. John took a different approach and decided if Moira was innocent, driving her around for a few days would prove that. Felicity’s search didn’t get very far before John confronted Oliver with a recording of his mother meeting with her ‘accountant’. In the audiotape he played. She referenced something called ‘The Undertaking’ and said she didn’t need to make the usual threats to someone. Her companion’s response couldn’t be heard, but what happened next pulled the rug right out from under Oliver’s feet. Moira said the Gambit was sabotaged. She admitted to knowing it was sabotaged. What else could she be hiding?

He changed into his hood and sped over to Queen Consolidated. His mother was working late and it wouldn’t be too difficult to find her. He crashed through the window of her office and took out her security. The two men she was meeting with ran out of the room.

“Moira Queen, you have failed this city.” She went for the phone, but he shot it off of the desk. “Stand down.”

“Please don’t kill me.”

“Do you know anything about your husband’s disappearance?” He asked. “Is Walter Steele still alive?”

“I don’t know where my husband is, I swear.”

“Do you know anything about the undertaking?” He growled. Moira looked like she was going to pick up a weapon, so he shouted at her. “I said don’t move.”

She held up a picture of Oliver and Thea. “Please, I have a family. My son, Oliver and my daughter, Thea. She’s just a teenager. And my granddaughter, she’s only four. Please don’t take me away from them.”

Oliver relaxed slightly, which gave Moira an opening to pull out a gun she had hidden and shoot at him. He was hit in the chest. He could hear his mother call someone for help and used the distraction to escape her office. He couldn’t believe his mother had shot him.

 

He was able to make it to the parking garage without being seen and he spotted a familiar car. About ten minutes later, he heard the car’s doors unlock. He groaned so that Felicity wouldn’t have a heart attack when he began talking. She still jumped a foot in the air and spun around.

“I’m not gonna hurt you.”

“Are you- is that blood?” She asked, before realizing it was a dumb question. “I’m glad this happened the same night Thea and Megan are having their Aunt-Niece sleepover. I don’t even know how I’d explain this one.”

“Could you please drive and I’ll explain later?” He said.

“Yeah. I’ve already got about nine questions you’re gonna need to answer.” She said as she pulled out of the parking space.

“If we- in case I’m not awake when we get there, you need to have the blood sample destroyed.”

“You left blood behind?”

“I wasn’t expecting my mom to shoot me.”

“Your mom did this?!”

“Like I said, I’ll explain later.” He said as his eyelids started to feel heavy.

Chapter 23

Summary:

Felicity and Digg fight to save Oliver and the archer has some explaining to do.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Felicity drove Oliver to the foundry and tried to bring him inside. Unfortunately, he wasn’t very small or light, so she couldn’t evet get him out of her car. She ran into the lair, startling Digg, and demanded he help her move Oliver. John raced upstairs to get Oliver, brought him into the foundry and laid him out on one of the tables.

“I hope you aren’t squeamish.” He said as he handed her some gloves.

“I’m not, as long as needles aren’t involved. The one they gave me for my epidural didn’t exactly-.”

“Felicity, focus.” He said. “It just missed the carotid. It’s a zone two wound. Apply pressure there.” He said, putting her hand where there needed to be pressure. He walked over to a cabinet and pulled out forceps, gauze and a few bags of blood.

“He really keeps bags of his own blood down here?” She asked. He mentioned it in passing, but he told her so casually, she thought it was a weird joke of his or something.

“Said he was saving it for a rainy day. Right now, its pouring.” John said. They removed the bullet and John patched up Oliver’s wound. “I take it talking to his mother didn’t go so well.”

“What gave it away?” She said sarcastically. “Why did the Hood go after Moira in the first place?”

“You know how I’ve been driving her around for the last few days. Earlier today, I recorded Moira talking to someone in a restaurant. She mentioned something called The Undertaking. And revealed the Queen’s Gambit was sabotaged.”

“The Gambit was sabotaged?”

“Yes. And she admitted to knowing it was.”

“Did she say when she knew?”

“No, she didn’t.” John said before playing the tape.

“Still she knew it wasn’t an accident. She knew, and she didn’t tell anyone. Her husband was on that boat, her son was on that boat. She found out it was tampered with, and she didn’t say anything?!” Felicity yelled. “This is- I’m gonna-.” She started to feel like she couldn’t breathe.

“I need you to breathe. I can’t let you pass out while Oliver’s also unconscious. Panic later.”

Her breathing got under control just as Oliver’s heart rate monitor started going crazy. Digg pulled out the defibrillator, and tried to use it, but nothing happened. Felicity heard the charge, which meant there was an issue with the wires. She fixed it and John was able to restart Oliver’s heart. They both slumped back in their seats, trying to catch their breath. After about a minute, Felicity jumped up.

“Oh frack, I forgot about the blood.”

“We’ll clean it up later.”

“Not that blood. The blood he left at QC, in his mom’s office.”

She went over to the computers and hacked into the SCPD. She created a fake memo ordering the sample be destroyed.  It hadn’t been tested yet, thanks to the lab being backlogged. There were a few more scares over the next few hours, the biggest of which was when one of the leads on Oliver’s heart monitor got disconnected and Digg almost shocked him with the AED again. As dawn arrived, Oliver woke up.

“I didn’t die, again. Cool.”

“Cool? Really? You think that’s cool?” Felicity asked.

“I didn’t mean it…quite like that.” He said.

“You don’t have a concussion, do you?” She asked.

“No.”

“Good.” She said right before slapping him. “That’s for scaring me.” She then hugged him, careful of his wounds. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Somehow, I don’t think that’s gonna cut it, man.” Digg said.

“It’s not.” Felicity said crossing her arms. “So, your mom shot you.”

“She was scared and trying to protect herself.”

“Maybe. It doesn’t explain why she’s part of some Undertaking or even what that is.”

“It could be nothing.”

“Like the Gambit being sabotaged is nothing?”

“You told her?” He asked Digg.

The blonde answered instead. “Yes, he did. The Gambit was sabotaged. Your mother knew it was sabotaged. Why didn’t I know? Why didn’t the world know? Huh?”

“She was scared.”

“And? If something like that happened to Megan, no matter what threat I faced, no matter how scared I was, I wouldn’t have just kept quiet about it.” She argued.

“She’s my mother.”

“And that doesn’t prove anything. It doesn’t absolve her of anything. it just makes her look more guilty. Because this is the second husband of hers that’s gone missing related to that notebook.” She said.

“I know you’re angry and upset but-.”

“You don’t get it. I heard the tape. This was something she’d accepted a while ago. She stood there and accused me of ‘capitalizing on her family’s grief’ when I said I was pregnant. She spent months trying to use my conflicted feelings about you to convince me to leave town forever. All the while, she could’ve known that you didn’t die in an accident. For all I know, her learning the truth is why the search for you got called off. And if that’s the case, I went through my pregnancy alone because of her. Megan didn’t have a father for four year, because of her. Because she found out the yacht was tampered with and she didn’t tell anyone. You aren’t the only person who gets to be angry about this.”

Oliver was at a loss for words. Felicity realized he wouldn’t accept the truth and stormed out. Digg stopped him before he could go very far. “Let her go.”

“No, I need to-.”

“You need to let her calm down. She just learned a lot of troubling things at once. She needs time to process.” He said.

Oliver slept at the foundry and drove to Queen Mansion after a few hours to pick up Megan from her sleepover with Thea. He ran into his mother on the way out and awkwardly made up an excuse to leave. He might not believe she was some criminal mastermind, but after last night, he wasn’t ready to be around her yet.

“How was your sleepover?” He asked his daughter.

“It was really fun. Auntie Thea did my nails and then we watched Tangled and we played with my Barbies and ate lots of candy!”

“That sounds really fun.”

“It was! And she gave me an idea for my birthday.”

“Oh, really? What was her idea?”

“I want a pony!” The four-year-old declared.

Notes:

There will not be a chapter next week, because I'll be on vacation.

Chapter 24

Summary:

Oliver and Felicity discuss Megan's birthday and Felicity recalls telling her mother about being pregnant.

Chapter Text

“Auntie Thea did my nails and then we watched Tangled and we played with my Barbies and ate lots of candy!” Megan told her father as he drove them both home.

“That sounds really fun.”

“It was! And she gave me an idea for my birthday.”

“Oh, really? What was her idea?”

“I want a pony!” The four-year-old declared. He chuckled at that. What four-year-old girl didn’t want a pony for her birthday? “Can I have one, Daddy? Please, please, please.”

“Why don’t we see what your mom has to say first?” He asked. He was totally on board with getting Megan a pony, Thea had gotten one around the same age, but he had a feeling Felicity wouldn’t be quite as in board with it.

They got home and as soon as Megan was unbuckled from her car seat, she ran towards the house to ask Felicity for a pony for her birthday. Oliver grabbed the bag Megan had packed and followed her inside. Megan was following Felicity around as she put away dishes, telling her mother about her wish.

“Please? I’ll take care of her, I promise.”

“A pony sounds like a lot of responsibility.”

“I’ll feed her every day. And brush her and make sure she gets to run a lot.”

“Where is she gonna sleep?” Felicity asked. “I don’t have a place for a pony to sleep. And your answer better not be that she can sleep in your bed.”

“I dunno. Maybe she can live at Grandma’s?” The girl suggested. “Please? I want a pony.”

“We’ll see.”

Megan frowned. “That always means ‘no’.”

“Did I say ‘no’?” Her mother countered. The preschooler shook her head. “Then I didn’t say no. Daddy and I need to talk about it. I’m not saying ‘yes’ but that doesn’t automatically mean ‘no’.”

“What does auto- atmatically mean?” She asked.

“It means I’m not saying ‘no’ to say no. And I’m not saying it without thinking about it first.” She explained. “Why don’t you go play while Daddy and I talk?”

“Okay.” She said before running off. She gave Oliver a sad look, puppy eyes and all, before going into the living room.

“We are saying ‘no’ about the pony, right?” Oliver asked.

“Of course we are! She’s gonna turn five. She doesn’t even know how much work a horse is.” She said. “But maybe giving her a pet, a small one, isn’t the worst idea. She seems to like cats.”

“Whatever you wanna do.” He said, unhelpfully. The room went quiet. “I take it you’re still angry.”

“Of course I am. Your mother shot you. She lied about what happened. I’m not just gonna get over that in the span of four hours.” She said. “What worries me is what this could mean.”

“What do you mean?”

Felicity shook her head. “It doesn’t matter.”

Oliver was, reasonably, in denial about the fact that his mother might not be as innocent as she appeared. She needed more proof before she could make her suspicions known. Moira had a gun and, by Oliver’s own account, didn’t seem confused as to why the Hood might pay her a visit. She was involved in something called the Undertaking. She knew the Queens Gambit had been sabotaged. Walter found the List among her things, and shortly after he started asking questions, he disappeared. Those facts all added up to Moira being involved with the person who sabotaged the yacht and that the person responsible wasn’t done with whatever they were planning.

“We have more people to cross off your list, and Megan’s birthday is coming up. Which means a massive party and my mom coming back to town.” She said.


 

Starling City 2007

When Felicity came home from Oliver’s funeral, she changed and braced herself for what she needed to do. She was still in the early stages of her pregnancy. Looking at her, no one could tell that she was pregnant. She, hopefully, had a few more weeks at least before anyone would guess. In a perfect world, she could wait that long before needing to tell her mother.

Unfortunately, she didn’t live in a perfect world. Her baby’s father was a recently deceased celebrity. Paparazzi were stumbling over themselves to get any kind of breaking story out of Oliver’s family. They’d even tried to crash his funeral. It was only a matter of time before they started to speculate about Thea’s “new friend”. Or someone who’d overheard her confrontation with Laurel tipped them off about her being pregnant. In any case, Felicity didn’t want her mother to find out she was pregnant from a tabloid. She and Donna might not get along, but she deserved better than that.

Felicity took several deep breaths and looked at the clock. it was early afternoon. Donna would be getting ready for work, but wouldn’t have left for work yet. It was either now, or very early tomorrow morning when she got home. She hit ‘dial’ and waited for her mother to answer.

“Hello?” Donna said. As soon as she heard her mother’s voice, Felicity’s hormones got the best of her and she started crying. “Felicity? Is everything okay?”

She sniffled. “Not really. I need to- could you come to Starling in the next few days?”

“I don’t- please, you’re scaring me. What’s going on?”

“I- I need to- there’s something I need to- can you please come to town soon?” She asked.

“Okay. I have the next three days off and Carmen owes me a favor. I can ask her to cover for me tonight.” She said. Donna hadn’t heard Felicity like this in years. She knew, whatever had happened, she needed to get to her fast. “I’ll see if there are any flights today. I’ll call you with my flight information.”

“Thank you.” Felicity said before hanging up.

Five hours later, Felicity was sitting in her car, tapping the steering wheel nervously. Donna’s flight had landed about fifteen minutes ago. She knew her mother could come walking out of the airport any second. She stared at herself in the mirror, trying to psych herself up. Way too soon, her mother, looking uncharacteristically serious, was knocking on the passenger side window. She unlocked the door and let her mother get into the car.

“Okay, what’s going on?” Donna asked.

“Not here. I wanna get home and then tell you.” She answered.

They drove to Felicity’s apartment in silence. Felicity was thinking about all possible reactions her mother could have. Donna, meanwhile, was trying to guess what this was about. Was Felicity sick? Did someone die? Was she in trouble? Was her father back?

They got to the apartment. Donna put her bag down in the foyer and turned to face Felicity, with her hands on her hips. “Ok, talk.”

“I’m pregnant.” She blurted out. “Oliver Queen is the father. I found out the day before he left with his father. I didn’t want you to find out from some gossip rag.” She took in a deep breath and waited for Donna’s reaction.

“Oh my god!” She screamed. “My baby is having a baby.” She rushed over to hug Felicity. “I didn’t know you were dating Oliver Queen.”

“I wasn’t- we weren’t- we weren’t exactly together. it’s….complicated.”

“Still, you two must’ve been somewhat together. I know how babies are made, honey.” She said. “How are you feeling?”

“Ok, I guess. I’m nauseous a lot.”

“That’s normal. You’re keeping the baby, aren’t you?”

She let out a sign of relief. She was terrified that her mother would be angry about the baby or try and convince her to give it up for adoption or something. Donna, meanwhile, was happy Felicity’s news wasn’t something worse. The baby might be a surprise, but that didn’t make it a bad situation. She was ticked off, though, at Oliver. She believed that Oliver had gone away with his father after finding out Felicity was pregnant. Couldn’t the trip have waited?


 

Present

Oliver was about to ask about when Megan’s party would be when their daughter came into the room. she told them she wanted to watch cartoons and needed someone to turn on the TV and change the channel for her. Oliver turned on the TV and the news was reporting on a museum guard who went into work, stole a large ruby and walked out of the building. The same guard was found unconscious in an abandoned building later that day. When questioned, he told police he was threatened by a jewel thief who called himself the Dodger.

“Daddy! This is boring.” Megan said.

“Sorry.” He said as he changed the channel. He looked over at Felicity. It seemed like the Hood needed to pay this jewel thief a visit.

Chapter 25

Summary:

Oliver faces off against the Dodger, Felicity gets a big scare and Megan's birthday arrives.

Chapter Text

After seeing the report on the news, Felicity started looking into the Dodger. He wasn’t well-known in the US, but he’d made quite a name for himself in Europe. The guard’s testimony about being forced to steal jewelry by having a bomb collar around his neck fit with the man’s M.O. It was also how the Dodger got his name. He didn’t steal anything, just forced others to do it for him. He’d only failed once, and that ended with his “accomplice” losing his head. Interpol sent two investigators to Starling to assist the SCPD with their investigation.

A few hours after the story first broke, there was an update. A man had been found shot to death in an abandoned warehouse. It didn’t seem related, but Felicity did some more digging and discovered that the man was a known fence. Oliver guessed that he’d tried to change the deal he made with the Dodger to sell the ruby and the Dodger shot him in response. He’d be looking for someone else to help him sell the ruby. Felicity used the dead man’s rap sheet to find other fences, and gave Oliver their names.

Oliver suited up that night and went out to investigate. The Dodger was meeting with his new contact when the SCPD raided the building. He got away, but ran into Oliver. The Hood began to chase after him, but he set off an explosive collar as a distraction to give himself a clean getaway. The Dodger had lost the stolen ruby in the shuffle, which meant he was looking for another score.

Felicity did a little digging and discovered that the Dodger seemed to prefer pieces from the Ominous Decade. Luckily, the Queen family owed quite a few pieces from that era, and Oliver donated one on behalf of his family for an auction being held by the Starling City Cancer Society the following night. Moira was more than willing to let him donate the brooch, since she thought it was rather ugly. Felicity put a tracker on the jewel and agreed to be Oliver’s date to the auction.

The first half hour of the auction was rather boring. The only people Oliver’s bait seemed to attract was the police. Felicity had been expecting a dramatic interruption to the event, so when the tracker said the brooch was moving, and nothing drastic happened, she was worried. Moving towards the direction of the display cases, she spotted a man in an expensive suit slip something into his pocket.

“That piece was donated by the Queen family. If you want it, you’re gonna need to bid on it.” She said.

“Actually, I was thinking I’d just take it.” He responded.

Oliver was looking around, wondering where Felicity had gone. John saw her walking towards them and nudged Oliver. She got closer to them and Oliver saw that she had an explosive collar around her neck.

“I think I have a problem.” She said. They moved her into a side room, away from everyone else. “Get away from me. if this thing blows-.”

“That’s not gonna happen.”

“The Dodger said if I called the police- I’m gonna get decapitated, aren’t I?” She asked. Digg started rifling through a bunch of pens, looking for one small enough to get a look at the bomb.

“No. Tracker’s on the move. If I find him, I can get him to disarm it.” Oliver said. “Talk me in. Stay calm.”

“Too late.”

Digg got the panel on the front of the collar off and told Oliver to go catch the Dodger and he’d handle the bomb.

“Talk to me Felicity.” Oliver said as he ran out of the building.

“He’s heading towards Adams and O’Neill. At the speed he’s going, he’s gotta be in a vehicle.” She said.

Oliver stole a man’s bike and sped off in that direction. She hacked into the traffic cameras and told Oliver exactly where to go to catch up with the thief. Oliver threw an arrow at the car, blowing out one of the tires and causing the Dodger to crash. He crawled out of his crash car and pulled out the remote detonator.

“Don’t do anything stupid. I had the foresight to collar up a particularly inquisitive blonde. I assume she’s a friend of yours. Touch one hair on my head, and she loses hers.” The Dodger said.

“You’ve got quite the choice to make, don’t you?”

He pressed a button and Felicity’s collar started beeping.

“It didn’t go off, but now it’s beeping. I have a bomb around my neck and its beeping.” Felicity said. “John, you should get out of here.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” Digg responded.

“I need you to go.” She said tearfully. “Someone has to- I need you to tell Oliver and Megan that I love them. I need you to do that for me, okay?”

Oliver breathed out a sigh of relief. Felicity was still alive, for now. The button only primed the explosive. He needed to press a different button to detonate it. Before his finger could reach the second button, Oliver threw a fletchette, which hit him in the forearm.

“Your median nerve’s been severed. You couldn’t press that button if you tired.”

Before he could even react, Oliver had punched the Dodger in the face. He took the remote from him and pressed the button that disarmed the explosive. Digg told him it had worked. Oliver turned back to the Dodger and hit him again. And again. He beat the Dodger nearly to a pulp. Oliver knew he was going overboard but the man in front of him had almost killed Felicity. When he’d hit that button, Oliver thought he’d failed. He went beserk. He was pulled out of his rage when Felicity spoke again.

“That’s enough excitement for one night. Can we go home now?”

Oliver knocked him out and anonymously tipped the SCPD off to where the Dodger’s car had crashed.

 

It took Felicity a few days to recover mentally from her ordeal with the Dodger. She didn’t regret trying to stop him, but after the adrenaline wore off, she realized she could’ve died. Megan would’ve lost her mother. The thought kept her up at night for a week, until it boiled over and she demanded to know why Oliver wasn’t angry at her.

“You couldn’t have known-.”

“I knew he put bomb collars on people. I knew there was a chance. Why aren’t you upset? We have a child. Megan could’ve- she would’ve lost me.”

“She didn’t.”

“But what if she had? She’s four. She’d- oh my god. I’m a terrible parent.”

“No, you aren’t.” He said confidently. “You are an amazing mother. Megan is lucky you’re her mom. It’s my fault. You shouldn’t have been the one to confront the Dodger, I should’ve. That’s on me. Your job was to put the tracker on the brooch and you did. My job was to stop him.” 

Felicity was starting to get back to normal just in time for Megan’s birthday party. It was held at Queen Mansion since Felicity’s condo didn’t have enough space for all of the festivities. The guests were mostly Megan’s friends from preschool and their parents, along with Tommy and her family. The backyard looked like it had been attacked by the colors pink and purple. There were a lot of different activities from a pinata to face-painting spread out across the grounds. Moira never did anything halfway, so there was also plenty of candy to get all of the kids hyper.

Oliver was talking about his plans for Verdant with Tommy when he saw Billy run up to Megan. “Not again, man. She’s four.”

“She’s five, actually. And I still say he’s flirting with her.” Oliver insisted. Tommy rolled his eyes and walked away.

“Those two sure are cute, aren’t they?” Someone said from next to Oliver. “Sorry, I’m Pam, Billy’s mom. Nice to meet you.”

“Oliver Queen.”

“Oh, I know.” She said with a smile. “They’re so cute together, aren’t they? I don’t think there’s anything as cute as two kids with their first crush.”

“They’re five.” He pointed out. Megan was way too young to have a crush on a boy. She was growing up too fast. He didn’t remember having a crush on someone when he was her age. He didn’t want to hear how cute it was that his daughter liked a boy anymore, so he made an excuse to go looking for Felicity.

Felicity knew from experience that they needed to open presents before cake. Once the cake was cut, it was going to be impossible to get Megan focused enough to open her gifts. After the kids had been running around for about an hour, she announced it was time to open presents. Megan bounced up and down in excitement. She liked getting presents.

Most of her classmates’ parents bought her toys. A few gave her books. Moira and Donna gave her clothes, much to the girl’s annoyance. Clothes weren’t fun presents to a five-year-old. Thea bought her a big Barbie playhouse for the next time they had a sleepover. Tommy’s present was next. She tore off the paper and started screaming “thank you” at him.

“Look Mommy! Uncle Tommy got me a bow and arrow!” She said, holding it up. It was a toy bow and arrow, and the arrows were made out of the same material as Nerf gun bullets. Oliver still turned to glare at Tommy.

“What? She’s been telling everyone for months that she wants to be like the Hood when she grows up. I figure, she should start practicing now.” He defended.

Finally, it was time for Oliver and Felicity to give Megan their present. They didn’t get her a pony like she wanted, but when Oliver put the oversized box down in front of her and she pulled the lid off, she didn’t seem to care. Inside the box was a tiny, orange Tabby kitten. After Megan said she wanted a pony, Felicity looked into any newborn kittens in the city. There was a family in Pennytown whose cat had a litter of kittens. They were nine weeks old by this point, and old enough to be adopted.

“A kitty!” Megan exclaimed.

“Mommy and Daddy couldn’t find any ponies.” Felicity lied. “But we thought you might like a kitten.”

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” She said. “What’s her name?”

“I don’t know. You get to name her.”

“Tiger.” She said immediately. Megan’s family all chuckled at that.

Chapter 26

Summary:

Felicity remembers the day Megan was born.

Chapter Text

After giving Megan her gift, Oliver helped Felicity cut the birthday cake. The kids gorged themselves on the cake, and candy from the pinata, before their parents began to pick them up and depart. After eating her cake, Megan took her new kitten aside and started petting her. She sat on a pool chair, cradling the kitten while the adults cleaned up the mess from the party. Oliver stopped clearing off one of the tables, looking at his daughter fondly.

“You okay over there, big brother?”

“Yeah, I just- I missed so much. I missed her first four birthdays, and the pregnancy.” He said “I wish I’d been here to help her through it.”

“Actually, you wouldn't be saying that if you had been here for all of it.” Thea responded.

“What do you mean?”

“Let's just say it wasn't all easy going.” 


 

November 2007

Felicity was getting dressed for the day, trying to zip up her skirt, but the zipper wouldn’t budge. She looked at herself in the mirror and one thought came to mind.

“It’s a good thing Oliver’s already dead.”

“Why would you say something like that?” Thea said from behind her.

“Oh frack, I said that out loud.” She said, closing her eyes. “I didn’t- I didn’t mean it. I’m just being dramatic. My clothes don’t fit. Your brother got me pregnant and my clothes don’t fit and I’m supposed to sit in on this important meeting, but I can’t just show up in clothes that are way too small.”

“C’mon.” Thea said. “Let’s figure something out. That skirt might not fit, but there’s gotta be something in here I can work with.”

“There isn’t. This outfit was my last resort.” She snapped.

“Oh ye of little faith.” 


 

February 2008

Felicity sat slumped on the sofa, her legs spread apart for her massive belly. She was almost seven months pregnant and the wonders of pregnancy had started to wear off. Moira and Thea were doing their best to help make Felicity comfortable and Moria had been very good at helping her through the hard time she'd been having with the “joys” of pregnancy. However, even with help, it had been tough going and Felicity was really starting to feel the strain.

Her hair was a dishevelled mess. She had dark circles around her eyes, which were bloodshot and tired. She looked ready to take someone's head off.

“Good morning Felicity.” Thea said as she and Moira walked into the sitting room.

“What’s so good about it?” The blonde snapped bitterly. giving Thea a murderous look that made her regret her cheerful tone. “I hardly got any sleep last night. I had to get up ten times to go to the toilet and even when I did finally get some sleep, the baby decided that was a good time to start kicking. I can hardly move I’m as big as a house. None of my clothes fit anymore and maternity clothing is so terrible that I can’t even stand thinking about wearing it. I can't eat anything without being sick and get ridiculous cravings. Like peanut butter. If I eat it, I’ll die, so of course that’s all this baby wants.”

“Oh, I know it's difficult dear.”  Moira said soothingly, sitting down next to Felicity and putting her arms around her. She was speaking from experience.

“If only Ollie was here then he could help with this.” Moira closed her eyes and winced at Thea's mistake.

Felicity fixed the 12-year-old with an even more murderous look and Thea swallowed hard and began to back away slowly. “YES I WISH THAT TOO!! SO I COULD THROTTLE HIM TO DEATH MYSELF!!!” She shouted, making a strangling-motion with her hands.

 

 

On Lian Yu, Oliver stopped suddenly, allowing Slade to get a lucky hit in. He felt a cold shiver go up his spine and fear like he’d never felt before. He went pale.

“You alright kid?”

“Yes, I just feel like someone's walked over my grave.” He answered, unsure about what had just happened. 


 

Starling-Present

“So that's what that was.” Oliver said quietly to himself. “Was it really that bad?”

“She was still pissed about Mom’s reaction to learning she was pregnant. Her own mother couldn’t be here as much as Felicity would’ve wanted. Half the city thought she was a gold digger, capitalizing on your death to make money, or get famous. The press changed her reasoning every other day. She was pretty much alone.” Thea answered. “She wasn’t miserable the entire nine months, but she had a lot of bad days. And her bad days were pretty bad.”

“Why hasn’t she told me any of this?”

“Because then you’d feel guilty, even more guilty, about getting on the Gambit with Dad in the first place. I can’t say things would’ve been easier or the same if you were here, but you can’t change what happened. No one can.”

Oliver was about to respond when Megan yelled something from where she was sitting. “Mommy! Daddy! Look!”

Oliver dropped the bag in his hands and rush over to her. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothin’.” She said, before holding up her kitten. “Look, Tiger smiled at me.”

The kitten was in fact making a happy face, but Oliver didn’t know if it counted as a smile. “Cool. That means she likes you.”

“Of course she likes me, I’m her best friend.” The five-year-old insisted. “Can we go home now?”

“No, not yet. We need to help Grandma Moira clean up first. We’ll go home soon though.” Felicity told her. “C’mon Oliver.”

“I’m sorry.” He said as they walked back over to the mess they were cleaning up.

“For what?”

“’Missing so much.”

“You’re here now.” She told him. “And maybe you not being there when I went into labor was a good thing.”

“What happened?”

“Megan came a little early.” She said. “We weren’t exactly ready.” 


 

April 2008

Moira followed Felicity into the elevator. Today was one of her last days of work before going on maternity leave. Her due date was in two weeks, but the doctors told her not to work up until that date. The blonde had just finished giving her presentation and was going to go home and sleep. The icy relationship Felicity and Moira had had only thawed slightly since learning about the baby. Moira couldn’t take back what she said to Felicity and Felicity couldn’t forget or move past her accusations. The elevator started to move downwards before it jerked to a stop.

“Oh, that’s just,” Felicity said before wincing, “that’s just perfect.”

“Are you all right? Is the baby-?”

“No, it’s just Braxton-Hicks. I’ve got two more weeks.” She said. “Why aren’t we moving?”

Moira was wondering the same thing and pressed the call button. “This is Moira Queen. Why is this elevator not moving?”

“…Um, its kinda stuck.” The technician said.

“Well, get it unstuck.” She said before releasing the button. She turned to Felicity who was wincing again. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine. It’s just Braxton-Hicks. I’m not in labor.” She said, taking a seat on the floor.

While the technicians were working on the elevator, Moira kept a close eye on Felicity. Using her watch, she timed how far apart Felicity’s contractions seemed to be. She didn’t want the younger woman to panic, but Moira wasn’t convinced she was having false labor pains.

“Oh, fantastic.” Felicity scoffed.

“What is it?”

“I think I just peed my pants.”

“I don’t think that’s urine.” Moira said. “Your contractions are getting closer together. Your water just broke. You’re in labor.”

“No, I’m not. I have two more weeks.” She argued. “I can’t- this can’t be happening.”

“I know you’re scared, but-.”

“I’m supposed to have two more weeks. I’m not ready for this. My mom’s supposed to be here. Instead, I’m trapped in this elevator with you. You don’t even like me. This isn’t- this can’t be happening.”

“Felicity, you need to breathe. The more you panic, the more the baby panics.” She said calmly. “Breathe.” She pressed the emergency call button again. “Call an ambulance and get us out of here.”

“Ambulance, why do you-?”

“Don’t argue with me, just do it.” She snapped.

Twenty minutes later, the elevator began moving and reached the lobby. The doors opened and there were EMTs waiting. They loaded Felicity onto a stretcher and moved her into the ambulance.

“Wait, my mom- someone needs to call my mom!” She said. “Where’s my phone?”

“You can call her when you get to the hospital.” One of the EMTs said.

“No, you need to call her now. She needs to be here. She’s supposed to be here.”

The EMT looked helplessly at Moira. “Felicity, I’m gonna call her right now, okay?”

Moira called Donna, told her Felicity was in labor and said she’d be sending a plane to Las Vegas to fly her to Starling. With Donna aware of what was going on, Felicity let the EMTs take her to the hospital.

Once in the maternity ward, Felicity was given an ultrasound to make sure the baby was okay. After that, they needed to wait for her labor to progress.

“Felicity, I know we don’t-.” Moira started to say as Felicity paced the room.

“Now really isn’t the best time.” She said. “In fact, I’d be a lot happier if you weren’t even in here.”

Moira knew this mostly the stress of labor and Felicity’s hormones, so she didn’t take her words personally. She sighed and went back to her book as Felicity kept pacing. Thea and Tommy had come by to visit earlier and left to get food. Felicity’s contractions were soon less than five minutes apart and the doctor decided it was time for her to start delivering the baby.

“No.” Felicity said.

“What do you mean no?”

“I mean, no. I’m not giving birth yet. I refuse to push.” She said.

“Ms. Smoak, I know this isn’t the ideal situation but-.”

“No. I am not doing this. I don’t care that I’m early, I don’t care that you aren’t my doctor or that this wasn’t part of the plan. I can accept all of that, but I refuse to have this baby with her here!” She said, gesturing to Moira. “My mom should be here, not the woman who tried to pay me to go away.”

“She tried to what?” Donna asked. She’d just stepped into the room. “You know what? That conversation can wait. Mrs. Queen, I think it would be better if you left.” She said, walking over to her daughter.  Moira left the room. “I’m here, baby. What do you need?”

“I don’t know if I can do this.” Felicity said quietly.  “I’m not ready. It’s too early.”

“You’re a Smoak, of course you can do this.” She said. “And your daughter wants out of there.”

Felicity took several deep breaths. “Okay, I think I’m ready.” 


 

Starling- Present

After they got everything cleaned up, Oliver, Felicity and Megan drove back to Felicity’s house. Megan was very excited about all of her presents, but mostly Tiger and the toy bow and arrow that Tommy had gotten her. It was close to Megan’s bedtime, so she took a bath and got ready for bed. Both her parents came to tuck her in.

“Did you have a fun birthday?” Oliver asked.

“Yes. It was the best birthday ever!” She declared.

“I’m glad.” He said as he kissed her goodnight.

“Even better than last year?” Felicity challenged.

“Even better than last year. Because Daddy was home and I got a kitty! I got two of the best presents ever this year!” She said excitedly.

“Good.” She said with a smile as she kissed Megan on the forehead. “Get some sleep.”

Oliver and Felicity walked out of the room, hand-in-hand. Both were happy they’d gotten to have one nice, normal family day.

Chapter 27

Summary:

An attempted assassination leads to some unfortunate revelations.

Chapter Text

The next night, Oliver was expecting patrol to be pretty quiet. He was still looking into the List and trying to figure out what the Undertaking was, and Felicity was still investigating Moira, but there was nothing they could do at the moment. He was standing on a rooftop, overlooking the city when Felicity asked a question over the comms.

“You hear that too, right?” She asked. “It sounds like-.”

“A helicopter.” He finished as they watched a helicopter, with no lights on it, land on a nearby roof.

“Landing in the middle of the night, with no lights on and barely any noise.” She described. “That doesn’t seem suspicious at all.”

“I’ll go see what that’s about.” He shot a repelling arrow onto the building and landed on the rooftop and crept towards the area where the helicopter had landed. He stayed hidden until seeing one person disembark. As soon as he was off, the helicopter flew away. Not seeing the point in skulking in the shadows, Oliver fired an arrow right in front of the man’s face.

“Great. A welcoming committee.” The unknown man remarked.

He took two knives out of his jacket and threw them at him. Oliver dodged out of the way, and fired another arrow. The man deflected it. Oliver tried to fight without kill the man, but he was going in for the kill. After landing a particularly hard kick at his chest, Oliver fired another arrow. It struck him directly in the heart and he fell to the ground.

“You okay?” Felicity asked him

“Sure, I love it when people throw knives at me.”

“Maybe he has a phone or something. I can pull data from it. I don’t know about you, but a guy sneaking into the city in the middle of the night, this armed, it screams hitman to me.”

“Me too.” He agreed before rifling through the man’s pockets. “That’s weird.”

“What is?”

“He was on the List. Guillermo Barrera.”

“All the more reason to bring his wallet and phone back to the foundry so I can figure out what’s happening.”

 

When Barrera missed his meeting with the Triad, Chien Na Wei had some of her men look into it and learned that he’d been killed by the city’s vigilante. Given that the Triad had already been paid for the hit he was supposed to perform, she arranged for Floyd Lawton, AKA Deadshot, to return to Starling. Perhaps he should’ve been her first choice to kill Malcolm Merlyn.

 

It took Felicity longer than she would’ve liked to hacked into Barrera’s phone. If she wasn’t trying to keep someone from getting killed, she might’ve been impressed by how well protected it was. It took her several hours, but she finally had a name. Malcolm Merlyn. She also learned who had put a hit out on him, and things didn’t look good. If the Triad wanted you dead, they found a way to kill you. She called Oliver and told him Malcolm was the target. The pair decided to stake out the Starling City Humanitarian of the Year ceremony that night.

“It’s weird right?”

“What is?” Oliver responded.

“Him winning this award. I’ll admit I don’t really know him, but something about him getting this award seems….out of place.” She said. “I mean, Megan likes most people, but he terrifies her. She’s always been scared of him and I can never figure out why.”

“I’m not sure what-.” Oliver was about to retort but then the power in the building went out.

 

Megan, who’d begged and pleaded to come to the fancy party, was standing next to Moira. When the lights went out, she grabbed her grandmother’s hand. “Grandma, why’s it so dark in here?”

“I don’t know. Someone must have-.”

Then, gunshots started. “I don’t like it here! I wanna go home!” The girl cried.

“Shh. I know you’re scared, but it’s going to be okay.” She said, trying to calm the girl.

“I want my mommy and daddy! Where are they?”

“Let’s go find them, okay?” She asked. The police had already arrived and were fighting off the Triad members disguised as waiters. “I want you to hold onto my hand as tight as you can, okay? I don’t want to lose you in the crowd.”

 

When the lights went out, Oliver ducked into the closet he was standing next to and changed into he Hood. When he stepped out, he moved forward to engage the Triad members who’d been disguised as waiters for the event. Malcolm took Tommy and ran upstairs. Oliver followed, hoping to keep them both safe from the hitmen. Felicity almost went with him, but she needed to make sure Megan was okay first. The SCPD arrived soon after, with some officers dealing with the foot soldiers while others ran upstairs hoping to catch the Hood. When they began clearing the civilians out, Felicity saw Moira and Megan run outside, so she snuck upstairs.

Oliver followed Malcolm and Tommy upstairs. He heard shots and began running faster. If the sniper was who he thought it was, a simple graze could kill Malcolm. he was standing a few feet away from Tommy. Malcolm was bleeding on the ground. Tommy had a gun pointed at Oliver, but his hands were shaking.

“The bullet barely hit him.” Tommy argued.

“The hitman laces his bullets with a deadly poison. There’s a way to save him.” He said calmly.” You need to give him some of your blood. He’s your father, you’re a compatible match. If clean blood gets into his system, it’ll buy enough time for an ambulance to get here.”

“Why should I trust you?”

Oliver glanced over to Felicity before making a decision. He reached up and lowered his hood. “Because you always have.”

“Olive- hey Tommy.” Felicity said awkwardly as she ran into the room. “I know, you’ve got questions. I did too, but if you wanna save your dad, you need to listen to Oliver.”

She talked Tommy through giving Malcolm a transfusion, but they had to leave when the police came upstairs. Felicity went outside and found Megan and Moira. She said she hadn’t seen Oliver, but thought he’d just left out of a different door when the police started evacuating the building. She called Oliver, in front of Moira and Megan, and told him to meet her at Queen Mansion.

When he was being questioned by Lance, Tommy denied knowing who the Hood was, saying he didn’t see his face. Oliver went back to the foundry and had to tell Digg that Deadshot was still alive, much to everyone’s disappointment. He took off his hood and drove to the mansion.

Megan was still awake when he reached his mother’s house. She hugged him as tightly as she could, telling him that she was really scared that the mean people who showed up had hurt him. He promised her that he was safe and apologized for scaring her. He and Felicity then drove Megan home.

It was nearing dawn when Tommy finally came to Felicity’s house looking for answers. He wanted to know if they were ever going to tell him the truth, they weren’t. He asked about all of the deaths Oliver had been blamed for. He admitted to the few deaths that had been on him, but informed him about the Dark Archer killing the others. Then, his best friend asked an interesting question.

“Does she know? Megan? Does she know what Daddy does? What her Mommy helps him do?”

“No, she doesn’t. She’s five, Tommy. Megan doesn’t know and she’s never going to. Because knowing could put her in danger and I can’t let that happen.” Felicity said. “And I only know because I figured it out by myself. I don’t know if you noticed, but I’m very smart.”

 

While Tommy was getting answers, Malcolm asked Moira to visit him in the hospital. He ordered her to find the traitor in their midst who was trying to stop the Undertaking. She agreed to do it, while internally panicking about how to get out of this situation. She was also livid. She failed to convince Oliver and Felicity not to come to the Humanitarian Society event, or bring Megan. Moira might’ve reached out to the Triad, but she wasn’t any less angry that they could’ve killed her granddaughter.

Chapter 28

Summary:

The Huntress returns, Megan has a fun day at preschool and Felicity explains a few things to Tommy.

Chapter Text

A few days after the Deadshot tried to assassinate Malcolm Merlyn, things had calmed down somewhat. Megan wasn’t quite as jumpy. Moira seemed distracted by something, but told Oliver it was work related. Thea seemed to actually be starting to enjoy her community service at CNRI. The only real snag was Tommy, who seemed to be avoiding both Oliver and Felicity. They supposed he just needed some time to process.

The semblance of normalcy was shattered when an associate of Frank Bertinelli’s was found dead in a strip club. Felicity went searching for surveillance footage and found that Helena was back in town, much to everyone’s confusion.

“Why’s she- Frank’s in custody. What’s the point in her coming back now?” Oliver wondered.

“I don’t know, I just hope we find out soon.” Felicity responded.

He went to the mansion to see Thea and was shocked when he walked into the living room and saw Helena sitting on the couch talking to her. Clearly, she was trying to intimidate Oliver by reminding him that she knew his secret. He was just happy that Thea wasn’t watching Megan today. Helena asked to talk to him, and revealed that Frank had made a deal with the FBI to testify against an east coast family in exchange for witness protection. Helena was in town to kill him before he disappeared forever. She warned him not to get in her way. Oliver called Felicity and asked her to keep an especially close eye on what was happening with Frank’s transfer to witness protection.

 

The next morning, it was Oliver’s turn to drive Megan to school. The five-year-old was practically vibrating with excitement. Oliver looked in the rearview mirror and asked her what she was so excited about.

“I just am.” She said. He could tell she wasn’t telling him something, but didn’t press. What secrets could a five-year-old keep anyway? “I like school. I’m ‘cited to learn things.”

“You are just like Mommy.” He said with a chuckle.

“That’s what Grandma said! And Auntie Thea! And Uncle Tommy! And Mommy sometimes!”

“It’s a good thing.” He said. “I love Mommy and I love you.” He parked outside of the school and got out to unbuckle Megan. “Have a good day at school, okay? Behave and learn things.”

“I will. Bye Daddy!” She said as she ran towards the building.

Oliver was driving back to Felicity’s when she told him Helena had tried to intercept an early morning motorcade transporting Frank and that she’d been arrested by the police. Since she knew Oliver’s secret, the Hood had to break into the SCPD station, in broad daylight, and help her escape.

 

“Now, time for show and tell.” Megan’s teacher announced after she had everyone seated on the carpet. “Who’d like to go first?”

Megan’s hand shot up and waved in the air excitedly. She had a big grin on her face. “ME!”

“Ok, Megan, you can go first.” The teacher said, chuckling at her excitement.

She ran off to her cubby to get her bag, which she brought in front of the whole class. Suddenly, a thought crossed the teacher's mind. The memory of their little trip to the zoo and fiasco with the tiger cub. What if somehow she had gotten her hands on another one?

Megan put down her bag in front of the class, unzipped it, reached inside and pulled something out. It was moving. “This is my new pet I got for my birthday. Tiger.’ She said, holding her arm out.

The teacher nearly had a heart attack but calmed herself when she saw it was just a kitten, not another tiger cub. She let out a huge breath of relief.

“Wait! That's not a tiger, it's just a cat.” One boy said.

“Of course not, silly.” Megan said. “She's a kitten. Tiger is her name.”

The class “oooh'ed” in understanding. The kitten just looked around blinking cutely and licked her nose and meowed.

The other children began to get up to get a closer look at the kitten. They started to pet and stroke her.

“Now, children, let's not crowd Tiger. She's only little so one at a time.” The teacher said.

Megan told them all about Tiger and how she'd gotten the kitten for her birthday. One by one, the children all got a chance to see Tiger and stroke and pet her. At the end of her turn, she went to put Tiger back into her bag

“Um, Megan why don't we leave Tiger out?” Her teacher suggested, making a mental note to talk to her parents when they came to pick her up. “I’m sure she doesn’t like being in the dark.”

 

Felicity ended her phone call with Oliver. She’d discovered that someone had stolen a high-powered crossbow from a sporting goods store, thought it might be Helena and knew she needed to tell him. After hanging up, she spun around and gasped.

“Geez, Tommy! You can’t just sneak up on people like that.” She said.

“Sorry, I- I knocked but I guess you didn’t hear it.” He said sheepishly. “I was hoping you’re free for lunch. So we could talk. About….you-know-what.”

“Okay.” She said, grabbing her purse.

She and Tommy got into the elevator just as Helena walked out of a different elevator. The Huntress was hoping Felicity would help her find her father, after some persuasion, of course. She found Felicity’s office empty and turned to Plan B.

 

Tommy and Felicity were sitting in a small Tex-Mex restaurant down the street from QC. They’d ordered and now Felicity was waiting for Tommy to say something.

“So, you don’t- knowing what you know, it doesn’t bother you? What he’s done?”

“Well, that’s kinda a loaded question. Because I know he’s doing this because he feels he needs to. He decided on doing it before he even came home.” She said. “At the same time, I don’t like it. I’d like to think there was a better way or at least a different way to handle the people he’s confronted. On yet another hand, I don’t hate it either.”

“How can you not-?”

“Because when someone abducted you, him and Megan, he was able to get all three of you out of there safely. The guys that took you weren’t after the Hood, no one knew he even existed yet, they were after Oliver Queen. And his- what he does meant Megan was okay, just a little scared. And, if you notice, he doesn’t kill unless he has to.”

“That makes it better?”

“Yes. Killing in self-defense, or to defend another person, isn’t the same as just straight-up murder.” She said. “I know it’s a lot to take in.”

“It makes sense. It’s just- I can’t believe its Ollie, you know?”

“Yeah.” She agreed.

They ate lunch and left. Felicity went back to work. Oliver called her, telling her that Helena had killed a computer hacker in the Glades. The man had just gotten out of prison for hacking into the Department of Defense.

“She’s looking for the safehouse.” Felicity said in realization.

“What?”

“Helena’s trying to find the safehouse where Frank’s being held until he testifies.” She said. Her phone then buzzed saying she had another call. “Megan’s school is calling me. I’ll call you back.”

 

When Oliver and Felicity came to pick up Megan from preschool, they found her waiting outside for them with her teacher. She had something in her hands; It was Tiger.

“Megan, why do you have Tiger with you?”  Felicity asked.

“Brought her for show and tell.”

Felicity sighed. “You should have told us sweetie.”

“But I wanted it to be a surprise! I was gonna keep her in my bag.”

Oliver crouched down to Megan’s level “How would you feel if someone tried to put you in a cramped, dark bag?”

“But I told her she would be safe! That she had nothing to worry about.”

“Honey, cats don't understand what humans say.” Her mother said.

“Megan, remember how scared you were when those “mean men” tried to take you, me and your uncle Tommy away? That's how Tiger felt. She didn’t know what was going on.” Oliver explained softly.

The little girl looked down sadly “I’m sorry.”

“It's alright. You didn’t know, but you shouldn’t do that again.” Oliver said as he opened his arms to give Megan a big hug.

Before they left, Felicity spoke to her teacher. “I'm so sorry about that.”

“It's OK. I’m just glad it's a kitten this time and not another actual tiger. I nearly had a heart attack when she said Tiger.” The teacher said with a laugh. “I did want to talk to you about Megan’s development. She’s ahead of everyone. Have you given any thought to having her skip kindergarten?”

“I- Oliver and I need to discuss it.” She said before saying she’d think about it.

 

Felicity took Megan home while Oliver headed out to the safehouse where Frank was being held. By the time he arrived, Helena had already begun her attack. Most of the FBI agents and US Marshalls were dead or injured. He followed the destruction outside and found Helena holding Frank at crossbow-point. They began to fight, while Frank ran off. Oliver managed to disarm Helena, but before he could knock her out, McKenna ran over to them and demanded Oliver lower his bow and surrender. The distraction allowed Helena to pick up a discarded shotgun and shoot McKenna in the leg. She ran off while Oliver made a tourniquet to stop McKenna from bleeding out until back-up arrived.

Oliver made it back to the foundry. Frank had escaped. Helena had escaped. McKenna’s injury looked like it was going to take weeks, if not months, to heal. The last few days felt like a huge waste of time for everyone. Oliver was leaving, Verdant was closed, when a voice called out to him. It was Tommy.

“So, I talked to Felicity.” He started. “She helped me figure out a few things, and I got to hear a different perspective on your….little green secret.”

“Tommy, I’m glad you wanna talk, but tonight’s not-.”

“There’s something I need to tell you. It’s about what happened when that guy tried to kill my dad.” He said bluntly.

Chapter 29

Summary:

Tommy tells Oliver what he saw, which puts an idea into the archer's head, and a new vigilante leads to the team discovering something startling.

Chapter Text

Oliver was leaving, Verdant was closed, when a voice called out to him. It was Tommy.

“So, I talked to Felicity.” He started. “She helped me figure out a few things, and I got to hear a different perspective on your….little green secret.”

“Tommy, I’m glad you wanna talk, but tonight’s not-.”

“There’s something I need to tell you. It’s about what happened when that guy tried to kill my dad.” He said bluntly.

“Look, I’ll explain everything about the sniper and the full story, I just can’t right now. it’s been a tough day.”

“And you’re a bad listener.” His friend said. “I said I had something to tell you. I’m not asking for answers right now.”

“Okay. What is it?”

“The power cut out. Da- Malcolm grabbed me and pulled us both upstairs.”

“I remember.”

“Yeah, well, while you were downstairs, we ran into a few hitmen. He- I didn’t know he could fight like that, I mean, my dad’s intimidating, but not because he looks like he could kick your ass.” Tommy said. “I just stood there helpless while he fought them.”

“It’s not- instinct took over I guess.” Oliver justified.

“No, you aren’t listening to me, Ollie. My dad killed three of the would-be assassins with his bare hands. It didn’t even seem to bother him.” He stated. “This didn’t look like something he learned in a self-defense class. He fought-.”

“He fought what?”

“He fought like the Hood, like you. But how- who the hell is my dad?”

It was quiet in Verdant. “He went missing for two years after your mother’s death.”

“And?”

“And he could’ve spent that time learning how to fight.” He said. “It doesn’t matter right now. We don’t even know why someone wanted him dead. The sniper got away.”

“I think I just gave you a pretty good reason.”

“I know that, but- Tommy, please be careful. Don’t go looking for answers you aren’t sure you wanna find.” He said. Maybe Malcolm was involved in something dangerous. Maybe someone wanted to get rid of him for business reasons. In either case, he didn’t want Tommy in the crossfire. “But we’re gonna figure it out.”

With that being said, Oliver left Verdant and drove back to Felicity’s house. On the trip home, he pondered Tommy’s words. Malcolm killed three people without batting an eye. According to Tommy, he fought like Oliver. He couldn’t help but wonder what secrets Malcolm was hiding. Did he have something to do with Tempest or his mother’s Undertaking?

He came inside and walked through Felicity’s kitchen. He knew he should get some sleep, but he had a lot on his mind.

“What’s with the look?” Felicity asked from the living room, causing him to jump.

“Why are you awake?”

“Megan had a bad dream about the shooting at the humanitarian of the year ceremony. I got her to fall back asleep, but now I can’t sleep. I can’t stop thinking about it.”

“About Deadshot trying to kill Malcolm, Tommy stopped by Verdant.”

“Okay. Was he mad, because I tried to explain what I knew and he seemed less angry about keeping secrets-.”

“That’s not what he came to talk about. He wanted to tell me about what he saw. Mainly, Malcolm killing three of his would-be killers. With his bare hands.”

“Malcolm Merlyn did what?”

“Yeah. According to Tommy, his dad fights like me.”

“And you think this means something.”

“I think if my dad was involved in something terrible, there’s a chance his best friend would be too. I also think if Malcolm can fight like me, and I don’t think Tommy would lie, and he is involved with this whole Undertaking, then he might have a connection to the other archer.”

“You think he hired him?”

“I don’t know, but it seems like the closer we get to finding out what this Undertaking is, the more my mother or my father’s friends are involved.”

“Mommy?” Megan asked quietly from the doorway of Felicity’s room. She was clutching her teddy bear and looking into the living room where her parents were.

“What’s wrong, sweetie?”

“I woke up and you weren’t there.” She said. “I had ‘nother bad dream.”

“I’m sorry.” She said, holding her arms out to hug Megan, who ran towards her. “Daddy and I were talking and we didn’t wanna wake you up.”

“S’okay.”

“What happened in your dream?” Oliver asked, taking a seat next to Felicity.

“I was with Grandma and the lights went out. Then, I heard all these scary noises and mean men want to take me away. I didn’t wanna go, so I ran away, but even after I ran away, I couldn’t find you or Mommy.” She explained. “And then I woke up and I couldn’t find you and-.”

“It was just a dream, Megan.” Felicity said. “Because Daddy and I are never gonna let that happen.”

“Never ever?”

“Never ever ever.” She promised. “No matter what happens, we’ll find you.” She stood up, moving them both off the couch. “Let’s get you back to bed, okay?”

“You’ll stay?”

“Of course.”

“Can Daddy stay too?” Megan asked.

“I’m gonna put on my PJs and I’ll be right there.” Oliver said.

He changed into sweatpants and a t-shirt before going into Felicity’s room. Megan was still awake, but snuggled up against Felicity’s side. Oliver got settled on his daughter’s other side before turning the lights off. Within a few minutes, he could hear Megan snoring lightly.

 

Oliver had to pause his investigation into Malcolm and his mother when, the following day, a vigilante calling himself the Savior kidnapped a slumlord and killed him live on the internet for his crimes against the Glades. He asked Felicity to track down the Savior’s website, but she struggled to do so at first. She managed to track the signal the next time he went live, and sent Oliver to that location, but by the time he arrived, the signal had moved. She couldn’t figure out how the Savior managed to move his victims so quickly while also not catching anyone’s attention.

The Savior went live again the next night, and Felicity became frantic. “We need to find him, now.”

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but why are you suddenly frantic?” Oliver asked.

“Did you not see who that was?”

“A kid in a red hoodie.”

“That “kid”, his name is Roy. He’s Thea’s maybe-boyfriend. We can’t just let him die.” She said.

“I’ll see what Thea knows. Maybe she saw something, or he mentioned someone. You try and trace that signal.” He said as he walked out of the lair.

While Felicity was poring over the videos of previous kills, Digg realized he recognized a sound in the background. It was the steady rhythm of a subway car. The Savior was using the old subway as his base of operations. That’s how he was able to move his victims so quickly without being noticed. Knowing that, Felicity was able to guide Oliver to Roy and the Savior’s location, saving the younger man.

When Oliver came back to the foundry, however, he didn’t seem pleased about how things had turned out. Felicity asked why. He saved Roy, he managed to stop the Savior. Why did he act like he’d failed? She asked him exactly that.

“I know what the drawing in my father’s book is.”

“You do?” Digg asked.

“Pull up a map of the subway.” He said, and Felicity did exactly that. “Now, zoom in so that its just the Glades.” She zoomed in like he asked. The map that appeared was identical to the drawing on the inside cover of Robert’s notebook. “The Undertaking, whatever it is, it has something to do with the Glades. My mom, the Dark Archer, Malcolm Merlyn, they’re gonna do something to the Glades.”

Chapter 30

Summary:

Team Arrow tries to put the pieces together about Malcolm and the Undertaking, while Tommy asks for a favor and Felicity remembers the first time she was introduced to Tommy.

Chapter Text

“The Undertaking, whatever it is, it has something to do with the Glades. My mom, the Dark Archer, Malcolm Merlyn, they’re gonna do something to the Glades.” Oliver told John and Felicity.

“And I don’t suppose you know what that “something” is yet.” Felicity said.

“If I did, I wouldn’t have wasted so much time just crossing names off of a list.” He scoffed. “I knew it couldn’t have been-.”

“If the next words out of your mouth involve you putting yourself down or blaming yourself, I’m gonna slap you.” She said. “It’s a list of names with no context. It could’ve been the invite list for his 50th birthday for all you knew. Instead of sitting here and feeling sorry for yourself, let’s get to the bottom of this.”

“Malcolm and your mother wanna do something to the Glades. Any idea what that might be?” Digg asked. “Or what their motives might be?”

“Rebecca was murdered in the Glades.”

“What?”

“Rebecca Merlyn, Tommy’s mom. She was killed during a mugging in the Glades.” Oliver said. “And then Malcolm vanished for two years. And he was different.”

“So, you think he’s gonna, what, kill everyone in the Glades for what happened.”

“I don’t know. The scariest part is, what you just said is terrifying, but I can’t say he definitely wouldn’t do it.” Oliver admitted.

“So, we keep digging.” John said.

“I don’t know about you, but I can’t dig until tomorrow.” Felicity said, standing up. “It’s past Megan’s bedtime, and I told Thea I was gonna pick her up over an hour ago. I’ll leave some programs running though.”

Oliver said goodnight to John and followed Felicity out of the foundry. They got into her car and drove towards the mansion. Oliver couldn’t help but spend the entire ride thinking about how wrong he’d been about Malcolm and his own father. He really didn’t know anyone in his family, did he? On top of that, he was worried about Tommy.

“Why the long face? Well, I know why, but that’s a very specific “I’m worried about something” face and not just a general look of concern.” Felicity said.

“I’m worried about Tommy. He told me about Malcolm, what he did. I asked him to not dig any further. If he stumbles upon the wrong thing, learns something he’s not supposed to, I don’t know what Malcolm will do.”

“You think Malcolm will hurt his own son?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never been able to get a read on him. Especially since I got back. If its about revenge, if that’s why he’s gonna do whatever he’s been planning, I don’t know how much he’ll care about what it does to Tommy.”

“I’ll try talking to him. He’s understandably conflicted about you right now, he seems less conflicted about me. Maybe I can convince him not to do anything reckless.” She offered. “Megan doesn’t wanna lose her Uncle Tommy after all.”

“Speaking of “Uncle Tommy”, I know how you met Mom, Thea and Laurel, but how did you meet Tommy?” Oliver asked.

 “Well, I first met him when I was at your funeral. He was trying to hit on me. Needless to say, I wasn't impressed.”

Oliver winced. “That… sounds like Tommy.”

“But we didn't officially meet until he came to the mansion one day.”

“That sounds like it was awkward.”

“It was very awkward for Tommy.”


 

2007

Tommy walked up to the front door of Queen mansion. He had found out from Laurel and Thea that Oliver had gotten a girl pregnant before he left on the Gambit. Tommy had made up his mind that he wanted to meet this girl. After all, she was carrying the last piece of Oliver they had left.

He was met by Thea at the front door. She led him into living room where Moira was sitting with a blonde-haired woman who had her back to him. 

“Felicity, this is a friend of Oliver’s, Tommy Merlyn.” Thea said, introducing him.

Felicity stood up, thinking that that name sounded familiar to her and turned to face him. Her eyes widened upon seeing him.

“YOU!” She said.

Tommy's jaw dropped as he suddenly remembered her from the funeral. “Uh oh.” He said, swallowing.

“You already know Tommy?” Thea asked.

“Yes, we met at Oliver's funeral. Where he was trying to score by hitting on me. His best friend’s funeral.” Tommy winced.

“Tommy Merlyn, how could you? At Oliver’s funeral of all places.” Moira said, standing up and crossing her arms.

“Ah- um- well, Oliver wouldn’t have minded.”

“And you think that's an excuse?”

There was a long silence after that. “Well, you look....” Tommy started to tell Felicity. She gave him a murderous glare, daring him to finish that sentence. “GREAT. You look great.” He wanted to make a run for the door.

“That was almost believable.” She said crossing her arms. “What are you holding behind your back?”

Tommy remembered that he was holding one arm behind him, hiding something. “Oh, I- uh- babies need stuff, right? Like clothes and toys and stuff. Anyway, when I found out Ollie had gotten a girl pregnant, I- this is for the baby.” He said as he showed her what was in his hand.

Felicity took the stuffed bear from him gently. She ran one hand through the fur, feeling how soft it was. “You got the baby a present?”

“Well, I- was I not supposed to do that?” He looked helplessly to Thea and Moira. The last time he saw a pregnant woman, Moira was about to have Thea. He didn’t know how this worked. Was there some unspoken rule he’d broken or something?

“No, it’s just-.” She sniffled. “It was really thoughtful.”

“Ok, glad you like it. I’ll see you later.” He said as he practically sprinted out of the room.


 

Present

“Sounds like you were about ready to kill him.” Oliver remarked, glad he wasn't there for that. “And then hug him. It must’ve been scary for Tommy.”

“Yeah. I think that was my hormones.” She said as she pulled into the mansion’s driveway.

They went inside and found Megan asleep in one of the guest bedrooms. Oliver picked her up and carried her out to the car, buckling her in. When they reached Felicity’s house, he carried her into her room and tucked her into bed. The preschooler stirred slightly and whispered “good night Daddy” before going back to sleep.

 

The next day passed quickly with Megan going to preschool, Felicity at work and Oliver in the foundry trying to find something that connected Moira, Malcolm and the other names on the List, while also trying to work out what exactly their endgame must be.

Oliver ate dinner with his girlfriend and daughter, and was about to leave for a night of Arrowing, as Felicity called it, when he got a call from Tommy.

“I need a favor. A huge favor. Well, I don’t, Laurel does.” He said quickly. “One of her clients was murdered. They were trying to sue the guy that conned them. She was watching over their son, the only survivor of the attack, when someone broke into her apartment and tried to kill him too. He’s a six-year-old boy Oliver.”

“Get Laurel, and the boy in the car. Drive to the mansion. We’ll meet you there.” He told him before turning to Felicity. He gave her the gist of what was going on, and suggested they spend a night at the mansion. Felicity packed a bag for herself and Megan, and led her daughter to the car. Oliver, meanwhile, called Digg to tell him what was going on. John said he needed to meet with “an old friend” who might have a lead on Deadshot, but would head to the mansion when he was done.

“Why are we going to Grandma’s?” The girl asked her mother.

“Laurel’s looking after a little boy and Daddy suggested you two could play together, since grown-ups aren’t very much fun to play with.” Felicity answered. “Uncle Tommy’s gonna be there too.”

Megan seemed to accept that answer, and the trio drove to Queen Mansion. Tommy, Laurel and Taylor, the boy they were watching, pulled up right behind them. They all made their way inside and Megan introduced herself to Taylor before asking if he wanted to play a game. He shrugged before following her. Felicity went with them.

“I’m sorry about this Ollie.” Laurel said.

“Don’t be. After what you did for Thea, I owe you one.” He said.

“This place has better security than the White House.” Tommy said. “Here, with Oliver, it’s the safest place in the city.”

Felicity got a lead on Edward Rasmus, the criminal Taylor’s parents had been trying to sue, which she passed on to Oliver. He snuck out and confronted Rasmus, leaving him with a warning to confess or face his wrath. He turned himself in to the SCPD within the hour and confessed to everything.

Oliver went back to the mansion. When he came inside, Felicity told him that Digg’s “meeting” was a bust, since his friend wouldn’t give him any information about Deadshot, as her agency was trying to arrest him. Oliver swore that once Taylor was safe, which should be in a few days, he’d help Digg stop Deadshot permanently.

Oliver found Megan and Taylor playing Connect Four in one of the sitting rooms, with Tommy watching them. He took a seat next to his friend and watched the kids play for a while. Tommy saw his frown.

“Oliver, come on.” He said. “I understand the looks at Billy but this was your idea, letting them play together.”

“I know, and now I’m starting to regret it.” He answered. He wanted to keep his daughter safe from boys like himself. Was that so wrong?

“Daddy, do you wanna play?” Megan asked, not understanding what the two adults were talking about.

“No, that’s okay.” He said. “I think its time for bed though.”

Megan grumbled, but followed her father upstairs to change into her PJs and brush her teeth. Felicity was brushing her daughter’s hair out when Laurel found Tommy and Oliver and told them about Rasmus’s arrest and confession. She wanted to leave, but Oliver argued that Taylor had been through a lot and needed to get some rest. Tommy sided with him and she caved.

An hour later, Laurel and Tommy were checking on Taylor when the lights went out. Felicity, using her phone as a flashlight, came down the hallway and made sure they were okay.

“It’s probably just a blown fuse.” She told them. “Oliver went to check it out. Stay here with Taylor.”

“If it’s just a blown fuse, why-?” Laurel started to ask.

“It’s a big house. If he wakes up and can’t find you, and its dark, he might get lost.” She reasoned. Tommy could see in Felicity’s eyes that she didn’t believe what she was saying. He decided not to call her out on it though.

They went into the guest room. Oliver came down the hall as the door closed. He kicked the doorknob off before telling Felicity to stay with Megan and doing the same to the door of that room. With Tommy. Laurel, Felicity and both children safe, he moved down the hallway.

There was a yell and then a thud from the foyer. The hitman was here. Oliver walked down the hallway. Hairs on the back of his neck started to stand up and he ducked out of the way just in time to miss being shot in the head by the hitman who was hiding in the shadows. They began fighting in the entryway. Oliver was able to match the hitman’s fighting skill, much to the other man’s surprise. The hitman reclaimed his gun and was about to shoot Oliver, so Oliver stabbed him in the heart with fireplace poker he’d been defending himself with.

The police arrived a few minutes later and Oliver claimed one of the dead security guards saved him by killing the hitman. He then went upstairs to tell everyone that everything was okay. Surprisingly, and thankfully, both kids had slept through the whole ordeal.

“See? I told you this place was the safest place in the city for us.” Tommy told Laurel, looking intently at Oliver. “Thanks to Mr. Robbins.”

Chapter 31

Summary:

Oliver and Tommy talk about a few things, and their conversation motivates Oliver to finish something he started weeks ago.

Chapter Text

Once the hitman and the bodies of the dead guards were taken away, and the police cleared out of the mansion, Oliver went looking for Felicity. Not only did he want to make sure she and Megan were okay, but he also wanted to discuss security improvements for the mansion. The hitman had been able to knock out the power and killed several guards; Oliver didn’t want the same thing to possibly happen again. Felicity said she’d start working on something in the morning, given that it was rather late.

As soon as Oliver left Megan’s room, he came across Tommy. It was easy to see on his friend’s face that he wanted to talk about something with Oliver. Knowing he couldn’t just ask, he asked Tommy if he wanted a drink, since they’d had a rough night. He nodded and followed his friend to Robert’s old office.

“Its kinda weird being in here.” Tommy remarked as he looked around. “No one’s stepped foot inside this room for five years, except one of the maids to clean it.” He walked over to the desk, which still had papers scattered on it. Things Robert was going to handle after he returned from China. “It’s also weird coming here and not seeing Walter. Do you think-?”

“I don’t know if he’s alive or not. I hope he is, but- Felicity thinks she got him killed.”

“Why would she think that?”

“Walter brought her a mystery to solve. I didn’t know until Christmas that he’d asked for her help, and she didn’t know until then that Walter’s mystery is connected to what I’ve been doing.” Oliver admitted. “The night she told me was the night he went missing.”

“Do I get to know what the mystery is?”

“Most of the people I confront aren’t random. Their names are on a list I found after my father’s death. Walter, somehow, found a copy of the same list. At first I thought it was just a list of names, no connection between them, but after he disappeared-.”

“You think it might be something bigger.” Tommy finished. “Is my dad- do you think my dad has something to do with it?”

“I honestly don’t know.”

“You’re looking for him, though, right? Walter?” Oliver nodded. “And you believe me, about my dad? About what happened?”

“Yeah, you wouldn’t lie about something like that.” He said. “You didn’t confront your dad about it though, right?”

“I’ve been going out of my way to not be in the same building as him for years. I’m not gonna start now.”

“Good, because I don’t want you to put yourself in danger. I’m not saying you’re going to get hurt, but its possible. And Megan won’t be happy if something happens to her Uncle Tommy.” He added at the end for some levity.

“You could get hurt too, you know.”

“I’ve survived a lot.” He said. They finished their drinks in silence before going to bed.

 

The next morning, Megan was up bright and early. She wanted both of her parents to wake up so that they could have breakfast. The preschooler had convinced Raisa to make them all some of her famous chocolate chip pancakes, but the housekeeper said she needed to wait for her parents before she could eat them. After some whining and jumping on the bed, Oliver and Felicity told their daughter they were awake and would be right down for breakfast. Five minutes later, the girl was digging into her sugary pancakes. Felicity asked her daughter if she slept okay.

“I did, but I had a funny dream.” She answered in between bites.

“Really? What happened?” Felicity believed Megan had slept through the ordeal with the hitman, but wasn’t sure. She hoped Megan hadn’t dreamed about anything related to hearing gunshots or the sounds of fighting.

“Tiger and I were in a field and we were playing and Mommy was there, but her hair looked funny. And Uncle Tommy kept throwing water balloons at Aunt Thea and-.” Megan went on for several minutes about her funny dream.

They drove Megan to preschool before going their separate ways. Oliver went to the foundry to change and find a new target while Felicity went to work. Remembering his conversation with Tommy the previous night, Oliver began going through the List. Walter had been abducted by someone who knew what they were doing, and there was more than one person on the List who had the skills to do that. He was able to narrow the options down to three people, and texted Felicity, asking her to find out what she could about all three men.

She called him ten minutes later and told him that one of the names he’d given her, Dominic Alonzo, had been paid two million dollars the same day Walter went missing. She dug further into him and found the location of the underground casino he owned. If she could get into Alonzo’s computer, they might be able to find Walter that same day.

Oliver and Digg were both unhappy with the plan she came up with, but it was the only one with a chance of working. The best way for Felicity to gain access to Alonzo’s computer was to get caught for counting cards, be taken to his office and plant a bug on his computer. Neither John nor Oliver were happy about sending her into an illegal casino, alone, but they also didn’t have a better suggestion.

Felicity went to the casino. As planned, she was caught for counting cards and taken to Alonzo’s office. She planted the bug and was being escorted out when the owner removed her earpiece, crushing it and causing Oliver to panic. He stormed his way into the casino to rescue her. He was able to disarm the man and interrogated him about Walter. Alonzo told them Walter was dead, that he’d been killed moments after he delivered him to the person that paid him.

They left the casino and Oliver went to the mansion. He told his mother and sister that a friend of Digg’s received news about Walter. He didn’t even need to say the words for Thea to break down. Moira, meanwhile, was denial and insisted there was a mistake, that the FBI had the wrong person. She then stormed out when he tried to comfort her. After telling Thea he needed to talk to their mother, he followed her, as the Hood.

Moira went to Merlyn Global Group and stormed into Malcolm’s office. Using a surveillance arrow, he overheard Malcom confirm Walter was alive right after Moira admitted that she knew Malcolm had kidnapped Walter to make sure she complied with the Undertaking. Oliver was so shocked by this turn of events that he nearly missed the next thing Malcolm said.

“As I told you, the Markov Device is almost completed. Once the final test is done, it’ll be on its way here. In a week, this will all be over and you’ll have Walter back.”

Oliver immediately called Felicity to have her trace the call Malcolm had made. This led him to a tenement complex with unreasonably high security. He broke in and fought all of the guards, rescuing Walter. He delivered Walter to the hospital to be checked out before going back to the foundry. He figured it would take the staff about an hour to look Walter over before calling his family to tell them he'd been found. The archer needed that time to think.

He called Tommy, telling him they really needed to talk about his dad. Oliver didn’t want Tommy involved in his mission, but his best friend deserved to know what was going on.

Chapter 32

Summary:

Oliver finally tells Tommy what's really going on, Megan reunites with someone she's missed a lot and the Hood confronts Moira again.

Chapter Text

Despite Oliver having called him at three A.M., Tommy made it to Verdant surprisingly quickly. Oliver met him by the bar and led him down to the foundry. Tommy had been under the impression that the basement of the building was flooded, but he supposed having it be Oliver’s top-secret vigilante lair made even more sense than it being flooded.

“So, I’m gonna go out on a limb and guess that, whatever you need to talk to me about, its not good. I mean, you wouldn’t call me at three A.M. for nothing.”

“You’re right. I wouldn’t.” Oliver said. “We found Walter.”

“That’s great. Is he- wait, he’s alive, right?”

“Yes, he’s alive. I just dropped him off at Starling General.” He said. “Malcolm had kidnapped him, and my mother was perfectly aware of who was keeping him captive.”

“Your mom knew- why would she do that?” Tommy asked in disbelief. “I’m not saying I don’t believe you, but-.”

“I didn’t either, but I heard them talking about it. And she’d do that because our parents aren’t good people. Except your mother.” He said. “They’re involved in very horrible things.”

“Horrible how?”

“The Queen’s Gambit didn’t go down in a storm, it was sabotaged. I don’t know by who or why, but I’m guessing it has something to do with what the Dark Archer who attacked last Christmas called the Undertaking.”

“That sounds….ominous.”

“Because it is. They’re gonna use some device, I don’t know what it is yet, to destroy the Glades. And I’m pretty sure it was your dad’s idea.”

Tommy exhaled slowly. “Of course, it is. My mom was killed by random chance in the Glades. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but why wouldn’t he try to destroy the thousands of people who live there and had nothing to do with her death?” He said. “Wait, back-up a second. The Gambit was sabotaged?”

“Yup. I think my father was involved in the plan to destroy the Glades. Maybe he changed his mind and tried to back out. I don’t know, I’ll never know, but he didn’t seem shocked when the boat started sinking, and he asked me to right his wrongs.”

“I thought your dad drowned and you were the only one who made it to the life raft.”

“He pulled me onto the raft. After drifting for a few days, he realized we didn’t have enough food for both of us, so he killed himself so I’d live.” Oliver revealed, staring at the floor. “That’s why I’ve done what I’ve done. Because I need to right his wrongs and honor his sacrifice.”

“Oliver, I-.” Tommy realized he had no idea what to say. “So, my dad probably killed your dad, and wants to kill everyone in the Glades. Do you know how he’s gonna do that?”

“Not yet. When he met with my mother, he mentioned something called a Markov Device. He also said that in a week, it would be over.”

‘A week? That seems…nevermind.”

“No, what is it?”

“Three weeks from yesterday is the anniversary of my mom’s death. Since, in his twisted mind, he’s doing this for her, I half-expected him to do this on the anniversary.” He said. “But, you can’t apply logic to crazy people I guess.”

“Maybe.” Oliver’s phone then rang. It was Moira calling him to tell him Walter had been found and rescued. “I need to go see Walter.”

“Wait, do you- I can try to find out what my dad’s planning. He came to me a few days ago, talking about reconnecting. I can maybe-.”

“No. You could get hurt. It’s too much of a risk.” He said. “I just-.”

“Ollie, I’m not some idiot kid anymore. I’m not gonna storm up to my dad and demand answers. I’ll do some snooping, find out what I can and tell you.”

“It’s still a big risk, and I don’t want you to get hurt for my mission.” He said. “As soon as you get even the slightest hint he knows, you need to drop it.’

“How are you gonna find out exactly what his plan is though?”

“Easy. I’m gonna have a little chat with my mother.” He said before walking out of the foundry.

 

When Oliver arrived at the hospital, Moira and Thea were already in his room. He exited the elevator right as Felicity and Megan walked out of a different one.

“Daddy! Grandpa Walter came back!” Megan exclaimed.

“I know. Are you excited to see him?”

“Uh-huh. I missed him lots.” She said. “Do you think he missed me?”

“I know he did.” Felicity told her. “When we go see him, I want you to be careful. He might have an upset tummy or some boo-boos. You can hug him, but not too tight, okay?”

“Okay.” She said. She took her mother’s hand and walked towards the hospital room. They walked inside and Megan ran over to the bed to hug Walter. “I missed you this much.” She told him, holding her arms out wide.

“I missed you even more.” He told her. “I’m very sorry I missed your birthday.”

“It was really fun. There was a bounce house, and a petting zoo and lots of candy. Guess what Mommy and Daddy got me?” She asked. He didn’t have time to answer before she continued. “A kitty. Her name is Tiger and she’s orange. She’s not a real tiger though. Just a normal cat. Mommy said I couldn’t bring her here.”

“Grandpa Walter can meet Tiger after he goes home, okay?” Felicity said.

“Okay.” She said sadly. “I also got to go to a fancy party with Grandma!” She then told Walter about everything that happened, to her at least, since the last time she saw him.

 

They stayed for about an hour before deciding to let Walter get some rest. Megan fell asleep on the ride home, giving Oliver and Felicity some time to talk. Oliver told her he’d told Tommy about the Undertaking, and Malcolm’s involvement, before saying he needed to talk to his mother.

“Last time you did that, she shot you.” Felicity pointed out.

“This time, she’s not gonna get the chance.” He said.

He and Digg worked out how they’d do things. Diggle, as the vigilante, would kidnap Moira and Oliver and question them about the Undertaking, using Oliver as leverage to make his mother cooperate. Felicity wasn’t happy about the idea, but told both of them to be careful and warned Digg to pull his punches.

The following night, Oliver came over to the mansions to talk to his mother. He claimed he noticed she’d been acting weird lately and wanted to know why she was so on edge. She tried to wave him off, but he pressed on. Halfway through her trying to say she couldn’t involve him, the lights cut out. Oliver and Moira were then knocked out by a tranquilizer arrow shot by Diggle.

He took them to a warehouse and tied them both up. After a period of time, Moira started to stir. Oliver pretended to be waking up from the tranquilizer as well. “Mom?” Moira looked up at him and tried to stand up before realizing she was tied to the chair. “Mom? Are you okay?”

“Oliver? We- we gotta get out of here.”

“Moira Queen, you have failed this city.” The Hood said, stepping out of the shadows.

“Please, do not hurt my son.”

“Tell me what the Undertaking is and I won’t have to.” Digg responded. She didn’t answer, so Digg punched him in the face. “Tell me!”

“Please,” she begged, “leave my son alone.”

“What is Malcolm Merlyn planning?”

“I can’t tell you! He’ll kill me, he’ll kill my family.”

“You should be worried about what I’ll do.” Digg said as he hit Oliver hard enough to knock his chair over.

“No! Malcolm is planning to level the Glades! He said so he can rebuild it but-.”

“How?”

“There’s a device. He says it will cause an earthquake.”

“How is this possible?”

“I don’t know. it was invented by Unidac Industires. Malcolm used my company’s Applied Sciences to turn it into a weapon.”

“Why would you get involved in something like this?”

“My husband…he got involved without my knowing. He was just trying to do some good. he was lost. He- his decisions left me vulnerable to Malcolm and I had no choice. I had to protect my family.”

“This device, where is it?”

“I don’t know.”

“If you don’t tell me, I can’t stop Merlyn!”

Moira let out a humorless chuckle. “Oh, you can’t stop him. it’s too late.” Diggle nodded once before taking a step towards Oliver. “No, no, no, I told you everything!” Instead of attacking Oliver, he used an arrow to cut his bonds. Then, he cut Moira’s and left.

Oliver stood up and coughed. His mother tried to help him up, but he moved away from her.

“Please, I know what you must be thinking, but I never intended for any of this to happen. You know I would never willingly be a part of anything like this.”

“I don’t know anything anymore.” He said before walking away. He called Felicity and asked her to find out everything she could about Unidac Industries. Last night, Malcolm said the device wasn’t completed yet. They still had some time to stop him.

Chapter 33

Summary:

Team Arrow inches closer to learning everything they need to stop Malcolm, and gets help from an unexpected source.

Chapter Text

Oliver made it back to the foundry a few moments before John did. Felicity had been sitting on her computer but looked up when she heard footsteps. She made a beeline for Oliver, and reached out to cup his face.

“I thought you said you were going to pull your punches.” She remarked to Digg.

“I did!”

“I’m fine. We found out what my mom and Malcolm Merlyn are up to. He plans on leveling the Glades with a device that triggers a man-made earthquake.”

“A man-made earthquake to level the Glades. Using tech, lovely, amazing tech, to kill people and make it seem like an act of God. I think I might know who sabotaged your father’s yacht.” She remarked. “Any idea where he’s getting one of those from?”

“Queen Consolidated. We bought Unidac Industries. My mother explicit said this is exactly why.” He answered. “But the device- when I overheard Mom and Malcolm talking about Walter, they said it wasn’t done yet. it’s going into the last stage of testing.”

“So, we still have time to stop him, them, this.” She said hopefully.

“Not much. At the time, he said a week, which means now we have six days.” He said.

“That’s better than hearing we have less than one.” She said. “I’ll see what I can find out but-.”

“But what?”

“People who plan stuff like this, they tend to be paranoid. I’ll try to hack into Merlyn Global’s system but-.”

“But what?”

“I might not be able to do it remotely.” She admitted.

“You might not need to.” He said. “Find out if you can. I’ll deal with the rest.” He went to leave.

“Put some ice on your face.”

“Why?”

“Because our very curious five-year-old is gonna wanna know why you have boo-boos on your face, and you can’t tell her it was the Hood.”

“Why not?”

“Because the Hood is her hero and I’m not letting you ruin that image for her.” Felicity said. “Put some ice on your face.”

Oliver grabbed an ice pack and held it against his cheek. He couldn’t argue with Felicity’s logic and he really didn’t want to ruin Megan’s belief that he was a hero. She was too young to understand that sometimes good people had to do bad things. As Felicity tried to hack into Merlyn Global, Oliver debated whether what he was about to do was the right move. He supposed he should at least give it a shot.

“Hey,” he said after the person he called picked up, “I was hoping to talk to you. it’s about something important. Yeah, meet me at Verdant.”

“Who was that?” John asked.

“Tommy.”

“I thought you didn’t want him involved in this.”

“I didn’t. I don’t, but he was the one who told me about Merlyn’s fighting skills, which is why we were investigating him. I tried to tell him I’d handle it, but he wouldn’t listen.”

“I see why you two became friends. You’re both stubborn.”

“Maybe, but if Felicity can’t find a way into Merlyn Global-.”

“You want him to do it? Does he know what to do? What to look for?”

“I guess we’ll find out.” He remarked.

 

Tommy arrived in the foundry and came downstairs. Since this was the second time in two days that he’d been called here late at night, he was starting to understand why Oliver used a nightclub as his cover, and not something with normal business hours. He saw Felicity furiously typing away on her keyboard.

“if both of you are here, who’s watching Megan?” He knew that wasn’t the most important question to ask, but it slipped out. He’d been wondering for a while how exactly Felicity managed to be Oliver’s partner while also not leaving her daughter completely alone at night.

“Megan was so excited that her Grandpa Walter was back that she insisted she have a sleepover at Moira’s. She doesn’t really know where he went, so she thinks if she stays close to him, he won’t leave without saying goodbye again.”

“And what about all of the other-?”

“Everything digital I do here, I can do from my house.” She answered. “I don’t think Oliver called you to discuss how I’m his tech support.”

“You’re not. You’re my partner.”

“Focus, please.” Digg said.

Oliver took a deep breath and looked at Tommy. “I need- I finally got some answers out of my mother. Real answers.”

“You asked her what her secret plan with my dad was and she actually told you?”

“Not exactly. He had to trick her and make her think they’d been kidnapped by the Hood, so-.” Felicity started.

Oliver cut in. “How she told me doesn’t matter. Your father’s going to level the Glades using a device that triggers a man-made earthquake. He made my mother have QC buy the company that patented the device and in less than a week-.”

“He’s gonna use it to kill everyone and everything in the Glades.” Tommy finished. “That’s good to know, but I don’t think that’s why you called me.”

“We don’t know where he’s going to use it. Or how the device works. I’m sure he’s got blueprints, schematics and the like somewhere, but we haven’t been able to find that information.”

“We think it might be on one his company’s servers.” Felicity said.  “I’ve been trying to hack in but-.”

“You can’t. My dad’s crazy about his files being secure. I guess this explains why. Anyway, I heard him bragging to Ted Kord a year ago saying the only way into his files was access the mainframe directly.”

“Yeah….” Felicity said awkwardly. “I kinda….need you to help me get into Merlyn Global so I can go to the secure server room on the 25th floor and find out everything he knows.”

“You want me to help you break into my family’s company?” Tommy repeated. He then grinned. “And you always told me you weren’t any fun. I can’t get you to that floor without raising alarms, but I can help you get inside.”

“Works for us.”

A few years ago, at Felicity’s urging, Tommy had decided to open a charity named after his mother. The focus of it was to bring medication and healthcare to people in the Glades who wouldn’t have access to it otherwise. He reasoned that, while he couldn’t reopen the clinic she started when she was alive, it didn’t mean her philanthropy should die with her. Malcolm, in an effort to both get good publicity and pacify his son, didn’t stop Tommy and offered him an office in Merlyn Global’s headquarters to work out of. Tommy rarely used the office, but it did give him access to the building, and no one would question him being there, or Oliver and Felicity stopping by to visit.

As planned, the next day, Oliver and Felicity went to the office to meet with Tommy around noon. Digg was disguised as a new security guard and knocked his “partner” out after they’d gotten into the elevator. The car stopped on the 24th floor. They exited out of the top of the elevator and Oliver pulled out a grappling hook arrow, shooting it at the floor they needed to get to.

“Hold on to me tight.” He told Felicity.

“I imagined you saying that under very different circumstances.”

“Is now really the time for this?” John asked over the comms.

“Right. Sorry.” She said as she held onto Oliver. They flew upwards to the 25th floor and he was able to open the door to the elevator shaft. He walked Felicity to the server room before turning to leave for his meeting with Tommy.

“Wait, stay.”

“If I stay-.”

“If you stay, and we get caught, we can pass it off as us wanting some….alone time.” She said. “Better than if I get found up here alone.”

“I’ll be one floor below you.” He said. “It’ll be fine.”

He went back down to the elevator and walked to Tommy’s office. They talked for a little while, but his focus was on Felicity and Digg reporting in on the comm.

Digg was watching everything unfold on the monitors and saw a guard was ahead of schedule on the rotation. “Felicity-.”

“Just a few more seconds.” She said as she typed.

“You don’t have a few more seconds. Someone’s coming.” Digg said. “Oliver, she’s gonna get made.”

Oliver stood up from his seat in front of Tommy’s desk abruptly. “I need to go. Felicity’s-”

“Don’t explain. Just go.” He said, “Anything I can do to help?”

“Wait thirty seconds, then come upstairs and act like you’ve been looking for us.” He yelled over his shoulder.

Thanks to Oliver’s acrobatic skills, he was able to make it to the 25th floor and into the server room before the guard. reached them. He gave his girlfriend an apologetic look before they heard the door open.

“What are you two doing up here?!” A voice yelled. They turned to see a security guard. “This is a restricted area. Let’s see some ID.”

“No need for that, Joe.” Tommy said, strolling over to them. “They came here to see me. What are you doing up here?”

“Looking for your office.” Felicity nudged Oliver. “I thought you said his office was on the 25th floor.”

“I could’ve sworn that’s what he said.’

“Nope. I’m on 24.” He said. “Let’s go.” The guard let them pass and didn’t even stop to wonder how they’d managed to accidentally get onto the secure floor. “You get everything you need?”

“I made a copy of everything I could find on the servers, so I really hope so.”

They left the building and returned to the foundry where Felicity wrote a program to go through all of the data she’d copied.

Chapter 34

Summary:

Team Arrow, and Tommy, narrow down a few details about the Undertaking.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Felicity and Oliver sat in the foundry going through all of the data from Merlyn Global’s mainframe. There was a ton to go through, so they knew it was going to take a lot of time. The amount of security around the files was impressive. Malcolm had protected files in folders inside of folders inside of folders on encrypted drives.

“You know, if he wasn’t trying to level the Glades and kill a few thousand people, I might actually be impressed.” Felicity remarked after an hour. “But he’s evil, so I’m not.”

“Good call.” Oliver said. “Still nothing?”

“Well, I copied everything I could find. Some of its bound to be useless or related to his actual company, which is shocking and-.” She stopped suddenly when she opened a specific file. “Okay, spoke too soon.”

“You found what we’re looking for?” He asked.

“Not exactly, Malcolm doesn’t have a file called “my entire evil plan” anywhere, but this is more useful than memo after memo about new products.” She told him.

“That….just looks like a 3-D map to me.”

“It’s not. This is the results of a geological survey done about five years ago.” She explained. She pointed to a red line on the 3-D model. “This part here, it’s a known fault line that runs straight through the Glades. And,” she hit a few keys, pulling up the map of Starling’s old subway, “the old subway line runs line along this part.”

“Is there a way you can layer the study, the subway map and a normal map on top of each other?” Oliver asked.

“Duh, have you met me?” She said as she did that.

Oliver looked the new map over and pointed to a particular spot on the map. “There’s the location he’s gonna use.”

“What makes you say that?”

“It’s along the fault line, it’s right on top of where the train tracks are, and its where Rebecca Merlyn was killed.” He said.

Now that they knew where the Markov device was going to be used, they needed to figure out how to disarm the device. Oliver asked her to look through the files and try to figure out how to destroy the earthquake device. He knew simply stopping Malcolm and the Dark Archer might not be enough. The only way to be sure they stopped the Undertaking was to destroy the device and make sure Malcolm couldn’t try again.

 

Megan’s day at preschool ended and she went outside with the rest of her classmates to be picked up. She scanned the crowd, looking for one of her parents. She didn’t see them, but her face lit up when she saw Walter standing there.

“Grandpa Walter!” She exclaimed as she ran towards him.

“Hello Megan. Did you have a good day at school?”

“Uh-huh. We colored and Ms. Ashley read us a story and we did numbers and-.” She continued telling him about her day as they got into the car and started to drive to the mansion. “And even better, you’re still here.”

“Why wouldn’t I be here?” He asked.

“Last time, you left and you didn’t say “bye-bye”. And I was sad and then you came back and you had boo-boos.” She said. “I don’t want you to leave again!”

“Megan, I will never leave you. I promise.”

“You did before.” She grumbled.

“I know, and I’m sorry, but I’ve made sure that never, ever happens again.” He vowed.

After he’d been found, Felicity pulled Walter aside. In addition to telling him how happy she was that he was okay, she told him what Megan thought had happened. They didn’t want to traumatize the little girl, so they told her Walter had to go away for work and didn’t get a chance to say goodbye.

“Good. I don’t want you to leave again. It made everyone sad.” Megan declared.

 

Oliver and Digg went patrolling that night, but they didn’t do anything towards stopping Malcolm. Felicity still had a lot of information to go through and they didn’t want to rush in blind to a dangerous situation. The blonde left her programs running and had a quiet night in with Megan at home.

The next morning, the city woke up to the news about a massacre at Unidac Industries. Given what they already knew about Malcolm’s interest in the company, and the short amount of time they had to stop him, Oliver, Digg and Felicity all knew the Dark Archer had killed the scientists to cover up Malcolm’s tracks.

“So, now he has his device and no one knows what he’s up to.” Oliver muttered when they were gathered in the foundry.

“We know what he’s up to. And we know when he’s gonna make his move.” Digg said.

“He could move the timing up.”

“I don’t think he will. He’s waited twenty years for this, I think he’ll be fine waiting four days.” Felicity said. “Four days where the SCPD will be focused on the massacre, and possibly trying to bring you in for it. Four days where he can operate, in his ideal world, without worrying about you getting in his way.”

“Do you think I should talk to my mom? Try to convince her to do something?”

“You’re gonna hate me for saying this, but no. At least, not yet. Four days isn’t very long, but its enough time for something to go wrong. For him to come up with a plan B. And it gives me time to figure out how to dismantle his stupid doomsday device.” She told him. “Not to mention- never mind.”

“No, what is it?”

“Your mom said she did this to protect her family. To keep Thea and Walter safe. Megan is also her family. I’m not willing to risk our daughter’s safety unless there’s no other option.”

“Speaking of which, I think you both should leave the city.” Oliver said.

“What?”

“When he sets off his device, when the Undertaking starts, I don’t want you or Megan to be anywhere near Starling.”

“I’m not leaving.” She said firmly. “I can’t do that.”

“If you stay, you or Megan could get hurt, or worse.” He said. “I can’t- I can’t lose you, I can’t lose either of you.”

Felicity was about to respond when she got a call from Tommy. He said he needed to talk to her and Oliver, now and was on his way to Verdant. He came storming down the stairs with an angry look on his face.

“Did you know?”

“Did we know what?” Felicity asked.

“About my dad and the Dark Archer, did you know?” He repeated, looking at Oliver. “You know, I thought you not telling me your secret was bad, but this…I can’t believe you, believe either of you.”

“Tommy, we thought they may be working together. We weren’t sure and didn’t want to-.”

“You don’t need to keep lying to me, Ollie. I already know! They aren’t just working together. They’re the same person!”

It was dead silent in the lair. “What?”

“My dad, the Dark Archer, same guy.”

“We didn’t know that.” Felicity said quietly. “How did you-?”

“Wait, you didn’t know? I really thought you- I went to Merlyn Global after hours last night. There was paperwork I needed to fill out for Mom’s charity. I needed to have it completed by tomorrow, just boring stuff-.”

“Tommy? Focus.”

“Right. I saw the Dark Archer walk past my office and head into my father’s. He went into some secret room I didn’t know about. A minute later, my dad walked out of the room.”

“Did he see you?” Oliver asked.

“I don’t know. If he did, he didn’t stop me.”

Oliver couldn’t believe he hadn’t seen it before. The answer had been in front of him the whole time. Both men were shown to be great fighters. Both were involved in the Undertaking. They were the same height and weight. If it had been anyone else, Oliver would’ve made the connection much earlier. He supposed the reason why he didn’t was because he couldn’t imagine Malcolm Merlyn as a murderous archer. Then again, six years ago, he wouldn’t have been able to picture himself as a vigilante.

Oliver was about to say something when Felicity said she found something. “I think I found where he’s keeping the device.”

“Where?”

She gave him the location and he and John took off.

“Do you really think he only made one?” Tommy asked after they left.

“What do you mean?” She responded.

Notes:

Due to personal reasons, there won't be a chapter next week.

Chapter 35

Summary:

Oliver prepares for the worst, Moira makes an unexpected move and Tommy might secretly be a genius.

Chapter Text

Felicity gave Oliver the suspected location of the earthquake device and he and John took off.

“Do you really think he only made one?” Tommy asked after they left.

“What do you mean?” She responded.

“It’s probably nothing. Forget it.”

“No, I don’t think its nothing. You have a suspicion, what is it?” She asked. “I’ve spent maybe five minutes talking to your father in the last five years. You’ve known him a lot longer. If you think he’s gonna do something, something we haven’t guessed, tell me.”

He sighed. “I don’t know for sure but it just- it makes sense that he wouldn’t make just one device. He always bragged that the key to being successful in business is redundancy. If he really wants to destroy the Glades, and he does, then one device-.”

“Might not be enough. He suspects the Hood might find one, but the second one, we might not even be looking. Even without taking Oliver into account, if one failed, the other could make up for it.” She finished. “Tommy, you’re a genius.”

Oliver radioed that he and Digg had reached the location Felicity had given him. “Should I try to dismantle it here or bring it back to the foundry?”

“It doesn’t matter. We have a bigger problem.” She told him reluctantly.

“A bigger problem? The device is right on the other side of this door. If I can get inside and destroy the device-.”

“Tommy thinks Malcolm might’ve had them make more than one device. Destroying the device in that building would be good. Finding and destroying both would be better.” She pointed out.

“The second one could be here as well.”

“Can I?” Tommy asked, gesturing to a spare comm unit on the table. Felicity nodded and he put it in his ear. “Ollie? It’s me. My dad’s an asshole, yes, but he’s a paranoid asshole. A cunning, paranoid asshole. Both devices could be there, but I doubt it, because just like he wouldn’t make one machine, he wouldn’t hide them in the same place.”

“This whole argument is pointless.” Digg said.

“Why?”

“Because while you three were arguing, I went in through the back door. Building’s empty. Machine’s gone.”

“I need to have a more pointed chat with-.” The only person who knew where the Markov device was hidden was Malcolm. Oliver just needed to confront Malcolm and force or trick him into telling him where.

“No, you don’t. Come back here so we can find the second device.” She said. “If we know where they both are, we can destroy both of them. This has been his singular goal for at least five years, if not since his wife died. He’s not gonna tell you what you want to know just because you point an arrow at his face.”

“How else are we supposed to find it then?” Oliver growled.

“I’ve got plenty of more data from his computer to go through. We’ll find it.” She swore.

When Oliver and John made it back to the foundry, the archer was in an even worse mood. After five years, completing his mission was within arms reach, yet it seemed further away than ever. He wanted the Undertaking to stopped, once and for all. He pulled Tommy aside and asked him how he knew there were two devices. Tommy told him exactly what he told Felicity: Malcolm wouldn’t risk his master plan failing by only having one machine.

Now, they needed to figure out where the second one would be used. Felicity went digging back through all of the geological surveys and scientific papers Malcolm had acquired, looking for another ideal location to start a manmade earthquake. She set-up on program to search through all of the documents she hadn’t looked at yet, and created another to, using the data from the geological survey, determine the location where an earthquake would do the most damage.

 

The next morning, with three days left to stop Malcolm, Felicity still hadn’t found anything about a second location. She, Oliver and Digg had a few theories, but they weren’t willing to gamble on thousand of people’s lives over a theory. They kept looking.

Tommy was called into Malcolm’s office that morning. His father told him there’d been a security breach, that someone had hacked into the company’s files, and asked his son if he had something to do with it.

“I don’t know- why would you think I was involved?” Tommy asked. He was trying to keep his cool. Based on his father’s expression, he hadn’t blown everything by seeming suspicious.

“Because you tend not to use your brain very much. You meet a woman, you wanna show off your wealth, so you bring her here. While you’re distracted, she plants a bug.” Malcolm reasoned. “It wouldn’t be the first time corporate espionage was achieved by dangling an attractive woman in front of a man who can’t keep it in his pants.”

“You can check the footage. The only visitors I’ve had in months are lawyers for the foundation and Oliver and Felicity.” He responded. He didn’t even mention that he was with Laurel, and thus wouldn’t take random women anywhere, since he knew if he got angry, something might slip out. “I will admit that we did treat ourselves to some of your $800 scotch when our meeting was over, though.”

 

The next few days were quiet. Almost too quiet in Oliver’s opinion. There were no sightings of the Dark Archer, which shocked him since he expected Malcolm to be tying up more loose ends. Felicity had slowly ruled out spots in the Glades where the second device could be implemented, but she didn’t have a definite location. The SCPD continued to chase their own tails, looking for answers about the Unidac massacre.

 

Finally, the day the Undertaking was supposed to happen came. Having no idea when it would start, Felicity decided not to send Megan to school that day. Oliver tried, once again, to convince her to leave, but she refused.

“Mommy, why aren’t I going to preschool today?” Megan asked her mother.

“I thought we could spend the day together, just you and me.”

“But I like preschool!”

“I know you do. I just wanted to spend today with you.” She reasoned. “I thought you liked having Mommy and Megan days?” Felicity knew what was happening. Kids were very intuitive, more intuitive than most adults thought. Megan had picked up on the fact that something was going on, and she wanted to know what it was. Felicity wanted to give her daughter one normal day before everything went to crap.

“I do!” She insisted. “Can Tiger be part too?”

“Of course.”

Felicity made pancakes for breakfast. After breakfast, they went to the park for a little bit. They then came home and Megan decided she wanted to draw for a little bit. Around noon, she asked if Felicity could read with her. Megan read The Cat in the Hat almost all by herself.

“Wow, your reading is really good.”

“That’s what Ms. Ashley says.” Megan beamed. “She says I read better than the other kids.”

“And how does that make you feel?” Her mother asked. The teacher’s recommendation about Megan skipping kindergarten was fresh in her mind. “Do you feel bored because you finish before them?”

Megan nodded. “I finish, and Ms. Ashley says I need to wait for Billy and Ally, and Becca and Emily and-.”

“So, you finish first and you have to wait for everyone else, and you get bored. Does that make you happy or sad or angry?”

“Why are you asking me this stuff?”

“No reason.” By the sound of things, she should let Megan skip kindergarten, but she was worried about how Megan’s social development would change if she did. She needed to talk to Oliver when this was over.

 

Around 2pm, Thea called Oliver, who was in the foundry, preparing for the night ahead. She told him to turn on the TV saying Moira was holding a press conference. He used one of Felicity’s computers to turn on the news.

“My name is Moira Dearden Queen. I’m the acting CEO of Queen Consolidated, and god forgive me, I have failed this city. For the past five years, under the threat for my life and the lives of my family, I have been complicit in an undertaking with one horrible purpose: to destroy the Glades and everyone in it. I realize that the safety of my family will mean nothing if I let this dreadful act occur. But you need to know that the architect of this nightmare is Malcolm Merlyn. I can prove that he has killed dozens in pursuit of this madness, including Frank Chen and my husband, Robert. Please, if you reside in the Glades, you need to get out now. Your lives and the lives of your family depend on it.”

Chapter 36

Summary:

The Undertaking comes to an end.

Chapter Text

Malcolm saw the press conference, along with everyone else in the city. He saw out of his window that a SWAT team van had arrived and prepared himself for a fight. The officers were pouring into the building when suddenly, the door to his office was ripped open.

“Did Moira lose her mind or-?” Tommy began to ask. “Or are you really trying to destroy the Glades?”

Malcolm turned to face him. “Its true, Tommy. It’s why I closed your mother’s clinic. I didn’t wanna see it levelled.” He said. “And that’s why I was reluctant to let you start the foundation in her name, but allowing it seemed to make you happy. And it wound up being advantageous.”

“What?” He asked.

“There’s something you need to hear.” He said, walking over to his desk. “The night your mother died, she called me. I woke to a voicemail from her. Her final gift to me.” He pressed play, and Tommy was forced to listen to his mother’s last words. “She bled out on the pavement while people passed, and did nothing.”

“So, you’re going to kill thousands of people, because of what happened to her?”

“Yes! They deserve to die! All of them! The way she died!” He shouted.

“And the Gambit? Ollie? Is what Moira said true? Did you kill all of those people?”

“I did what I had to do. Robert wanted to stop me, stop it.” He said. “Oliver wasn’t supposed to be onboard, but waiting wasn’t an option.” He went over to a wall, pressed a button behind a painting and a hidden door opened, revealing a secret room. Malcolm was about to enter it when the SWAT team arrived.

“Freeze! Malcolm Merlyn, you’re under arrest!” One shouted.

Tommy took several steps back before running out of the room. He needed to get out of there. He needed to tell Oliver and Felicity what he found out. As he reached the elevator, he could hear the sounds of a fight. He knew his father would kill the SWAT members sent to arrest him, but he couldn’t stop him and he certainly didn’t want to witness what his father was going to do.

Malcolm killed the last SWAT officer in his office and stepped out into the hallway. There weren’t any others waiting in the wings. He realized, belatedly, that Tommy was gone as well. He couldn’t bring himself to care, as there was nothing Tommy could do.

 

Megan was eating an afternoon snack when Felicity’s phone rang. It was Tommy. “Did you see the news?”

“No, Megan and I were-.”

“Moira held a press conference. She told everyone about the Undertaking. She confessed to being involved and revealed that my father’s behind it.” He said quickly. “And my dad just took out a SWAT team.”

“Tell me you aren’t with him.”

“No, SWAT showed up and I took off, but- he said something, when I went to confront him. Something that seems important.” He said.

“What was it?”

“I need to talk to you and Ollie, at the same time.” He insisted. “Meet me at Verdant.”

“Okay, I just-.”

“Mommy? Who are you talking to?” Megan asked.

Tommy hung up. Felicity then got a text from her mother, saying she’d seen the news and was on a plane to Starling. She’d be landing in two hours. “It was someone from work, baby. How’d you like to spend the night with Grandma Donna?”

The five-year-old jumped in excitement before asking why her grandmother was visiting. Felicity responded by saying Donna had missed her. They picked Donna up at the airport and drove back to Felicity’s house. The blonde then told her mother she needed to leave for a few hours.

“The city’s in the middle of a crisis and you’re leaving?”

“Yes, to go help. There’s gonna be chaos. They might need volunteers, or people to donate blood. I need to go.” She said.

“What aren’t you telling me?” Donna asked.

“Nothing, Mom, I just- how did I not see this? I saw her multiple times a week for the last five years and I didn’t- I missed the signs and now I need to-.”

“This isn’t your fault you know.”

“I know, but trying to help, it’ll make me feel better.” She said before kissing Megan goodbye and running out of the door.

She raced over to the foundry. The Glades had already started to become uneasy, with some people looting while most of the citizens were trying to take as many of their belongings as possible and fleeing. She made it to Verdant without incident and found Oliver, Digg and Tommy already there.

“What did Malcolm tell you?” Felicity asked as she poured over the results of her searches.

“He admitted to being the mastermind, and tampering with the Gambit. Said he knew Oliver was on board, but claimed he couldn’t wait to kill Robert. Also said he closed my mom’s clinic so he wouldn’t see it levelled, and that’s why he was reluctant to let me start the foundation.”

“Okay. Anything else?”

“He said letting me open the foundation turned out to be beneficial in the end.” Tommy said.

“What does that even-?” Oliver started to ask.

“What’s the relationship between Merlyn Global Group and the foundation you started?” Felicity asked.

“They’re a donor and the building the staff use as a main office is owned by Merlyn Global, like how QC technically owns this place.”

“So, he’d have access to the building and no one would think twice about seeing him there.” She concluded.

“I guess not. Why?”

“The office they use, the one in the Glades, what’s the address?”

“18th and Monroe.” He answered. She nodded and kept typing. “It’s on the opposite side of the Glades from where my mom died.”

“It’s near one of the old subway stations and right above the tracks. Making in an ideal place for the second Markov device.” She said. “He had access to the building. It’s in an ideal location, and its one of the places my algorithm spat out for a possible location.”

“Okay. We have two devices, two locations, and nowhere near enough time to dismantle both and take down Malcolm.” Oliver said.

“Not to mention there’s a chance Malcolm has some kind of remote that could trigger the devices.” Digg pointed out.

“I have the plans. I can talk Lance through dismantling them.” Felicity said.

“Both of them? He might not be able to make it from the first location to the second in time.”

“I’ll handle the second one.” Tommy offered.

“That’s not-.”

“You told me you put on that hood to honor your father. The way I see it, destroying the device is the best way I can honor my mother.” He pointed out. “She was killed by a random act of violence, and that doesn’t mean everyone in the Glades deserves to die.”

“You dismantle it and you get out.” Oliver ordered him. “Don’t try to be a hero.”

“No, that’s your job. You look better in leather anyway.” He joked.

Felicity made a call to Lance and told him the Hood needed his help. The detective was a tad reluctant, but she told him she had a way to stop the Undertaking, and lives mattered more than his personal feelings.

Lance and Tommy headed to their respective locations while Oliver and Digg went to deal with Malcolm. The pair made it to Merlyn Global and walked past the dead SWAT officers. Digg then found the false wall and opened the door. Malcolm, dressed as the Dark Archer, was in the room, waiting for them.

“Welcome gentlemen. I’ve been waiting for you. I wanted to see you watch your city die.” He said.

“Where’s the transmitter?” Oliver growled.

“Somewhere I can easily get to it.”

“I doubt it. You’ll be dead.”

John fired at the same time Oliver released an arrow. Somehow, they both Malcolm. He started to retreat before stopping to fire a few arrows himself. He and Oliver fought hand-to-hand for a bit before Malcolm threw a few knives at John, which struck him in the leg, abdomen and shoulder.  He ran off while Oliver stopped to check on Digg.

“Go.”

“What?”

“You need to end this. Go.”

Oliver nodded once before running after Malcolm. He ran up to the roof and opened the door. An arrow barely missed his head and Malcolm lowered his bow slightly.

“So tell me, are you ready to die, Oliver?” He asked.

Oliver didn’t respond but ran towards him. They met halfway and began fighting. Oliver started by trying to shoot him with an arrow, but soon, they wound up fighting hand-to-hand. Oliver was about to get the upperhand, when Malcolm got a lucky hit in and was able to pull Oliver into a chokehold.

“Don’t struggle. It’s over. There was never any doubt of the outcome.” He said. “Don’t worry. Your mother and sister will be joining you in death. Your daughter and Ms. Smoak too.”

Oliver started to pass out, but then he heard Malcolm's threat against Megan. He didn't care if he died, but he couldn't let anything happen to his daughter. Oliver reached for a discarded arrow on the ground. He grabbed it and stabbed it under his arm to hit Malcolm in the chest. They both fell onto the ground.

Oliver slowly got to his feet. “Thank you for teaching me what I’m fighting for.” Malcolm rolled over. “but my father taught me how.” He started to stand up, and Oliver hit him in the face, knocking him back down. He then kicked him in the ribs a few times, as hard as he could, just for good measure. The man had threatened his family after all.

“Oliver, Lance’s device is down and Tommy’s is almost deactivated.” Felicity reported. Tommy had been delayed trying to avoid an angry mob, so he was a few steps behind Lance.

“It’s over.” Oliver told Malcolm.

“I don’t think it is.” Malcolm said before falling over, apparently dead.

“Um, not to be paranoid, but this thing is- its moving.” Tommy said.

“Tommy, get out of there.” Felicity told him. “It’s about to go off.”

“But the Glades-.”

“What you did made the machine a lot less powerful, but we’re out of time.”

“I can still-.”

“If you stay, you’ll probably be killed when the tunnel around you collapses. I don’t wanna tell Megan that he Uncle Tommy got hurt. Get out of there.” She told him. “Now!”

He wanted to argue, but decided to listen to her instead. He ran off and as he exited the building, the ground began to shake. It stopped a few moments later, due to the fact Tommy had removed its preliminary power source, leaving the machine weakened.

“The damage is on the east side, contained past Wells Street.” Felicity said.

“Isn’t Verdant-?”

“It’s standing.” She reported before the signal cut out. “For now at least.” She said to herself.

Tommy heard Wells Street and took off to CNRI. Oliver heard it and was torn between going to the affected area and going to Verdant.

“I’ll get Felicity.” Digg told him.

“What?”

“Quake’s over, but the city still needs a hand. I’ll make sure Felicity’s safe. The club might’ve just lost power.” He said. He went to Verdant while Oliver got on his bike and raced towards the area most damaged by the quake.

 

Just past Wells Street, Laurel was pinned under a piece of debris inside CNRI. She was screaming for help. Suddenly, Tommy ran into the room. “What are you-?”

“I figured you might’ve come back to CNRI.” He answered. He lifted the debris off of her and told her to run, saying he’d be right behind her.

Laurel made it outside right as an aftershock hit. The building’s roof caved in as she made it to safety. Oliver pulled up outside and heard Laurel yelling Tommy’s name. He rushed into the destroyed offices.

“Oliver?” Tommy’s voice called.

He was buried under a pile of rubble, which he started to move off of him. “You’re gonna be fine.”

“Let’s agree to disagree.” He said in between groans. He removed the last piece of debris and saw there was a piece of rebar impaled in Tommy’s abdomen, just below his navel. “Is- is Laurel safe? I tried to get her out of here.”

“Yeah, yeah, you did. You saved her.” Oliver said. “You’re gonna be fine. I’m gonna get you out of here.”

“Stop. I- I’m sorry, about how I reacted, but I was angry and-.” He started to say. “My dad, is he-?”

“Let me get you out of here, then we’ll talk.” He promised. “Sorry, this is gonna hurt.” He prepared to lift Tommy off of the pole. “One, two-.”

“FUCK! What happened to three?” He shouted.

“Two, three, does it matter? It just gives you more time to think about that's about to happen. The pole’s no longer impaling you.” He said.

“I think- I’m gonna need a doctor.” Tommy said before passing out.

Oliver could feel a pulse, but it was very weak. He threw Tommy over his shoulder and ran out of the building. Laurel was out in the street with her father. Oliver rushed over to them and placed Tommy down. “Get him to a hospital.”

“What?”

“There was a piece of rebar that went through his stomach. I couldn’t move him without pulling it out. Take him to the hospital.” Oliver said. “Now! Before he bleeds out.”

“What about you?”

By the time he asked that, Oliver had already rode off.

He went back to Verdant and found it heavily damaged. Felicity and Digg were nowhere to be seen. Oliver went to his back-up lair, the one they didn’t know about, and changed into spare clothes he had stashed there. He put the hood in a duffel bag and went to Felicity’s house. If she wasn’t at Verdant, that was the next place she’d be.

He walked inside and found Felicity and John on the couch with Donna fussing over them. Digg’s wounds looked like they’d been treated and Felicity had a small bandage on her forehead.

“Oh, Oliver. You’re here. Where have you- it doesn’t matter. Are you hurt?” Donna asked him.

“No, but I- I don’t know if Tommy’s gonna be okay. He was- when the quake started, he was- he seemed pretty banged up when the paramedics took him away.”

Oliver said he was tired, which was understandable, and went to bed. Donna stayed for another few days while the city began to recover. The day after Donna went back to Las Vegas, Felicity walked into Oliver’s room and found it empty. The archer was gone, and more upsettingly, he hadn’t said goodbye to anyone.

Chapter 37

Summary:

Oliver gets a visitor in his self-imposed exile and returns to the city he left behind.

Chapter Text

Three months after the Undertaking, Felicity decided enough was enough. Oliver might’ve wanted to spend the rest of his life in Lian Yu, pretending like he’d never left, but she wasn’t going to allow that. His family needed him, Megan needed him. He wasn’t allowed to run away and act like everyone was better off without him.

Yes, people had died during the earthquake. Yes, Tommy was in critical condition for weeks. And yes, Moira Queen was in prison for the Undertaking. None of those facts justified Oliver leaving the city, and his family behind, without saying goodbye or an explanation. How did he think his departure would go? Megan found out he was gone, again, and asked Felicity if him leaving was her fault. The blonde had half a mind to fly to Lian Yu just to punch Oliver in the face for causing their daughter to feel that way.

Needing Oliver back at home where he belonged is how Felicity wound up on an old plane, arguing with Diggle.

“You said the parachute was just in case!”

“Yeah, just in case we made it here.” He yelled. “Time to go.”

“No!”

Digg won that argument and they jumped out of the plane. They landed on the beach and as soon as she was unstrapped from Diggle, Felicity puked. He thanked her for not throwing up while they were in the air, and she sarcastically replied, saying it was her pleasure.

Unsure of where on the island Oliver might be, they walked into the forest. Felicity accidentally stepped on a landmine.

John pulled out a knife and bent down to take a look. “Don’t move. It’s a landmine. I’m gonna try to disarm it.”

“You can’t.” A voice, Oliver’s voice, yelled from the trees. They turned to see him, shirtless, standing on a tree branch behind them. “Diggle, back away. Felicity, don’t move!” He shot an arrow at one of the other trees.

John backed away and Felicity stood there frozen. Oliver swung in like Tarzan and pulled Felicity off of the explosive. Seconds after her foot was removed, the mine went off.

“You’re- you’re really sweaty, and heavy….and shirtless.” Felicity babbled, turning red and trailing off.

Felicity looked up into Oliver’s eyes and, for a long moment, they stared at each other and said nothing. The staring ceased when Felicity noticed something out of the corner of her eye. A massive dark grey wolf was staring at them. It was huge! 34 inches long and probably weighed 235 pounds, with long. shaggy fur and bright amber eyes.

“Um, Oliver? We're being watched.” Felicity said slowly and quietly. She nudged him, hoping he’d look at the giant wolf watching them.

“Guys, don't move.” Digg said as he slowly reached for his gun.

Oliver got off Felicity and helped her up before walking over to the wolf. “Don't worry guys, Wolfsbane is a friend. He won't hurt us, will ya boy?” He said, patting the wolf on the head.

The wolf got up and began to walk towards Felicity. She didn't know what to do as the wolf moved closer, so she stood there, frozen. It walked right up to her and began sniffing her hand and licked it.

“Don't worry. He’s just getting to know you.” Oliver explained reassuringly. “Why are you here?”

“Why am I here? Why am I here?!” She yelled. “Why do you think I’m here?! To bring you home.”

“I-.”

“No. Thea is a mess. Your mom’s in prison. Tommy just got out of intensive care but he's still in the hospital and someone’s trying to take over QC.” She said. “Wait, there’s someone else I forgot to mention. Who could that be?”

“Megan.”

“So, you do remember Megan. Do you remember that you left without even saying goodbye? And I needed to tell her where you went, but I didn’t know. And then- then she asked me if you left because you were mad at her.” Felicity responded. “She asked if you left because you didn’t love her anymore.”

“I- I’m so sorry.”

“I’m not the one you need to apologize to.” She said. “This is over,” she gestured to the forest around them, “you’re packing your things and we’re going back to Starling. The family business needs you and your family needs you.”

She stormed away, back towards the beach. Oliver led Digg towards the wrecked plane he was using for shelter and gathered his things.

 

The trip back to Starling was awkward to say the least. Felicity told Oliver all about Isabel Rochev, the woman who was trying to take over Queen Consolidated. She also shared with Oliver that Megan was going to start first grade soon and she wanted him to be back before that. He asked why she wasn’t going into kindergarten, only to be informed that Felicity wanted to discuss it with him, but he left before she had a chance. He tried once again to apologize, but she shrugged it off. They both knew it would take time for him to be forgiven.

 

They had just stepped into the mansion when they were accosted.

“YOU!!” 

Oliver turned just in time to see Donna Smoak storming towards him, angrier than he'd ever seen her. Even more angry than the first time they'd met. This time she didn't slap him, though. WHAM! She punched him in the face.

“How could you abandon Felicity and Megan again? And after everything that has happened?!”

“I didn't abandon them. I just- I needed time to think, to clear my head.”

“Mom! We aren't the only ones who are having a hard time. The whole city is still recovering and Oliver’s having a very hard time too. Thea is who knows where, his mother is in prison awaiting trial for a crime she tried to stop, someone's trying to take over QC and Tommy is still in the hospital. You can understand why he would want to leave Starling for little bit after all of that.” Felicity said, coming to Oliver's defense and putting a hand on Oliver’s shoulder.

“Daddy?” A voice called from the stairs. They all turned to see Megan at the top of the stairs. “DADDY!” She exclaimed, running down the stairs at top speed and slamming into Oliver in a big bone crushing hug that knocked the air out of him.

“OOF!”

“DADDY WHERE WERE YOU?!  YOU LEFT THEN AUNTIE THEA LEFT AND THOSE MEAN POLICEMEN ARRESTED GRANDMA MORIA AND THEN- THEN MEANIES WHERE SAYING BAD THINGS ABOUT HER AND-!!!” Megan began bawling.

“It's OK, Megan it's OK.” He said, trying to calm the girl down. He picked her up and started wiping her tears away.

“You said wouldn't go away again but you did! And Uncle Tommy is in the hospital with really bad boo-boos and nobody lets me see him or give him a get-well card.” Megan said, calmer but still sniffling. “Where did you go Daddy? You said you wouldn't leave, but you did.”

“Megan, sometimes when bad things happen, people want to be alone because they are upset about what happened. I needed to go and think about some things for a while.” Oliver told her slowly and softly before putting her back down on the ground. “I’m back now and I’m gonna try and make things alright again I promise.”

She hugged him tightly. Just then, Diggle came in with Wolfsbane.

Megan's eyes lit up when she saw the wolf and let out a happy gasp of surprise and began grinning, her sadness completely forgotten.

“DOGGY!” She exclaimed. Donna gasped in shock. Megan began walking towards the wolf. “We got a doggy?”

“MEGAN! Don't go near that wolf.” Her grandmother said.

“Wolfy?”

Donna turned to Oliver. “A WOLF! You got a wolf for a pet?”

“Wolfsbane isn't my pet, he's my companion.” Oliver justified.

As they were talking, Wolfsbane got up without a sound and moved towards Megan. He walked right up to the little girl, staring at her as if trying to familiarize himself with her. He began sniffing her and then started licking her face, causing Megan to giggle.

“Hee hee hee. St- stop, that tickles.”

“He’s just getting to know you, sweetie.” Felicity said.

Then, Megan remembered something. “I have to get something.” She announced before running back upstairs.

“She might be happy you’re back, but I’m not.”

“Mom-.” Felicity started to say.

“Don’t “Mom” me. He left you, again. He left Megan, again. This time, he can’t claim he didn’t know what he was doing or who he was leaving behind.” She said before turning to Oliver. “You can’t run off every time bad things happen. You have a daughter, you have people here who need you. If you can’t handle being there for the people who need you, don’t bother being in their lives.”

“In less than 24 hours, I found out my father had been murdered, my mother was part of a conspiracy to kill thousands and my best friend, Megan’s uncle, was nearly killed because a building fell on top of him.” Oliver responded. “I had no idea what I was supposed to do. I just knew I couldn’t burden Felicity or Megan with my problems, along with everything else.”

 

Just then, Megan came back downstairs with something in her hands, which she put it down in front of Wolfsbane. “I brought Tiger to meet Wolfy.”

The small kitten took one look at the massive wolf and arched her back and started trying to hiss at him.

“Sweetie I think Tiger's a little scared of Wolfsbane.” Felicity said gently.

Wolfsbane leaned down and started sniffing Tiger, who tried to swat the wolf away with her paws.

“Don’t worry, Tiger, he's just trying to smell you.” Megan said.

“Megan, I think Tiger’s scared of Wolfsbane because he so much bigger than her.” Oliver said. “Maybe we should let them meet later.”

Wolfsbane regarded the tiny kitten. She was very small and weak. If anything bigger than a squirrel wanted to hurt her, she wouldn't stand much of a chance. He guessed he'd have to protect her and the lone wolf's female and her pup.

 

“Did you see the news?” Sebastian Blood asked his two partners when he met them for a meeting. “Oliver Queen is back.”

“And?” Isabel Rochev asked, rolling her eyes.

“And you don’t have the shares of QC you need to take over.”

“Yet. I don’t have them yet.” She specified. “And don’t worry about my part, worry about yours.”

“What you both should worry about is what will happen if you continue to waste my time.” The third partner said. “Remember that when I found both of you, you were nothing, which is what I can return you to.”

 Isabel and Blood heard something that made their blood run cold. They could both hear something in the shadows growling at them.

Out of the darkness behind Slade came a large, scar-faced German Shepherd. It was growling warningly at both of them. The dog, Alexander, moved into the light and sat next to Slade, still staring at them.

“Oliver Queen has done nothing except return to the city, yet you’re both acting as if he already has some advantage over us. Don’t call another meeting with me unless you have something actually important to share.”

Chapter 38

Summary:

Felicity and Oliver have a longer discussion about how she feels. Oliver visits Tommy for the first time and meets two new foes.

Notes:

AN: Felicity didn't wait as long as in canon to drag Oliver home. The Undertaking was May 2013, she brought him home in August 2013, instead of October. As a result, a few things are a little bit different.

Chapter Text

After Wolfsbane met Tiger, and the excitement of Oliver being home calmed down, Donna left. She was still furious with Oliver and decided she didn’t want to be around him right now. She was also angry at Felicity for forgiving him so easily.

When Donna was gone, Felicity suggested that Megan go play in the living room while she and Oliver talked. She didn’t see any reason to argue, so she picked up Tiger and yelled for the wolf to follow her into the living room. Wolfsbane laid down a few feet away from the little girl and observed. Megan got out some crayons and began coloring.

“Thank you, for what you said to your moth-.”

“Don’t thank me just yet.” Felicity cut him off. “Because I’m pissed. I’m furious. If you think what you heard on the island is the end of my telling you off, you’ve got another thing coming. I just knew that Megan was going to come downstairs soon enough and didn’t want her to walk in on me yelling. It wasn’t the right time for me to tell you how I really feel.”

“How- how do you really feel?”

“You left. I’m angry. You left without telling me, or even saying goodbye. How do you think that felt?” She asked. “Even worse, you didn’t even leave to clear your head, did you? Because it didn’t seem like you were planning on coming back. Were you going to come back? Or were you just going to leave and act like the last year didn’t happen? Like you didn’t have people who’d be worried about you? Like your family was better off without you?”

“Of course I was going to come back.”

“When? A year? Five? Ten? After our daughter got used to you being gone? After I moved on? When?”

“I don’t know.” He admitted. “Are we- did you move on? Find someone else?”

“Uh-uh. We are not talking about our relationship right now. There’s a lot of other, bigger things we need to talk about before we go near that subject.” She said. “Like why I should believe what you’re saying, and how exactly are you going to make this up to Megan? Because she’s happy you’re back but deep down, she’s also scared you’ll leave again.”

“Daddy look!” Megan yelled from her spot on the couch. “Tiger and Wolfy are friends already!”

He walked to where she was sitting and saw that Wolfsbane was lying down with Tiger curled up on top of him. The wolf was awake but didn’t seem to mind the kitten sleeping on him.

“I’m glad they’re getting along.” He said. “What are you drawing?”

“I don’t know.” She shrugged. “I missed you lots.”’

“I missed you too. Every day.” He told her.

“If you missed me, why did you go away?”

“I was sad. I was sad and I didn’t want to make you and Mommy sad.” He explained.

“But we were sad! Because you went away. Mommy didn’t want me to know, but sometimes I heard her sniffling after I went to bed. You didn’t wanna make us sad, but you made us sad anyway.”

“I know. And I’m sorry.” He said.

Megan didn’t say anything but kept coloring. Oliver sat there in silence as well. “If I make a get well card for Uncle Tommy, will you give it to him when you see him?”

“I don’t kn- of course.” He told her. She looked up at him with such big, sad eyes that he couldn’t say no. “Come here.”

“Why?”

“Because when I was away, I missed your hugs more than anything in the world.” He said, holding his arms open.

“Really?”

“Really.” He told her. She put her crayon down and hugged her father.

Megan finished her get well card for Tommy, which Oliver promised to bring to him. Hearing Tommy mentioned reminded him that he should go visit his friend. He wondered how he felt about Oliver leaving and everything else that was going on.

 

Oliver walked into Starling General and hoped no one would recognize him. So far, no one besides his family knew he was back in town and he wanted to enjoy the peace while it lasted. Felicity had texted him the room number while he was driving into town and now, he was just finding the right one. He finally spotted the number he was looking for and knocked on the open door.

Tommy was reading a book and didn’t look up at first. “It can’t already be time for- Ollie?” Tommy looked tired. He wasn't visibly covered in injuries like he once was, but it was clear the last few months hadn't been easy. He was sporting a thick beard, most likely because he'd been too focused on recovery to shave.

“Hey. How are you….feeling?”

“Like someone dropped a building on me.” He joked. Then, Oliver’s frown deepened. “Sorry, bad joke. It’s not your fault, you know.”

“Yes it was. I was supposed to prevent this, and I didn’t.”

“No, it wasn’t. It was Malcolm’s. And I know you’re gonna argue, but I’m not listening to that. Megan gets her stubbornness from you, you know.” He said. “Speaking of my favorite preschooler, how is she?”

“Good. She made you this. Also, she'd point out that she's not a preschooler anymore, she's about to start first grade.” He said, handing Tommy the card Megan made for him. Tommy wasn’t exactly sure what the picture on the front was supposed to be, but he smiled when he opened it to see “Get Better Soon, Uncle Tommy” in her childish handwriting. “She pouted when I said I was going to visit you but Felicity said she couldn’t come.”

“Yeah, she’s worried Megan seeing me like this is gona make her more upset or have nightmares.” He said. “So, are you back now? For real?”

“Yeah. I probably shouldn’t have left in the first place.”

“No, you shouldn’t have. And you shouldn’t have left without telling anyone goodbye either.” He said. “But are you back just for Megan and Felicity, or also because of the Hoods?”

“The Ho- what are you talking about?”

“Oh, you don’t know. Felicity didn’t tell you. You’ve got some fans who wanna finish what you started. By going after rich people they blame for the state of the city, and the Undertaking. SCPD’s got no leads and without a vigilante in green running around...” He said. “And look, I’m not gonna tell you you have to get back out there, but people are getting hurt.”

Oliver wasn’t sure what else to say, so he asked Tommy how his recovery was going.

“Oh, look who’s back in town.” Laurel said as she walked into Tommy’s room.

“Laurel-.” Tommy started to say.

“No. The Undertaking happened, you were hurt, his mother got arrested and he ran away.” She said. “People needed him here and he left.”

“I needed time to process. I’d just discovered that my mom was part of some conspiracy to kill hundreds of people. What exactly was I supposed to-?” Oliver said. “I can’t change what I did, how I reacted.”

“You weren’t the only one who needed to process things.” She pointed out. “Tommy had to heal and deal with all of those problems too.”

“Laurel, that’s- he did what he thought was best. I’m not mad. And he’s back now. That’s what matters.” He said. “Let’s talk about literally anything else.”

Oliver stayed for a little while longer before Tommy had to head to physical therapy. During their conversation, he learned that Laurel was now working at the DA’s office. He also learned that his mother’s trial was set for a few months. He left the room and was heading out of the hospital when someone shouted his name. The yell was heard by others who started to make their way towards Oliver. Based on their posture, they were not happy to see him.

At home, he pulled Felicity and Digg aside and told them, implicitly, that he wasn’t interested in being the Hood anymore.

 

That night, at a benefit event for the Glades, the Hoods attacked and killed the mayor. The vigilantes returned to their hideout, only to find their murdering the mayor was overshadowed by Oliver Queen being spotted a few hours earlier. Looking at one another, they decided who their next target would be.

 

The next morning, Felicity and Oliver drove to QC. Today, he was meeting the woman trying to take over Queen Consolidated for the first time. Isabel, and a few others, were already waiting in the conference room.

“Isabel. Rochev.” The brunette said, offering her hand to shake.

“Oliver Queen. Sorry I’m late.”

“To this meeting or a career in business?”

“I didn’t realize hostile takeovers were filled with so much hostility.” He remarked, taking a seat.

“Not at all. I’m actually in a good mood.”

“Destroying companies agrees with you?”

“Winning agrees with me.”

“You haven’t won yet.”

She smiled for a moment, before speaking again. “Since you majored in dropping out of college, let me put this in terms you’ll understand. You control 45% of Queen Consolidated stock. I control around 30%, leaving about 25% outstanding. Over the next few weeks, the board will release the final twenty-five percent-.”

“And I’ll buy it before you do.”

“With what money? I doubt your trust fund is that large and no angel investor will go near the company that built the machine that destroyed half the city. Companies rise and fall, Mr. Queen. Your company has fallen.”

Before he could respond, four men in black masks stormed into the conference room. “Oliver Queen, you have failed this city.”

They opened fire just as Oliver and the others ducked for cover. Digg laid down cover fire in order to give Oliver time to get Isabel and the others to safety. One of the Hoods tried to stop Oliver, but Felicity hit him over the head with a broken chair leg. She just stood there staring at him until Oliver pulled her in the opposite direction. One of the gunmen started firing, forcing the pair to jump out of the window. They crashed into an office six floors below them. As soon as they landed, Felicity got up from the floor and started running.

“Where are you going?”

“To see where they went!” She said. She knew they’d be out of the building by now, but was hoping she could track them on surveillance cameras or something.

Up in Oliver’s office, she spoke with Lance about the Hood. The newly demoted officer was wondering when the Hood was going to show up and she stated she was wondering the same thing. Oliver approached Isabel and apologized for the attack, who responded with the snide comment about how it was only his building for the moment.

The police left and Oliver was face-to-face with an angry Felicity.

“What?”

“Why didn’t you stop them? You could’ve taken them down easily.”

“Not without giving Isabel Rochev and the fake Hoods a pretty good idea of what I’m capable of.” He defended.

“And? I know, you don’t think you can put the hood back on. Why does that all of a sudden mean you won’t at least defend yourself?”

“Is there a reason you seemed to be avoiding taking those Hoods on?” Digg asked.

“I didn’t come back to Starling City to be the vigilante.” He said.

“Except they didn’t come after the vigilante, they came after you. And you could’ve taken them out. And since they weren’t stopped, they could try again.” Felicity argued. “I know, Tommy didn’t react well to learning the truth. I know, you think you failed your father. But sticking your head in the sand, or running back to Lian Yu, its not gonna make anything any better.” Oliver didn’t respond but put his jacket on. “Where are you going?”

“I can’t think of a way to stop Isabel, so I’m gonna talk to someone who might.” He said.

 

Seeing his mother in prison wasn’t easy, he was still incredibly angry about the Undertaking and the part she played in it. Still, he needed to focus on his family and the family business. He told her what was going on with QC, and Moira, after warning him not to trust Isabel, cryptically reminded Oliver that he still had some friends, and he had family. Oliver was pondering what that meant when he got a frantic call from Roy. The Hoods had attacked Verdant looking for Oliver, but found Thea instead and kidnapped her.

Learning his sister was in trouble kicked Oliver out of his funk. Together, he and Felicity figured out the identity of one of the Hoods and learned where they met. Going to the location of the support group, they found the four vigilantes standing around, debating what to do about Thea. One wanted to kill her, for being a Queen. Another wanted to hold her for ransom, while the other two were undecided. While they were arguing, Oliver snuck in and took them down. He left all four tied up for Lance to find before cutting Thea loose and telling her to get to safety.

Back at the lair, Oliver acknowledged that the city still needed him. He did have one request though. “I don’t want to be the Hood anymore. I need to be- I don’t want this to be about crossing names off of a list or getting revenge.”

“Okay, so you aren’t the Hood. What codename do you want?” Digg asked.

He looked at the arrow in his hand.

Chapter 39

Summary:

Thea decides to pay someone a visit and Oliver gets to win for once.

Chapter Text

After Thea was saved from the would-be Hoods, she went to Verdant to show Roy that she was okay and tell him to close the club for the night. She was too exhausted from her kidnapping to even think about running the club that night.

Thea got into her car and started driving. She didn’t really know where she was headed, but soon found herself pulling up outside of the mansion. She let herself in and began wandering around. The house was so big, and so quiet. She couldn’t believe this had once been her home.

She turned the corner and collided with Felicity. “Between you and your brother, one of you is gonna give me a heart attack.”

“Sorry, I- I didn’t expect anyone to be awake.” The brunette said.

“I was checking on Megan.” She said. “Roy called and told us you’d been found. I’m glad you’re okay. You are okay, right?”

“I’m a little shaken but- yeah.” She said. “I got into my car and somehow wound up here. I can’t- this place doesn’t feel like home anymore.”

“That’s not shocking. not after the last few months.” Felicity said. “Still, it’s good to see you. Megan’s missed you.”

Thea sighed. “I meant to visit, it’s just- I couldn’t bring myself to be back here.”

Felicity and Megan had moved into Queen Mansion after the blonde had gotten some threatening mail. Some citizens weren’t satisfied by Moira’s arrest and she was worried about her and her daughter’s safety. As much as she disliked living in the mansion, it was safer than her old townhouse.

“You needed time, and unlike your brother, you didn’t actually leave the city.” She said. “It’s late. You should spend the night. Megan will be happy to see you in the morning.” Felicity walked into the bedroom across from Megan’s and closed the door.

Thea continued down the hallway. She was tired, but at the same time, she was still full of adrenaline and knew if she tried to get some sleep, none would come. She walked around the house for a little longer, and was surprised to find Oliver awake in their father’s office.

“What are you doing up?” She asked him.

“Looking for a way to keep Queen Consolidated from going under.” He sighed.

“What?”

“It- it doesn’t matter right now. Let’s talk about you.”

“Let’s not.” She countered. “I can’t believe her.” She didn’t need to specify who she was talking about.

“Me neither, but she’s our mother.”

“Our mother, who knew something was going to happen and waited until the last second to do anything about it. She- people are dead because she didn’t do anything.”

“She didn’t think she had a choice.”

Thea stopped and looked at her brother. “She was going to destroy the Glades. People are dead, Tommy’s still in the hospital because of her. Why are you defending her?”

“I’m not, I’m- I’ve got no clue. I think I wanna understand, but I can’t. The more I think about it, the less sense it makes.” He answered. “I love Megan, I’d do anything to protect her, but I don’t think I could ever justify what she did, even if I believed staying silent would’ve protected her.”

Thea didn’t respond and sat in silence with Oliver for a while. She sent Roy a text telling him she was going to spend the night with her family. She wound up falling asleep on the couch in Robert’s office. Oliver put a blanket over her before heading upstairs to his own bed.

 

“Daddy, why can’t I see Grandma?” Megan asked Oliver over breakfast the next morning.

“Grandma’s in jail and that’s not somewhere you can go.” He answered. He didn’t know the visitation rules, but he knew he didn’t want to bring Megan to Iron Heights to see Moira.

“But I miss her.”

“I know you do, sweetie.” He said. “But jail isn’t a nice place, and I don’t think Grandma would want you to go there to see here.”

“Grandma doesn’t want me to visit? Does she not like me anymore?” She asked.

Oliver froze. If he said Moira still loved Megan, she’d ask why she couldn’t visit. This would lead to another round of the same conversation, which would end in the exact same place that they were now.

“Grandma loves you.” Felicity said, entering the room. She’d overheard the conversation. “She loves you, but you’re too young to visit her. You need to be a little older, okay?” Felicity hated lying to Megan, but she refused to bring her daughter to Iron Heights and she thought the girl was too young to see it anyway. “But if you make her a card or write her a letter, I’m sure Daddy would be happy to give it to her.”

“I don’t know what to write.” She admitted.

“We’ll figure it out together.” Her mother said. “Are you excited for school to start next week?”

“Uh-huh. But I’m gonna miss Ally and Billy. Why can’t I go to school with them?”

“You’ll still be at school with them, just not in the same class. We talked about this, remember? The teachers know you’re good at reading and writing and counting and they don’t want you to be bored.”

“But they’re my friends!”

“And they’ll still be your friends, even if you don’t have classes with them.” Felicity said calmly. She’d been in the same situation when she skipped grades and understood how it felt.

“I don’t wanna be in a different class, I-.”

“What’s all of the commotion?” Thea asked, walking into the kitchen.

“Auntie Thea!” Megan yelled as she ran over to hug her. “I missed you!”

“I missed you too.” She said, hugging the girl tightly. She’d seen Megan since the Undertaking, but it had been a few weeks. “I missed out sleepovers.”

“Me too! Mommy said we could have one, but its not the same.”

“Mommy doesn’t let you eat as much candy as I do, huh?” She said with a smile. “I’m sorry I haven’t visited in-.” Thea stopped talking when she noticed she was being watched by a large dog. “What’s that?”

“Wolfy. Daddy came home with him. He and Tiger are best friends.” Megan explained excitedly as she told Thea all about the wolf Oliver had returned from Lian Yu with. “He’s our new pet.”

“He’s not a pet, he’s….I met Wolfsbane when I was away. When I came back, he didn’t want me to leave.” Oliver said.

“So, you brought a wild animal home to Starling? Where your family is?”

“He’s a wild animal, but he’s not- he’s not dangerous.”

Wolfsbane had watched Thea and Megan interact for a few moments before the brunette noticed him. He decided that she was not a threat and didn’t approach her. The wolf let Thea study him, no doubt she was determining if he was a threat to the lone wolf, his mate or their pup. Wolfsbane had befriended Oliver in the forest and realized he was a lone wolf. After meeting Felicity and Megan, the wolf decided they were part of his pack and it was apparent that Felicity was Oliver’s mate and that Megan was their pup. He wasn’t sure how to categorize the kitten just yet, but she was part of the pack too. Even if Tiger thought she was tough enough to beat him. Wolfsbane stayed where he was sitting and watched Thea, Felicity, Megan and Oliver eat breakfast.

“What’s the deal with QC anyway?” Thea asked, remembering Oliver saying something about it last night.

“Someone’s trying to buy the majority stake in the company to take over. If she succeeds, she’ll gut the company completely and leave thousands of people jobless.” He said.

“Including me.” Felicity piped up.

“That’s not going to happen.”

“You own 45% of the stock, in order to have a majority, you need 51%. And we don’t have the money to purchase 6% of the stock we’d need to keep her at bay. Isabel Rochev, on the other hand, has 30% and a company behind her with the funds to buy the remaining 25%.”

“We have time to find a solution.” He said.

“Why not just ask Walter or Tommy?” Thea suggested.

“What?”

“Walter’s the CFO of Starling National Bank now. Can’t they, like, invest money in you to buy stock in the company or something? Or Tommy could buy some shares using the money he got from his mom. I don’t know, something like that.” She said. She looked at her phone and saw the time. “I need to go meet a vendor. Megan, do you wanna have a sleepover tomorrow night?”

“Can I, Mommy?” Megan asked Felicity.

“Of course.”

Thea left the mansion and Oliver went back to his father’s study to think about what Thea had said. He made a few phone calls.

 

The following day, Oliver went to meeting at Queen Consolidated. Once again, he was meeting with Isabel Rochev who was trying to convince him not to fight the inevitable and let her buy the remaining stock in Queen Consolidated.

“I purchased an additional 5% of the stock after our last meeting. Another 10% will be released today.” She said. “And when the last 10% is released, I’ll buy that too. Meaning I will control your company.”

“No, you won’t.”

“You don’t have the money to buy any remaining stock, no one wants to go near your company and any attempt to fight me will lead to litigation, leaving you penniless. Stand down, you’ve lost.”

“You’re wrong.” He said. “The board isn’t going to release 10% today, it released it about five minutes ago. And I found someone willing to invest new equity capital, allowing me to purchase most of the released stock. Meaning I now own over 50% of Queen Consolidated stock and regardless of how much more you purchase, I’m the majority shareholder.”

“An angel investor? You don’t have that good of a friend.”

“I never said he was a friend.”

Walter, and Starling National Bank, agreed to provide Oliver with rescue financing to keep the family business a family business. Tommy pitched in some too, to avoid there being a 50/50 split when the rest of the stock was released.

With Oliver owning the majority of the stock, the only remaining move Isabel had was to convince the board to make her the CEO, even though she wasn’t the majority shareholder. She’d charmed some of the board members, but not enough to easily win the argument. She was an outsider, she didn’t live in Starling, she didn’t understand the city the way Oliver did. A few board members knew her from earlier in her career and didn’t feel she was the right fit. After a lot of debate, the board agreed to co-CEOs reasoning that it was what was best for the company.

 

“Told you that you’d fail.” Blood told Isabel when he saw her that night. Oliver wasn’t supposed to come back until right before Isabel managed to get control of the company. Instead, he returned while he still had the upperhand and managed to steal the company, which was vital to their vision, from under them.

“Did I? If he’s anything like his father, which he clearly is, manipulating him shouldn’t be that difficult.” She countered. Once again, she was wondering why they were even working with Blood.

“She may not have majority control, but she is still CEO. That is enough for our plans to progress as anticipated.” Slade said. “Barely. I expect this near-failure will not happen again.” Alexander looked up from where he was laying by Slade’s feet and growled at her for good measure.

“Of course not.” She said.

Chapter 40

Summary:

Oliver visits Tommy and meets a new adversary, Megan has fun at the park and the Arrow tries to stop the Triad from stealing drugs.

Chapter Text

After Oliver had his meeting with Isabel where he revealed he’d bought the necessary stock to keep her from taking over Queen Consolidated, he decided to head to the hospital to visit Tommy. He’d only visited once so far and knew that one visit wasn’t enough for him or his best friend to get everything off of their chests. He greeted Tommy when he entered the room and they talked about small things for a little while until Oliver asked something he’d been curious about since his first visit.

“When are you getting out of here?”

“Next few days, or so my doctor says. I hope she’s right. I’m tired of looking at the same four walls.”

“I’m so-.”

“If you apologize again, I’m gonna throw something at you.” Tommy cut him off. “Will it hit you? Probably not, but it’s the thought that counts.” He paused. “They were able to fix all of the damage that that metal rod did to my intestines. I was lucky and got to keep my kidney. And I’ve got one more occupational therapy session left. All in all, I’m fine Ollie.”

“You’ve been in the hospital for three months.”

“Laurel was safe. The Glades weren’t completely destroyed. It was worth it.” He shrugged. “How’d your meeting with the Wicked Witch go?”

“Wicked Witch?”

“That’s how Felicity described Isabel Rochev last time she called. I think Megan might’ve been in the room, because she usually uses stronger language.” He said. “Answer the question.”

“Thanks to you and Walter, I now own 53% of the stock in QC. Something Ms. Rochev wasn’t happy about.”

“Of course not. She lost. No one likes losing, especially corporate executives.” He said. “One time, I remember my dad- it doesn’t matter.” He sighed. “Rochev, why does that name sound familiar to me? I feel like I know it from somewhere.”

“Me too. I just can’t- I can’t put my finger on it.” He said. “I’ll talk to Felicity about maybe visiting tomorrow with Megan. You want us to bring you anything?”

“Well, I’d kill for a drink.”

“Sorry, Mr. Merlyn.” A nurse said, walking into the room. “Hospital’s a dry establishment. No alcohol allowed.”

“Not even for me, Shelly?” He asked jokingly. “See Ollie? This place is no fun.”

“It’s a hospital. You aren’t supposed to have fun here.” Oliver pointed out. “Nice to see you haven’t lost your sense of humor.”

He left the hospital room and headed towards the hospital entrance. There were a group of people with signs standing together near the main entrance to the hospital. Trying to avoid being spotted, he began to skirt around the crowd. A man with a megaphone was speaking and he caught part of what the man said.

“-getting the best medical care available, while the one hospital in the Glades doesn’t even have enough supplies. Why should the son of the man who destroyed the Glades get better care than the dozens his father injured or left homeless?” The man said. “It’s just another example of the city’s elite- Oliver Queen?”

Oliver had made it most of the way to his car when the man recognized him and announced to the group he was talking to that Oliver was here. The group started yelling and making their way towards where Digg had parked. Most of the crowd were yelling out the number of the dead and wounded during the Undertaking. The man with the megaphone, however, took a different approach.

“What’s wrong? You don’t wanna face the people whose lives were destroyed when your family built an earthquake device? You wanna go back to your mansion and pretend like the rest of us don’t exist?” Sebastian Blood wasn't going to turn down a chance to rile up the crowd in front of him, especially at the Queen family's expense.

By this point, Oliver was in the car and Diggle drove away. He asked John who the man with the megaphone was and what he meant by the one hospital in the Glades not having enough supplies. Digg answered saying that the last few shipments of medical supplies from FEMA had been hijacked by an unknown group. The hospital wouldn’t be able to stay open much longer if the bandits weren’t stopped. Oliver called Felicity and told her what was going on. She said she was going to look into how the thieves knew when and where to find the trucks.

That night, Oliver nearly managed to stop the robbery of another FEMA truck, but while he was chasing down the Triad members stealing it, Roy showed up and tried to stop them as well. He was forced to choose between catching the Triad or making sure Roy wasn’t arrested. With the SCPD closing him, he pulled Roy out of his crashed car and disappeared into the night.

“You shouldn’t be doing this.”

“Someone has to.”

“If you keep doing this, you’re going to get yourself killed.” He said.

“The Glades were bad enough before the earthquake and you leaving. Things have only gotten worse.” Roy said. “You aren’t the only one who wants to do what’s right.”

Oliver sighed. This clearly wasn’t working. “I see you out here, again, I’ll just let the SCPD arrest you.”

 

The next morning, after a pancake breakfast, Megan asked if Oliver and Felicity would take her to the park. The yard at the mansion was big, but she wanted to play with other kids and the mansion didn’t have a playground either.

“And Wolfy can come and run around!” She added, hoping it made her argument better.

“I don’t know if Wolfsbane will want to come, but if he doesn’t, we’ll still go, okay?” Oliver answered. In order to take the wolf to the park, he needed to be wearing a leash. Oliver wasn’t sure the wolf would react well to something like that. Megan excitedly rushed upstairs to change while Oliver tried to figure out if it was even worth trying to bring Wolfsbane with them.

“It’s worth a shot.” Felicity said.

“He’s a wolf. People won’t- we can’t just bring a wolf to the park.”

“People are dumb. We can tell them Wolfsbane is some off-shoot of a Husky and that Megan calls him “Wolfy” because Huskies look like wolves. He’s pretty well-behaved, so I don’t think we’re gonna have a problem.”

Megan came downstairs and excitedly told the wolf they were going to the park. The wolf allowed Oliver to put a collar and a leash on him, since it meant he wasn’t being left behind.

They arrived at the park and Megan immediately ran over to the swing set.

Oliver saw her run up to another little girl and say hi. They talked for a few moments before a little boy walked over to them as well. He frowned, seeing that it was Billy, the boy from her preschool. She said hi to him before walking over to where her parents were.

“Can I take Wolfy to meet Ally and Billy? Please, please, please?”

Felicity agreed and walked over to where the two other children were. She handed Megan the leash and told her to hold onto it really tight so that Wolfsbane didn’t run off. She also stayed nearby just in case they needed a grown-up.

Oliver stayed on the bench he was sitting on and watched his daughter interact with her friends. The two kids pet the wolf very gently and were talking with her animatedly about the animal. It didn’t escape Oliver’s attention that Wolfsbane kept putting himself between Megan and Billy. He didn’t growl at the little boy, but every time he tried to get closer to Megan, Wolfsbane moved so that he couldn’t.

“Good boy.” He said to himself.

After a few minutes, the novelty of the wolf wore off and the kids decided that they wanted to play on the jungle gym. Felicity took Wolfsbane back over to where Oliver was sitting.

“Good boy. Very good boy. Keeping that kid away from Megan.” He said as he pat the wolf’s head.

“Seriously Oliver?” Felicity asked.

“When I said Megan couldn’t date until she was 30, I meant it.” He defended. While they watched Megan play, Felicity looked into the FEMA shipments and figured out when the next one was coming in.

 

Without Roy in the way, Oliver was able to catch the Triad the night of the next shipment. Chien Na Wei hadn’t come alone to steal the truck, but thanks to some new arrow designs he’d created, he was able to restrain both her and her accomplice, Bronze Tiger, just in time for the police to arrive. They claimed credit for the arrest, but several news outlets reported that the Arrow was believed to be involved.

With the supplies now safe from bandits, Oliver returned to Verdant and waited in the alley for Roy. The younger man would come out eventually to throw trash in the dumpster.

“I can’t train you, but you can help me.” He said when Roy entered the alley. “Not by taking on the Triad or the cops.”

“How then?”

“To do what I do, I need intel. You can be my eyes and ears in the Glades.” He handed him a fletchette. “When you have information for me, stick that in the wall and I’ll know to contact you.”

“What do-? And he’s gone.” Roy remarked.

Chapter 41

Summary:

Oliver searches for a new player in town, Lance gets a blast from the past and Megan decides what her future career is going to be.

Chapter Text

The night after Oliver asked Roy to be his eyes and ears in the Glades, Roy was taking some trash out to Verdant’s dumpster when he turned to see the Arrow standing there.

“What are you doing here?”

“I need you to find someone for me.” Oliver said. “A blonde woman in black leather.” He walked away before Roy had a chance to ask him any questions.

 

Oliver had learned, through word of mouth, that there was a blonde vigilante in the Glades. He asked Felicity to look into it, but also wanted Roy to help him locate her. After talking to Roy, Oliver went into the foundry to find out what Felicity had uncovered about the mystery woman. The woman in black had been active, but under the radar, for a while and was mostly targeting men preying on women. She joked that maybe they should be recruiting her.

“That’s not-.”

“She put five would-be rapists in the hospital.” Felicity pointed out. “This doesn’t sound like another “the Hoods” situation. She’s actually helping people.”

“Starling doesn’t need another vigilante.” He responded before walking off.

“Even if what she’s doing is objectively good?” She challenged. “She’s not seeking people out, she’s just dealing with trouble when she runs into it.”

 

Quentin Lance got out of his patrol car and looked around warily. There had been a call over the radio, asking for all available officers to come to the location. He walked towards the dingy warehouse, wondering what had happened. He was about to enter the building when someone stopped him.

“You shouldn’t be here Quentin.” Lucas Hilton, his old partner, said.

“Dispatch said all available officers-.”

“Anyone but you.”

“What’s so bad about me?” Lance asked. Something very fishy was going on and he wanted to know why.

“You can’t be involved in this and that’s all-.” Hilton started to say but Lance shifted his weight to glance behind him and saw a dead woman, dressed and posed like a Victorian doll.

“He’s back?!” Lance yelled. This could only be the work of one man, the Dollmaker, who was supposed to be in prison. How was it that no one knew about a serial killer escaping prison?

“Quentin, the order came down from the brass. You can’t be involved in this. You need to go.”

“No one knows this guy like-.”

“We caught him once, we’ll catch him again.” Hilton said. “Pike was clear. You go anywhere near this, you’ll be arrested for obstruction”

Lance, begrudgingly, got back into his cruiser and drove away.

 

Oliver and Diggle were sparring in the foundry when Felicity’s “Arrow Phone” rang. Only one person had the number. “Hi Detective.” She said. “Yeah, I think I’ll be able to get in touch with him.” She hung up. “You need to go. Lance- he says there’s something he really needs our help with.”

“Are you-?”

“He sounded desperate for help. And said we were his last option.” She said. “And if it is a trap, I’m sure you’ll be able to find a way out.”

Oliver met Lance on the rooftop next to the SCPD. He gave them his file about Barton Mathis, aka the Dollmaker, and told him about his killing spree six years earlier. He mentioned he was still skeptical that the vigilantes actually wanted to help the city, but was willing to be convinced. Oliver took the file and left, letting him know they’d be in touch.

Back at the foundry, Felicity tried to hack into the SCPD’s crime lab, only to find that they’d taken their system off-line due to being hacked numerous times in the last year. Oliver called Lance and said the only way to stop Mathis was to break into the crime lab so that his hacker could look at the lab reports on the most recent victim. The officer begrudgingly agreed to help him break in.

While looking through the toxicology reports, Lance recognized a chemical which led to them figuring out that all of the victims used the same skin cream and that’s how he was picking his victims.

 

“I’ve got good news and bad news.” Felicity said once they realized the connection between the Dollmaker’s victims.

“Which would be?”

“Only four stores in Starling sell the product. Bad news is three have security cameras and none of them have spotted Mathis. He must be lying in wait for them or something.”

“We can’t just stake them out and hope-.”

“We’re not going to.” She cut in. “I’ll pose as a customer and go to each store.”

“I can’t just let you-.” Oliver argued.

“No one “lets” me do anything.” She said. “I’m offering.”

Lance then spoke up, not wanting anything to happen to Felicity either. “No, there’s a few detectives who owe me a favor. I can ask one of them-.”

“That’s going to take longer to set-up than we have. The longer we sit here and argue, the more women he’s gonna kill. We don’t have time to debate. Besides, you guys are gonna have my back.”

Seeing no other option, Lance and Oliver agreed to Felicity’s plan. She went to the first three stores and bought the skin cream without any problem. For each store, Digg would park in plain view of the store, Oliver waited on an adjacent rooftop and Lance blocked the escape route. It had her feel safe, for the most part. She was reaching the last store when she started to feel uneasy.

“Next time I offer to be bait for a serial killer, please turn me down.”

“I tried, you wouldn’t listen.” Oliver told her.

“Argue harder next time.”

Felicity entered the store, she bought the cream. She was walking towards her car, about to comment how the whole charade was a bust when she bumped into someone. The person grabbed her arm and tried to pull her into a nearby alley. It was Mathis. Oliver swooped down from the rooftop and fired an arrow at the Dollmaker, which made him let go of Felicity. He turned to run and Quentin chased after him, while radioing for back-up.

Mathis got away by running into a nearby crowd, and when Lance’s back-up arrived, they arrested him for interfering with the investigation when he’d been warned not to. With Lance in trouble, Oliver, Felicity and Digg went back to the foundry to try and stop Mathis on their own.

 

“So, it looks like we’re on our own tonight.” Oliver said casually to Felicity as they drove back to the mansion. “Megan’s having her sleepover with Thea.”

“I know. She spent most of the day telling me how excited she was that they were finally having another sleepover.” She said with a smile. “Things are- it’s almost like things are back to normal. Why do you bring it up?”

“I was thinking that you and I could…..talk. About us.” He said, not looking directly at her. “We kinda left things unresolved.”

“You left without saying goodbye and ran about as far as you could from me and everyone else.”

“And since I came back, we haven’t talked about where we stand. If we’re even still together.”

“Do you not want to be?” She asked, parking the car and getting out. “Because I thought we were okay, we were on the same page and then I walked into your room one day and you were gone. You didn’t tell anyone you were leaving, you didn’t even say goodbye to me, or Megan. Do you have any idea what that feels like? Because it felt a lot like you saying, but not really saying, you wanted us to be done.”

“I didn’t- I don’t- I didn’t know how to deal with what had happened, how badly I’d failed. And I couldn’t- staying here at the time, I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I guess I convinced myself leaving, to figure things out, was better for everyone.” He said. “But I- I wasn’t leaving you, not in my head at least. I was….I don’t know how to really explain it. If this means we’re done, and you completely hate me, I can’t fault you for that.”

She rolled her eyes. “You’re such an idiot. I don’t hate you. I’m mad and I’m hurt. I’ve got…issues when it comes to being abandoned, okay? But it doesn’t- I still have feelings for you.”

“You do?” He asked, taking a step closer to her.

“Of course, I do. You’re- I mean, it’s you.” She answered, suddenly nervous. “Even when you were just an irresponsible playboy, with a stupid haircut, I couldn’t really-. What are you doing?”

“Getting closer to you so I can do this.” He answered before bending down to kiss her.

 

The next morning, Felicity and Oliver drove to Roy’s apartment to pick up Megan from her sleepover with Thea. The little girl was reluctant to leave, but excited to tell her parents all about their sleepover. They got into the car and she immediately told them everything that happened during her night. It mostly consisted of eating candy, watching movies and Thea painting Megan’s nails. She then told her parents that she was excited for school now.

“You weren’t excited before?” Oliver asked.

“I was sad because I wasn’t gonna be in the same class as my friends. But Auntie Thea said I can make more friends!” She announced, like it was a new idea she’d just thought of.

“That’s right. You can, and you will, make a bunch of more friends in your new class.” Felicity said, feigning excitement. “Is that the reason you’re so excited?”

“That, and I know what I’m gonna be when I grow up.” She said.

“What are you gonna be?”

“The Arrow’s sidekick!” She yelled. “I’m gonna be…..Arrow Girl and help him stop bad guys!”

Oliver immediately blanched and wouldn’t meet Felicity’s eye. Fortunately, she wasn’t taking Megan’s claims as seriously as he was. “You wanna be his sidekick? You don’t wanna be a hero too?”

“I’m gonna help him stop bad guys and he’ll show me how.” She said. “Do you think I can?”

“I think the Arrow would be lucky to have a sidekick like you.” Oliver told her.

“But if you wanna be his sidekick, do you know what that means?” Felicity asked. “You’re gonna need to grow up big and strong, which means eating all of your veggies.”

Megan’s nose wrinkled a little bit. “Even the peas?”

“Even the peas.” Her mother said.

 

Roy’s search for the woman in black led to a girl named Sin. Sin ran as soon as he asked her about the woman, he chased after her and wound up in Starling’s clocktower. He was trying to figure out where she’d gone to when he was hit on the head from behind.

 

Laurel was somehow able to convince her father’s Captain to drop the obstruction charges. She warned him to stay away from the investigation, as she was out of favors to call in. He didn’t want to back off, claiming he was the only person who could catch the Dollmaker. He had a tense conversation with her before leaving.

About an hour later, he was walking towards his car in the station’s garage when he saw a homeless man muttering to himself. Stopping to help, Lance tried to ask if he needed something and got tazed by Mathis instead. Within the hour, Quentin and Laurel’s abduction was on the news.

 

“Wake up Abercrombie.” Sin said, flicking Roy’s nose. The man stirred awake and found his hands zip-tied. He looked over and saw the woman in black standing there.

“Did they send you?” She asked.

“What?” He asked, before getting hit in the face. “Not the face. I have a disapproving girlfriend.”

“Are you one of them?”

“One of who?” He asked. His phone started buzzing and the Canary picked it up. “That’s mine.”

She read the message and turned to Sin. “Let him go. He’s harmless.” She climbed up one of the pillars in the clocktower and disappeared.

Roy looked at his text, which was about Laurel’s kidnapping, and wondered why that would matter to the Canary.

 

Mathis had Quentin tied to a pole and was preparing the polymer to kill Laurel. He stopped to tell Lance why he couldn’t just kill him, why Laurel needed to die instead, before pouring the liquid into the apparatus. The polymer moved from the vat into the tube leading into Laurel’s mouth. She was trying not to breathe too deeply, hoping it would somehow buy her time.

“If you struggle,” Mathis said as the polymer finally began going down her throat, “it will take longer.”

Oliver jumped down from where he’d been running along the rafters and landed on the Dollmaker’s work table. He fired an arrow at the apparatus in front of Laurel, knocking it over and pulling the tube out of her mouth. The glass cylinder of polymer shattered on the floor. He aimed to shoot at Mathis, but he ducked behind Laurel, using her as a shield before running off. Oliver stepped off of the table and cut Lance loose before stopping to look at Laurel.

“Do whatever you need to do. Just stop him.” Lance told Oliver as the Arrow ran off.

Mathis ran into an open part of the plant. He could hear movement behind him and turned around, just as the Canary descended from the ceiling. She quickly assembled her bo staff and swung at him, knocking him off his feet. He got back up and took aim at her, but she blocked his blows. He was a fair fighter, but not as good as he was. She knocked him back onto the ground and he rolled before pulling on a chain, which dropped a bunch of pipes onto her. Stuck under the pipes, he moved closer to her.

“Now. let’s see that face of yours.” He said, standing over her. “You have such lovely skin.”

Oliver had climbed back up into the rafters and found Mathis. Before the Dollmaker could get closer to the Canary, he fired two arrows, which caught Mathis right in the pectoral muscles and pinned him to the floor. “You’re going back to prison.”

The Canary had gotten to her feet when Oliver appeared. She picked up a metal pipe and threw it at the Dollmaker, hitting him in the heart. “No, he’s not.” She said before running off.

 

Quentin and Laurel both limped out of the abandoned plant where Mathis had taken them as the police rushed in. It had been an exhausting day and both wanted to sleep for a month. “I guess he’s not so bad after all.” She said.

“What?”

“Tommy and I- since the quake, we’ve been fighting about the Hood, sorry, the Arrow. He kept trying to convince him that the Arrow was a menace, that he wasn’t a hero but- I was wrong.”

“Why’d you feel that way to begin with? He was the reason we were able to get Tommy to the hospital in time.” Tommy wasn’t Quentin’s favorite person, but he made Laurel happy and he was glad he’d survived his extensive injuries from the Undertaking.

“Because I thought the quake happening was his fault to begin with. If he wasn’t off fighting Malcolm, Tommy wouldn’t- he wouldn’t have needed rescuing.” She said. “But really, Tommy was at CNRI because I was stubborn and-.” She trailed off and started to cry.

“You’ve had a long night. Let’s get you home.” Her father said.

 

Oliver finished explaining to Felicity and Digg exactly what happened with the Dollmaker and the woman in black interfering and killing him.

“Here’s what I don’t get. How did she know where to find you?” Felicity said. “Or, do we think it’s a coincidence that she happened to be in the same place as you when you were trying to stop a serial killer. Because that’s a little too…coincidental.”

“It doesn’t matter. What matters is that we need to find her. As soon as we can.”

“And what happens when we do?” John asked.

“That depends.”

“On what?”

“What side she’s on.” He responded.

 

Sara returned to her hideout. She was about to take her mask off when she sensed someone watching her. It was a member of the League of Assassins, arrived to bring her back. She killed him and disposed of his body where it wouldn’t be found.

Things were going to change now. She’d run into Oliver as the Canary. Knowing him, he wouldn’t stop looking for her. It was only a matter of time before he learned who she was. On top of that, the League was coming for her. She knew she should leave, but didn’t.

Chapter 42

Summary:

After someone makes a comment, Felicity suddenly lets go of everything she's been holding in.

Chapter Text

Oliver was late. There was a huge, massively important meeting he was supposed to be having with QC’s board and some potential investors, and unless he walked into the conference room at this exact second, he was going to be late.

Felicity could practically feel Isabel glaring her to death from her right. Oliver might own the majority of the stock in the company, but he and Isabel were supposed to be partners in running the company. Making a good impression with the investors was also vital to Queen Consolidated’s success. When the time for the meeting to start arrived, and Oliver still wasn’t there, Isabel, feigning politeness, asked to speak with Felicity in private.

“If you’re going to use sex to manipulate Oliver, could you at least make him come to meetings on time?” She asked. “I’m not the only one who benefits if the business grows.”

“Excuse me?” Felicity responded. “What are you trying to imply by-.”

“I’m not implying anything. You and Oliver had a fling six years ago, allegedly. He comes back from the dead, and you’ve somehow convinced him that your kid is his and he’s an idiot so he never demanded a paternity test. Now, you’re using sex and your kid to get him to give you what you want. Everyone in this company knows exactly what your relationship entails.” The brunette shot back. “And if this company goes under, your cash cow’s gonna run dry.”

Felicity was so shocked, and offended, by the blatant rudeness and slut-shaming that Isabel was throwing her way that she didn’t have words. Felicity Smoak had no idea what to say in response. Of course, this was the exact moment that Oliver arrived, having been distracted by his search for the Canary, and the meeting could begin.

Felicity took notes and tried as hard as she could not to snap at someone for getting details, information that she knew backwards and forwards, wrong. Isabel spent the meeting smirking any time Felicity looked anywhere near where she was, happy to have gotten under the blonde’s skin. The brunette had a plan, since she wasn’t able to buy Oliver out, she needed to trick him out. Felicity Smoak was an obstacle in her way, one she had every intention of getting rid of.

The meeting ended after about two hours. Felicity couldn’t tell if it had gone well, or completely horribly. Oliver and Isabel walked the investors and board members out of the conference room and to the elevators. Isabel then walked back to Oliver’s office. She, quite flirtatiously, asked Oliver if he was busy that night, suggesting they have dinner to discuss the meeting.

“I’m afraid I’ve got a prior commitment.” He told her, not even looking at her.

“I’m sure Ms. Smoak understands the need for this deal to succeed.” She said, looking pointedly at Felicity. “Don’t you?”

“No. He made a commitment to our daughter, which he needs to keep. She’s been telling everyone how excited she is about tonight for weeks.” Felicity said. That was a complete lie. There wasn’t a big event that was happening that night. Still, it gave Oliver an out and annoyed Isabel, which was a double-win in her book.

Isabel scoffed and walked off. The blonde might be smart on paper, but she was convinced she had no common sense.

With Isabel gone, Oliver let out a sigh of relief. Being around her made him feel on edge and he couldn’t put his finger on why. He turned to face Felicity, who was glaring at him. “What?”

“Do you remember when I told you that I didn’t want to be your secretary?”

“Yes. I thought we were-.” He thought this conversation was over and done with. “I know you don’t like it but-.”

“Do you know part of the reason why I didn’t and still don’t want the position?” She continued. “Because of how everyone thinks I got this job. They think I’m either blackmailing you using Megan to have this job, or that I’m only doing this because we’re in a sexual relationship.”

“That’s not-.”

“Everyone in this company thinks I’m a slut who slept her way into this position. It was bad enough when they thought my job in IT was your mom’s attempt to pay me off. But now, they think I’m playing you, and what’s worse, your business partner is so sure of it that she accused me of only having this job because I’m sleeping with you to my face. Directly to my face with the board members and investors sitting in the next room!” She said. “Because you were late, and I guess that means I fail at being a gold digger.”

“I- I’ll talk to Isabel and-.”

“Anything you say to her is just gonna convince her that she was right.” She shook her head. “So, say nothing.”

“What am I supposed to do then?” He asked. “You’re my girlfriend, and I can’t just- I don’t know how to fix this.”

“Maybe you can’t.” She shrugged. “I think I’m gonna go now. Using one of my sick days.”

“Please don’t do that.” He said. “Don’t just run away and-.”

“Like you did? I don’t think me leaving this office is the same as leaving the country. Because despite the fact that I seem not to be angry, I am. I’m just trying- I don’t want Megan to see us fighting about it. And I don’t want her to hate you but- you left me, you left us and just saying you’re sorry, or that you’re “working through stuff” doesn’t cut it. Not when you have a child involved.” She said.

“What was I supposed to do?” He argued.

“The same thing that I had to do, that Tommy and Thea had to do. Stay and actually deal with your problems! There were plenty of ways that you could’ve handled how things went down, processed your feelings, whatever, that don’t involve just leaving.”

“Everything I’d gone through had been for nothing. I failed.”

“So, your response is to just pretend like the months after you came home just didn’t happen? Like they didn’t matter. Like Megan and I don’t matter?”

“You matter, I-.”

“No, because if we did, you wouldn’t have done that.” She knew this wasn’t entirely fair, but this was an argument that had been months in the making and it was all coming out at once. “You know, come to think of it, you’ve never really seemed that focused on you and me. At all.”

“How can you-?”

“We were….friends with benefits, I guess that’s the best term for it, before you got on the Gambit. With Sara. I couldn’t be mad about that because its not technically cheating if we never talked about what we were.” She said. “You were missing, I had Megan and then you came back. You told me you wanted to be with me, but it seems like you only said that for Megan’s sake. I don’t know, maybe you thought it was easier or something. You already have a daughter, just pretend you feel something for me and boom, you’ve got a ready-made family. Actually, I don’t remember you saying you missed me, or even thought about me once during those five years.”

“Felicity-.”

“If you wanna be with me, it should be because you have feelings for me, not because you knocked me up and it’s less complicated for you.” She said.

“What are you saying?” He didn’t understand what prompted this or why she felt this way. “Are we- do you think we should break up?”

“I think you need to think long and hard about what you want and why you want it and then come talk to me.” She said. “We already sleep apart, so Megan won’t think we’re mad at each other.” She grabbed her purse. “I’m gonna go pick Megan up. She’s at her friend Billy’s.”

“I don’t like that kid.”

“That’s another thing we need to talk about. I don’t know if this is some projecting thing, or you not wanting her to grow up too fast, but it needs to stop.” She said. “Megan is five. Billy is also five. They are children and this whole “protective father” act isn’t good or funny or cute. It’s actually really gross because you’re getting all weird because a little boy is being nice to our daughter, because they’re friends. You’re hating a literal child for being Megan’s friend. That’s really messed up. So is saying that she can’t date until she’s 30. She’s starting elementary school in two weeks. I don’t know why her dating is even crossing your mind. She has a friend, who’s a boy, and maybe this year, she’ll have her first crush. So what? That’s part of growing up.”

Having said her piece, Felicity left the office. Thankfully, she hadn’t yelled, so no one knew exactly what the pair were arguing about, but it was clear from her body language that they’d been having an argument. Oliver sat at his desk, completely at a loss about what to do. He wanted Felicity. He wanted to be with Felicity, but he had no clue how he was supposed to show that to her.

 

With no answers about how to confront the issues he was having in his love life, and not wanting to put Digg or Tommy in the middle and ask them for advice, Oliver focused on his night job. There had been a ring of thefts on the edge of the Glades recently and he was hoping tonight was the perfect time to put a stop to the scheme.

Breaking up the robbery wasn’t difficult. The men involved were good at pulling off smash-and-grab jobs and terrible if they needed to actually fight anyone. He left them ziptied outside of the shop and gave Lance a call. He must’ve been closer than Oliver guessed, because he arrived only moments after the call ended. As he was turning to leave, Oliver saw a flash of blonde hair on a rooftop. It was the Canary.

Firing an arrow upwards, he scaled the building to find she had run to another roof. He chased after her, but after switching roofs for the fifth time, decided to try a different approach.

“Wait, I just wanna talk!” He yelled.

She paused for a split second before jumping down onto a fire exit and escaping from his sight.

Chapter 43

Summary:

Oliver and Felicity have a talk about a few things.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

While Oliver was off searching for the Canary, Felicity tucked Megan into bed and started reading her a story. The girl seemed to be interested in princesses lately, so Felicity bought a book of fairytales and the pair were making their way through the book. Tonight’s story was basically Sleeping Beauty, but with a few adjustments.

“-and they lived happily ever after.” Felicity read aloud, finishing the story.

“Yay!” Megan exclaimed. “I like happy endings.”

“Me too.” Her mother answered as she bent over to kiss her on the forehead. “Sweet dreams.”’ She turned to walk out of the room.

“Mommy? How come Daddy never reads me bedtime stories? Or tucks me in?”

“Your dad- he has to be at work for a lot longer than Mommy does.” She said. “He normally doesn’t come home until after you’re asleep. But he always comes in and says goodnight.”

“He does?”

“Of course. He isn’t always here for bedtime, but he still wants to say goodnight to you and wish you sweet dreams.” She said. Things between Oliver and Felicity were a little tense at the moment, but one thing the blonde knew, the only thing she knew for sure, was that Oliver loved Megan more than anyone else.

“On Friday, can I stay up until Daddy comes home?” Megan asked innocently. “I don’t want him to feel left out.”

Felicity tried not to tear up at her daughter. Megan was so kind and sweet, and everyday it seemed like she reminded Felicity more and more of how pure she was. She gave her daughter a small smile. “Of course you can, baby. But its time to go to sleep now.”

“Not a baby.” Megan argued as she snuggled closer to her teddy bear and closed her eyes. Felicity flicked on the nightlight and closed the door to the bedroom.

With Megan in bed, Felicity retreated to her own room. She didn’t want to admit it, but she was stuck on what to do now. Usually, she’d be guiding Oliver through vigilante duty, but after this morning, she’d been more or less avoiding Oliver. He needed to figure out a few things on his own and she knew spending more time around him wouldn’t help him do any of the soul-searching he needed to do.

 

“Isn’t a little late for you to be calling? Or early?” Tommy asked when he answered his phone. “I’ve been out of the loop on your work schedules lately.”

Oliver chuckled slightly. “Well, you’re still getting used to being out of the hospital, so time probably feels weird to you.”

“Yeah, maybe.” He said.

“How are you feeling? Do you need anything? Megan’s been asking if she could visit, but I wanted to make sure you got settled before-.”

“I’m fine, Ollie. Laurel’s making sure I don’t overdo it, and you better bring my favorite niece to see me very soon. I’ve missed her excitement.” He said. “But I don’t think you called to ask how I’m doing.”

Oliver sighed. “You’re right. I need- I messed up and for once, I can’t just shoot an arrow at the problem.”

 

As a result of having nothing to do, Felicity sat in her bedroom and thought about what she’d said to Oliver. She cringed slightly at some of the wording she used. Yes, she meant most of what she said, but given a second chance, she would’ve phrased a few things differently, less harshly. She hoped how she reacted wouldn’t ruin her relationship with Oliver.

Then, there was the matter of Isabel. The blonde couldn’t just ignore the woman’s behavior. Nor could she just yell at Oliver about it and call it a day. Regardless of how else she felt about Oliver or where they stood, Isabel’s comments crossed a line. Felicity fired up her laptop and began typing out an email. She wouldn’t send it to anyone, but she wanted to write down everything she remembered about Isabel confronting her in case she needed it later. Maybe she didn’t want to make it a big deal now, but if Isabel didn’t back off, she might decide to file a complaint later.

Felicity was in the middle of rereading her explanation of what happened when she heard a knock on her bedroom door. Getting out of bed, she went to answer it. “Megan, we talked about this. Only one story a ni- Oliver?” She’d honestly been expecting Megan to be standing on the other side, asking her to read her another fairytale, not Oliver.

“Hey.” The archer said awkwardly.

“I thought you and John would be patrolling.” It was pretty early for him to be done with his job as the Arrow, unless he didn’t go out to begin with.

“We were. Stopped a robbery and then called it a night.” He didn’t mention encountering the Canary, given how many other things he had on his mind. “I was hoping we could talk, about what happened earlier.”

“Come in then, I guess we shouldn’t do this out in the hallway.” She said, opening the door wider so he could enter the room.

Oliver walked inside and opened his mouth to speak.

“I kinda- sorry, I know you said you wanted to talk, but can I go first?” Felicity said before he could speak. “I kinda- I stand by what I said, but not how I said it. I was- I let a bunch of stuff linger and build up for weeks and then Isabel set me off, so I kinda….exploded. I went overboard with what I said, and a lot of it was meaner than it needed to be.” She explained. “I shouldn’t have taken my anger at Isabitch out on you and I shouldn’t have just bottled all of the other stuff up. I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for. You’re allowed to be angry, Felicity. At Isabel, and especially at me. I told- when I found out about Megan, I told you I wanted to be here, since I’d already missed so much. I promised I’d be here, and I broke that promise. I let you down. I let both of you down, and I’m sorry. I’m also sorry about work and what Isabel said. I didn’t even think about how it looked for me to promote you, given our history. You’d think a guy who was in gossip magazines as often as I was would know better.”

“I accept your apology, both apologies actually, but I’m not quite ready to forgive you yet. You broke my trust, and I hope you realize that its gonna take some time for you to earn it back.” She said.

He nodded once. “That’s fair. Fairer than I deserve. About the other thing you mentioned, about us.”

“What about us?” She asked, trying to keep her tone as even as possible.

“You were right about that too. I’ve been all talk and no action.” He said. “I- I don’t know how, or how long it will take, but I’m gonna prove to you that I’ve got feelings for you. That I don’t just wanna be with you because of Megan.”

Felicity nodded and looked away from him. She wanted to give him another chance, but she also didn’t want to get hurt again. Him leaving hurt, his behavior since coming back hurt. She was only willing to let herself get hurt so many times before giving up entirely.

Noticing how quiet she was being, and how unusual that was, Oliver was about to ask her to say something when there was a knock at the door. The door then was pushed open a little bit.

“Mommy?” Megan asked, walking in. She then saw Oliver. “Daddy’s home?”

“You’re supposed to be in bed, sweetie.” Felicity said.

“Can I hear another story?” She said. “Tiger’s ready for bed and she didn’t get to listen to the other one.”

“Oh, Tiger wants a bedtime story too?” She asked.

“Uh-huh. She doesn’t sleep as good without it.” Her daughter said with a completely serious face.

“Well, I guess we should make sure Tiger has sweet dreams too.” Felicity said, walking back to Megan’s room with her.

Oliver followed after them, but stayed in the doorway while Felicity got Megan and the kitten settled in bed. Megan listened with rapt attention as Felicity read the next story, about a beautiful swan princess. Megan started to fall asleep in the middle of the reading and was completely out by the end. Felicity kissed her daughter goodnight and Oliver then kissed Megan goodnight as well.

Closing the door behind him, Oliver and Felicity were left standing in the hallway. “Something- I didn’t want to say this before we had a chance to talk, but something happened on patrol.”

“You ran into some trouble?”

“No, just the woman in black. It’s the second time in the field that she’s been following me, and this time, she didn’t even show up until after the perps were caught.”

“She came after?” Felicity asked.

“Yeah. I was talking to Lance and I spotted her. I tried to talk to her, but she ran off.”

Felicity looked at him for several moments. She had several thoughts running through her head and she couldn’t argue that a few of them didn’t seem completely crazy. “What if you aren’t the one she’s been following?”

Notes:

Due to Thanksgiving/personal stuff, there won't be an update next week.

Chapter 44

Summary:

After getting a suggestion from Felicity, Oliver sets out to find out who the woman in black is.

Chapter Text

After reading Megan another story and getting her to fall asleep, Oliver and Felicity walked out of her room and into the hallway. “Something- I didn’t want to say this before we had a chance to talk, but something happened on patrol.” He told her.

“You ran into some trouble?”

“No, just the woman in black. It’s the second time in the field that she’s been following me, and this time, she didn’t even show up until after the perps were caught.”

“She came after?” Felicity asked.

“Yeah. I was talking to Lance and I spotted her. I tried to talk to her, but she ran off.”

Felicity looked at him for several moments. She had several thoughts running through her head and she couldn’t argue that a few of them didn’t seem completely crazy. “What if you aren’t the one she’s been following?”

Oliver froze and looked at her. “What?”

“Twice this woman in black showed up, to your location, when you were in the field, but you weren’t alone either time.” She explained. “You were with Laurel and Detective Lance when she showed up and killed the Dollmaker, and tonight, you were with Lance. When you’re alone, you don’t run into her, which kinda implies that-.”

“She’s not following me, she’s following the Lance family.” He finished. “But why?”

“I’ve got no clue. Stake out Laurel’s apartment, or Lance’s, and ask her.” She said before walking away. “I’m gonna head to bed.” She then stopped. “Oh, by the way, on Friday, you can’t go to the foundry until after 8:30.”

“Why not?” He asked curiously. He usually went to the foundry either right after work, if someone was watching Megan, or after dinner if Felicity was going to run comms from the mansion. The very specific time she’d mentioned seemed weird to him.

She sighed. “Megan asked me earlier why you’re never here to read her bedtime stories or tuck her in. I told her it was because you had to work. She asked if she could stay up on Friday night so that you could tuck her in and read her a story. I told her that she could.” She shrugged. “She was worried you were feeling left out since you don’t get to be part of the routine. After you recovered from your first fight with Merlyn, you were in the foundry almost every night and missed her bedtime.” She walked into her bedroom and closed the door.

Oliver was left standing in the hallway, thinking about what she’d said. He hadn’t realized that he was never there to say goodnight to Megan and that made him sad. A small voice in his head argued that his parents were almost never there to tuck him in, but that wasn’t the best argument to try and make. Realizing how many small things he was missing out on, Oliver made another promise to himself. Just like how he promised to prove to Felicity that he did care about her and want to be with her, he promised himself that he’d be there for Megan more frequently from now on.

 

The next day at work was fairly routine. Isabel wasn’t in the office that day, having traveled to Gotham to meet with a small company QC was considering purchasing and tour their facility. Felicity acted a little distant towards Oliver, not wanting to add to the rumors about her and Oliver. She wasn’t rude or anything, she just made sure to act more professional than normal. Oliver spent half the day working and the other half trying to work out who the woman in black could be and why she was following the Lance family. Were they in danger? Should he warn them? Should he say something to Tommy? As the day ended, he was no closer to answers.

 

Oliver knew Felicity’s suggesting on how to find and talk to the woman in black was mostly sarcasm, but he had to admit that she had a point. “Stake out Laurel’s apartment and ask her” did seem like the most efficient way to confront the female vigilante and get the answers he needed. Tommy was watching Megan tonight, so Felicity was in the foundry and Oliver was able to discuss the matter with both her and Digg, along with Felicity’s theory about who the Canary was following.

“I think I’m gonna take your advice.”

“What advice?”

“On how to find the woman in black.” He clarified.

“My ad- I didn’t give you any advice.” Felicity argued. “All I said was that you should- oh my Google, that was a joke!”

“One of you wanna fill me in?” John asked.

“I’m gonna go get in position.” He said, walking out and leaving Felicity behind to explain things to Diggle. Felicity quickly explained their conversation last night and the “’suggestion” she gave him.

“You told him to stake out his ex-girlfriend’s apartment until this woman shows up?”

“I didn’t- it was a joke. I didn’t think he’d take me seriously!”

“Why wouldn’t he? You’re the smartest person he knows, and I’m sure to him, it sounds like the fastest way to find out who she is.”

 

Sara was perched on the roof across the street from Laurel’s apartment. From her viewpoint, she could see Laurel and Tommy, who looked slightly worse for wear, playing with a little blonde girl. She knew from news stories and her own reconnaissance that the girl was Megan Smoak. She smiled at how relaxed and carefree her sister and her old friend seemed to be. The smile was wiped off her face when heard something fly towards her.

She turned and moved out of the way just in time to avoid getting hit with an arrow. Sara stood and ran along the rooftop before leaping onto the next building. She could hear the Arrow running after her. She was so focused on the sound of footsteps behind her that she didn’t notice the motion-activated crossbows until it was too late. She found herself trussed up by two thick ropes within seconds. She then noticed the footsteps chasing her had stopped and the Arrow was suddenly in front of her. She dropped her sonic device onto the ground, hoping it might disorient him, but he seemed unphased.

“Does it get any louder?” He asked. “Why are you outside of Laurel Lance’s apartment?”

“I could ask the same thing about you.” She responded. “I’d say some things never change, but you have. I kinda thought it would be you and her, always and forever.”

“Who are you?” He asked. stepping closer to her.

“Once you know, your life will never be the same.”

“I can take it.”

“Not this time, Ollie.” She said.

Oliver reached up and pulled the domino mask, and blonde wig, off of the Canary’s face and head. He then backed up in shock, pulling his own hood down. “Sara?”

“I’ll give you some time, to let it sink in.” She said. A second later, the sonic device Sara had thrown exploded, knocking Oliver off of his feet and giving Sara a chance to escape.

He went back to the foundry and found Felicity and Digg down there, looking as shocked as he was. “That was- she- I’m not crazy, am I? That was Sara Lance, right?” Felicity asked.

“Yeah.”

“I thought she- I mean- not to be rude, but isn’t she supposed to be dead? Well, not supposed to be, she died very young and it was a tragedy but- I thought she died.”

“I thought she did too.” Oliver said. “It seems I was wrong.” For over three years, he thought Sara died because of him, because he wasn’t able to get her off of the Amazo before Anatoly destroyed it. Now, he knew her death wasn’t his fault, but was even more confused. If Sara was alive, why hadn’t she returned to town sooner? Why didn’t her family know she was alive?

With no answers, and no chance of finding Sara again tonight, Oliver decided to patrol. It would clear his head and he’d heard rumors the last few nights about some crime lord calling himself the Mayor and he knew he needed to look into it. He wasn’t able to identify the Mayor, or stop his operation, but he did stop one of the Mayor’s lackeys from managing to buy more guns, but not arrest him.

The next day, Oliver suggested to Blood that they hold a Cash for Guns event, which he would finance. Isabel tried to argue against holding such an event, but he corrected her saying that he was financing it, not the company. She could yell about how he spent company funds, but not his own money and was forced to back down.

After another night trying to stop the Mayor, and hitting more dead ends, the day of the event arrived. Things started off well, until the Mayor attacked. Luckily no one was killed, but a few people were hurt, including Sara’s friend Sin. After Roy and Thea took Sin to the hospital, and Oliver paid the bill, Sara accosted him in the hallway and insisted on helping him take down the Mayor.

It took Felicity almost no time to learn who the Mayor was, now that he’d shown his face, and even less time to figure out where he was getting his weapons from and where his hideout was. Taking down the Mayor, and his followers, wasn’t difficult for them and they watched from an adjacent rooftop as the gang members were loaded into police cruisers and taken away.

“You haven’t told my family I’m alive, have you?” Sara asked as they went into Verdant via the side entrance and Oliver entered the access code to the lair.

“No, I want to tell them, or at least tell Laurel, but I haven’t yet.” He admitted.

“You can’t. At all. No one can know I’m alive.” She insisted.

“I’m afraid its too late for that.” He said as they reached the bottom step. “Sara, I’d like you to meet John Diggle and my girlfriend, Felicity Smoak.”

“Hi.” Felicity and Digg both said awkwardly.

Chapter 45

Summary:

Sara and Felicity meet for the first time, Sara tries to get Oliver to understand something, and Oliver talks about his childhood.

Chapter Text

“You haven’t told my family I’m alive, have you?” Sara asked Oliver as they went into Verdant via the side entrance and Oliver entered the access code to the lair.

“No, I want to tell them, or at least tell Laurel, but I haven’t yet.” He admitted.

“You can’t. At all. No one can know I’m alive.” She insisted.

“I’m afraid its too late for that.” He said as they reached the bottom step. “Sara, I’d like you to meet John Diggle and my girlfriend, Felicity Smoak.”

“Hi.” Felicity and Digg both said awkwardly.

Sara spun around to look at Oliver. “If I didn’t want my family to know I’m alive, why would you tell two strangers?”

“He didn’t tell us you were alive. Technically, I mean.” Felicity said. “You did, well, kinda. When he had you all tied up on that roof, I’m pretty sure you could’ve gotten free before he took your mask and wig off. Not that I’m blaming you but-.”

“Felicity? I think she gets what you’re saying.” Oliver said.

“Right.” The blonde said, happy he’d cut her off mid-babble. “Anyway, we can keep a secret, just ask him. I was happy to hear you weren’t dead.”

“Did we….have we met before?” Sara asked her.

“No, but um, I’m still really happy you’re alive.” She said. This situation was awkward enough, she didn’t want to make it more awkward by being rude to Sara when she didn’t have a reason to be. Like she told Oliver, she didn’t think she had a right to be angry about Sara being on the Gambit because they weren’t together at the time. It didn’t mean she was pleased about his ex-lover coming to town.

“Thanks.” The other woman said quietly. “I hope you know that what happened between me and Ollie five years ago, it-.”

“Please don’t take this the wrong way, but I don’t wanna hear it. At least, not right now.” She said. Thankfully, one of the computers started beeping and she found an excuse to walk away. “I’m gonna go see what that’s about.” She sat down in front of the computer and started typing. The beeping turned out to be a reminder for an update, but she stayed over there for a while, not quite sure what else to do.

“Did I-? I feel like- maybe it wasn’t the best idea for you to bring me here.” Sara told Oliver after Felicity walked away.

“It’s fine. It’s just- this was never not gonna be awkward. And not just because of our history. Besides, where else would you go? Since you don’t want your family, or anyone else, to know you’re alive.”

“I know you’re trying to wear me down, but its not gonna work. Whatever reunion you think we’re gonna have, whatever sappy moment you’d expect to see, it won’t turn out that way. They won’t be happy to see me.”

“They’re your family.” He said bluntly.

“And to them, I’m dead and gone. Why reopen old wounds?” She responded. Part of Sara’s insistence on “staying dead” as far as her family was aware was from a practical standpoint. If no one knew she was alive, there was no one to get concerned or look for her when she left. The rest was emotional. She didn’t want to face her family knowing the things she’s done. She thought they’d never accept her for who she is. Additionally, she could keep running from the impact her boarding the Gambit had on her family. “I’m not gonna change my mind. Stop trying to make me. I’m gonna go check in on Sin, see how she’s doing.” With that, Sara left the foundry.

Oliver walked over to where Felicity was seated. He might not be a genius like her, but he could tell that something was bothering her, and he was pretty sure he knew what it was.

“I don’t have feelings for her.” He said. “Sara and I were- it was a mistake. Taking her onto the Gambit was a mistake. She and I are-.”

“You think I’m jealous or something? That I think she’s gonna try and steal you from me?” She asked. “Because I don’t know what would make you think I felt that way. And I never accused you of having feelings for her.”

“You might not have said it, but- for five years, you thought I died while sleeping with another woman.”

“And I’ve already told you that, yes, that hurt me. Yes, it was painful especially when I started showing and every paparazzi tried to drag me into drama from the Lance Sister Love Triangle. But I had five years to process those emotions. It hurts to think about, but when I said I didn’t hold it against you, I meant it.”

“I don’t know if you mean that or if you’re just saying it. I’m not as great at picking up on your emotions as I pretend to be.” He said. “Especially since….since the Undertaking.”

“Okay, let me make this clear.” She sighed. “I don’t hate her for getting on that boat with you. I don’t hate you for inviting her. It hurt me a lot, but we weren’t together together and you didn’t know about the baby. It was over five years ago. You’re not that person anymore, neither is she. Neither am I.”

“Then can I ask why you’re being so closed off right now?”

“Have you ever heard of the many worlds interpretation?” She asked him. “To put it simply, it’s a theory that whatever outcome an event has, there exists a universe where a different outcome happened. For example, when your mother shot you, you survived. According to the theory, there exists a universe where you didn’t and that created a completely different timeline. And its not just events, it’s also decisions that create alternate universes.”

“I don’t get where you’re going with this.” He admitted.

“You called me the day you got onto the Gambit. I knew I was pregnant, but waited to tell you. For five years, I wondered what would’ve happened if I told you I was pregnant during that call. Would you have still gotten on the Gambit? How different would things be? Now, I get to add “how would Sara’s life be different” to that list of questions.” She knew it wasn’t rational, but after Oliver’s funeral, after Megan was born, she started to feel guilty about not telling Oliver he was going to be a father. She wondered if his death had been some kind of punishment.

“You don’t- Felicity, what happened to the Gambit, to me, to my father, its not your fault. You can’t blame yourself for something you had no control over.” He honestly had no idea she felt this way and was a little concerned that she’d never told him this before.

Felicity gave him a skeptical look and turned back to her computer. “The city’s pretty quiet right now. I think we can call it a night.”

 

The next evening was Friday, so Oliver came back to the mansion after work and spent some time with Megan until it was her bedtime.

“Yay! Daddy’s here for story time this time!” Megan exclaimed after taking her bath and getting her hair brushed. “I know Mommy always reads me stories, but can you read me one?” She held the book out to him.

“Are you sure?” He asked. “I might not be as good at this as your mom.” He’d never read his daughter a bedtime story, or told her any kind of story, before.

“That’s ‘cause she’s done it lots and this is your first time.” She said. “You can do it.”

“Okay.” He said, opening the book. “Let’s see what the next story is…oh, Jack and the Beanstalk. Once upon a time….” he began reading the story.

When he finished, Megan was starting to drift off, so he closed the book, put it on the bookshelf and turned off the lights before leaving the room.

“Not bad for your first time reading a bedtime story.” Felicity told him.

“Thanks, I- I’m gonna try and be here more often when she goes to bed and when she wakes up. It might be impossible sometimes, but I don’t want-.”

“You don’t want what?”

“When I think about when I was a kid, I was kinda lonely. My parents were normally gone for bedtime. Raisa was the adult I saw the most often. And being the son of billionaires, I couldn’t just go to the playground and make friends. I didn’t even have a best friend until Tommy and I started hanging out more often after his mom died when we were eight.” He said. “I didn’t have a bad childhood, but it was….it was lonely. I don’t want Megan’s childhood to be like mine.”

“I don’t think it will. She might’ve gotten my brains, but thankfully, she also inherited your charm. She makes friends everywhere she goes.” She said. “And she’s got us, and Thea, and my mom, and Tommy. She’s not gonna be alone like we were.”

Chapter 46

Summary:

Megan has her first day of school and Sara is introduced to someone new.

Chapter Text

The Monday after Oliver stayed at the mansion for Megan’s bedtime routine, another milestone came in his daughter’s life. The first day of school. Understandably, Felicity and Oliver were both emotional about their daughter starting school and had scheduled to come into work late that day. Felicity spent the weekend helping Megan decide which outfit she wanted to wear on the first day and getting all of her school supplies ready. When Monday came, Megan got dressed her in new outfit and they drove to Starling Elementary.

They parked and made their way into the building while holding Megan’s hand. They walked together towards the classroom and listened as she listed all of the reasons she was excited to start first grade.

“Why don’t you and Daddy go to school?”

“Because we’re too old. We went to school, we finished school and now we have to go to work.” Felicity answered. “But we’re excited that you’re excited for school.”

“Okay.” She said as they reached the classroom. Megan recognized her teacher and let go of her parents’ hands to say hello before the woman showed her to her desk. A few other students were already there and she went to meet them as well while the teacher went to talk with Felicity and Oliver.

“I know this is a big step for both of you. If you’d like to stay-.”

“I don’t know if I did the right thing. Should I have let her be in kindergarten with her friends?” Felicity blurted out. “What if this is too much for her? What if the other kids don’t like her or are mean?”

“Megan will be fine. I know this seems scary, but- the oldest kid in this class is six and half. The others are closer to her age. And clearly, she wants to learn and make friends. She’s too advanced for kindergarten, her preschool teacher agreed, and I think she’ll be happier here than in a different class. Still, I’ll keep you updated on things as we go.”

“Okay. You’re- you’re probably right. We should- we should say our goodbyes and go.” She said. “Come on, let’s not get the way of learning.”

Oliver and Felicity walked over to where Megan was and started saying goodbye. Oliver told her that he loved her and to make lots of new friends. Felicity also said she loved her and reminded her that she’d see her again in a few hours and to listen to her teacher and learn as much as she could. Megan told her parents goodbye and ran off to meet the newest student who walked in.

Oliver and Felicity made it to the car before they started crying. “She’s growing up too fast. I don’t like it.” Oliver said.

“I don’t either. Seems like just yesterday, I was watching her take her first steps and now- now it’s her first day of school.” Felicity said wiping her eyes.

They went to work and the only reaction they got from their red-rimmed eyes was an eyeroll from Isabel.

When Felicity picked Megan up after school, she got to hear all about how much fun the first day of school was and how excited she was to go back the next day.

 

After Sara’s first time in the foundry and around Felicity and Digg, it took Oliver a few days to convince her to come back to his hideout. Her reluctance seemed to be on two fronts: she was worried about them telling Laurel or her father about her being alive and she felt awkward around Felicity given her history with Oliver. So, she avoided Oliver on patrol for a few nights, but it couldn’t last forever.

Oliver had spotted a group of men lurking in an alley and went to confront them. Unbeknownst to him, Sara had also become aware of this group and arrived to deal with them. Together, it didn’t take long for the two vigilantes to get the group to disperse. As soon as the last one ran off, however, Sara turned to leave.

“Is this what it’s gonna be like now?” Oliver asked. “You know, you can’t just avoid me forever.”

“I did it for months with no problem.” She pointed out.

“Most of that time, I wasn’t here and after that, I thought you were just some copycat. Now that I know you’re…you, I’m not gonna go back to pretending you don’t exist.”

“You really should.” She said. “I’m not looking for a partner.”

“What about a friend?”

“What?”

“A friend. I know you know what those are.” He joked. “C’mon. The city’s quiet tonight and we didn’t really get a chance to talk before.” He started to walk towards the foundry and had to hide his smirk when he heard her footsteps following behind him.

They entered the hideout and Oliver changed out of his suit. Felicity and John were there, discussing something among themselves.

“-she already has one?” Digg asked.

“Yup. I’m pretty sure she started writing it last year.” Felicity answered before spinning to face the two vigilantes. “Hey, I take it patrol went well? Also, Sara nice to see you.”

“Nice to see you too.” She said, a little confused. “Did- I know I sound paranoid, but you didn’t mention anything to Laurel or my dad, right?” While she didn’t know how things between Felicity and Quentin were, she knew Felicity was close to Tommy and thus, close with Laurel.

“Nope. For one thing, I said I’d keep it a secret. And for another, while we can be civil, I’m not really your father or your sister’s favorite person.”

“Really? I thought you were close. You’re close with Tommy.”

“Yes, and Laurel and I can be friendly but- look, it doesn’t matter.” Felicity had gotten over the things Laurel said to her right after the Gambit sank. She didn’t see the point in dwelling on them and also didn’t want to drudge that part of the past up for either herself or Sara. “You don’t want your family to know you’re alive; I’m not gonna tell them. Because you’ve asked us not to.”

“Sorry, I just- I don’t trust easily.”

“And you think he does?” Digg said, gesturing to Oliver, who threw him a glare.

“What were you two talking about when we walked in?” The archer asked.

“Megan’s Hanukkah-slash-Christmas list. She gave me her first draft today and she wants a pony. Thanks to Thea.”

“Christmas list? School just started.” He said.

“She’s five. I’m pretty sure she started her list as soon as her birthday was over.” Felicity said with a smile. “Speaking of Megan, I should go pick her up. Tommy’s been watching her a lot lately and he is still recovering from his injuries, so….yeah, I’m gonna go.”

Since Tommy had been having some trouble with paparazzi lately, Digg went with her to be sure that they weren’t mobbed and that nothing happened to Megan. Felicity had made it a point to keep any pictures of Megan out of the newspapers due to her being so young. The added press was the result of Moira’s trial getting closer to starting and everyone getting antsy about what would happen. Felicity picked up Megan and went back to the mansion without any incidents.

Oliver and Sara talked for a little while in the foundry after Felicity and John left. He told her that after the freighter, he’d wound up on Lian Yu, omitting his time in Hong Kong and Moscow for now since he wanted to tell Felicity and Tommy about those first. Sara likewise kept her own story vague, just stating that after the Amazo blew up, she was taken in by a group that helped her recover from what happened. After their conversation hit a dead end, Oliver decided it was time to go home and invited Sara to come with him.

“I don’t know if that’s-.”

“Sara? It’s just one night. Sleep somewhere other than that clocktower, like on an actual bed for once.” He said. “I won’t make you, but I thought I’d offer.”

“Just for tonight.” She said.

 

The next morning, after the best night’s sleep she had in months, Sara was getting ready to leave. She was walking towards the door when she ran into Felicity.

“You’re here. That’s- I wish Oliver would’ve told me. it’s not that I don’t want you to be here. Because I do, you seem nice and I can guess things have been tough for you lately. It’s just that-.”

“Just that what?” Sara asked her.

“This isn’t the best time if you’re trying to avoid being spotted.” She said.

“Why is this a bad time?” Oliver asked, having walked into the foyer.

John had arrived for the day and was also curious about Felicity’s nervous demeanor.

“Mommy?” Megan called from upstairs. “I can’t find my sneakers!”

“That’s why.” Felicity said. “You know what? Frack it.” She walked over to the staircase. “Megan? Can you come down here? There’s someone I want you to meet.”

“Coming!” The girl yelled from upstairs.

They heard footsteps coming towards them fast. Then, Megan jumped out in front of them with a huge grin on her face. She had her chest puffed out and her hands on her hips in a big heroic pose. She was dressed in a green and black outfit with a hood. The outfit was obviously based on the Arrow and Canary's outfits. She was wearing her hair like the Canary's and she was wearing black face-paint across her eyes like the Arrow. She was also carrying the bow and arrow that Tommy had given her.

“TA DA!” Megan exclaimed. “I am the Green Canary!” Megan puffed her chest out even more. John nearly cracked a rib trying not to laugh. There had been a few reports here and there about the Canary and Megan had decided she was a good guy, like the Arrow, and wanted to be just like her.

“WOW!” said Felicity “Did you make that yourself?”

“Yep! I wanted it to be a surprise.” She then turned to stare at Sara. “Who are you?”

“This is my friend Sara.” Oliver said.

Megan frowned. “Uncle Tommy told me Laurel had a sister named Sara.”

“I’m not the same Sara.” Sara said, kneeling down to her level. “I like your costume.”

“Thanks! When I grow up, I’m gonna be just like the Arrow and the Canary.” She said.

Sara chuckled. “I’m sure you will.”

“Megan, I know you wanna be a superhero, but do you know what the key to being a superhero is?” Felicity asked. “A secret identity.”

“What’s that?”

“Well, the Arrow doesn’t walk around in his Arrow costume all the time. He doesn’t want people to know who he is so that his friends and family don’t get hurt.” She explained. “I think, if you wanna be the Green Canary when you grow up, it means you can’t let anyone know who you are.”

“So, I can’t wear my outfit to school?” She asked.

“No, you can’t wear it to school, but I think it would be a great Halloween costume.” Her mother said.

“Okay.” She said petulantly. “I’ll go change.” Felicity helped Megan choose a better outfit for school and Digg drove them to the school, leaving Sara and Oliver in the mansion.

Oliver mentioned having a meeting regarding his mother’s case, which Laurel would be attending, and tried to once again talk Sara into revealing her survival to them.

“It’s not that simple, Ollie.” Sara finally said, prepared to storm out, when a man dressed in black crashed through the window.

He drew a sword and began swinging it at them. They fought back, managing to put some distance between themselves and the man, but he was persistent. Sara tore a piece of molding off of the door frame and used it as a staff to attack the man, but he bested her and knocked her to the floor. Oliver grabbed a candlestick and hit the man with it. When it became clear the candlestick wasn’t going to be enough, he flipped the man over his shoulder and onto the coffee table, which broke under the weight. Before the man could get up, Oliver ripped the mask off of his face.

“Who are you?”

“Just a warrior, like you.” He answered.

Wolfsbane stalked into the room and moved to stand next to Oliver, blocking the door. The wolf had been awoken by the sound of the fight and came downstairs to investigate. He bared his teeth at the intruder.

“Why are you dressed like Malcolm Merlyn? Who sent you?!” Oliver demanded.

The man didn’t respond, but threw a knife towards Sara. Oliver turned to make sure she wasn’t hit and when he turned back, the mystery man was gone.

Wolfsbane growled and started sniffing the carpet, wanting to track the man’s scent and stop him. The man had attacked his home, it could’ve hurt the lone wolf’s pup or his mate. The wolf was angry. He followed the scent towards a side door of the building and started howling, hoping Oliver would follow.

“No, Wolfsbane. We’re not going after him like this.” Oliver told the wolf who sat down in front of the door in protest. At time, the wolf didn’t understand this human. He could track the intruder, but Oliver didn’t want him to? The archer helped Sara to her feet, picked up the clump of dirt the man had left behind and put it in a baggie to give to Felicity. “We need to go. I’ll ask Felicity to meet us at Verdant.” Sara didn’t argue, too shaken by the bold attempt, and let Oliver lead her out of the house.

Chapter 47

Summary:

Oliver and Sara both fight to protect the people who matter most to them.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Felicity was already at Verdant when Sara and Oliver arrived. She asked why he insisted she come here, leading him to needing to explain what happened after she and Megan left.

“We just had an uninvited guest at the Queen Mansion.” Oliver spoke up. “Trained. Highly skilled. And he was dressed like Merlyn.”

“Well, last I checked Malcolm Merlyn was dead. Courtesy of an arrow through his heart.” Diggle responded.

“It wasn’t him. It was a follower…. an underling bent on revenge. Whoever it was, he knows who I am.” He passed Felicity the bag of dirt.

“Gee, I didn’t get you a bag of dirt.”

“I found it in the house. Copycat Merlyn tracked it in. I want you to analyze it. Hopefully it’ll lead me right to him.”

“Then what?”

“If this pretender wants to follow Malcolm Merlyn so badly, he can follow him right into a grave.” Oliver replied. “Sara, we’ll find this guy.“

No one noticed how the look on Sara’s face changed once Oliver began talking. She mentally braced herself for what was about to happen. She turned to face the trio. “I don’t want you to.”

“What do you mean?”

“He wasn’t after you, Ollie. He’s after me.” Sara admitted.

Oliver opened his mouth to speak, but Felicity beat him to it. “Oliver, can I talk to you for a second? Over there?” She pointed to a corner of the foundry. He nodded and followed her. “She needs to leave. I know she’s you’re friend and you feel bad about what happened, but….she needs to go. This is gonna sound mean, but I don’t care where she goes, it just needs to not be the mansion.” She knew it sounded really mean, but Sara couldn’t stay there. “This man was in our home. What if this had happened while Megan was there? What if he’d hurt Megan? It’s Sara, I know you blame yourself for everything, but if some Merlyn wannabe, or whoever this guy is, is after Sara, she needs to not be near our family.”

“I understand.” He said before they walked back over to where Sara and John were. “Who is he?”

“He’s called Al-Owal, the First. And he’s a member of the League of Assassins.” Sara admitted. Oliver walked a few feet away from Sara and just tried to process what she just said.

“Wait, wait. The League of Assassins. I thought they were a myth.” Digg asked.

“What’s the League of Assassins? And please don’t say a league made up of assassins.” Felicity said.

“It was an urban legend, I heard about them in Afghanistan from a tribal leader. He claimed there was an ancient sect of assassins, deadly warriors that killed and vanished like ghosts.” Digg answered. “Thought he was smoking what he was selling.”

“I tried to tell you Ollie but you wouldn’t listen.”

“That’s where you’ve been the past four years. That’s where you learned to fight. You’re one of them.” Oliver said angrily.

Sara nodded. “After the freighter, a member of the League rescued me, took me in, and brought me to Nanda Parbat. They remade me, into what I am. And I swore them my allegiance.”

“Why are they kicking down doors trying to find you now?” Digg asked.

“Because I left, and there’s only one way you leave the League.”

“Is that why you didn’t want to see your family?” Oliver asked, still angry.

Sara responded by telling the story of an assignment she was on last year. She concluded by telling Oliver her family wouldn’t want to see a murderer like her. Sara went over to where the training dummies were, leaving John, Felicity and Oliver standing next to the blonde’s computers. Digg then excused himself to leave the couple alone.

“I’m sorry. If I’d known that Sara-.”

“I’ve got a feeling she never wanted anyone to know, least of all you.” She responded. “You know. I’ve got nothing against her, I just-.”

“You don’t want something to happen to our family if we get in the middle of this.” He finished. “Even inviting her to stay at the mansion was a bad move on my part. I didn’t even consider what she might be running from or how you’d feel having her there.”

“Why did you invite her to stay, if I’m allowed to ask?”

“Guilt, mostly. She missed out on five years of her life, was torn away from her family, all because of me. I guess I thought….it sounds stupid, but I figured, if I help her connect with her family, or at least give her a place to stay, that makes up for me ruining her life.”

“Did you drag her onto the Gambit kicking and screaming?” Felicity asked.

“No, of course not.”

“Then its not all your fault. You didn’t know the boat was gonna go down, and you didn’t force her to come with you. She got onto that boat willingly. I’m pretty sure that’s something that both you, and her family, forgot in the last five years.”

Oliver was about to respond but an alarm on his phone went off. His mother was supposed to meet with the DA today, since they were offering her a deal. He promised her he’d be there for moral support. If he didn’t leave now, he’d miss the meeting.

After he left, Sara approached Felicity. She stood there for a few minutes, watching the blonde work. “Thank you, for being so understanding.”

“Oh, I’m not.” She answered, anger evident in her voice. “See, Oliver didn’t know what you were running from. Yes, he should’ve asked if you were in some kind of trouble, but if he had, you probably wouldn’t have been honest. You, however, you knew before this Al Owal guy broke in that someone was after you. And you still accepted Oliver’s offer. He attacked my home, where my five-year-old daughter lives, where she sleeps. He could’ve attacked while she was there. I can’t be mad at him for not knowing what was going on, but I can be mad at you for putting him, putting us in this situation. And I am, but it looks like the only way I can be sure that my child, the person I care about more than anyone else in the entire universe, is safe is to help you get rid of this guy.” Having said her piece, she started to walk away. “And let me make something very clear. If anything happens to Megan as a result of this, anything, I will make you wish you drowned six years ago and no one, not even Oliver, will be able to stop me.”

Sara didn’t say anything in response. Felicity had a point and she would sound unreasonable if she tried to justify her actions. Sara knew clinging to a tiny sense of normalcy could’ve ended tragically.

 

When Oliver came back from the meeting, he was pissed. The DA’s “deal” was to sentence Moira to life in prison, with a chance for parole in 25 years. He was mad about the deal, but even angrier when he learned it had been Laurel’s idea. Jean, Oliver and Thea were trying to convince Moira not to take the deal.

“Please tell me that you found someone for us to hit.” He said to Felicity the second he reached the lair.

“I might’ve. Spectro analysis of the dirt from the house had trace amounts of a pesticide that used to be manufactured at a plant in town, but it was shut down years ago. Now, the sight is abandoned and that’s where I think our League of Assassins assassin is hiding.”

Oliver walked over to change into his suit. Sara tried to talk him out of it. “He will kill you.”

“He wouldn’t be the first to try.” He responded.

“This is my fight, not yours.”

“He made it my fight when he broke into my home.” He said.

The pair headed to the abandoned plant where they believed Al-Owal was. Oliver snuck in and confronted the man, warning him to leave Sara Lance alone. He responded, calmly, by stating that Oliver wasn’t a threat to him and reminding him that he had barely defeated Malcolm, with help. The assassin then revealed that he had trained Malcolm.

“Guess it’s a good thing he didn’t come alone then.” Sara said, stepping out of the shadows.

Al-Owal informed Sara that “the child of Ra’s al Ghul” was awaiting her return. She told him that she wasn’t going to come back and a fight broke out between Sara and Oliver against three assassins. Al-Owal hadn’t come alone either. They were able to hold the assassins off, but not defeat them.

“If you will not return willingly, we’ll stay to bury your family.” Al-Owal warned before releasing a smoke bomb and escaping.

 

Sara was injured, so they went back to the foundry. While Oliver was stitching her wound up, she was arguing that she was fine and needed to get out of the lair. “He’s gonna go after my family. Laurel, my dad-.”

“I’ve got Laurel.” Oliver said. “Tommy can- if anyone can talk her into of leaving town for a few days, it’ll be him. I’ll keep an eye on her apartment as well. Just until we deal with the assassins.”

“I’d offer to talk to Lance, but I think we all know that I can’t just tell him there’s a cult of assassins after him without telling him the whole truth.” Felicity said. “So, how do I warn him without making myself sound like a crazy person?”

“You can’t. We’ve only got one option.” Sara said before walking out of the lair.

Oliver called Tommy before heading towards Laurel’s apartment to guard it from any assassins. Felicity went home to Megan, while Sara disappeared, saying she had a way to deal with her father. To everyone’s surprise, Sara found her father, just after his shift ended, and revealed her survival to him. The choice made sense, Lance couldn’t be protected if he was kept in the dark, and the only way he’d believe the truth was if he saw it for himself. He convinced her to have dinner, which she agreed to.

 

At dinner, Quentin noticed Sara was pretty jumpy and asked if everything was okay. She told him some dangerous people were after her and she was worried they’d target him and Laurel. He worked out during their meal that she was the Canary and knew who the Arrow was. She deflected the question and insisted he come to her hideout, arguing that it was the safest place for him to be until the situation blew over.

While Sara was explaining why she chose the clocktower, Al-Owal and the other two assassins revealed themselves. Lance drew his gun and Sara extended her staff. “So, this is where you wanted your father to die.” He took a few steps forward. “Did you really think we could not find you here?”

“No. I knew you would.” Sara replied as she split her staff into two pieces.

They all attacked at once. Lance started firing at the closest assassin to him when Oliver broke through the window and began arrows at another and Sara began fighting against Al-Owal. The assassin Lance was shooting at stepped into a trap and was flung upside down.

Lance’s opponent cut himself down just as Sara’s staff was knocked out of her hands. Al-Owal removed his mask and held his sword against Sara’s throat. Oliver knocked out his opponent. The assassin nearest to Quentin drew his sword and was about to swing it when he pulled out his back-up sidearm and shot the man in the chest. Sara burst forward, shoving Al-Owal’s sword away from her and picked up her staff, maneuvering him into a headlock.

“You think, because you are the beloved, that you’ll be granted your freedom?” He laughed.

“There’s only one freedom. Let me grant you yours.” She responded before breaking his neck. She killed the man her father had shot next. She then pulled the assassin Oliver had fought to his feet.

“You don’t-.” Oliver spoke up.

“Tell Ra’s al Ghul that my family is off-limits. Your quarrel is with me.” Sara said threateningly before released the man.

The assassin nodded once before jumping out of the window. Lance saw this as a victory, they were gone so that meant Sara could come home. She informed him that, even though the fight was over, the League wasn’t going to stop looking for her. She needed to leave town and he needed to promise not to tell her mother or Laurel that she was alive, since it would put them in danger.  She asked Oliver to keep an eye on her family, before making another request.

“Tell Felicity I’m sorry. I didn’t- Megan wasn’t supposed to be in danger.” She said. “I just- please tell her I’m sorry and that I wish I could apologize to her in person, but-.”

“I will. Stay safe, wherever you end up.” He said before walking away.

Oliver drove back to the mansion and found that Felicity was still awake in her room. “Sara had to leave. We stopped Al-Owal but more are coming. She asked me to apologize to you.”

“It’s fine.” She said.

“No, its not.” He argued. “Megan could’ve been hurt, or worse. You could’ve been hurt, or worse. All because I didn’t bother to ask where she’d been the last few years or why she seemed to be on the run. That’s on me.”

“You’re right, it is.”

“I was more focused on finding Sara alive and helping her adjust than thinking about what it means and how it effects our family.” He said. “And I’m sorry for that.”

“Yeah, you were.” She said. “And I can’t wait to see how you plan on making that up to Megan and I. Not to mention the other things you say you plan on proving to me.” Oliver said he was going to prove that he cared about Felicity, that his feelings were real, but he had yet to do anything to show it. He said goodnight to Felicity and as he walked out of the room, he thought about all of the things he still needed to do to show her he was being genuine.

Notes:

Moving forward, this story will be updated every other week, rather than every week, to allow for longer/more in-depth chapters.

Chapter 48

Summary:

Oliver and Felicity head to Moscow to help Digg rescue a friend.

Chapter Text

After Sara left town, Felicity gave Oliver the silent treatment for a few days. She was still livid about what had happened with Sara, but the situation only served to highlight another aspect of her relationship with Oliver that was bugging her. His inaction. It seemed as if, when the Arrow wasn’t involved, he talked a lot but never did anything to back up his claims. He claimed he wanted to be with Felicity, but hadn’t made any effort to show it. He also claimed that, despite not being around for a few months, he’d make it up to Megan, which he also hadn’t done yet. The Arrow was a man of action, but it looked like Oliver Queen was all talk.

Three days after the run-in with the League, Felicity came into work after dropping Megan off at school, and found a coffee cup and a warm chocolate croissant on her desk. Oliver came out of his office and watched her reaction. She stared at the food in confusion.

“Large cappuccino with skim milk and a chocolate croissant.” He said. “That’s what you normally get a Jitters, isn’t it?”

“It is, but why-.”

“I wanted to surprise you, I guess.” He shrugged. “And I noticed you didn’t have breakfast this morning, so….yeah.”

“I appreciate the gesture, but I hope you realize buying me coffee isn’t going to be enough for me to forgive you.” She said.

“I know, I just- you told me to prove I was being genuine to you, and I don’t wanna do too much too fast and- I know its gonna take time. I broke your trust; I need to rebuild it. This seemed like a safe, but good, first step.” He said nervously.

“Thank you.” She said, sitting down at her desk and taking a sip of her drink.

He went back into his office with a small smile on his face. He spent a few hours doing paperwork, which made him bored out of his mind but he needed to do it to keep up appearances and to keep Isabel from storming into his office to yell at him for being a bad CEO. He lost track of time as he worked, and only looked up from his desk when he heard a gasp coming from Felicity’s desk.

Snapping his head up, he saw that she was looking at a bouquet of flowers in shock. Either the florist was running early or he’d spent a lot longer working than he meant to. Felicity told the delivery man to just set the flowers down on her desk and Oliver came out of his office.

“Why sunflowers?” She asked him.

“They remind me of you. Bright, happy. Strong. Did you know they can grow to over six feet tall?” He responded. “Do you like them?”

“Yeah.” An alert popped up on her computer. “You’re supposed to be at a lunch meeting in five minutes at Table Salt.” Just like that, the moment was ruined.

 

Later that day, Oliver was about to leave the office when Isabel caught him packing up. She cornered him and gave him a lecture about missing meetings. She laid it on a little thick, in Felicity’s opinion, emphasizing that they were supposed to be partners and how she wanted this business to succeed just as much as he claimed to. 

In the middle of Isabel’s lecture, Roy signaled that there was Vigilante business that needed to be done. Tired of listening to Isabel talk, and wanting to leave for the day, Felicity stormed into Oliver’s office and told him it was time to go.

“Megan hasn’t had dinner yet and I don’t want her eating too close to bedtime.” She said, walking into his office. “We need to go.”

Megan had been sitting quietly at Felicity’s desk working on her homework ever since Felicity picked her up from school. Usually, Thea or Tommy watched Megan after school, but today they were both busy.

“You don’t need to stay.” Isabel said in a snide tone.

“I’m sorry Felicity, I didn’t notice how late it was.” He said standing up and turning to Isabel. “We’re going to need to finish this conversation another time.”

The brunette watched him leave with a mix of shock and disgust on her face. Oliver ignored her and asked Megan if she was ready to go home. The girl agreed enthusiastically and practically dragged him towards the elevator. Felicity was already a huge thorn in Isabel’s side, and now her daughter was proving to be just as annoying, Isabel needed to get rid of them soon. Oliver broke up the counterfeit license plate ring Roy had told him about before going back to the mansion to say goodnight to Megan before heading out on patrol.

 

That night, Felicity ran the comms from the mansion while Oliver trained in the foundry. He was starting to wonder where Digg was, he hadn’t seen him in a few hours, when John suddenly came downstairs and started grabbing supplies.

“Everything okay?” Oliver asked.

“Yeah, I'm just gonna be away for a few days. Friend of mine’s in trouble.”

“Who?”

“Lyla Michaels”. 

“It's his spy girlfriend that works for A.R.G.U.S.” Felicity said over the intercom, mostly to inform Oliver. She knew he might not know who the agent was to Digg.

“She went to Russia looking for Deadshot, for me. Now she's missing.” Digg said,

“Felicity? I think its time we paid our Moscow branch a surprise visit.” He said.

“I can’t ask you to do that, man.”

“You didn’t.” Oliver responded.

“It’s a good thing Tommy’s always up for babysitting.” Felicity remarked. Oliver and Digg both sputtered on the other end of the line. “What? You think I’m gonna let both of you go alone.”

“Maybe Megan should come with us.” Oliver said. “’What if she thinks I’m leaving again? And taking you with me?”

 

The next morning, Felicity, Oliver and Digg were waiting for the corporate jet to finish being prepped. Megan bouncing up and down excitedly. Felicity had told her they were going on a trip and she liked going on trips. Until now, the only trips Megan had gone on were to Las Vegas to visit Donna, so she was excited they were going somewhere new.

“Where are we going again?”

“To Russia, it’s a country over in Europe.” Felicity answered.

“Why?”

“Mommy and I have to do a bunch of work stuff. But we wanted you to come with us.” Oliver said. “It’s a really pretty place and we’ve never gone on a trip together.”

Just then, a black town car pulled up in front of the plane. Isabel stepped out and looked at the assembled group. “Where do you think you're going?”

“Tahiti.” Felicity answered.

“That's funny. The flight manifest says you're going to Moscow.”

“Well, we're going to stop by there, you know, after Tahiti.” She insisted.

“What kind of partner decides to interact with our overseas holdings behind the other one's back?” Isabel asked, looking at Oliver.

“It was an oversight.” He said.

“Oh. Well, lucky for our partnership, I'm a fast packer.” Isabel threw Oliver and Felicity a smirk before getting aboard the plane.

“Guys, her tagging along does not help matters any.” Digg said.

“Relax, John, It’ll be fine.” Oliver said. “We're going to bring Lyla back. Wherever she is.”

“Who is that lady?” Megan asked.

“She works with us.” Her mother answered off-handedly. “Come on, let’s get you settled on the plane.”

The flight was spent with Isabel trying to talk business with Oliver, who wasn't interested in anything she was trying to say. Instead, he and John we both trying to figure out the easiest way to get Lyla to safety. Felicity sat with Megan, keeping her entertained during the flight.

 

Moscow

The jet landed and everyone went through customs. Oliver was going to grab Digg so that they could go “have a drink” with Anatoly, but Isabel intercepted him. “I've arranged a meeting with the chief operating officer of our Moscow subsidiary tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. Try your hardest not to miss this one.”

“You know, I'm not this person that you seem to think I am.”

“That depends.” 

“On what?” 

“On if I think you and your assistant used the corporate jet for a weekend of fun with your assistant. You already promoted her when she had no applicable qualifications.”

“That’s- yes, she does.”

“Really? What were they? Aside from an abundance of short skirts and the kid she claims you’re the father of?” Isabel challenged before walking away right as Felicity arrived.

“What was that about?”

“Isabel’s-.”

“Being Isabel. Shocking.” She said. “So, what now?”

“Digg and I are going to go get a drink.” Oliver answered. “You and Megan are going to the hotel in a cab. With Isabel.”

“She even looks at my daughter weird, I’m taking her out.” Felicity vowed.

There was something about Isabel that made Felicity very unsettled, although she couldn’t put her finger on it. The blonde got into a cab with Isabel and drove to the hotel. Thankfully, she didn’t try to make small talk during the ride and Megan was too fascinated by the view to notice.

 

Oliver and Digg met with Anatoly for a drink. After a toast, Anatoly told them that Lyla had broken into the worst gulag in Russia but got caught trying to break back out. He told them everything he knew about the facility and helped them come up with a plan to get someone inside to launch a rescue mission.

After they finished their drink, the two Americans returned to their hotel and brought Felicity up-to-speed on the plan. It was decided that, given what needed to be done outside of the gulag, Digg was going to get himself arrested and trust Oliver and Felicity to handle getting him and Lyla out of there.

 

Getting John arrested and making sure they acquired the truck they’d need to free him meant that both Oliver and Felicity missed the meeting with Queen Consolidated’s Moscow office. When Isabel confronted him, Oliver made up a story about a Russian car he absolutely needed to have. Being civil for once, she invited him to sit down and have a drink with her. She told him about her childhood in Russia and then asked something out of the blue.

“How do you know she’s even yours?” She asked.

“What?”

“Felicity’s daughter, the kindergartener running around calling you “Daddy”. How do you even know she’s yours?” She repeated. “She doesn’t look that much like you, and, rumor has it, plenty of other girls have pulled the same stunt. Your assistant was just the first one to actually pull it off.”

“I am Megan’s father and Felicity wouldn’t lie about something like that.” He said, starting to get angry.

“So, it’s a coincidence that you come home after five years away and almost immediately encounter a woman you supposedly slept with five years ago, who happens to work for your family and she happens to have a kid old enough to be yours. But she didn’t tell you about the baby before you left, even though she would’ve been three or four months pregnant when you got onto your father’s yacht? Sure.” Isabel said skeptically. “Hope you got a paternity test done.”

In order to get what she wanted, Isabel needed to get Felicity and Megan out of the picture, but mostly Felicity. She didn’t know if Oliver and Felicity were together or not, but every couple had fights. She just needed to find some weak spot to poke at until they fought and broke up. As for the little girl, she was a nuisance and Isabel hated kids anyway. If she could convince Oliver that Felicity was manipulating him, and that Megan wasn’t his, it would kill two birds with one stone.

Oliver practically slammed his glass onto the table. “Felicity isn’t like that.”

“Or she is and you just don’t see it. Five years is a long time after all.”

“Let me make something very clear, we are business partners, and that’s it. if I had my way, you wouldn’t be within one hundred feet of this company.” He said. “And you might have convinced part of the board to support you, but don’t forget that I own Queen Consolidated, not you.” He paid the check and left. He was furious at what the brunette was saying. So angry that, if Isabel hadn't been a woman, he might've taken a swing at her.

Isabel smirked. Clearly, she’d touched a nerve. Oliver went back to his room and waited for Felicity to arrive. The longer he sat there, the angrier he got at Isabel. He knew she was a ruthless business woman, but he’d thought, for a second there, that she wasn’t completely cold. Clearly, he was wrong and he needed to find a way to get rid of her.

 

 

Felicity knocked on Oliver’s door when it was time for them to break Digg and Lyla out of the gulag. Since Megan had come to Moscow with them, Felicity couldn’t be on-site for the break-out, but she was listening in on the comms. Oliver sat in the military truck and waited for the bomb in Digg’s personal effects to detonate. He only had a few minutes to get to the gate while the guards were distracted, but as the seconds ticked on, he was nowhere to be seen. He saw three figures running towards them right as the window closed. In an attempt to buy them a little more time, Oliver got out of the truck and attacked the guard who tried to stop the three prisoners from escaping. Believing he was part of the group of guards, the Russian didn’t expect the attack and Oliver managed to knock him out.

“Wow, The rich kid’s a badass.” A voice said from behind John. A second later, Floyd Lawton stepped into her view.

“That lead on Deadshot was very accurate, clearly.” Felicity said, having heard the man’s voice. “Let’s go before more guards come.”

They drove away. A few miles away from the prison, Digg let Lawton out of the truck and the hitman told him that he’d killed Andy Diggle on his client’s orders. Oliver, Digg and Lyla drove back to the hotel. The next morning, they flew back to Starling with Isabel. Bizarrely, Isabel didn’t remark on Lyla’s presence on the flight home.

Megan wanted to stop on the way home to tell Tommy all about the cool things she got to see in Russia, which her parents obliged. After she relived every single thing that happened, they returned to the mansion. After their daughter went off to play, Felicity asked Oliver why he’d been acting weird in Russia.

“Don’t say its nothing, because if this were Scanners, Isabel’s head would’ve exploded from how hard you were glaring at her.” She said.

“What is “Scanners”?” Oliver asked in confusion.

“It’s a movie where a guy can make people’s heads explode if he glares hard enough and you’re dodging the question.” She said. “What happened? What did she do?”

“Tried to feed me a bunch of crap and manipulate me.”

“She’s been doing that for weeks. What’s different this time?”

“She brought you and Megan into it.” He said.

Felicity stood up. “Okay, time to ruin her life and her credit score.”

“Fel-.”

“Fine, but I’m putting her on the no-fly list and I’m gonna find out what that witch is hiding.” She vowed.

“I have no doubt about that. After that, you can ruin her life and tank her credit score.”

Chapter 49

Summary:

Moira's trial begins and an old foe of the Arrow's returns.

Chapter Text

Two days after Oliver and the team returned from Russia, it was time for Moira’s trial. After talking with Felicity, they decided to keep Megan home from school because they were worried about the press trying to take pictures of her during recess or use her for a story. Oliver brought Megan, and Wolfsbane, to the office with him on the first day of the trial. Felicity walked into the office to see Megan coloring at her father’s desk, and Wolfsbane lying on the floor a few feet in front of her.

“I don’t remember agreeing to Wolfsbane being here.” She said pointedly.

“He’s just here to protect his pack.” Oliver said. He knew he needed to appear at Moira’s trial, but he was worried about someone with an axe to grind coming to Queen Consolidated today, looking for revenge. Since Oliver couldn’t be in two places at once, he trusted his wolf companion to keep his family safe.

“Fine. I’ll humor you.” She said. “Just this once. Tomorrow, he stays home.”

“Understood.” He said before giving Megan a hug and a kiss goodbye and leaving to head to the courthouse.

 

When Oliver arrived at the courthouse, he wasn’t surprised to see a media circus outside. The Queen family always drew attention and mass murder also drew attention, so it was natural that practically every media outlet on the west coast was there to report on the proceedings.

He took a deep breath, preparing to get out of the car when he found the door was already open. “Stay behind me.” Digg told him as he led them through the crowd. Once inside the building, he noticed John was sweating an awful lot.

“You feeling okay?”

“I’ll be fine.”

“You look like you have the flu.” Oliver pointed out.

“If that’s true, getting the vaccine was a waste of time.”

“Digg, whatever it is, just go home.” He said. “And before you argue, we’ll be fine. Go rest. Don’t make me call Felicity.” John rolled his eyes but walked towards the exit.

Half an hour after John left, Moira’s trial began. Jean Loring painted Moira as a mother who only was complicit in Malcolm’s madness out of fear, while the district attorney claimed that her warning, her remorse wasn’t enough and that as bad as she felt, it wouldn’t bring the victims back to life or give those who lost everything their homes back.

 

Felicity was at work, trying to keep her mind off of Moira’s trial and her conflicted feelings about it. She was going over some paperwork that she needed Oliver to look over when Digg walked in. She looked up at him and made a face.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but you look disgusting.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t feel too great either.” He said. “Is there a right way to take that?”

“You should go home.”

“I’m going, I’m going. As soon as I make arrangements for a substitute bodyguard for Oliver and Thea.” He started looking through some files trying to find someone.

“Did you get the flu shot?” She asked. “I never do. I know that I should but I have this thing about needles. And I know that's ironic, given who we work with. I should take Megan to get one now that I think about- I’m getting off track, did you get the flu shot or-?”

“It’s not the flu, Felicity, it’s more like…” Before he could finish, he passed out.

“Dig?!” She exclaimed, running over to him.

“Mommy, what’s wrong with Mr. Diggle?” Megan asked.

“I don’t know. I think he might have a cold.” She said. “Can you hand Mommy her phone?” The girl gave Felicity her phone and she made a call to Tommy, who wasn’t at Moira’s trial because he felt it would only make things worse. “Sorry, I know you didn’t plan on leaving your apartment today, but I need a favor.”

Felicity took a blood sample from John and hid it, knowing she’d be able to call in a favor with someone to test it. Tommy arrived and helped Felicity take Digg down to his car. As they were helping him out of the office, Felicity told Megan that she’d be right back and to stay in Oliver’s office.

 

Megan sat in her father’s office chair and worked on her homework. She was finishing up her math worksheet when someone walked into Oliver’s office. She looked up and saw Isabel standing there.

“You’re not supposed to be in here.” Isabel said. Oliver was at Moira’s trial and her source told her Felicity had just left her desk. Now was supposed to be the perfect time for her to snoop around Oliver’s office, but his kid being here ruined it.

“My daddy said I could sit here.” Megan responded.

“I don’t care what he said. You need to leave.” She said. “Come on.”

“No!” The girl said, crossing her arms. “I’m staying right here until my mommy or my daddy come back!”

The brunette scoffed, rolled her eyes and moved to grab Megan and pull her out of the room. When she rounded the desk, she saw that there was a huge, angry-looking dog standing between her and Megan. Wolfsbane was growling and snarling at her. Trying to change tactics, she reached a hand out as if to befriend him, but he only snarled harder and his ears flattened further against his skull. She wondered why on Earth Oliver would bring such a large, dangerous, aggressive and clearly untrained animal into the building.

Sensing that Wolfsbane might attack if she came any closer, she spun on her heels and walked away. She could snoop around Oliver’s office later.

Wolfsbane watched Isabel leave and was happy that the bitch left before trying to hurt his friend’s pup. Megan patted his head and thanked him for making the mean lady go away. Felicity returned and told Megan to grab her backpack.

“Since Mr. Diggle isn’t feeling well, and I don’t want you to get sick, your uncle Tommy’s gonna take care of you today, okay?” Felicity said.

“Uhm, I was gonna head to the trial and-.” Tommy started to say.

“I know. I already talked to Oliver. If things get too….descriptive, just take her into the hallway, okay?”

Tommy, Megan and Felicity left the office. Wolfsbane was left behind, after Felicity told the wolf she’d be back later, after she figured out what was wrong with Digg.

 

Once at Verdant, Felicity took a sample of John’s blood and tested it. He woke up, still sweating and started to shiver. Just then, Oliver walked downstairs, the opening statements had ended and he wanted to get out of the courthouse for a little bit.

“I told Felicity not to call you.”

“Yeah, but that was after you passed out on me, so I made an executive decision.” She argued.

“She was right to call me, You need medical attention.” Oliver said.

“He needs more than that. While he was out, I tested his blood. It came back positive for Vertigo.”

“That’s impossible. I’ve never used Vertigo in my life.”

“You were exposed somehow.” She said. “When the Count recovered from his OD, he was sent to Iron Heights. And we know part of the building was damaged in the quake so…”

“He got out the same way the Dollmaker did, and the prison kept it quiet.” Oliver finished.

“You made a choice not to kill him. it was the right one.” She reminded him.

“I know. I need to get back before Thea gets called to testify. Give him some of the herbs to counteract the drugs and find out how he got dosed.” He started to walk away. “Megan’s with Tommy?”

“Well, I couldn’t exactly bring her with me and I couldn’t leave Digg passed out on the floor of your office.” She said. “He said he might head to the courthouse. If he does, I need you to watch her. Not Thea, not him, you.”

Felicity gave Digg the herbs from Lian Yu, but they didn’t do much to alleviate his symptoms.

 

Thea’s testimony didn’t start off well. The DA wasn’t pulling any punches and knew Thea was supposed to humanize Moira. He didn’t intend to let the defense do that. He pointed out that it took Thea five months to visit her mother, and used that as evidence that Thea didn’t forgive her, so the citizens of Starling shouldn’t either. Towards the end of his questioning, Donner started to act out of character before passing out.

Shortly after Donner was carted away by EMS, the Count hacked into all of the city’s TV stations and broadcasted a message. He was responsible for Donner’s ill health and announced that the cure for the DA, and anyone else feeling ill, was to take Vertigo. With Donner out, a recess was called and Oliver used the break to return to the foundry.

“Any idea where that feed came from?” Oliver asked as soon as he reached the bottom step.

“Not yet. He had to have stayed local, but he could’ve been broadcasting from anywhere.” She said. “What I can’t figure out is how he did it. If he dosed the whole city, why are only some people showing symptoms?”

“Maybe he didn’t dose the whole city. It’s possible that only certain people were exposed to it, somehow.” Oliver said. “Take a look at the video frame-by-frame if you need to, and find out what Digg and Donner have in common.”

Felicity took Oliver’s suggestion and scrubbed through the video one frame at a time. She was able to catch the reflection of a logo in Donner’s pupil at one point and matched it to a records building that hadn’t been used in years. She gave Oliver the address and stayed in the foundry to look for a connection between the victims.

 

Laurel went over Adam Donner’s notes and discovered what his big trump card was to make sure no jury would even think Moira was acting under duress. After finding his notes, she paid a visit to Moira in Iron Heights and told her, as a family friend, that testifying would ruin her own defense.

“If you take the stand, I’ll have to cross-examine you to the best of my ability.”

“I know.”

“I don’t think you understand. Not only could this ruin your relationship with Thea, Oliver and Tommy, but it could undermine your entire case.”

“That’s a risk I’m willing to take. It’s time for the truth to come out.” Moira said in a finite tone.

 

Oliver went to the address Felicity gave him and he rescued the district attorney from the drug dealer, but the Count was able to escape. While Oliver was focused on that, Felicity spoke with Digg, trying to figure out where and how he’d been drugged. None of the reported victims lived near one another, so it couldn’t be environmental. She then compared the victims’ work addresses and saw that they seemed to be along a route of some kind.

“Your flu shot, where did you get it again?” Felicity asked. “Your doctor? A pharmacy?”

“No, from one of those mobile trucks.” He said. “You think-.”

“It would explain how that many people were drugged without knowing it. Where did you get yours?”

“Right there.” He pointed to the screen. “59th and Dell.”

“Okay, I’ll be back.”

“You’re going after him alone.”

 “Oliver’s dealing with enough and you’re out of commission. It could be nothing. if its not, I’ll call.” She said. “He’s probably not even going to be there.”

 

Before the recess ended, Moira asked for a few moments with her family. Thea and Oliver walked into the room and a few seconds later, Tommy walked in holding Megan’s hand. When Megan saw Moira, she immediately let go of Tommy’s hand and ran towards her grandmother.

“Grandma!” She yelled as she threw her arms around Moira.

“Hi Megan.”

“I missed you so much.”

“I missed you too.” She said, hugging her a little bit longer.

“Are you coming home soon?” Megan asked.

“I don’t know yet.” She answered honestly.

Oliver convinced Megan to draw Moira a picture, keeping her distracted so that his mother could tell them what she wanted to tell them. Moira told them about her past relationship with Malcolm and how the DA’s office was planning to use the relationship against her to derail her case. She didn’t want her family to be blindsided by the news. Megan and Tommy stayed in the office while the girl finished her picture. Oliver and Thea went back into the courtroom and witnessed Laurel’s cross-examination of Moira. It was hard to watch, especially since it was the last thing that happened before closing statements began.

 

It didn’t take Felicity long to find the mobile flu truck. Thankfully, there was no one inside when she reached it. After a few minutes of searching, she found some syringes which had a slight green hue, clearly laced with Vertigo. “Gotcha!”

“Funny, I was about to say the same thing.” A voice said from behind her.

 

Closing statements had been made, the jury left to deliberate and now, the only thing Oliver, Thea and Tommy could do was wait. They were pacing the hallway when Oliver’s phone began to ring.

“Felicity?”

“Oliver.” The Count replied. “Is it okay if I call you Oliver?”

 

In Oliver’s office, the Count used Felicity’s cell phone to call Oliver. He moved away from his desk and walked over to where Felicity was tied to a chair. “Surprised to hear from me? Not as surprised as I was. You see, I find this…..not unattractive blonde getting into my business, and what does she have on her, but a Queen Consolidated ID badge. And I think to myself, why does that name ring a bell?” He threw the lanyard across the room. “Oliver Queen, he tried to buy off me last year, just before the Hood put me in a padded cell. ipso facto Arrow.” He snarled as he raised a gun.

Felicity whispered. “Oh, god, please-.” Before the line cut out.

 

At the courthouse, the call ended and Oliver started to walk towards the exit. “Where are you going?” Thea asked.

“Something’s come up at the office.” He said, walking away.

“Ollie, the jury-.”

“Oliver, what-?” Tommy started to say, blocking his path.

“Tommy, I need to go.” He said firmly. “Felicity needs me.”

 

Wolfsbane had seen the Count enter Oliver’s office. He nearly attacked, but the man was too close to Felicity. He knew he needed to wait, but then the man had one of those loud devices humans were so fond of and he knew if he attacked, the Count might possibly shoot Felicity or himself. He hid in the shadows and waited for the man to move far enough away from Felicity for him to be able to attack.

 

Oliver went to Queen Consolidated and took the elevator to the top floor. It was empty and he walked towards his office. He saw Felicity tied to a chair, shaking, while the Count was sitting behind her, playing with her hair.

“Please don’t do this.” She said, trying not to cry. “I have a five-year-old. I just wanna go home to her. Please-.”

“You shouldn’t have tried to interfere with my business then.” He said. “And begging really isn’t attractive.” He then noticed Oliver and stood up. “Pretty swanky offices. You can see all of the destruction that your mother caused from up here.”

“What do you want?” Oliver asked.

“World peace and personal satisfaction, though not necessarily in that order.” He said, still looming over Felicity. “You poisoned me and put me in a hole. You have no idea how much I hated you for that. Turns out someone else hates you too.”

“Who?”

The Count chuckled. “Oh, you’re going to be surprised when you find out. He’s a man of means. Set me up with my new operation so I could draw you out.”

“To do what?”

The Count raised the gun he’d been hiding and fired it at Oliver. “This.”

Oliver ducked out of the way and the Count continued to fire. After using up all of his bullets, he cut Felicity loose and started to drag her into the direction that Oliver had gone. He reached the couch, which Oliver had ducked behind and found no one there.

He was about to turn around, expecting to see Oliver behind him, when suddenly, he felt something close around his arm followed by a snarl. Wolfsbane bit down on his arm, causing him to drop the gun. The Count pushed the wolf away with his foot and then pulled out a syringe of Vertigo.

“Let her go.” Oliver yelled. He’d jumped down from the rafters when Wolfsbane attacked.

“Fine, let’s move onto Plan B then.” He said, bringing the needle closer to Felicity’s neck.

Wolfsbane, angry that this man was trying to hurt Oliver’s mate again, ran towards the Count again and leapt on him, causing him to fall backwards and let go of Felicity. The drug dealer was beginning to regain his footing when Oliver fired three quick arrows in succession, causing the Count to fall backwards out of the window.

Wolfsbane ran over to Felicity and started sniffing her, trying to make sure that she was okay. Oliver joined them a few moments later. He gave the wolf a few pats on the head. “Good boy.” He then turned to Felicity, who was a bit jumpy. “It’s okay. You’re safe.”

“You’re shot.” She said, noticing he’d been nicked by a bullet.

“I’ll be fine.” He said. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. If I wasn’t dealing with the trial, I could’ve-.” Felicity had almost gotten killed because his life as Oliver Queen had interfered with his job as the Arrow. He shouldn’t have let finding the Count take a backseat to his mother’s trial. How would he have explained that to Megan?

“You need to go.” She said.

“What?”

“The cops are gonna show up, and if you’re still here- you should go.” She repeated. “I’ll see you later. At home.”

Oliver, only because Felicity requested that he leave, returned to the courthouse. Thea wasn’t happy about his exit earlier, but he told her that something had happened at the office and, as CEO, he needed to deal with it. Jean then came into the hallway and told them the jury had returned with a verdict.

Everyone filed into the courtroom and waited for the jury foreman to read the verdict. Oliver was expecting to hear a guilty verdict, so when the man said “Not guilty” he was more than a little floored.  “This doesn’t make sense.” He congratulated his mother and left the building, carrying a sleeping Megan. Tommy followed after him.

“Why do you not seem excited about this?”

“She should’ve lost. She should’ve been convicted.” He said. “I expected her to be. It doesn’t make sense.”

Tommy paused. “So, I’m not the only one who thinks its suspicious.”

“Nope.” He said. “I need to get Megan home, and make sure Felicity’s okay.”

“Why wouldn’t she be okay?” Tommy asked.

“I’m sure you’ll see it on the news.” He answered before walking out.

He drove back to the mansion and put Megan in bed. He then walked into Felicity’s room to check in on her. She was awake, and as soon as he entered, she started telling him about how QC’s applied sciences had developed a cure for the tainted vaccine.

“That’s good, but I didn’t come here to ask about that. I wanted to check on you.” He said. “What happened tonight was-.”

“I’m sorry.” She blurted out. “You killed him, because he was going to hurt me. I’m sorry that I put you in a position where you had to do that, make that kind of choice.”

“Felicity,” he said softly, “he had you and he was gonna hurt you. There was no choice to make.” He took a step closer to her and wrapped his arms around her. “You are my family, and I almost failed to protect you once. I’m not gonna let that happen again.” He was about to pull away, when he felt her return the hug. “You should get some rest. It’s been a long day.”

They ended their hug and Oliver wished Felicity goodnight before heading to his own room. He contemplated whether he’d be able to convince her to take a personal day tomorrow.

Chapter 50

Summary:

Oliver is reminded of something from the island and a break-in at Applied Sciences leads to Team Arrow meeting someone new.

Chapter Text

Tommy was leaving the courthouse when he got an alert from his home alarm system. Even though he wasn’t living in Merlyn Mansion any longer, he hadn’t sold the property yet. After a break-in two weeks after the Undertaking, when he was still in the hospital, Felicity convinced him to install some cameras and alarms, just in case. He walked into the dark house and could tell someone had been there, even if it was only because a few things had been moved. He searched the house, and when nothing seemed to have been stolen, he went to leave.

“You look well.” A voice said, before Malcolm stepped into the light.

“No thanks to you.” Tommy responded. He let out a humorless laugh. “Guess this explains how Moira got acquitted. I didn’t want her to spend her life in prison, but god forbid anyone in this city actually received the punishment they deserve. Did all that death make you happy? Do you think Mom would be proud of you?”

“Son, it’s not that simple-.”

“I don’t care. You’re gonna try and justify it with some bullshit, and I just do. not. care. I also don’t care why you decided to let me know you’re alive. Just- go. Leave. Buh-bye.” He said. “Next time I see you, I’m gonna call the SCPD and tell them you’re still alive.”

“That didn’t work last time.” Malcolm said, reminding Tommy of what happened with the SWAT team.

“Hopefully, they’re not stupid enough to try and take you alive this time.”

 

The day after Moira’s trial ended, her acquittal was the top story on the news. The second biggest story of the day, though, was the Count’s death at Queen Consolidated. Given the arrows found in his chest, people were wondering if the Arrow was killing again. The bite marks on the Count’s arm from where Wolfsbane bit him also raised some eyebrows, since no one could quite explain the injuries and the SCPD hadn’t found the wolf in the building when they arrived after the fact.

Felicity, after some convincing from Oliver, stayed home from work the next day. He dropped Megan off at school and went into work, trying his best to survive one day without Felicity keeping him from doing something dumb that would wreck the company. He had a quiet day at work, and when 3:00 rolled around, he packed up his things to pick Megan up from school.

 

Moira was released from Iron Heights first thing in the morning the day after her trial. She spent most of the day at Jean Loring’s office, getting her bearings now that she’d been acquitted and trying to figure out what her next steps should be. It was the middle of the afternoon when Moira finally returned to the mansion.

She walked into the living room and was surprised to see Felicity sitting on the couch, looking at her tablet, with a large dog lying on the floor by her feet.

Wolfsbane stood up when he spotted Moira. She wasn’t sure if he was a dog, maybe a type of Husky, or a wolf, but she felt like it was the latter. He came closer to her, sniffing her, and she stood very, very still. She couldn’t fathom why a wild animal was living in her house. Whose idea was this?

After Wolfsbane spent a few moments smelling her, Felicity spoke. “Hold out your hand. He’s not going to attack you.” Moira held out a hand and Wolfsbane licked it before he moved back to his spot near Felicity.

“Why is there a wolf in the house?”

“Talk to Oliver.” She responded before going back to what she was doing. She didn’t want to talk to Moira at the moment.

“Felicity, I-.” Before the Queen matriarch could say anything, they heard the front door open and someone run upstairs. Oliver entered the living room a few moments later and said hello to his mother.

“I want this animal out of this house!” Moira told Oliver, pointing to Wolfsbane. “Why would you bring a wolf home as a pet?”

“Wolfsbane isn’t a pet, he’s my companion.” He answered. “And before I make him leave, you have to explain to Megan why he’s going away.”

“What do you-?”

“Grandma!” Megan exclaimed, running into the room and hugging her. Moira hugged the girl back and completely forgot about the wolf for a few moments. When the hug ended, Megan began excitedly telling her all about how much she liked first grade and all of the friends she’d made. “Come meet Wolfy!”

She pulled her grandmother in the wolf’s direction and told her about how Wolfsbane was Tiger’s best friend and also her friend. She seemed comfortable around the animal and not the slightest bit afraid. Wolfsbane stayed laying on the ground and let Megan pet him and excitedly introduce Moira to him. Moira realized after a few minutes that she couldn’t make Oliver get rid of the wolf without breaking Megan’s heart, which would only further alienate her from the family.

 

The next week, Felicity and Oliver were driving to the office when he got a call from Applied Sciences, telling him about a break-in the night before and one of the guards being killed. They rushed over to the facility when the SCPD was already processing the scene. Lance was part of the group investigating the break-in and walked them through what the SCPD had worked out so far. He was telling them the police thought it was a group of at least five people when another person spoke up.

“Actually, it was only one guy.” The group turned around to see a lanky, brunette man who looked like he was 15. “Sorry, I’m late. Actually, my train was late. Well, the second one. the first one, I did miss, but that was my cab driver’s fault. I’ve got this great traffic app and he thought that- but I’m here now though, so.”

“Great.” Lance said. “Who the hell are you?”

“And do your parents know you’re here?” Oliver cut in.

“I’m Barry Allen. I’m with the Central City Police Department, I’m with the crime scene investigation unit.” The man, Barry, said, showing them a badge. “We’re working on a case with some similar, unexplained elements in Central City, so when word of your robbery came over the wire, my captain sent me up here.”

Oliver just looked at Barry. there was something he wasn’t telling them.  He was very suspicious of this stranger.

“And you think one guy ripped through the door like it was tin foil?”

“One very strong guy, yeah. Uhm, it takes about 1250 foot pounds of torque to break someone’s neck.” He showed them a picture of the dead guard and said the killer used only one hand. “I'm guessing you don’t know how hard it is to break someone’s neck.”

Oliver made a ‘hm’ sound. “No, I don’t.”

The police still hadn’t worked out what had been taken by the thief, but Barry looked at the damage and realized it had to be a large centrifuge. Lance, Oliver and Diggle looked at him in confusion, so he started to explain, but Felicity cut him off, knowing the best way to explain it to Oliver.

“What did you say your name was again?” She asked Barry.

“Barry Allen.”

“Felicity Smoak.” She said with a smile.

Barry noticed Oliver glaring at him and ran off to see what evidence the thief might’ve left behind when he escaped with the machinery.

Lance mentioned wondering if the Arrow knew about this. Felicity responded by telling him that she had a hunch he’d be learning out it soon.

“Something’s not right about him. Barry Allen.” Oliver said as they drove back to the office.

“Or, you’re just paranoid.” Felicity said. Barry seemed like a nice, normal guy to her.

When they got back to the office, the couple went in separate directions. Oliver pulled John aside and asked him to look into Barry Allen and find out if there was a similar case in Central City. Digg had just left to do that when Barry arrived due to Felicity saying the investigation needed to be done in-house. She reminded Oliver that forensic science wasn’t her specialty and that the faster and quieter they could catch this guy the better when he tried to argue with her.

While helping Barry set up his equipment and lending him a hand with a few tests, Felicity managed to get to know the CSI better. He told her about his mother’s death and how, if the Arrow had been around, he might’ve stopped it. “What’s he like? I know he saved you before?”

“Green.” She responded before turning back to what she was doing.

Oliver had come downstairs to see how the investigation was going when he saw that Barry and Felicity were standing very close to one another. Instead, he asked Digg if he had any luck finding out what the man was hiding.

“I don’t think his story is why you want him to be hiding something.” Digg said. “You seemed fine with things, until Barry Allen showed up.”

Felicity had gotten a call from her mother and left the room. She came back to Barry’s temporary work station just in time to witness Oliver confronting him about lying about his intentions.

“There is no case in Central City.” He gritted out.

Barry sighed and explained that he’d been obsessed with unexplainable events since his mother’s death. His mother was killed by a yellow blur and no one believed him, thinking he was a traumatized kid. He’d spent his life trying to find proof of superpowered beings in order to clear his father’s name. Barry packed up his things, but not before telling Oliver that the thief had had sucrose on his shoe, meaning he’d recently been at a sugar factory. Extrapolating from there, Felicity learned that a sugar refinery reported a truck stolen the day before the break in.

 

She tracked the truck down as soon as they got to the foundry that night. It was currently being used to rob a blood bank. Oliver decided to head out alone, thinking he could handle this guy by himself. He returned an hour later, empty-handed and beaten.

Why do I get the feeling like you know what’s going on?” Felicity asked him.

“My second year on Lian Yu, a scientist came to the island, his name was Ivo. He was searching for this drug called Mirakuru and came to the island to test it on people. The ones who survived had their strength, stamina and agility all enhanced.” He explained.

“You think Ivo’s in town.”

“He’s dead.” Oliver said. “As is everyone he injected. I destroyed the whole supply and burned the bodies.”

“But someone found the formula.” John stated.

“It seems so. He only needs one more ingredient to inject others with it. A strong sedative.” He said.

Felicity started looking for a place where he could find a strong sedative in a large quantity.

 

Moira was having a difficult time adjusting to life outside of prison and reconnecting with people. Most of the city saw her as a murderer and very few wanted to be associated with her. Oliver, either in denial or simply wanting to prove her wrong, convinced her to throw a party. Unfortunately, the party fell while the crazy-string thief was still running around.

To make matters worse, Oliver, Thea and Moira arrived to find that almost none of the guests Moira had invited chose to come. Maybe a dozen people had visited, and while it felt like a complete failure to Moira, Megan was excited that she got to go to a grown-up party with her parents. After some mingling, she saw her parents slip away from the guests.

Megan was a smart girl, she knew that her parents were keeping a secret from her. She announced that she was tired and said she was going to bed now. Raisa helped her change out of her party dress, but instead of putting on her PJs, she put on a black shirt and black sweatpants, like she saw a character do in a cartoon when they were being sneaky. Everyone was busy at the party, so she snuck downstairs without anyone seeing her. She ran outside, but her parents and Digg were already driving away. Frowning, she snuck back upstairs and started coming up with a new plan to see what her parents weren’t telling her.

 

Felicity, with some help from Barry, found that the thief had Ketamine in his blood. She found an ARGUS supply bunker nearby where there was enough sedative for what the thief would need. Oliver, again, decided that he should go alone.

“You can’t go alone. This guy’s muscle density is almost as thick as concrete. Our arrows can cut him, but they can’t stop him.” She said.

“I’ve beaten someone with the serum before.”

“What if you can’t this time?” She asked.

In the alleyway behind Verdant, her ran into Roy. A friend of Sin’s had gone missing, and was then found dead of an overdose, and he wanted the Arrow to find out what happened. He refused to let the matter drop, despite Oliver trying to dissuade him. Knowing that things were already pretty dangerous, and not wanting innocent blood on his hands, Oliver shot Roy in the leg to keep him away from the case.

 

When the Arrow arrived at the ARGUS bunker, the thief was already there. Having fought an enhanced person before, Oliver thought he knew what to do. He fought as hard as he could against the man, but he was able to handle any attack Oliver threw and him and beat him pretty badly. He threw Oliver into a bunch of shelves, with collapsed under the force, and when he got his bearing, he saw that there were two syringes, filled with unknown substance, sticking out of his leg. He tried to activate his comm unit to tell Digg and Felicity, but passed out before he could say anything.

When Oliver radioed in, but didn’t say anything, Digg and Felicity headed to the ARGUS bunker. They frantically searched the building, calling his name. Felicity found him still collapsed next to the shelves with the thief nowhere to be found.

“Is he alive?” John asked her.

“Pulse is weak, but its there.” She said, cupping his face. “Oliver! His pupils are dilated.” She then noticed the syringes and pulled them out of his body. Rushing over to the computer, she tried to figure out what he’d been injected with, but the computer had been damaged during the fight. “I can’t break into the files, I can’t figure out what he was injected with.”

“All right, then we have no choice.” Digg said, pulling out his phone.

“What are you doing?”

“Calling 9-1-1.”

“Digg, wait!”

“We can’t wait.”

“How are we supposed to explain this? Everyone’s gonna find out that he’s the Arrow!”

“It won’t matter if he’s dead.” He said. He was about to hit the button to dial the phone when Felicity snatched it out of his hand. “Felicity, we can’t save him!”

“I know, you’re right!” She said. “We can’t.”

 

Barry walked away from the ticket counter after hearing he’d missed the last train to Central City. The next one wouldn’t be until the morning. He sat down on a bench and tried to relax. His trip to Starling might get him in trouble, but he couldn’t control the train schedule. There was nothing he could do in this situation. Barry closed his eyes and felt something hit him in the neck a few seconds later. He tried to open his eyes, but they felt heavy all of a sudden.

Barry came to in a dark room. He opened one eye and looked around a little bit. It looked like he was in a basement or some underground storage area of some kind. Sitting up and looking around, he realized that he was in the Arrow’s hideout.  He saw someone dressed like the Arrow lying on a metal table, but couldn’t see his face because Felicity was blocking his view.

“I know this is surreal, but you can freak out later.” She said. “I need your help.” She moved slightly to the side to reveal Oliver unconscious on a table, with his hood pushed back. “Please, save him.”

Chapter 51

Summary:

Barry and Felicity fight to save Oliver, while Oliver tries to prevent the past from repeating itself.

Chapter Text

“I need your help.” Felicity told Barry before she stepped aside to let him see Oliver, still dressed as the Arrow, unconscious on the table. “Please, save him.”

Barry had a thousand questions running through his head, but when he saw how pale Oliver was, he stifled his curiosity and moved over to Oliver. “What happened to him?”

“He was injected with something. We don’t know what it is.” She answered. Just then, Oliver’s heart rate started to go crazy.

“You know I normally work on dead bodies, right?” Barry asked her. She just glared at him in response. The ferocity began to make him squirm, so he looked back down at his patient and picked up a penlight. “Okay, I can think of four diagnoses.” He shined the light in Oliver’s eye. “Make that three.” He leaned over and looked at something on Oliver’s arm. “Two. Start chest compressions.” Felicity did so, while Barry grabbed a syringe and drew some blood. “Got it. He’s suffering from intravenous coagulation. His blood is unnaturally clotting, its like maple syrup.”

“But you can save him, right?”

Barry saw a box of rat poison and grabbed it. He assured them that, with the right amount, the anti-coagulants in the rat poison would thin Oliver’s blood enough for it to start pumping normally again. John expressed concern that the substance could kill him, but Felicity insisted he continue. Barry injected Oliver with the substance and Oliver’s pulse calmed down. He was safe, for now.

Barry mentioned possibly being able to lift a fingerprint from Oliver’s neck and was removing the tape to do that when the archer woke up. Oliver immediately grabbed Barry by the throat. Luckily, Felicity saw this happen and intervened. She yelled at him to back off and he reluctantly released the scientist. She explained that Oliver was dying and they went to Barry for help.

“You told him who I am.”

“Yeah, I did.” Felicity admitted.

“That’s not your secret to tell. I decide who finds out my identity.” He said.

“Unless you’re dying!” She argued. “Because as I told you down here less than a year ago, you’re not allowed to die on me. How is this any different from when Digg was shot and you brought him down here for help? Or when you mom shot you and-.”

“Your mom shot you?” Barry asked and Oliver shot him an annoyed look.

“The difference is that I knew both of you! You have no idea who he is! What if he decides to leave here and go to the cops?”

“I’m not gonna go to the cops.” Barry said.

“You might not trust him, but I do.” She said. “And you can hate me if you want. You can be as mad as you want at me, but you can’t die on me. I need you; our daughter needs you. So, instead of looking at him like you’re gonna put an arrow in him, maybe you should thank him, since he’s the reason that I don’t have to go home and find a way to explain your death to Megan, or Thea, or your Mom.”

“I wouldn’t have-.”

“No, I’m not doing this with you right now.” She said. “You’re alive, but still acting like an asshat, so you can go. Get some rest. Barry and I might have a lead on something.”

Oliver muttered something about checking on Roy before walking out of the foundry and leaving.

Barry went to run a test on the fingerprint he’d lifted from Oliver’s neck while Felicity turned to her computers. There had to be something in the Applied Sciences security feed, or the feed from the ARGUS bunker that she could use. Something that could help them find this guy.

The door at the top of the stairs opened and someone started to run down them. “Thank god you’re here. I’ve been calling you for about four hours.” Tommy exclaimed. “Do you not- who’s he?” He pointed to Barry.

“I was a little busy. Oliver was dying after being injected with an unknown substance.” She said. “He’s fine now, thanks to Barry here, but the person responsible is still out there.”

“Oh, so now would not be a good time to tell you some bad news.”

“Not unless its super urgent.”

 

Oliver went to the mansion to find that Roy hadn’t gone to the hospital after he shot him in the leg with an arrow. Thea was hiding him in her bedroom and he called Digg to remove the arrow with a First Aid kit. As he walked out of Thea’s room, he saw Shado Gulong standing there. He knew this couldn’t be real, she wasn’t really standing there, but talked with her nonetheless. Not much of what she said made any sense to him and Megan running over to him broke him out of his trance.

“Daddy!”

“Hey Megan.” He said, accepting the hug she was trying to give him. “Did you have fun at the party last night?” The girl shrugged. “What do you mean, you don’t know?”

“The grown-ups only wanted to talk about boring stuff and Wolfy wasn’t allowed to come and Tiger didn’t wanna meet new people.”

“I’m sorry you didn’t have fun.”

“I liked going to the party, but Grandma’s friends aren’t fun.” She said. “And the mean lady came.”

“What mean lady?” He asked.

“The one from the plane.” Megan didn’t know Isabel’s name, as Oliver and Felicity hadn’t ever introduced her, so she knew the brunette as the mean lady from their trip to Moscow. “I don’t think she likes me.”

“Can I tell you a secret?” Oliver asked his daughter. Megan nodded enthusiastically, hoping she was going to learn the big secret her parents were hiding from her. “I don’t think she likes me very much either.”

She frowned. She didn’t get to learn the secret. “That’s not very nice. Doesn’t she want friends?”

“I don’t know.” He said. After seeing Shado, he knew he needed to get back to the foundry and find out why. First, however, he needed to get out of the mansion without his curious five-year-old asking to come with him. “Why don’t you go see what your Grandma’s up to?”

They searched the house and found Moira reading in the living room. Moira asked her granddaughter what she thought about the party last night and Oliver snuck out of the mansion while they were talking.

 

He returned to the foundry to ask Barry if the treatment the CSI gave him had any side effects. Unfortunately, Barry couldn’t give him any concrete answers about side effects but offered to test Oliver’s blood. While the test was running, Barry got a match on the fingerprint he lifted from Oliver’s neck. He gave them an address and Oliver and John headed there. Soon after they entered, Digg was attacked and injured. Not wanting to tempt fate, Oliver got Digg out of there and called Lance, who gathered a squad to clear the building. As he was leaving the building, Oliver saw Slade, who told him he was compromised.

When they returned, Barry told Oliver his blood work was clean and the archer admitted to Felicity that he’d hallucinated both Shado and Slade. She seemed a little perturbed but not overly worried, thinking it was Oliver’s conscience trying to tell him something. Now that they knew the man who attacked Oliver’s name was Cyrus Gold, Felicity was able to find his last location pretty easily. He headed out to confront him again, this time hopefully for good.

 

When he reached the warehouse that Gold had gone into, it was completely unguarded. The lack of any minions was a little disturbing. He moved into the basement and found a man in a skull mask injecting someone with a syringe. Oliver rounded the corner and saw that the person who’d been injected was Thea’s boyfriend Roy. He fired an arrow at the guy with the syringe, but the man jabbed it into Roy’s arm and ran off.

Before he could follow, Gold attacked, knocking him off his feet. He fought as hard as he could, but Gold had the Mirakuru on his side. Between his strength and stamina, the archer began to struggle to keep fighting. Gold knocked Oliver onto his back and stood looming over him.

“Get up.” A voice said. He looked up to see someone familiar standing over him.

“Dad?”

“You’re not gonna die down here.”

“Dad, I’m sorry. You died because of me.”

“I died because of me. You did what I couldn’t, you fought to save this city.” Robert Queen said. “Because that’s what you do. You are a hero. Now, son, get up. Get up and fight back.”

Oliver got to his feet and charged at Gold again. He hit him in the face once, then twice. While he was recovering from the blows, Oliver fired an arrow at the centrifuge, destroying it. Some of the chemicals splashed onto Gold’s face, killing him.

Oliver turned away from Gold to find Roy, still strapped to a chair, with blood coming out of his eyes. He cut him loose and placed Roy on the ground. He felt around for a pulse, but it was weak. He started doing chest compressions, hoping to get Roy’s pulse into a rhythm that worked.

“Come on. Come on, Roy! Fight.” He said as he continued doing CPR. “You’re strong, kid. You’re not gonna die down here.”

Suddenly, Roy began coughing and he stopped. He was alive. Infected with Mirakuru, but alive. He’d need to be watched closely, but that was a problem for another day. He called Digg to take Roy back to the mansion before anyone noticed he was missing. Oliver expected Barry to still be there, but he’d gone back to Central City. He left behind a mask for Oliver, saying it worked better than grease paint. Tommy had been sitting with Felicity, and Oliver was about to apologize to Felicity for the way he reacted after Barry saved his life, when his best friend spoke up.

“I hope whatever crisis you were dealing with is over.” Tommy remarked. “Because there’s something I really need to tell you. And I’m just gonna feel worse if you haven’t dealt with the current problem yet.”

“Tommy? You’re starting to worry me.”

“You should be worried. Malcolm’s alive. I saw him right after the trial. Spoke to him.” He said.

 

“-people of Starling. Not the men and women who think that they own it.” Sebastian Blood said during his televised speech. “Together we can help rebuild our city into a place where there are no elites and no repressed. Where we are all brothers and sisters.”

Slade Wilson turned off the broadcast. “So, your campaign truly begins.”

“This city needs a leader.” Blood answered. “And putting the copycat hoods up to assassinate the mayor was just the first step. The vigilante, he destroyed the centrifuge and the serum along with it.”

“I will arrange for you to receive another sample of my blood, and then you can begin to mass produce the serum again.” Slade’s fist clenched slightly. “When I ask you not to confront the Arrow, you will listen. Remember, your mask can be worn by another.” The dog that was lying by Slade’s feet sat up and growled at Blood when he spoke.

Sebastian paused for a moment before asking, “You know who’s under that hood, don’t you?”

“I know exactly who he is. He’s my friend.”

“That’s why you don’t want him dead.”

“Death would be a release from this life, and his sentence has yet to be carried out. I’m going to tear everything he cares about away from him. Destroy those who follow him. Corrupt those he loves. Once he has lost everyone and everything he values, I will drive an arrow through his eye.” 

Chapter 52

Summary:

Tommy shares some surprising news, Team Arrow tries to catch a bomber and Wolfsbane experiences something new.

Chapter Text

“I hope whatever crisis you were dealing with is over.” Tommy remarked. “Because there’s something I really need to tell you. And I’m just gonna feel worse if you haven’t dealt with the current problem yet.”

“Tommy? You’re starting to worry me.” Oliver said.

“You should be worried. Malcolm’s alive. I saw him right after the trial. Spoke to him.” He said.

“He’s alive. What do you mean he’s alive?” Felicity asked before turning towards Oliver. “You told me-.” It wasn’t that Felicity was pro-murder, but Malcolm Merlyn was dangerous. He was a threat to her family and for months, she’d been comforted by the fact that Malcolm was gone and couldn’t come after Oliver’s family or her’s. Now, it sounded like they’d never been safe.

“I thought- with how badly he was injured, there was no way he could’ve-.” Oliver had beaten Malcolm badly enough to keep him from fighting back before he shot him in the chest with an arrow. There’s no way he could’ve survived.

“It’s….probably not your fault, Ollie.” Tommy said. “My dad’s got minions everywhere. Having one at the morgue to fake his death isn’t exactly….off-brand for him.” He sighed. “I just- he’s in town and you need to know, because I don’t know if your mom’s aware and-.”

“Your dad, where is he?”

“My old house.”

“Let’s go then.” Oliver said.

“What?”

“He’s here, we need to get him away from the city, away from my family.” He said. “I need to- if you don’t wanna come with me, that’s fine.”

“I- last night, you were this close to dying and you wanna have a face-off with my dad now?”

“If not now, when?” He responded.

Reluctantly, Tommy went with him to Merlyn Mansion. They entered to find the building completely empty and there was no sign anyone was ever there aside from an envelope left on the kitchen counter, addressed to Tommy. Inside, he’d left a note saying he was going to respect Tommy’s wishes and leave Starling for the time being. Malcolm said he’s return in a few weeks once Tommy had had “time to process” the news.

 

With Malcolm having fled Starling, Team Arrow needed to turn their attention back to the main threat at hand, the man in the skull mask. Oliver gave them a little more information about Ivo, Slade and the experience with Mirakuru. Obviously, anyone somehow rediscovering the formula was a bad idea, but the fact that someone had been injecting people indiscriminately with the serum was concerning. Even worse, it had been happening in Starling and no one seemed to have noticed. They both spent days trying to find the man again, or a connection between the man in the mask and Cyrus Gold.

There was also the issue of Roy to worry about, as he’d been injected with Mirakuru but seemed completely fine. While they were happy he was alive, his survival wasn’t necessarily a completely positive thing. They needed to make sure none of the same side effects that Slade experienced happened to Roy.

“Thea hasn’t mentioned any real changes in Roy’s behavior.” Felicity pointed out.

“She also doesn’t know what changes to look for. The serum makes people stronger, faster and angrier, and he was pretty much mad at the whole world before he was taken.” Oliver rebutted.

“It’s too bad you couldn’t stop Gold without destroying the centrifuge.” She said. “It could’ve been useful.”

“How would having access to Mirakuru be useful?”

“Because with the serum, and some help from Applied Sciences, or the folks at Star Labs, we might be able to reverse engineer a cure.” She said.

Oliver looked at his watch. “I need to go. Speedy’s hosting a campaign event for Blood upstairs in an hour.”

“Have fun. Megan and I are gonna watch Disney movies all night, while you’re stuck with that jerkface.” Something about Sebastian Blood unsettled Felicity, so she wanted to spend as little time around the man as possible.

“Jerk face?” He repeated.

“There’s something off about him. Something I just don’t like.” She said. “But its not enough to the point where I’d need to come up with a better insult.”

“He wants to help the city.”

“So far, all he’s done is blame our family and Tommy’s for everything. Some of his more fanatic supporters showed up at my old house. That’s why I moved into the mansion with Megan, because his rhetoric was making it unsafe for her and I to stay there.” She said. “Maybe he knows about that, maybe he doesn’t, but he doesn’t seem to only want to make the city better.”

Having said her piece, she walked out of the foundry through the side entrance and went home, where Megan was being watched by Moira.

Moira made a comment about Felicity working late, and she responded by saying that the break-in at Applied Sciences meant she and Oliver had both been working overtime to ensure nothing had been tampered with and make sure another attack didn’t happen again.

“Are you mad at Grandma?” Megan asked Felicity after Moira walked away.

“I’m not mad, I just- we don’t agree sometimes and I get frustrated.” She answered.

“It sounds like you’re mad and you just don’t wanna say it.” The little girl said. “It’s like when you tell me you’re “not mad, just ‘isappointed.” It’s the same thing.”

“The word is “disappointed”  and no, its not. Grandma- I’ll explain this a little better when you’re older, but she did something bad, and even though she’s not in trouble, a lot of people are still upset. I’m one of them.” She said. “So, what movie are we watching first? Little Mermaid? Pocahontas? Cinderella?”

“Little Mermaid, duh.” Megan said. “We always start with that, Mommy.”

“Okay, Ariel it is.” She said, putting the DVD into the DVD player. She joined Megan, Tiger and Wolfsbane, who were curled up on the couch, and pressed play. About half an hour into the movie, Megan spoke again.

“How come Daddy isn’t watching movies with us? Why’s he always busy?”

Felicity was about to respond when her tablet started going crazy. She picked the device up and saw that there had been a bombing on the other side of town. She wanted to rush off to call Oliver, but he was at an event and she wanted to have one night, Arrow-free, with her daughter. A few moments later, Oliver called and told her that he was going to go to the bomb site and he’d tell her what he discovered. Felicity started running a few searches on her tablet before turning her attention back to the movie.

Oliver wasn’t able to find much evidence, but he did help get a number of people out from under the debris before the police arrived and attempted to arrest him. He went back to the foundry and changed before heading to the mansion. Megan was already asleep on the couch when he arrived. Felicity was keeping up-to-date on the SCPD’s investigation, so he asked her if there had been any updates..

“As soon as they know what explosives were used and where they came from, we’ll know.” Felicity told him. “I did find something out about Cyrus Gold. And I get to say I told you so.”

“What do you mean?” Oliver asked.

“I looked into Gold, his past, who his friends were, et cetera. He grew up in foster care,and one of the foster homes he went to was the same one where Sebastian Blood grew up. I told you there was something fishy about him.”

“Let me know what else you can find. Being in the same place during the same time period doesn’t necessarily mean they’re connected.”

The SCPD reports came in and the explosives used weren’t able to narrow down Felicity’s searches by much. It ruled out a few people, but not enough to make much of a difference. There was another bombing the next night and while Oliver was able to see the bomber flee the scene, he lost him in the crowd. He did leave behind a quasi-manifesto, so the team was able to read it and figure out what his goal truly was. He was anti-government and believed that setting off the bombs would somehow further his cause. His manifesto, combined with some bomb fragments Lance was able to give to the team helped Felicity figure out that the bomber’s name was Mark Scheffer.

In light of the recent attacks, Sebastian Blood announced that he was holding a Unity Rally for the city. Felicity, Digg, Oliver and about half of the city all thought that this move was a bad idea, but Oliver wasn’t able to talk him out of it. Believing that Scheffer might attack the rally, the team decided to attend the rally and hopefully prevent anything catastrophic from happening.

“Am I the only one who gets the heebie jeebies from this guy?” Tommy asked Felicity as they arrived at the plaza and started looking around for Laurel, Thea and Moira. “Like, something about him feels off.”

“Who are we talking about?”

“Blood. He doesn’t quite seem- he’s gotta be hiding something.” He said. “Laurel’s convinced- well, she didn’t tell me what she thinks is happening, but she’s got a feeling he’s hiding something pretty huge.”

“He’s a politician. Of course, he is.” She responded before Megan let go of her hand and raced over to where Moira and Thea were waiting. “I really wish she wouldn’t do that.”

“She’s five.” He pointed out. “And excited that her grandma isn’t in jail anymore.”

Felicity threw Tommy an annoyed look before heading towards the group. She wasn’t happy about Moira’s acquittal, but at the same time, she wasn’t upset that Oliver’s mother didn’t get the death penalty. She was still very angry that Moira had worked with Malcolm Merlyn, she was pretty sure she’d never not be angry, but at the same time, she couldn’t just avoid Moira. Things between Felicity and Moira had been tense before her arrest and the tension had only increased since her release.

“I need you to do something for me.” She told Tommy. “Stay with Megan, don’t let her out of your sight. I need to go look around and-.”

“I’ll keep her safe.” He promised.

Once the group was together, and the rally looked like it was about to start, Felicity faked getting a phone call, allowing her to slip away and search the area for any explosives. Oliver was crouched on a nearby roof, overseeing the event and keeping an eye out while Digg and Felicity searched for Scheffer, who went by Shrapnel online.

“You sure this wasn’t some fake-out?” Digg asked. “If someone had left a suspicious package, security would’ve-.”

“A package would’ve been noticed, but this guy- he’s smart. People are on edge, this event would draw attention. He wouldn’t just leave a shady looking package or abandoned bag sitting around. He’d-.” Felicity was looking around and paused when her eyes caught something. “He’d put it where no one thought to look.” She walked over to one of the speakers. “Why would anyone look for a bomb trigger in sound equipment?”

“You think that’s-.”

“It’s the best place to hide one, the wiring wouldn’t be suspicious, and the spacing allows for maximum damage.” She said as she checked the closest speaker. It had the explosives, but no trigger attached. “We need to find the detonator. Check the other speakers.”

Digg and Felicity split up, each checking the sound equipment on one side of the plaza. Sebastian was just starting to make his speech when Digg told Felicity he found the trigger. She moved over to where he was and inspected the device. She was about to touch the cellphone, acting as a detonator, when a voice spoke.

“Step away.” Scheffer said, before holding up a device in his hands. “Or we all know how this ends.”

John rushed towards him, and he fired. The gunshot caused the crowd to disrupt into chaos. Two police officers started escorting Blood off the stage and Shrapnel, thinking he was missing his chance, threw an explosive in their direction. Oliver leapt down from the roof he was hiding on and shot the bomb before it could land.

When the shot rang out, Tommy picked up Megan and told Thea, Roy and Moira to run. Thankfully, they listened because a lighting structure Moira was standing nearby fell over a few moments later.

“Where’s Mommy?” Megan asked.

“I don’t- look, she’s right over there.” Tommy said, spotting Felicity near one of the speakers.

Felicity flagged down Lance and told him that Digg had been shot by the bomber and needed help. As soon as someone else was with Digg, Felicity started looking around, trying to find her group. She spotted Megan and Tommy both waving their arms in the air and breathed a sigh of relief that they were safe.

“Mommy!” Megan yelled as she ran over to her mother. The girl looked like she was going to cry.

“Hey, I’m right here.” She said. “It’s okay. Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

“No, but the man started shooting and everyone started running, and I didn’t know where you were and it was scary!”

“I’m sorry, baby. I was trying to find your dad, and I ran into Mr. Diggle and then-.” Felicity said. “I’m glad you stayed with your Uncle Tommy like I told you too.” She stood up. “Is everyone else okay?”

They all said they were shaken, but unharmed. She was inclined to believe them, and was about to suggest heading home when she realized that Roy was squeezing the post he was holding so hard that it was bending slightly. She should probably mention this to Oliver.

 

 

Oliver chased Shrapnel away from the crowd. A few blocks from the plaza, the bomber suddenly stopped and turned to face Oliver head-on.

“I’ve got charges planted all over Starling. I drop this stick, they all blow.” He said, holding up his detonator with a dead man’s switch. “Did you hear what I just said?”

“Yup.” Oliver said before firing an arrow, which cut through the wire.

Scheffer helplessly pressed the button a few times before he realized he’d lost his leverage. Oliver advanced towards him, and right as he was about to throw his arms up in surrender, Oliver punched him in the face, knocking him to the ground. He left the man tied up for the SCPD to find a few moments later.

Oliver, out of his Arrow suit, arrived about ten minutes after Felicity had found the others. He claimed he’d been looking for them all night and was just happy that everyone was okay. Megan began to yawn, which everyone took as a sign that it was time to go home.

 

The next day, Megan woke up and heard people talking. They sounded angry. She got out of bed and snuck downstairs. She thought that maybe, if she was really sneaky, she could find out what they were arguing about. Maybe she’d finally learn what secret her parents were hiding from her.

“You can’t be serious.” Her father said to someone.

“I am.” Moira responded. “You want to keep that animal here, so be it, but you haven’t taken it to the vet at any point. How can you be sure it’s safe for him to be around people? Around Megan?”

“Wolfsbane would never hurt Megan. He loves her.”

“Then, there shouldn’t be problem in taking him to the vet to be checked out.” She said before walking away.

Oliver turned around to head up the stairs when he spotted Megan. “Good morning.”

“Morning.” She said. “What’s a vet?”

“You heard Grandma Moira and I talking, huh?” He said as he took a seat on the step next to her. “A vet is an animal doctor.”

“Why does Grandma wanna take Wolfy to the doctor? Is he sick?”

“No, he’s not sick. He just needs a check-up.” He explained.

“Will he get stickers and a lollipop too?” She asked, remembering the rewards she got whenever she went to the doctor.

“Stickers, yes, but I don’t know about a lollipop. Wolves don’t really eat candy.”

“Can I have his lollipop then?” She asked.

“We’ll see.” He answered. “Do you wanna come with me to take him to the doctor?”

“Uh-huh.” She said. “And Mommy can come too!”

“Mommy can come where, too?” Felicity said, walking into the hallway. “Where are we going, and do I have time to grab some coffee first?”

“We gotta take Wolfy to the doctor.” Megan said.

About an hour later, Megan, Felicity, Oliver and Wolfsbane were in Felicity’s car, driving to the closest vet’s office. The vet was the same one who’d given Tiger all of her shots when the family first adopted the kitten and was able to squeeze them in that day. Oliver filled out the paperwork while Megan assured the wolf that the doctor wasn’t scary and he needed to be brave. The wolf found her speech amusing, if nothing else.

On the paperwork Oliver completed, he listed Wolfsbane as a Husky mix, claiming not to know what other breeds he was made up of. The vet looked him over and agreed that he had to be part-Husky or a similar breed. If he suspected that he was a genuine wolf, he didn’t give it away. After talking for a little bit, the vet determined that Wolfsbane needed an injection, which the wolf accepted without complaint or fuss.

After getting the shot, the vet recommended giving him a bath. Wolfsbane seemed less thrilled about being washed but didn’t lash out when the staff began to hose him down. The wolf gave Oliver a betrayed look as he was being cleaned. To Megan’s disappointment, the vet didn’t give away candy or stickers to patients, but Wolfsbane did get a doggy treat for getting his check-up.

Once the group returned home, Wolfsbane immediately wandered off to sulk about having to be bathed. When Megan asked why the wolf was so grumpy, Felicity said that he didn’t like bathtime very much.

Chapter 53

Summary:

Felicity and Oliver discuss the future, while a mission with Roy leads to revelations.

Chapter Text

Oliver was sitting in the living room when his daughter walked into the room with a smile on her face.

“Hi, Daddy.” The teenager said, beaming at her father and sitting on the arm of Oliver’s chair.

“Hey, honey.” He said. “Shouldn’t you be at school?”

“Yes, but I’ve got some good news.” She said excitedly. “I’m pregnant.”

“What?”

Just then, Billy came into the room. He stopped next to Megan and took her hand. They both smiled warmly at Oliver.

“Billy's the father and we're getting married! Isn't that great, Daddy!” She continued.

Oliver bolted upright from the bed, covered in a cold sweat and gasping for breath. His eyes darting around the room. He looked around, sense on high alert, but nothing happened. He blinked, it was only a nightmare. Just then, the door to Oliver’s room slowly opened.

“Oliver are you OK? I heard you cry out.” Felicity asked, slowly coming into the room so as not to spook him. Moira had told her about the incident when she tried to wake Oliver while he was having a nightmare the first night he came back.

“I’m fine. I just- I was just having a nightmare.”

“About what?” She asked, coming further into the room. “The island? The Undertaking?”

“Megan. It was about Megan.”

“What happened?”

“In it, she was a teenager. She told me she was pregnant and that kid Billy was the father.”

“How horrifying for you.” Felicity deadpanned. “Do we need to have another conversation about the fact that Megan is five, she’s not interested in boys and that it’s ridiculous that you get this upset because she has a friend? Because, and it’s crazy that I have to say it, it’s starting to worry me that you’re this concerned about it.”

“I’m not crazy for wanting my daughter not to grow up too fast.” He defended. He was pretty sure he knew why he’d had this dream. Earlier today, Megan had been telling him that, since she needed a “real job” to cover up being the Green Canary, she wanted to be a vet, so that she could pet all the animals. Hearing Megan talk about what she wanted to be when she grew up made him realize she was already growing up too fast. “I don’t want her to stop needing me.”

“Oliver, she’s in first grade. She still needs help getting things out of the cabinet. She still asks for bedtime stories and for someone to check for monsters in her closet.” Felicity said in an exasperated tone. “She still needs you, and you’ll always be her father, so even when she doesn’t believe in closet monsters, she’ll always need you in one way or another. She’s gonna grow up, there’s nothing you or I can do to stop it.”

“Doesn’t mean I have to like it.” He grumbled.

“Oh, you think I like it?” She challenged, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. “It feels like I blinked and my newborn was replaced with an energetic five-year-old. If I blink again, she might be a moody teenager.”

“I know what you mean.” He said, softly. They fell into silence. Things had been tense between the two of them for the last few weeks. Oliver had been slowly making progress in showing Felicity that he cared about her and wanted to be with her, but he hadn’t found the right moment to make his big move. He could tell that the tension between them was becoming too much and starting to annoy Digg, who just wanted the two of them to get their acts together. “Go to dinner with me.”

“Are you asking me or ordering me?” She asked.

“Asking, of course I was- Felicity, will you go to dinner with me? Will you go on a date with me?” He asked.

“Yes, since you asked so-.” 

“Mommy?” Megan asked from the doorway. Oliver and Felicity looked to see their daughter standing there, holding a stuffed animal.

“What are you doing up, sweetie?” Felicity asked.

“I had a bad dream.” She answered. “Why are you in Daddy’s room?”

“We were talking. I had a bad dream too and she was making me feel better.” Oliver said. “Do you wanna talk about your dream?”

Megan walked further into the room and climbed onto the bed so that she was laying against Felicity. “There was a bad man, and he tried to hurt Mommy. And when I tried to stop him, he grabbed me and took me away, and you and Mommy ran after him, but he was too fast and he said he was never gonna let me see you again.” She said. “I don’t want a bad man to take me away!”

“Oh, baby, that’s never gonna happen. It was just a dream.” Felicity said, hugging her daughter tightly to her. “I promise. I’ll never let that happen, and neither will your dad.”

“Not a baby.” Megan said. “But what if-?”

“Look at me, honey.” She said quietly. “’Have I ever broken a promise to you?”

“No.”

“And I never will. I know yesterday was scary, what happened at the plaza was scary.” She said, referencing the serial bomber who’d attacked Blood’s candlelight vigil. “But I’m not gonna let anyone take you away from me, and I’m not gonna let anyone hurt you. Ever.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

“Pinky promise?” Megan asked, holding her pinky out.

Felicity hooked her pinky with her daughter’s. “Pinky promise.”

“Daddy, do you pinky promise too?” The girl asked Oliver.

Oliver’s wrapped his pinky around Megan’s as well. “I pinky promise. No matter what happens, I’ll make sure you and Mommy are safe.” He said solemnly. She then yawned. “I think someone needs to go back to sleep.”

“My bed’s too far away.”

“C’mon.” Oliver said, getting out of bed and picking his daughter up. “I’ll carry you.”

He walked back to Megan’s room and got her settled into bed. Felicity followed behind him and watched as Megan got tucked into bed again. She asked if Felicity could plug in her nightlight, which she didn’t always need, and her mother plugged it in before telling her goodnight again.

“I’m invoking a new rule.” Felicity said after she closed the door to Megan’s room slightly. “I don’t care how inconvenient it is, or what the cover story we’d need to come up with, but we’re not taking Megan to something that’s Arrow-related. We never should’ve let her go to that rally to begin with, or Malcolm’s award ceremony, but we- we can’t keep exposing her to things like that.”

“We weren’t certain that-.”

“We suspected, which means she shouldn’t have been there.” She said. “I don’t want her- I’m worried about the effects seeing things like that might have on her.”

“I’m not disagreeing.” He said. “You’re right. She shouldn’t have been there. We shouldn’t have brought her there. We need to do better next time, because we’re her parents more than anything else. Do you think- we haven’t let her get scarred for life, have we?”

“I don’t think so, no. But we can’t- it needs to stop.” She agreed. A clock somewhere in the mansion rang, indicating that it was 3AM. “And I need to go to bed.”

“See you in the morning.” He said. “And we’ll talk about that date.”

“Yeah, in the morning.” She agreed, before walking into her room.

 

The next morning, over breakfast, Oliver and Felicity made plans to have dinner that Wednesday. He would’ve suggested the date be on Friday, but he knew Arrow business would probably get in the way due to it being the weekend and, with the man in the skull mask still at large, he couldn’t afford to miss such a “busy” night. Felicity didn’t mind going out on Wednesday, joking that it would be a lot easier to find a babysitter that night anyway.

The workday passed quickly and Felicity and Oliver soon found themselves in the foundry. Roy would be arriving soon to train with Oliver, as he’d offered to help the younger man learn to control his strength and emotions. Felicity was about to leave to pick up Megan from her after-school care when she suddenly let out a gasp.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” Oliver asked her.

“I’ve been keeping an eye on Iron Heights’ internal communications, since they did such a good job keeping the Dollmaker and Count’s escapes quiet. Bronze Tiger has broken out of prison.” She said.

“I thought they increased their security.”

“They did. Maybe Turner had help from the outside?” She suggested. She looked over to Oliver, but saw that he had changed into his hood for some reason.

“Who had help doing what from the outside?” Roy asked, walking down the stairs.

“Ben Turner aka Bronze Tiger.” She answered. “Which is a dumb code name, because tigers aren’t bronze, but-.”

“Focus, please, Ms. Smoak.” The Arrow said. “Don’t worry about Turner, Roy. We need to train.”

“Really? Because I’d think the escaped convict would be a higher priority.” Roy said. “You need to find him. I can come with you.”

Another alarm on Felicity’s computer went off. “The alarm at the old Merlyn Mansion was just tripped. Turner’s a thief, right? Maybe someone broke him out to steal something from the house.”

“Steal what, exactly?” Oliver asked.

“I don’t know. A prototype earthquake device? Another machine he’d developed for the Undertaking? Those could make a lot of money on the black market.”

“I’ll look into it later.”

“I don’t think there’s time for that.” She said before looking over at Roy and then back at the Arrow. “Searching Merlyn Mansion, on the off-chance he’s there to steal something, would be a lot easier with two people.”

Oliver looked over to Roy. “If you come with me, you have to do exactly what I say. Follow my orders exactly.” Roy nodded and Oliver walked off to get the rest of his gear. Felicity called Tommy and let him know what was going on and warn him not to go to Merlyn Mansion tonight.

Roy turned to her after she ended her call. “Does Oliver know that you- where does he think you are when you’re down here with the Arrow?” Even though it was right in front of him, he hadn’t pieced together that Oliver was the Arrow yet.

“I told him I joined a book club.” She answered. “I need to go pick up my daughter. Good luck.”

 

Oliver and Roy went to Merlyn Mansion and started looking around. Roy found it odd that Oliver knew his way around the building so well, but Oliver responded by saying that he was here frequently when he was trying to stop the Undertaking and after he’d failed, looking for answers. Oliver heard a noise and went to investigate, finding Turner about to escape with the prototype Markov device. He told Roy to deal with Turner’s driver, but Roy lost control and Oliver had to stop chasing Turner in order to prevent Roy from seriously injuring the driver. He lashed out at Roy for being the reason Turner got away and when they returned to Verdant, Roy stormed off.

Oliver went downstairs to find Digg talking with Felicity over the phone. He explained what had happened with Roy and what Turner had stolen from the mansion. He also explained what he thought he’d done wrong when helping Slade on the island and what he planned to do to not lose Roy as well. Felicity said she’d start searching for chatter on the dark web about selling the device or a location as soon as they got off the phone. Before she hung up, however, she pointed out that the Arrow might need Roy’s help destroying the device, so he should think about how to get Roy’s help after what had happened.

It took Felicity a lot of stops and starts, but she did manage to figure out where the auction for the Markov device was being held. Oliver tried to convince Roy to help him stop the sale, but the younger man was too angry to listen to him and vowed he’d stop Turner on his own.

Oliver raced off the stop the sale, but arrived just as Turner was receiving his payment for stealing the device. He fired an arrow at both men, causing Turner to rush towards Oliver to fight him and Turner’s contact to activate the device. Roy arrived just in time to knock Turner off of Oliver before confronting the other man and starting to pummel him. With Turner out cold, Oliver needed to turn off the device, which he’d need Roy’s help with.

“Roy. Roy!” He yelled. When Roy didn’t seem to hear him, or was simply ignoring him, Oliver, yanked his hood off and removed the mask Barry made for him before trying again. “ROY!”

“Yo- You’re-.” He said. “Okay, Felicity working with you makes a little more sense now. Why didn’t I-?”

“I will answer all your questions. After we turn the machine off.” Oliver said.

“What do I need to do?”

Oliver told him to punch through the crate. Once the hole was made, Oliver threw in an arrow which would detonate in thirty seconds and destroy the complex machine. The SCPD started to arrive, so they took off back to Verdant.

“I never got to tell you this, but thank you for saving me last year.” Roy said as they reached the club. “You gave me a purpose.”

“And we’re just getting started.” Oliver said. Back at the club, Oliver introduced Roy to Digg, who welcomed him to the team. Felicity was at home with Megan, but Oliver filled her in on telling Roy the truth.

 

Felicity got off the phone with Oliver, checked to make sure Megan was still asleep and headed downstairs. She was surprised to find Moira in the sitting room, going through stacks of papers. “I didn’t expect anyone to be up at this hour.”

“What time is it?” Moira asked before looking at her watch. “Maybe I should call it a night.”

“What is all this anyway?”

“Walter, and a few other family friends, think I should run for mayor against Blood.” She said.

“It’s not the worst idea.” Felicity said. “I don’t need to be an expert to know that Blood’s a bad choice and someone needs to run against him. Not to mention, he creeps me out and the last person who creeped me out that much was Tommy’s father.”

“You think I should run?” She asked. She was a little surprised that Felicity, who’d been so cold to her recently, was encouraging her.

“I do. We don’t see eye-to-eye. I’m pretty sure we never will, but you’d make a much better mayor than Blood, and he’s hiding something, I can tell.” Having said her piece, Felicity continued on her way before heading upstairs.

 

Tommy was asleep in Laurel’s apartment when he heard the door unlock. Laurel had been working late the last few days, as she was convinced that there was something Sebastian Blood was hiding and she wanted to get to the bottom of it. So far, she hadn’t had any luck, but she’d been using as much of her free time as possible to look into him and his past. Still, she’d never gotten back this later before.

Tommy got out of bed to see what was going on. He wasn’t quite awake when he heard a crash. Moving faster, he ran into the living room to find Laurel unconscious on the floor.

“Call 9-1-1. She hit her head.” A voice said from the window.

He looked up to see Sara halfway out of the window. “What are you doing here?”

“Ollie called me, said she wasn’t doing well.” Sara said. “You need to call 9-1-1. She might have a concussion.” She exited the apartment via the window and disappeared into the night.

Tommy pulled out his phone and called EMS, saying he’d found Laurel unconscious. They arrived and took her to the ER. When she woke up, she told Tommy she saw Sara right before she passed out.

Chapter 54

Summary:

Sara's past catches up with her and Megan makes a big discovery.

Chapter Text

Oliver was heading to bed when he got a frantic call from Tommy telling him that Laurel had collapsed. He said that Laurel had come home after a long night at the office, and he heard a crash shortly after the door opened. He went to investigate and found her unconscious. Sara was in the apartment and told him to call 9-1-1 before leaving. When they got to the hospital, the staff said she’d overdosed.

“They said she had drugs in her system but- the strongest medicine in our apartment is Advil.” Tommy said. “Laurel isn’t an addict. She barely takes painkiller and I don’t think she’s had more than two glasses of wine in a single sitting.”

“You think she was poisoned?”

“I don’t know, but she- Ollie, when they did her bloodwork, they found- she’s pregnant. What if what happened hurts-?”

“She’s going to be fine.” Oliver said. “Congratulations, man.”

Oliver went to meet Tommy at the hospital, while Felicity took Megan to school before heading to the foundry.

Assuming everything Tommy said was true, it certainly looked like someone had tried to kill, or in the very least hurt. Laurel. While he was there, he noticed a yellowish film surrounding her pupil, which seemed odd. The fact that Laurel was pregnant was concerning, especially since they didn’t know what she’d been given and thus, weren’t sure how it would affect the baby.

 

When Felicity opened the door to the lair, she could hear a metallic clanging noise. Unable to recognize the sound right away, she came rushing down the stairs, worried they were under attack somehow. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw that it was Sara, using the salmon ladder, clad in yoga pants and a sports bra. She was about to greet her when the woman leaped down from the apparatus.

“Do you know if Laurel’s gonna be okay?” Sara asked her.

“From what Oliver and Tommy have told me, it looks like it.” Felicity said. “You saved her life. Although they’re a little worried about one thing they found.” As soon as she said it, she regretted it. Now wasn’t the best time to give Sara Laurel’s happy news.

“What did they find?”

“Laurel’s pregnant, and since they don’t know what happened, they’re- I’m sure she’s gonna be fine, and the baby’s gonna be fine.”

“I should go.” She said. “The League is still after me. As long as I’m in town, my family isn’t safe and neither is yours.”

“I thought you came back because Laurel was in trouble. I think she still needs you.”

“Me being here will only make things worse.” She said, putting her shirt back on.

Felicity suggested that she could stay for a little while, since the League wasn’t going to attack in broad daylight. She was hoping once Oliver got here, he could convince Sara to stay. When Oliver and Digg arrived, they rehashed the conversation about how Sara should stay.

She didn’t get a chance to argue for very long with him, because soon Oliver’s Arrow phone rang and Quentin demanded to speak to Sara, saying he knew she was with the Arrow.

 

Sara met her father at a diner. He told her that Laurel had seen her before she passed out but thought it was just a hallucination. He tried to convince her to reveal her survival to Laurel and Dinah, but Sara refused, knowing that the League was still hunting her. Sara left without giving him an answer.

Oliver had a feeling that the attack on Laurel might’ve been connected to Sara being in town. He followed her to the diner, wanting to see what she’d do. She was walking down an empty street when he saw a figure descend from an overpass and land right in front of her.

The masked woman was holding a knife and slowly walked towards Sara, who seemed frozen in her spot and made no attempt to run off. Oliver was about to fire at the newcomer when she kissed Sara instead of attacking her.

Sara and the woman broke apart and the blonde said that they should talk. The woman then asked if they needed permission from Sara’s friend, turning around to acknowledge that Oliver was standing there.

“I am Nyssa, daughter or Ra’s al Ghul. Heir to the Demon.” She said.

“What are you doing here?” Oliver asked.

“Sara swore her allegiance to the League of Assassins. It’s time for her to return home.”

“That is not going to happen.”

It looked like a fight was going to break out, so Sara asked for a moment to speak with Oliver alone. He expressed concern about trusting Nyssa, but Sara asked him to please give her the chance to clear everything up.

Away from Oliver, Sara explained why she’d run away from the League. She needed to make sure her family was safe after the Undertaking. Nyssa pointed out that she now knew they were safe and could come home. She refused, revealing that she couldn’t take killing any longer. Nyssa warned her that Ra’s sent her to make sure she honored her word, one way or another, and Sara told her simply to do what she needed to do. Nyssa stormed off and Sara walked away, heading to the foundry.

 

While Oliver was keeping an eye on Sara, Felicity took the opportunity to address something overdue with Moira. She knew that Moira had used a large sum of Tempest funds to pay off a doctor, later revealed to be Moira’s obstetrician when she was pregnant with Thea. She found Moira in the mansion's sitting room and, without preamble, said what she needed to say.

“Malcolm Merlyn is Thea’s father and you paid off your doctor to keep it quiet so it wouldn’t impact your campaign.”

“I don’t know what you-.”

“Don’t try to lie to me, Moira. I found the paperwork. Maybe you shouldn’t leave documents like that lying around.” She said. “However, a part of me wants to believe that all of the crap you did, for Malcolm, was to keep Thea safe and that that’s not some lie you told yourself to make yourself feel better. I honestly don’t care what reasons you did or didn’t have. I just wanted to tell you that I know the truth, and you should really tell your family.”

“I’m not going to tell my children anything, and neither are you.”

Felicity took a step closer to Moira. “First of all, I’d really like to see you try and stop me.”’ She said. “Second, has it ever occurred to you that this secret will do more harm than good? Malcolm’s alive, I’m sure you know that. What happens if Thea finds out the truth from him?”

“That’s not going to happen.” Moira insisted.

“Do you have any idea how things you’ve claimed “are not going to happen” end up happening? It’s a lot.” She countered. “Tell Oliver and Thea the truth, or I will.”

 

“The League is never gonna let me go. At least if I’m halfway around the world then I can keep my family safe.” Sara told Oliver as she stormed into the foundry, grabbing her bag.

“Wouldn’t be so sure about that.” Digg said walking into the lair. “Just got a copy of Laurel’s blood work. She tested negative for drugs.”

“Then why did she collapse?”

“Because they found traces of snake venom in her blood. Tibetan pit viper.”

“Wait, so Laurel didn’t OD?”

“She was poisoned.”

“She was poisoned by Nyssa who did it to draw you back here.” Oliver butt in. ”And it worked.”

“My family’s in danger.” Sara said.

 

At the hospital, Dinah went to grab more water for Laurel when she was grabbed from behind and drugged. Nyssa and another League member threw her into the back of a van and drove off. They nearly drove into Oliver and Sara, on Oliver’s bike, but he swerved out of the way at the last moment.

Sara held up one of her sonic devices, which shattered the van’s windows. She jumped onto the roof of the van, and Nyssa began firing arrows at her. She dodged out of the way and dropped down so that she was clinging to the side of the van. She saw that they had her mother, and the shock made her pause long enough for Nyssa to knock her off of the van and the assassins drove away.

Sara changed and went to the hospital, drawing her father outside. She explained her relationship with Nyssa and how she’d been behind Laurel being drugged and Dinah being kidnapped. While she was explaining all of this, Nyssa called Sara and gave her an ultimatum. Turn herself over to the League or Dinah would pay the price.

 

Returning to the foundry, Felicity and Digg had worked out how Nyssa had been able to get ahold of Tibetan Pit Viper venom. It had been stolen from the zoo and Felicity caught an image of the license plate of the car that’d broken into the zoo. Quentin, Sara and Oliver tracked the car down and found an assassin waiting. When he saw that he was outmatched, the man killed himself before Sara could find out where her mother was.

The team kept looking, even as the sun rose and Oliver and Felicity prepared themselves for Moira’s first campaign event. After an awkward greeting between his mother and Felicity, Oliver asked her what was going on and she explained about their confrontation the night before, revealing the truth about Thea’s parentage in the process.

“If she doesn’t tell Thea in the next two weeks, I’m going to. And no, you can’t talk me out of it.”

“That could destroy Thea’s life.”

“She’s gonna find out one way or another. I think from her family would be better than Malcolm.” She said before walking away. Oliver introduced his mother to the crowd and thought heavily about what Felicity had said.

 

At dinner that night, Megan wasn’t exactly sure what was happening, but she knew her parents were worried about something. They both told her that they had to go to a work event tonight and wouldn’t be able to tuck her in. She wanted to get to the bottom of it, so after dinner, when she said she was going to go color, she instead changed into her “stealth outfit” and snuck back downstairs.

“Wish me luck, Tiger and Wolfy.” She said to the two animals. She saw that her mom’s car was still in the driveway, so she snuck out of the front door and got into the car. A few minutes later, Felicity got into the car and started driving. Megan hid behind the driver’s seat and tried to be extra quiet so her mom wouldn’t notice that she was there. She saw Felicity get out of the car and walk over to a door in an alley. She got out of the car before her mother locked it and snuck towards the secret door.

 

 

Digg and Oliver returned to the foundry, hoping to have found a lead on Nyssa. Sara was nowhere to be found and they saw that the snake venom was gone when they arrived. They deduced that Sara had decided to go after Nyssa alone and kill her. Oliver knew that killing Nyssa would bring even bigger problems to Starling and left to go stop her.

Nyssa untied Dinah’s hands and told her that this charade was going to be over soon enough. Lance stormed in with his gun and rescued his ex-wife. When Dinah pulled away from Quentin, she saw that Sara had entered the warehouse behind him.

“Sara?”

“Hey, Mom. It’s me.” She said and found herself engulfed in a hug by her mother a few seconds later. Sara pulled away. “I love you so much Mom. I have to go.” Dinah tried to hold on, but Quentin held her back. “Dad, get Mom out of here.”

He had to drag her out of the building as she cried out in despair at losing her daughter again. Sara took a few steps toward Nyssa before she collapsed.

“You took the poison.” Nyssa said in realization. “No. No!”

“I can’t go back. I can’t take it anymore. It needs to end.”

Lance ran back into the building at this moment. He started to call in for an ambulance. Nyssa stepped away from Sara, getting angry as she watched her family try to save her.

“If you want to be with your family so badly, they can join you in eternity.” She spat out bitterly.

Before she could attack, Oliver fired an arrow at her, getting her attention. “Live or die. It’s up to you.”

Nyssa grabbed her bow and followed Oliver, angry at his interference. They battled throughout the bowels of the building. They fired arrows back and forth at one another, and she managed to dislodge Oliver’s quiver, leaving him with only one arrow in reach.

“Nyssa, I can still save her.”

“Worry more about saving yourself.” She said before attacking him. Their fight then turned into a hand-to-hand battle.

 

Sara still had enough strength to go looking for Nyssa and Oliver as they fought. She found Oliver and Nyssa on the ground. Oliver had her in a chokehold and Sara spoke up. “Don’t kill her.” She fell onto the ground. “No more killing. Nyssa, please.”

Oliver released Nyssa and rushed over to Sara. He pulled some of the herbs from Lian Yu out of his pocket and gave them to her. He was begging this to work for her herbs to save her. Right as he started to worry that he was too late, she coughed and opened her eyes.

“Ta-Er Al-Sahfer, in the name of Ra’s al Ghul, I release you.” Nyssa said, her heart breaking with every word. Soon, the sound of sirens filled the air and Nyssa was gone.

Dinah and Quentin found Sara by the docks and rushed to help her as the police arrived to search for Nyssa and the Arrow. As she was telling her parents that she was okay, Sara looked up and saw that Laurel was also there. Needless to say, she was shocked to discover Sara was alive.

 

Digg went home after Sara was safe. Oliver went back to the foundry to change out of his hood and head home. He parked his bike in the alleyway and saw Felicity walking towards the door.

“Did you go somewhere?” He asked her.

“To Starling General. I wanted to see how Laurel was doing and congratulate her on the baby. There wasn’t a lot I could do once I found Sara, so- I figured she could use a visitor. She was released a little while ago, so I came back.”

“Is she- this wasn’t the best way for her to find out about her baby.”

“I think she’ll be okay, once she gets a chance to process the fact that she’s pregnant, and that Sara’s alive. And that some people knew it.” She shrugged.

They walked down the stairs. Oliver froze on the bottom step. “We’re not alone.”

“What? How would someone-?” She poked her head around Oliver’s shoulder.

Megan was standing in the middle of the room, looking around. She had one of Oliver’s arrows, thankfully it was missing its arrowhead, in her hand. The little girl noticed her parents and exclaimed.

“Daddy! I knew it. I knew you were-.”

“Megan Olivia Smoak, what are you doing down here?” Felicity asked.

Chapter 55

Summary:

After Megan makes a discovery, Oliver and Felicity have a lot of explaining to do.

Chapter Text

Megan went through the secret door and slowly and quietly made her way down a stairway and found herself in an underground bunker. White reflectors were installed in an organized way throughout the bunker, along with several glass panels containing equipment and arrows. Various storage containers holding different materials had also been coupled.

When she got to the bottom of the stairway, she hid behind some boxes. From her hiding place, she looked around and saw a bow being kept in a specific glass container, and to the left of the display was a mannequin in a glass panel. Megan gasped softly, the costume the mannequin was wearing was the same one that Arrow wore. That meant that her daddy was the Arrow.

Megan stayed in her hiding place until her mommy left the bunker. Then, she stepped out of her hiding spot. She began wandering around the lair and exploring. She looked in awe at the gadgets and equipment. She went to one of the tables and picked up an arrow. Thankfully, it was missing its arrowhead. She continued to look around until she noticed her parents had returned and exclaimed.

“Daddy! I knew it. I knew you were-.”

“Megan Olivia Smoak, what are you doing down here?” Felicity asked.

“You’re the ARROW! You said you weren't but- but you are. You lied to me.” Megan babbled.

Oliver moved forward and took the arrow out of Megan’s hand and put his hands on her shoulders. “Megan how did you get down here?”

“I stowed away in Mommy's car and snuck in after I saw which way she went.” Megan explained. “You lied! You said you weren't the Arrow but you are. You are a super hero.”

Just then, two more people came into the foundry, Tommy followed by Sara.

“Looks like Laurel and the baby are gonna be a o- what's she doing here?” Tommy said, stopping dead when he saw Megan.

“You told uncle Tommy but you didn't tell me.” She said with a pout.  

 “That's enough out of you, Missy. You are in very VERY big trouble Megan.” Felicity said, crossing her arms.

“Megan, I want you to go sit on that bench and think about what you did. No one knew where you were and you could have gotten hurt. These aren't toys.” Oliver said, holding up the arrow he’d taken from her.

Megan grumpily went over and sat on the bench and sulked.

“Wow Ollie, you do a scary impression of my dad.” Sara said.

“You should see him when boys talk to Megan, he acts like they’re already dating.” Felicity said.

“Who says she's gonna grow up and date boys?” Sara said.  

“Don’t say that. He’s not gonna let her have any friends.”

Tommy began to laugh. “I wouldn’t laugh if I were you, Tommy, because this could become your worry very soon.” Oliver said, wiping the smile off of Tommy’s face.

“Oh yeah” Tommy said, going pale. “Crap. What should I-?”

“Tommy, your son or daughter’s gonna be fine.” Felicity said. “I’m happy for you, and I understand that you’re nervous, but we kinda have a more pressing problem at the moment.” She looked over to where Megan was sitting.

Megan was sitting on the bench Oliver had pointed to. Her legs were kicking back and forth and every so often, she stopped to look over at her parents before looking back at the floor. Felicity walked over and took a seat next to her daughter. Oliver changed out of his hood and followed after her.

“Megan, honey, your dad and I-.”

“I don’t wanna talk to you. You’re a liar.” She said.

“Excuse me?” Felicity said, taken aback by her daughter’s anger.

“You lied to me. You and Daddy both lied! You said he wasn’t the Arrow, but he is. You told me lying was bad but you lied to me. So, I don’t wanna talk to you.” She said, glaring at the floor.

“Well, you might not wanna talk to me, but you’re gonna have to listen to me.” Felicity said. She understood that Megan was upset that her parents had kept the truth from her. However, they’d done what they thought was best for their daughter and didn’t regret that choice. Megan would just have to get over the fact that they lied. “Do you know who the most important person, in the whole world, is to me?”

“Daddy? Grandma Donna, because she’s your mommy?”

“No, silly, it’s you. Because I’m your mommy.” She explained. “I love you more than anyone else in the world. I don’t know what I’d do if something bad happened to you. And it’s the same thing for your dad, right Oliver?”

“That’s right.” Oliver said. “I love you so much.”

“Then, why did you lie?” Megan asked.

“I’m getting to that. As your mom, it’s my job to take care of you and make sure nothing bad happens to you.” Felicity said. “We didn’t tell you what your dad was doing, because we were worried if you knew, it would put you in danger. We didn’t want you to get hurt because of what we were doing.”

“But Daddy can keep me safe! He’s a superhero.” The little girl said in confusion. She didn’t understand. Her father was the bravest and strongest person she knew, and since he was the Arrow, he knew how to stop bad guys. He could keep her safe from anyone who tried to hurt her. “He always stops the bad guys.”

“I’ve been able to stop bad guys so far, but there might be a bad guy who can beat me.” He admitted.  “And if that happened, I didn’t want you or Mommy to get hurt.”

“Is there a bad guy who wants to hurt me and Mommy?” She asked.

“No, but I wanna make sure you’re as safe as possible.” He said. He took a deep breath. “There’s something else we need to talk about. You can’t tell anyone what you found out tonight.”

“Why not?”

“Remember the pool party?” Felicity asked her daughter, referencing the “Jail Break” party Oliver held after Lance arrested him. “Some people think the Arrow is a hero, but others wanna arrest him. If they found out your dad is the Arrow, they might take him to jail.”

“But he didn’t do anything wrong!”

“He broke the law. He did it for a good reason, but that doesn’t mean he can’t get into trouble.” She said. “This needs to be our little secret, okay? You can’t tell anyone. Not even Grandma or Auntie Thea.”

“Okay.” She said dejectedly. “It’s stupid that Daddy can get in trouble for saving people.”

“I know, honey.” Felicity said. “And no TV for two weeks.”

“No TV? Why?” Megan asked.

“You snuck out of the house, missy. No one knew where you were. Raisa and Grandma Moira are probably worried sick.” She responded. “And you could’ve gotten hurt down here, playing with your dad’s arrows. You need to be punished for that. No TV. Okay?”

“Okay, Mommy.”

“So, now that we’ve talked about why we didn’t tell you, do you have any questions?” Oliver asked. “Anything you wanna know?”

“Why is your costume green?” She asked.

Oliver decided that Megan was too young to know the truth about Lian Yu and the people he met there, so he answered as simply as possible. “I just really like the color green.”

“Are Mommy, Uncle Tommy and Sara your sidekicks?” She asked.

Oliver saw both Felicity and Sara giving him looks. Tommy was busy laughing. As he opened his mouth to answer, Sara spoke. “Think very carefully before you answer that question, Ollie.”

“No, Mommy and Sara aren’t my sidekicks, but they help me. They’re my partners.” He said. “Uncle Tommy isn’t my partner, but he knows I do this.”

“Okay.” She said. Her eyes then lit up. “Does that mean I can be your sidekick? Since you don’t have one.”

“Maybe when you’re older.”

“A lot older.” Felicity added. “You can’t be a hero until after you graduate from school.”

“How far away is that?”

“Hopefully, around fifteen years from now.”

“But that’s forever! I’ll be old by then!” The five-year-old exclaimed.

“You think 20 is old?” Tommy remarked. “How old do you think I am? Or your grandma?”

“I dunno.” She said. “Grandma’s old and Mommy and Daddy are less old.”

“Okay, that one hurts.” He said. “I’m gonna go home and check on Laurel. See if she’s ready to see Sara again.”

“Don’t push her.” Sara said. “She’s had a rough few days and stress isn’t good for the baby.”

“Ms. Laurel’s gonna have a baby?” Megan asked. “Where’s she gonna get one?” Being a child, Megan didn’t know where babies came from. “Mommy, where do babies come from?”

All eyes turned to Felicity to see how she responded. She gave Tommy an annoyed look for accidentally putting her in this position. “Well, where do you think babies come from?”

“Well, I think-.” Megan launched into her explanation of where babies came from, which involved fairies and magic.

“That’s exactly where they come from.” Her mother said. “Grab your stuff. It’s way past your bedtime and you need to get a good night’s sleep.”

“Okay.” She said, running off to grab her jacket.

“Why did you tell her babies came from fairies?” Oliver asked.

“Because she’s five and I’m not having the sex talk with her now. Do you wanna have that talk with her? When I asked my mom the same thing, she did exactly what I did and made me answer the question, then said I was right.” Felicity said with a sigh. “I love her, but she asks a lot of questions that I’m not ready for.”

Megan came back over to where her parents were standing. She was about to tell them that she wasn’t tired, but yawned in the middle of making that claim. Felicity got her settled in her car seat and her parents got into the front seat and drove off.

“We should probably make some security upgrades.” Oliver said.

“What makes you say that?”

“Our system gotten beaten by our five-year-old. That’s not good.”

“She came in through the door that doesn’t have an exterior passcode. It’s an easy fix.” She said.

They reached the mansion. Moira was out of her mind with worry, having gone to check on Megan an hour ago and not finding her. Oliver calmed his mother down and told her that Megan had insisted on coming with Felicity when she visited Laurel. Felicity didn’t tell anyone because she thought Moira was already asleep when they left.

 

The team spent the next few days after Sara was released from the League dealing with a hacker and thief calling himself the Clock King. The man was good with tech, almost as good as Felicity and it took drawing him out with liquidated QC stock for the team to stop him. Felicity was shot in the shoulder trying to protect Sara, but it was only a graze. Every so often, Megan would approach one of her parents with questions about Oliver being the Arrow. They did their best to answer her questions without leading her to ask more.

 

The day after the Clock King was arrested, Laurel stopped by Verdant to apologize to her sister for reacting so negatively to learning she survived. Oliver was talking about the club with Tommy, mostly to justify him being at Verdant in the early afternoon on a Saturday, when he got a 9-1-1 text from Thea and rushed off.

He entered the mansion and was about to head upstairs when he heard voices coming from one of the sitting rooms. Deciding he might as well confront his mother now about her secrets, he went in the direction of her voice, only to see that she was talking to someone.

“Ah, Oliver. I’m glad you’re here.” Moira said standing up. “I’d like to introduce you to someone.” She grabbed Oliver’s arm to try and pull him further into the room. “Oliver, I’d like you to meet Slade Wilson.”

The man stood up from his spot, and Oliver was stunned to see that the visitor was, in fact, Slade Wilson. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Queen.” He said, shaking Oliver’s hand.

“What are you doing here?” Oliver asked Slade. He didn’t want to admit it, but he was terrified. Slade was alive. He was alive and in Oliver’s home, where his girlfriend and daughter lived.

When he spoke, he heard a dog growl. Looking down, he saw a German Shepherd sitting by Slade’s feet. Oliver remembered Alexander from the island and took a slight step back. Last time he’d seen the dog, it had bitten him. Wolfsbane, who had been standing in between Moira and Slade, growled and moved in between the dog and Oliver. The wolf didn’t like the one-eyed man or his dog.

“Mr. Wilson just made a sizable contribution to my campaign.” Moira said, misinterpreting Oliver’s question to Slade.

“How generous of him.” Oliver needed a plan. He needed to find a way to get this man away from his family before he could attempt whatever he was going to do.

Chapter 56

Summary:

Queen Mansion gets an unexpected visitor and Oliver is reunited with the last person he ever wanted to see.

Chapter Text

“What are you doing here?” Oliver asked Slade. He didn’t want to admit it, but he was terrified. Slade was alive. He was alive and in Oliver’s home, where his girlfriend and daughter lived.

When he spoke, he heard a dog growl. Looking down, he saw a German Shepherd sitting by Slade’s feet. Oliver remembered Alexander from the island and took a slight step back. Last time he’d seen the dog, it had bitten him. Wolfsbane, who had been standing in between Moira and Slade, growled and moved in between the dog and Oliver. The wolf didn’t like the one-eyed man or his dog.

“Mr. Wilson just made a sizable contribution to my campaign.” Moira said, misinterpreting Oliver’s question to Slade.

“How generous of him.” Oliver needed a plan. He needed to find a way to get this man away from his family before he could attempt whatever he was going to do.

Slade started talking about how Moira was the kind of mayor Starling City needed. They briefly discussed her platform before Slade made a comment about how he understood how difficult it was for her to pick herself back up after people had written her off. Moira agreed, giving Oliver a look.

“What’s wrong, Mr. Queen? You look a little peaked.” Slade said.

“I’m fine. Thank you.”

Just then, a maid pushed a cart into the room. There was a bottle of rum, several glasses and an ice bucket on the cart. Moira asked Oliver if he’d join her and Slade in a toast. They drank and Slade asked Moira about a model ship on one of the tables, asking if the Queens spent much time on the water.

“Not since my husband died.”

“I’m sorry, Moira, forgive me.” Slade said, faking remorse. “I do remember reading about that accident in the paper.” He looked over at Oliver. “You were a brave soul.”

“I don’t like to talk about it.”

“I can understand. All that time on that island….it must’ve been hell for you.”

After discussing Moira’s campaign for a little bit longer, Thea came into the room and was also introduced to Slade. During their conversation, Slade mentioned he’d heard about the family’s art collection and asked if he could see some of it. Oliver tried not to look too relieved. Megan’s room was on the opposite side of the house from where Moira kept all of the noteworthy art.

“Who are you?” A quiet and high-pitched voice asked from the doorway.

It took all of Oliver’s self-control not to scream as he turned to see Megan standing in the doorway staring at Slade. Thea, Moira and Slade turned to see Megan too. 

“Oh, Mr Wilson this is my granddaughter, Megan.” Moira explained.

“Yes, I can see the resemblance.” Slade said, looking from Oliver to Megan.

Megan stared at Slade before speaking again. “Are you a pirate?”

The room went so quiet you could hear a pin drop. “Megan don't say things like that.” Her grandmother chided.

“But grandma, he's wearing an eye-patch like a pirate and he drinks rum like a pirate and he likes boats.” To the five-year-old, that logic meant he had to be a pirate.

In Oliver’s mind, he added that Slade also hijacked the Amazo and led an actual pirate crew. “Megan, shouldn’t you be working on your homework?” Oliver was looking for a reason, any reason, to get Megan out of the room and away from Slade.

“I finished it already.” The five-year-old declared proudly.

“Well then, how about you join us on our tour?” Slade suggested. “Your aunt was showing me some paintings.”

“I don’t know if that’s-.”

“Please Daddy?” Megan asked.

“Okay, but if you get bored, let me know and we’ll go play, okay?” He said to her.

“Okay.”

Oliver, Megan, Moira and Thea started taking Slade on a tour of the mansion. In the midst of Thea explaining the history behind a particular painting, Oliver was able to dial Felicity’s number.

 

Felicity was in the foundry, wondering where Oliver was when her phone started to ring. She answered but the only sound coming from the other end wasn’t easy to make out.

“Looks like we’ve been butt-dialed.” She told Sara, Roy and Digg as she put the phone on speaker.

Faint conversations could be heard, and Sara was about to tell her to hang up when she froze.

“I know that voice.” She said. “Oh, god.” She turned to look at Felicity. “Where’s Megan?”

“At home. Wh-?”

“The man, the Australian voice you heard, his name is Slade Wilson.” She said. “And unless we stop him, he’s gonna kill Oliver and everyone else in that house.” She turned to Digg. “What’s the biggest gun you have?”

“Wait, I thought Slade was dead. Oliver said-.” Digg started to say.

“I’m positive. That’s not a voice I’d forget.” She said. “Your biggest gun, now.”

Digg brought out the sniper rifle Felicity had ordered “just in case” and Sara said it might work to stop Slade.

It was decided that Felicity, Sara and Roy would go into the mansion while Digg waited for Slade to step outside and shoot him. Felicity would keep Megan away from Slade while Sara and Roy provided backup for Oliver. The story would be that Felicity had invited Sara to dinner and they ran into Roy when they arrived.

 

While the humans were talking, Alexander and Wolfsbane continued to glare at each other. Neither was willing to break eye contact with the other. Alexander suddenly felt something rubbing against his leg.  He looked to see a small female kitten rubbing against his leg and purring. Tiger noticed he was looking at her and meowed innocently. The dog leaned down and began sniffing her. Wolfsbane moved forward and picked the kitten in his mouth, not taking his eyes off of Alexander. The wolf carried Tiger out of the room and upstairs to Megan's room, far away from the predator and his hound.

Suddenly, Megan noticed Alexander. “You have a doggy!”

Oliver almost panicked when he saw Megan walk towards the dog, the memory of their last encounter aboard the Amazo fresh in his mind. Alexander hadn’t just bitten Oliver, he’d mauled his leg and the first few days he was in Hong Kong, he couldn’t put any weight on it, to Waller’s frustration. “Megan, he might not want to be stroked.”

“Don't worry. I’m sure if you hold out your hand to him, he'll let you know if he wants you to stroke him.” Slade said.

“Ok.” The little girl said. Cautiously, she went up to Alexander and held out her hand to him. He began sniffing and licking her hand, causing Megan to giggle. She started petting Alexander, then she gasped when she noticed Alexander’s scars. “He has boo-boos."

“Yes, he had these when I found him.” Slade said.

Megan began kissing Alexander's scars “Mommy says when you have a boo-boo, you have to kiss to make it better.”

“If only it were so easy.” Slade said, looking at Oliver.

“Hey, Wolfy wants to meet the doggy too.” Megan said. Wolfsbane had come back downstairs and put himself firmly between the predator's hound and the young pup.

“Your pet?” Slade asked Oliver.

“My companion, not my pet. His name is Wolfsbane.”

“Yes, I consider Alexander the same. When I found him, I instantly felt a kinship to him.” Slade had found the German Shepherd aboard the Amazo. Ivo had locked him in a cage and was experimenting on the dog the same way he’d been experimenting on the prisoners the crew had collected. Slade later found out, after taking the dog to a vet, that Ivo had injected the dog with Mirakuru, which the animal survived. “We’re two of a kind, Alexander and I.”

“Wolfy is Daddy’s best friend too. Other than Mommy, and Uncle Tommy.” Megan added innocently.

 They continued on the tour, much to Oliver’s chagrin. While he didn’t want to be attacked, part of him wished Slade wouldn’t be so theatrical and just do whatever he was going to do already. The next twenty minutes were uneventful as Thea and Moira pointed out various pieces of art and Oliver tried to brainstorm a way to get Slade out of the house as quickly as possible. The archer was starting to wonder why he’d asked for a tour. It could’ve been just to unnerve him, but he thought there might be another reason as well.

The group was heading back towards the living room when they heard Roy call Thea’s name as they reached the foyer. A few moments after Roy appeared, Sara Lance came down the stairs with Felicity.

“We’ve been looking everywhere for you.” Felicity said. “I invited Sara over for dinner. I hope that’s okay.”

Megan ran over to hug her mother and tell her about her day. While mother and daughter were catching up, Sara greeted everyone else.  As she hugged Oliver, she told them Digg was outside and had a shot lined up. She was then reintroduced to Slade, who made a comment about her coming back from the dead.

“We’re all just happy that she’s home.” Oliver said. “So, what would you like to do now, Mr. Wilson?”

Slade stopped for a moment. There were now three people in the immediate vicinity that would attack if he attempted anything, one of whom had the same advantage as he did. He gave a slight smile before saying that he should really be going now and thanking the Queen family for their time. Oliver offered to walk Slade to his car, finally getting a chance to speak with him.

“Cyrus Gold, the man in the skull mask, this was you. They all work for you.”

“Well, I have my allies, just as you have yours.” Slade said. “Take John Diggle for one. I suppose you’re wondering why he hasn’t taken his headshot.” He opened the door to let Alexander into the car before looking at Oliver. “Don’t worry, he’s still alive, for now. And, let me make something clear, kid. Your daughter Megan is the only person who is safe from me. Take as much comfort from that as you want to.”

“Slade, what do you want?”

Slade got into his car and closed the door. He was about to drive away, but stopped to roll down the window first. “Five years ago, I made you a promise, do you remember? Well, I’m here to fulfill it.” He revved the engine. “I’ll see you around, kid.”

Oliver watched him drive away, angry at being outfoxed, before heading back into the mansion. Thea, Roy, Moira, Sara and Megan had walked off, but Felicity was waiting for him.

“What was that about? What was he doing here?” She asked.

“Officially, he decided to make a donation to Mom’s campaign.”

“And unofficially?”

“He wanted me to know he was alive, that he could get to me anywhere. He wanted to make sure I knew that no one I cared about was safe.”

“And you let him near Megan?” She asked angrily.

“No, I- he asked for a tour, I thought we’d be on the opposite side of the house, but then Megan had finished her homework and was wondering what the adults were up to and- I couldn’t get her away from him without raising suspicions and I didn’t know what Slade might do if- I tried to get her away from him but I couldn’t.” he said. “I don’t think he’d try to hurt her. The Slade I knew-.”

“He’s not that person anymore. Sara was convinced he’d kill everyone in the house, including her.” She said. “I know you’re looking for another way, I respect that, but this is our child we’re talking about. She’s the exception to the rule. If he gets within 50 feet of our daughter again, you better not just stand there because you don’t want your mom to get suspicious.” She stormed off before he could respond.

 

“Are you mad at Daddy?” Megan asked her mother when she was being tucked into bed.

“Why do you think I’m mad at him?”

“I dunno.” She shrugged. “You just didn’t seem happy when you came home, and you gave Daddy your angry face.”

“I’ve got an angry face?”

“Yeah, it’s like this.” She said before scrunching up her nose and glaring. “Is Daddy in trouble?”

“He’s not in trouble.” Felicity answered. “I just asked him to do something and he forgot to do it. Time for bed.”

“But I’m not sleepy.”

“The fact that you just yawned says otherwise.” She said. “Sweet dreams.”

“Night, Mommy.”

 

Slade went back to his office after he left Queen Mansion. The firs thing he did was pulled up the feed from the cameras he’d placed during the tour. He doubted Oliver realized his motives, but he coudn’t account for what Felicity Smoak or Sara might suspect of him. It would be unfortunate if one of them found the camera and messed up his hard work. Luckily, all of the cameras were showing live feeds and it seemed everyone in the mansion was none the wiser to his actions.

Chapter 57

Summary:

Team Arrow finally gets the full story about Slade and Laurel asks Felicity for advice.

Chapter Text

Felicity tucked Megan into bed, wished her sweet dreams and then found Oliver in his bedroom.

“What do you think you’re doing?” She asked.

“Going to take a shower…?” He answered in confusion.

“That can wait. We, and by that I mean everyone who knows your green secret, need to have a very overdue conversation. We’re going to the foundry and you and Sara are gonna tell us everything this time.” She said.

“You say that like Sara and I lied.”

“Well, the way you told the story about Slade was that he was dead. 1000% dead. You watched him die. You saw his body and buried him.” She responded. “Clearly, you didn’t. So now, he’s even more steps ahead of us, because you didn’t even consider the possibility that he survived. We all need to have a conversation, and it needs to happen tonight.”

Someone had some explaining to do and there was no way she was going to wait to get answers about all of this. She messaged everyone on Team Arrow, and Tommy, and said they needed to meet back up at the foundry to discuss what had happened.

Oliver was smart enough not to try to talk to Felicity during their drive to the foundry. Their daughter had been in danger, he could understand her anger. He wasn’t happy that she was mad at him, but he understood it. When she arrived, everyone else was there. Tommy looked incredibly confused about what was going on. Digg was holding an ice pack to his head.

“What the hell happened to you?”

“One of Slade’s buddies got the drop on me. That’s why I couldn’t shoot Slade when he went outside.” John answered. “Didn’t see who it was, but-.”

“It doesn’t really matter, does it? What matters is that you’re okay, other than a bump on the head.”

“Uh, does someone wanna explain what I’m doing here?” Tommy asked. “Who this Slade guy is? Because I’m not great at figuring things out as we go.”

“Remember when Oliver almost died because someone injected him with an unknown substance?” Felicity said. “And Roy was abducted a few hours later?”

“Yes.”

“The same guy, Slade Wilson, was responsible for both things happening.” She said. “And I don’t know much more than that, but Oliver and Sara do. They met him on the island.” She turned and looked at Oliver and Sara, waiting for one of them to start talking.

“My second year on the island, a freighter arrived. On board, there was a man named Ivo and he was looking for the formula to a legendary serum. He’d spent years looking for it and came to the island to find the serum, called Mirakuru, and test it on people. Sara was aboard and had been coerced into helping him with his research.”

Digg already knew most of this, but Roy and Tommy didn’t, so it was important that Oliver start at the very beginning of the Mirakuru fiasco in order to not leave anything out.

“And Slade?”

“He, along with a woman named Shado, were prisoners on the island before I washed up ashore. We were a team, we helped each other survive. When the freighter arrived, we ran into conflict with Ivo and his men. Shado and Sara were able to figure out the location where the serum was hidden. Slade had been badly injured, and we injected him with the serum when we found it, on the off-chance it might save him. Ivo followed us to the location of the serum.”

“And turned Slade against you?” Tommy asked.

“Not yet, exactly. Kind of like when Roy was kidnapped and injected with the serum, we didn’t think he survived the process. Ivo left him behind when he dragged us away. He was pissed that we’d found the serum before he did, that we’d dared to challenge him. He was a complete psychopath and- He tied up me, Sara and Shado. And then-.”

“He told Ollie he had to choose who was gonna die.” Sara said. “He was either gonna shoot me, or shoot Shado. Based on the fact that I’m still here, you know how it ended.”

“You picked the person you’d known your whole life. That’s unfortunate for Shado, but there-.” Digg started to say.

“That’s not what happened either.”  Oliver admitted. “I tried to talk him out of it. He had what he wanted. He had no reason to do this. I think he just wanted to. Anyway, when I refused to make a choice, he pointed his gun at Sara and I jumped between them. Because he was pointing a gun at her. If he’d been pointing it at Shado, I’d have jumped in front of her too. Anyway, since I got in between him and Sara, he took that to be my “choice” and shot Shado.” Tommy gasped but Oliver continued. “Slade woke up and found us right after Ivo had left. Over the next few days, we realized he was….different.”

“That’s the nice way of saying it. The serum made him unstable, violent.” Sara said. “Suddenly, Shado, who was only his friend, was the love of his life and her death meant he’d lost everything. All he cared about was revenge on Ivo, no matter the cost. We hatched his plan to get aboard the freighter to kill Ivo, hoping that would help him somehow. We boarded the freighter and released the prisoners. Oliver went to kill Ivo, but Slade had found him first and he told Slade that Oliver let Shado die. To Slade’s twisted mind, it was Oliver’s fault.”

“So, that’s why he’s here. Because he wants revenge on Oliver. He wants you to feel what he felt, to lose everything.” Roy said. “So, I was abducted, injected with a serum that makes me crazy strong and a little unbalanced, and nearly died, all because some evil scientist killed the girl he had a crush on?”

“It’s a little more complicated than that, but yeah.”

Roy didn’t respond. Instead, he turned and walked out of the lair. He knew Sara didn’t trust him, since he had the serum, and the others were wary. If he stayed, he would’ve gotten angry and lashed out. He shouted over his shoulder that he was going home before slamming the door behind him.

“Okay, that explains who he is and what he wants, but why did you think he was dead?” Digg said. “In December, when the man in the skull mask showed up. You said that Ivo was dead and everyone injected with the Mirakuru was dead as well.”

“The whole Mirakuru mess ended with Slade and I fighting aboard the Amazo. Ivo had developed a cure for the serum, but it wasn’t tested. Giving him that might’ve cured him or it might’ve done nothing. Slade was pinned beneath some debris. He was yelling threats at me. He was gonna come to Starling and hurt my family. I didn’t- I couldn’t take that risk so I- instead of curing him, a jammed an arrow into his eye. A few seconds later, the Amazo blew up. A gaping hole opened in front of both of us and we were both sucked into the water. I resurfaced, but he didn’t, so I assumed he drowned. He must’ve wound up floating on a piece of the ship and been found or something.”

“So, Slade wants to hurt you by going after everyone you care about. He’s probably going to kill some of them. Why inject people with the serum though?” Felicity said. “No, I really don’t see how creating more supersoliders helps him destroy Oliver’s life. I mean, he’s practically building an army, which is a bit much to ruin one person’s life.”

“Not when the person is a vigilante trying to protect his city.” Sara pointed out. “Starling’s just starting to heal from the Undertaking. Releasing a bunch of strong and invulnerable soldiers, bent on destruction, will throw everything back into chaos, which sounds exactly like something he’d do.”

“Okay, then we have to find a way to stop him and his gang.” Tommy said.

“That’s not all.” Felicity said. “We need to stop him. We need to figure out who’s helping him, because he’s not working alone and I doubt the other Mirakuru soldiers are the only allies he has.  And we need to figure out why he came to the mansion.”

“He went there to intimidate me.” Oliver said.

“Do you really think that’s it? Because if he was only there to reveal that he was alive, why ask for a tour? Why not leave once he’d thrown you off-guard? I think he was there to do more than just reunite with you.”

“What do you think he was doing?” Tommy asked her.

“I don’t know, but I’m gonna search the mansion, top to bottom, until I find out.” She said.

“Don’t you think that’s a little extreme.”

“If anything, I’m under-reacting. We’re talking about my home, where my five-year-old lives. He’s lucky I haven’t “acquired” a military drone and taken him out already.” She said. “But that option is still on the table.”

“Do we have any leads on who might be working for Slade?” Sara asked, wanting to get off of this topic.

“Well, Laurel was thinking something with Blood was a bit off. And Felicity, you keep telling me that you’re pretty sure Isabel Rochev is a secretly evil.”

“Oh, she is. Question is, is she evil and working for Slade? Or independently evil?” She retorted.

Oliver asked Felicity to look into the donation Slade made to Moira’s campaign and see if she could use metadata from that transaction to find out who else Slade had paid money to or any other activity from that account.

 

Felicity was at work the next day when Laurel stopped by to see her. She could tell that the lawyer was a bit nervous and unsure about being there. Not wanting to spook her, she waited for the woman to say what was on her mind.

“I know that we don’t have the best history. Which is mostly my fault because of how I acted at Ollie’s funeral. I totally understand if you don’t want to help me in anyway but, I was wondering if- do you have lunch plans?” Laurel asked.

“Not that I know of.” She responded. Laurel waited while Felicity finished up a few things before they went to lunch.

They ordered and while they waited for their drinks, Laurel told Felicity why she’d asked her to lunch. “I know this is probably weird. No, it is weird. But I kinda- you’re the only person close to my age that I know who’s had a baby. And I could really use some advice.”

“Just general advice or about something specific?”

“Any advice really. I started looking at parenting sites and- one site says one thing is safe to eat, another site says it’s not. It’s-.”

“Confusing as hell? Yeah, I know.” Felicity said. “First piece of advice, ignore any website giving health advice that isn’t affiliated with either NIH or the American Pediatrics Association. Cosmopolitan is a good magazine for some things, but not advice for pregnant women. Second, there aren’t as many things as you need to completely avoid as you think. Basically, alcohol, deli meats and unpasteurized cheese.”

“That’s it?”

“Well, a lot of the other food restrictions, like caffeine, are more about only having a certain amount than complete avoidance.” She said. “If you have any doubts about food, or questions, call your OB’s office and ask. How did your parents react to the announcement?”

“I haven’t told them yet.”

“You should. I know there’s an old superstition about telling people too early but- I wouldn’t wait. Once they know, you can also go to them with questions or concerns.” Felicity said. “Oh, and that’s another thing. Random people are gonna start giving you parenting advice. Take most of it with a grain of salt, because a lot of it is crap.”

Chapter 58

Summary:

The Huntress returns to town, putting several people in peril.

Chapter Text

Two nights after Slade showed up at the mansion, Oliver and Sara were patrolling the city when they spotted Quentin about to stop a drug deal.  When the bust began to get a little out of hand, Sara and Oliver stepped in to assist Quentin in making the arrest. To everyone’s surprise, and Oliver’s dread, one of the men arrested at the raid was Frank Bertinelli. It would only be a matter of time before Helena arrived in town to try and kill her father again.

“Why do you look so miserable?” Sara asked her friend.

“Frank’s here, which means Helena’s gonna arrive at the exactly wrong time to try and kill her father and get her revenge. With everything else going on, an angry Huntress is the last thing we need right now.”

“We’ll handle it. There’s one of her and two of us, four if you count Roy and Digg.” She said. “I like those odds.”

He didn’t respond, but instead walked off. He was starting to feel like he was on a hamster wheel. As soon as one problem was fixed, another one arose and he wasn’t getting any closer to stopping Slade either. It was exhausting.

 

While Megan was eating some dessert, Felicity’s phone rang. It was Oliver.

“Hey, so I managed to find a few of the cameras Slade placed, but looping them won’t be-.” She started to tell Oliver. After he and Sara had told everyone the full story about Slade, Felicity searched the entire mansion. It wasn’t hard for her to find the cameras he’d hidden.

“Frank Bertinelli was just arrested.” Oliver said.

“Oh frack. I’ll get some searches started, see if I can find Helena and stop her before she gets to town.” She said before hanging up.

“What’s wrong Mommy?” Megan asked.

“Nothing, sweetie. Everything’s fine.” She responded.

“No, it’s not. You’re scared. And you said you wouldn’t lie to me anymore.” Megan said, pouting.

“Okay. Someone the Arrow has dealt with in the past is coming back to town and I wanna stop the person before they can hurt anyone.” Felicity sighed. That was the absolute easiest way to explain what was going on.

“Can I help?”

“You can help by getting ready for bed.” She responded.

 

Oliver came home that night and got into bed with Felicity. He told her about the raid and Bertinelli’s arrest before she explained where she was at with the cameras. She also shared a theory she had.

“It’s awfully…..convenient that the mayor happened to die, and Slade happened to be in town at the same time that Isabel, who has “history” with your father, was trying to buy QC. Almost like it was planned.” She wanted to know what he thought of it.

“It’s not- I’ve heard crazier theories.” Oliver pointed out. “I mean, all I know about Isabel is….well, she was born in Russia and that’s pretty much it, aside from what you found when she was trying to gut QC. And what my mom said when I visited her in prison.”

“What did your mom say about her?”

“Not to trust her, and that was it. Let me guess, you want me to go back to my mom and press a little harder?”

“Well, if she might have an idea of why Isabel would wanna team-up with Slade, I’d really like to know. Especially since, even if Slade doesn’t want to hurt Megan, that doesn’t mean she won’t try. And if he tells her not to, I doubt she’ll listen unless she wants to.”

“Good point.” He said. “I’ll ask her about it tomorrow.”

 

The next day, Oliver and Felicity got more bad news. Not only was Frank Bertinelli’s hearing scheduled for today, but Laurel was going to be the prosecutor in question. Oliver had only found out because Tommy told him that Laurel was excited for her first, post-sabbatical case. She’d been slowly getting back into the thick of things and this case would be her first time flying solo since Nyssa had come to town.

Felicity hadn’t had any luck finding Helena, as the car rented her in fiance’s name turned out to be a decoy. With no other options, Sara, Felicity and Oliver realized that they needed to stake out the courthouse and wait for Helena to arrive.

While discussing this plan with Sara, she seemed skeptical. “I understand what you’re going for here, but I don’t agree with your methods. If this crazy bitch shows up, she might hurt my sister, and I’m not sure you’ll do what it takes to stop her.” Sara said.

“Laurel and I might not be together anymore, and I don’t feel that way about her anymore, but I do care about her.” Oliver said. “Just like you do, and I won’t let anything happen to her.”

“We’re not gonna let anything happen to any innocent people.” Felicity added. “Helena can try all she wants, but she’s not getting to her father.”

 

Oliver and Felicity decided to pay Laurel a visit at the courthouse while the SCPD was transporting Frank there. They lied and said that they wanted to see how she was doing with Sara’s return and the other surprises that came with it. And, of course, how she was feeling with the baby.

“As I’ve told Tommy, my dad and Sara, I feel fi- why are they bringing him in through that door?” Laurel asked, heading to questions the officers escorting Frank. They never brought suspects or inmates in through the front door of the courthouse, as it was a huge security risk.

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this.” Felicity said.

No sooner had she said that that a smoke bomb was fired into the room. Helena appeared once the smoke cleared. Then, a handful of cops stormed in.

“We’ve been expecting you.” Adam Donner, one of Laurel’s coworkers, said. “If word of your father’s arrest reached you, we knew you wouldn’t be able to resist.”

“And I knew you’d be expecting me.” She said with a smirk. A few people in the crowd stood up, brandishing weapons. They started firing at the officers, who returned fire.

Oliver grabbed Frank by the arm while Felicity moved Laurel into a side room, telling her to stay there. Oliver and Frank made it outside shortly before the building went into lockdown.

“The hell is he doing out here?” Quentin asked, seeing Frank standing on the pavement.

“I heard Donner talking. They had this stupid idea to use Frank’s arrest to lure his daughter out. It worked.” Oliver said. “Laurel and Felicity are still inside and Helena’s got friends with guns.”

A negotiator arrived within minutes to try and open up a line of communication with Helena. Helena wasn’t interested in negotiating and demanded that her father be brought to her. If he wasn’t handed over, she was going to start executing hostages.

Oliver had moved away from Lance when the hostage negotiator arrived, and by the time Lance called the Arrow for help, he’d already changed into his “work clothes”. He also made a call to Tommy, who was watching Megan, telling him not to turn on the news for any reason. Unsurprisingly, Sara had already snuck into the courthouse by the time he returned as the Arrow.

Sara snuck in through the window and crept down the hallway. She spotted two goons trying to break down the door to the room where Laurel and Felicity were hiding. The vigilante fought them off and found Felicity and Laurel unscathed.

“I’ve never been happier to see you.” Laurel said.

“We’ve got a problem.” Felicity said, looking through a window. “It looks like the Huntress is getting tired of waiting.” Helena was standing in front of a man, about to shoot him.

“I’ll deal with her.” Sara said before handing Felicity a knife. “Take this.”

She rushed towards Helena, causing the other woman to drop her weapon. The hostage she was about to execute ran away. While Sara was busy with Helena, Laurel and Felicity started to cut the hostages’ bonds and lead them out of the building. Felicity directed them towards the back entrance of the building and was about to follow when she heard glass crash behind her. She spun around to see Helena standing there with a smirk and Sara nowhere in sight.

“Go.” Felicity told them. “I’ll be fine. You all need to go.”

“Felicity-.” Laurel said.

“She’s gonna catch one of us, and given your condition, I’d rather it be me.” She said. “Go.”

She waited until Laurel and the others were out of sight before heading back towards where she’d last seen Sara. Helena heard her coming and held out her crossbow and was about to fire.

“It’s too bad you’re not as fast as your friend.” She said. “Or maybe you just wanna be a hero.”

“I just don’t wanna die.” Felicity responded, holding her arms out in surrender. “Please. I have a five-year-old daughter. I just wanna-.”

“Oh, save the sob story. I’m not gonna kill you. Yet, anyway.” Helena said. “But don’t even think of trying anything funny.”

 

The police seemed to be planning something, so Oliver and Sara moved to a higher vantage point to see what was happening. “They’re probably gonna move in for an assault now that there are fewer hostages.” He said.

“There still is a hostage though.” Sara pointed out. “Felicity’s still inside.And, not to be pessimistic, but I think Helena might’ve planned for that. She’s spent over a year planning this. It’s probably occurred to her that they’ll send in the SWAT team.”

As they were speaking, the SCPD’s SWAT team moved in. They managed to arrest most of the goons Sara had knocked out, but there was no sign of Helena or Felicity. Helena had managed to sneak out while the building was being cleared.

Down on the street, Laurel was yelling at her father, saying they needed to find Felicity. She said that Helena had almost caught her trying to escape, but Felicity said she’d distract the woman long enough for the others to get away.

“Well, now that she’s gone, with your girlfriend, what’s your bright idea?” Sara asked Oliver. “Call her and ask for Felicity back?”

“Call her? That’s not a bad idea.” He pulled out his phone. Part of him wanted to be happy that Helena had kidnapped someone who’s phone number he had. “This is the Arrow. I wanna make a deal.”

“I knew you’d see things my way.” Helena said in a smug voice. “I’ll text you a location. Meet me there, with my father and I’ll let Felicity Smoak go. No cops.”

“Deal, put Ms. Smoak on the phone first though. I need to confirm that she’s alive.”

“Fine.” Helena scoffed. “It’s for you.”

“H-hello?” Felicity said.

“Are you unharmed?”

“No, I’m not hurt. I just-.”

“Satisfied?” Helena asked. “Don’t be late, or I’ll have to hurt her.” She gave the warning and then hung up.

He immediately called Digg and asked him to track Felicity’s phone. As long as Helena didn’t destroy it, they could pinpoint her location. Digg was also able to pull up nearby security camera feeds to make sure it wasn’t a trap.

Helena texted an address a few moments later and the trio left to “trade” Frank for Felicity. Oliver was able to sneak Frank away from the SCPD by telling Lance they needed Frank to get Felicity back.

They arrived at Helena’s location. Felicity was tied up, but seemed relatively unharmed. Frank was shocked to see his daughter like this. The Huntress cut her hostage free and was just about to attack her father when a tactical officer with the SCPD opened fire. Everyone scattered.

Helena and Sara wound up fighting once again. “Last time we did this, I threw you out of a window.”

“Last time, I was holding back.” Sara responded. “I wouldn’t be doing that again.”

The two women started to exchange blows. Helena was a good fighter, but Sara was better and a lot angrier than she was last time. With the police and Helena’s hired guns trading fire, along with Arrow picking off some mercenaries, the fight became chaotic. At one point, Lance ran in front of a SWAT officer to avoid the man shooting at Oliver.

Sara managed to beat Helena, disarm her and was about to break her neck when Felicity hit the Huntress in the head with a piece of wood. Her whole body relaxed.

“Why did you do that?” Sara asked.

“Uh, she held me hostage and kidnapped me. I just wanna go home.” Felicity said. “I wanna go home and hug my daughter.”

Cops rushed towards Helena to arrest her. As she was being led away, she saw that Frank had been killed in the crossfire. He was finally dead, and she didn’t feel any different. Only disappointed.

 

Oliver and Felicity went back to Verdant while Sara changed into her street clothes before stopping by Laurel’s place. Even though she knew what happened, she pretended that she’d seen the news and wanted to check in on her sister.

When they arrived at Verdant, Thea was crying. She told Oliver that she caught Roy kissing another girl and they’d broken up. He’d been pushing her away recently, but wouldn’t tell her why. She was frustrated that everyone was keeping secrets from her, except Oliver. The archer did his best to comfort his sister, but she left after a few minutes, saying she needed to get some air.

As she was walking, a car pulled up next to her. The door opened to reveal Slade Wilson. “May I offer you a ride, Ms. Queen? The streets aren’t safe at this time of night.”

“Sure.” She said, getting into the car.

 

Roy stormed off after he watched Thea leave the club in tears. He knew it wasn’t safe for him to be around Thea when he couldn’t control his strength, but he never wanted to hurt her or break her heart. Oliver came into the foundry, worried about his sister and feeling guilty that she thought he wasn’t hiding things from her.

“I wish I could tell her the truth.” He said.

“You can. Just tell her. Or I can tell her. I gave you time to tell her, you haven’t yet. So, if I have to do it, I will.” Felicity said.

“No, I’ll tell her. Next time I see her, I’ll tell her.” He swore. “But we’ve got a slightly bigger problem. I asked my mom about Isabel.”

“And let me guess, she wasn’t chatty.”

“At first, no. When I mentioned I thought she was trying to sabotage the company, she opened up a little bit.” Oliver admitted. “She used to be an intern at QC. She was- Isabel and my dad had an affair. My mom was worried he might actually leave us for her, but he didn’t. I don’t know exactly what changed his mind, but he canceled her internship, broke off all contact with her.”

“So, Isabel is a woman scorned, and Slade’s offered her revenge.” Felicity said. “How upsettingly textbook.”

“I’m more worried about why Slade would want her to take over QC. How does it help him?”

“I don’t know, and it’s not gonna matter, because the only way for her to takeover is for you to give up the role of CEO, and that’s not gonna happen.” Felicity said. “I wanna go home. I really need to see Megan right now.”

Oliver and Felicity went to Tommy’s apartment to pick up Megan. As soon as Felicity saw the little girl, she rushed over to hug her daughter and squeezed her as tight as she could.

“Mommy, you’re hugging me too tight.” She said.

“Oh, sorry baby.” Felicity said, loosening her grip a little bit. “I just missed you lots while I was helping your dad and Sara with something.”

“You mean the mean lady taking people prisoner?” Megan asked.

“Tommy!” Oliver and Felicity both said.

“Sorry, she wanted to watch cartoons, but when I turned the TV on, it was kinda-.” Tommy defended.

“Did the mean lady hurt you, Mommy?” Megan asked.

“No, she didn’t hurt me. She just made me feel really scared, but your dad and Sara helped me.”

“Of course they did. That’s what superheroes do.” The little girl said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Can we go home? I wanna go to bed.”

“You wanna go to bed?” Felicity said in surprise. “Well, if you’re sleepy, I guess we can go home.”

Oliver carried Megan to the car and they drove home. After Megan went to bed, Oliver and Felicity retreated to their bedroom. “Do you realize you haven’t said anything to me about what happened?” Felicity said.

“I don’t really know what to say. Or at least, how to say it without yelling.” He responded. “Why did you let her take you?”

“I didn’t let- Sara held Helena off, but then she couldn’t anymore and Helena saw us run off and- there was no way she wasn’t going to catch someone, find someone to take hostage. It was either me or Laurel, and I couldn’t- I didn’t want to put Laurel in danger like that.”

“So, you put yourself in danger instead?” He asked angrily.

“It was between me and the pregnant woman, so yes. I knew you and Sara would come for me. I had a better chance of getting out of the situation unscathed than she did.”

“What if you hadn’t though? What if, in the confusion of the shoot-out, you’d been hurt? Or worse?” He said, close to yelling. “What if I’d had to tell Megan that-?”

“Don’t you dare finish that sentence.” Felicity said. “I didn’t walk up to Helena and ask her to take me hostage. I just-. I’m sorry.”

“Do you have any idea how terrified I was when Laurel said you were still in there?”

“Probably as scared as I am, every time I know that you’re in a dangerous situation.” She responded.

“Please don’t do that ever again.” He said. “I- I can’t lose you. Our family can’t- we can’t lose anyone else.”

Chapter 59

Summary:

Thea finds herself in a sticky situation and the team rushes to save her before it's too late.

Chapter Text

The morning after the hostage situation, Oliver, Felicity, Digg, Roy and Sara were in the foundry, debating what to do. With Helena in custody, their focus was once again on Slade. Oliver and Sara insisted they needed to find where he was operating out of, where he was making the Mirakuru, and destroy the lab. If he couldn’t produce the serum, he couldn’t fulfill his master plan. Felicity, meanwhile, didn’t think stopping Slade would be so easy. He kept his plans quiet for months, possibly years, so dismantling the whole thing now seemed nearly impossible. Instead, she was worried about continuing to allow Isabel to be Slade’s spy inside the company.

“We can’t just ignore the threat Slade possesses.” Sara argued.

“I’m not saying you should. I’m saying that Slade recruited Isabel, for a reason. She tried to buy QC, for a reason. That reason probably has to do with his master plan. Getting rid of Isabel is going to disrupt his plans and, unlike destroying the lab, we know exactly what we need to do to achieve it.”

 

Slade’s car came to a stop and he ordered Thea to get out. She was dragged out of the car by his driver. She wasn’t anywhere near Queen Mansion. Terrified, she kicked the man holding her in the crotch and ran. She had no idea where she was, and didn’t have a clue where she was going, but she ran. Suddenly, something hit her in the head.

“Not so fast, sweetcheeks.” Another man said with a grin. “You made it farther than I thought you would.”

Slade’s men caught up and dragged Thea into a building, while Slade rolled his eyes at how slow they were.

 

Oliver remembered he needed to be seen at his mother’s debate that night, so he asked Felicity to start looking for Slade, while Sara and Digg patrolled the streets. He called Thea, wanting to know if she needed a ride to the debate, but she didn’t answer. He supposed she needed some alone time after her relationship with Roy ended.

To Moira’s annoyance, Oliver didn’t bring Megan to the debate with him, because it would mean keeping her up past her bedtime. The debate was just starting when a video began to play. It showed Thea tied to a chair and begging for the person holding the camera to leave her alone. A distorted voice asked the crowd “How much does Thea Queen’s life mean to you” before being shut off. The debate was rescheduled and Oliver took off for the foundry.

 

“Mommy, what’s wrong?” Megan asked her mother when she heard her make a frustrated noise. She had been playing with her Barbies in the living room until she heard her mother make a noise.

Felicity was trying to track the signal of the video while it was airing, but tracking the broadcast was difficult since it passed through so many cell towers on its path. “Nothing’s wrong, honey.”

“Why do you sound mad then?” She asked.

“Because- honey, a bad man took your Aunt Thea and I’m trying to find her so that we can bring her home.”

“A bad man wants to hurt Auntie Thea?”

“I don’t think he wants to hurt her, I think he wants to hurt Daddy.” She admitted.

“Why is he trying to hurt her if she didn’t do anything wrong?”

“Because, there are a lot of very bad people in this world.” She said. “And I don’t know if-.” Felicity didn’t finish her sentence, but Wolfsbane, sensing her stress, came over and laid his head in her lap. She petted his head a few times before an idea came to her. “Megan? Get your jacket. We’re gonna go see Daddy at his secret hideout.” Within a few minutes, Megan, Felicity and Wolfsbane were on their way to the foundry.

 

After the video had been broadcast during the debate, Slade had his men untie Thea and he walked out of the room. Thea was eighteen and weight maybe 120 pounds soaking wet. All of his men were experienced fighters and had guns. She wasn’t going to escape.  Thea looked around, unsure of what to do. After a few minutes, Slade came back into the room.

“Sorry about this. It’s just business.” He told her as he poured a glass of water for himself and another one for her.

“Mr. Wilson, I don’t- why are you doing this?” Thea started to ask.

“I’m going to make this very simple for you. Sit here until I don’t need you anymore, and nothing bad will happen to you. Try to escape or cause issues, and you won’t like what happens.” He said before tying her to the chair once again.

 

Due to traffic, Oliver was the last to arrive at the foundry. Oliver reached the lair and was already yelling for Felicity to figure out where Thea was. Megan was sitting there, still playing with her dolls and waved hello to her father before going back to her toys.

“One thing I’ll give him, he’s good at covering his tracks.” She said.  She was doing the best she could, but it was clear that Slade took her and he knew Oliver would ask Felicity for help finding her. “I’m not having much luck, yet, but he might.” She gestured to the wolf lying at her feet. “Wolves hunt by smell, kinda like a search dog. Maybe we should see what he can sniff out.”

“It’s worth a shot. I’ll see if there’s something of Thea’s in the office and-.” He was cut off by his phone ringing. “Now’s really not a good time.” There was a pause. “Fine, I’ll be there in about ten minutes.” He then hung up. “That was Isabel. She says we need to talk about the company.”

“Now?!” She practically yelled. “When your sister is missing? She wants to talk now?”

“She claims the board wants to talk to me because Thea’s missing. They probably don’t wanna make me split my focus or whatever.” He said. “I gotta go. The sooner I get this over with, the sooner I can get back to looking for Thea. Call Roy, ask him if Thea left any clothes at his house.”

He turned to leave when Felicity grabbed his arm. “Do not sign anything that woman gives you unless you read it first.”

“What?”

“Thea’s missing, so you’re distracted. Isabel’s been after the company for months and you being distracted from the company gives her a perfect excuse to manipulate you into giving up your interest in Queen Consolidated. This could be a trap. Don’t fall for it.” She said.

He just nodded and walked away. When he arrived at the office, the majority of the board was in the conference room. They all offered their sympathies and told Oliver to let them know if his family needed anything at all from them. Knowing that this was deliberate, and he was sitting in the same room as someone who was in on it, he was more annoyed than anything else.

“We know that your family is going through a difficult time right now.” Isabel said. “We’re hoping we can alleviate some of the stress you’re under by taking something off your plate for the moment.”

“Meaning?”

“You can’t be an effective CEO right now. No one could.” A board member said while pulling a document out of a folder. “This form transfers control of your stake in the company to another person, temporarily. This way, you can focus on your family who need you at the moment.”

“Which other person?” He asked.

“That’s for you to decide, although we’d recommend-.” Before the man could finish, Oliver picked up his pen and filled out the form. He passed it back to the others. “You’re designating it to Felicity Smoak?”

“I know many of you are skeptical about me, you think I don’t care about this company, but I do. I recognize that I can’t be an effective CEO at this exact moment, but I won’t hand over control of this company to someone I don’t know or don’t trust. There’s no one I trust more than Felicity.” He said. “I need to head home. I’m hoping someone’s heard something.”

He left the building and went to the foundry. Isabel sat in the boardroom glaring at the paperwork Oliver had filled out. She was almost sure he’d take the easy route and assign control to her, temporarily, and she could use that to manipulate the board into making it permanent. Now, they couldn’t do that without contacting Felicity, who’d never go along with that. Her plan had hit a snag and she couldn’t help but wonder why Oliver had chosen that route. Was he onto her?

 

Oliver went back to the foundry where the rest of the team was waiting. Roy had brought a sweater Thea left at his house, hoping Wolfsbane could use it to find a scent. Unfortunately, the wolf lost her scent down the street from Verdant where she’d gotten into Slade’s car. When he returned in disappointment, Felicity announced that she had a location. Sara and Roy were suiting up, prepared to head over there and find Thea, putting an end to this situation.

“I feel like this is probably a distraction.” Felicity said. “She’s not gonna be there. Slade probably won’t be there either.”

“He won’t know we’re coming. He’s not that smart.” Sara remarked.

“He’s been a step ahead of us for months. Why would today be any different?” She countered. Felicity had found the bug Slade planted in the foundry, but she wasn’t sure what to do about it yet, so she hadn’t told anyone other than Oliver about it. “I’m not telling you that you shouldn’t go, I just don’t think it’s going to be that simple.”

“I don’t say this a lot, but I hope you’re wrong.”

“I hope I’m wrong too.” She said, turning back to the computer.

“Mommy, can I help?” Megan asked. She had fallen asleep awhile ago, but it seemed she woke up when Oliver returned. “I wanna help find Auntie Thea.”

“I know, but Mommy, Daddy and our friends can handle it.” She said. “I’m gonna call Uncle Tommy to pick you up. You can spend the night at his house.”

“I wanna stay here! With you and help find Auntie Thea!” The little girl insisted.

“I know, but I need to make sure you’re safe.” She said sadly. “The grown-ups need to handle this one.”

 

Tommy, of course, agreed to watch Megan for the rest of the night. The girl pouted and threw a tantrum about having to go, but it didn’t sway her mother. When she arrived at Tommy’s apartment, she sat down on his couch and crossed her arms, looking equally furious and adorable.

“What’s wrong?” Laurel asked her.

“I wanna help find Auntie Thea, but Mommy said I can’t. Said the grown-ups had to do it. Like I was a baby. I’m not a baby.”

“We can’t find Thea ourselves, but maybe we can do something nice for her?” She suggested. “I was talking to her the other day, and she told me that she loves your drawings. How about we draw her a picture? That’ll make her feel better.”

“Okay.” Megan said. She wasn’t happy, but she also wasn’t as angry anymore.

When she stood up to get some paper and markers, Laurel saw Tommy leaning against the doorframe. He mouthed ‘thank you’ to her. He had a feeling that Laurel was going to be a really good mom.

 

Sara, Oliver and Roy went to the location Felicity had given them. Slade was there, but Thea was nowhere to be found, like she predicted. They got into an altercation before the SCPD showed up.  Slade was arrested, but then released since he had an alibi for when Thea was taken. To add insult to injury, Slade made an announcement offering money to anyone who helped find Thea Queen. Roy was pissed about Slade’s arrest and the fact that he managed to walk free.

Slade went to the warehouse where he was holding Thea. She was livid and demanded to be freed. He told her he’d gotten what he wanted and said she was free to go. Before she left, he said there was something Oliver was keeping from her. This stopped her in her tracks.

 

The team went back to the foundry just as the sun was rising. Oliver was desperate to find Thea. Sara was angry. Roy was downright murderous about the situation.

“Slade’s untouchable. Thea’s still missing and you’re down here doing what, exactly?” Roy said through clenched teeth. “Do you even want us to find her?”

“Excuse me?” Felicity said.

“I’m just saying, you don’t seem nearly as concerned about her being missing as the rest of us. Maybe you don’t want us to find her.”

Instead of responding, Felicity walked straight over to Roy and slapped him as hard as she could. Sara, Oliver and Digg looked just as surprised by this as Roy was. “You’ve known Thea for what, a year? Thea and I have been through more together than you know, than you could ever understand. She might not be a blood relative, but she’s my family. So, don’t you dare stand there and tell me that I don’t care, that I’m not worried about her. But carrying on, or yelling at everyone else, or trying to pick fights, isn’t gonna help us find her.”

He scoffed. “Fine, I’ll find her myself.” He stormed out.

“I know I shouldn’t be glad that he’s gone, but I don’t need him hovering over me while I’m looking for her.” She started typing on her keyboard. There had to be something she missed. Something she overlooked. There had to be a way to find Thea. She had a few more tricks up her sleeve, more illegal tricks than she usually used, and was about to start one when an alert popped up. “Oliver, Thea’s okay. She walked into a police station five minutes ago.”

“He released her. Why?” Oliver said.

“Because, it was a distraction. While you were scouring the city for Thea, Slade was attacking a prison transport. Now, he has his army.” She said. “And with Isabel still at QC- wait, what did she want anyway?”

“The board wanted to “relieve” me of the burden of being CEO for the moment.” He said.

“Please tell me that you didn’t hand over control of your stake in QC to her.”

“No, I do listen to you. I signed a form giving control to you.” He said. “Let’s get to the SCPD. I know you said she’s okay, but-.”

“Fine, but later, we’re gonna have a talk.” She said. “Oh, but we need to stop at Tommy’s apartment first. To pick up Megan.”

 

Felicity, Oliver and Megan went to the police station to drive Thea home. She greeted Felicity and Megan pleasantly and ignored Oliver completely, to his confusion.

Before he could say anything, Megan tugged on her aunt’s hand to get her attention. She then held up a piece of paper. “I made this for you. I hope you like it.”

“I love it.” Thea said with a smile, taking the drawing. “Thank you very much.” She then looked over at Felicity, ignoring Oliver once again. “Can we go? I wanna go home.”

They snuck out of the precinct through the backdoor and drove home. When they reached the mansion, Moira ran over to hug her daughter, but Thea stiffened and pulled away after a moment.

“Mr. Wilson told me the truth. About my father.” She said.

“Thea, I-.”

“He said both of you knew.” She said, looking accusingly between Oliver and Moira. “How could you keep something like that from me?”

“Thea, you don’t-.”

“Save it, Mom.” She said. “Come on, Megan, let’s go upstairs and see what Tiger’s up to.” She took the little girl’s hand and walked upstairs with her.

Felicity, meanwhile, turned to Oliver and Moira. “This is the part where I get to say I told you so, because I told you to tell her the truth, but both of you thought you knew better, that no one else could ever find out and that you were protecting Thea by hiding this from her.” She turned to follow after Thea. “Imagine if she got to hear this information from someone she actually loved and cared about.”

She went upstairs and found Thea playing with Megan and Tiger. “Ollie sent you to talk to me for him. Typical.”

“Nope, I just wanted to talk to you, make sure you were okay.”

“My family’s been lying to me for months, my mom has been for years. How am I supposed to feel?”

“If I knew what to tell you, I would.” She said, taking a seat. She put an arm around Thea’s shoulder and pulled her into a hug. “I wish I knew why he didn’t tell you, I could speculate, but you don’t wanna hear that. Just….please don’t write Oliver off completely. You don’t have to forgive him immediately or act like it didn’t happen, but he’s still your brother.” Felicity felt guilty for the part she’d played in all of this. She regretted not standing her ground more firmly and trying harder to convince Oliver to tell Thea the truth. When Oliver refused to tell Thea, she should’ve done it herself, but she hadn’t and now, she wished that she had. Was she as much to blame for Thea’s current state as Moira and Oliver?

“I’m just- I’m so sick of everyone lying to me.”

“I know.” She said. “There’s an upside though.”

“What upside?”

“Well, this means that Tommy’s your older brother too. He’s not so bad, is he?”

Thea laughed. “No, he’s not.”

Chapter 60

Summary:

Team Arrow races to stop Slade from moving further with his plans and Felicity admits something to Megan.

Chapter Text

After Megan and Thea finally went to sleep, Felicity sent a short text to Tommy telling him that Thea was now aware of who her father was. She didn’t want him to be surprised when Thea brought the matter up with him. Thea was already in a vulnerable state and the last thing anyone needed was for her to become even more disillusioned with her family.

Felicity checked on Megan one more time before heading to bed. Oliver rolled over when she got into bed. He laid there, looking at Felicity for a few moments before speaking.

“How much does she hate us?”

“She doesn’t hate you. She’s hurt. She feels betrayed.” She said. “She needs time, and you and your mother need to show that you’re genuinely sorry for lying to her. And by that I mean, you need to apologize, again, and your mother needs to be less….herself.”

“What are you talking about?” He asked.

“Your mother has an inability to admit when she’s wrong. If she’s never wrong, then she never has to apologize. And if she keeps insisting she’s in the right, Thea’s never gonna forgive either of you.” She said.

“How do you know that that’s gonna happen?” He asked.

“Because literally the only reason why Megan even knows who your mother is is because I decided to be the bigger person and not hold the way that she treated me when I was pregnant against her. She never actually apologized for calling me a liar or trying to buy me off, but I didn’t want to put Megan in the middle, so I let it go.” She said. “Your mother is unwilling and unable to admit fault and that makes her difficult to forgive.”

The next morning, while Felicity and Oliver were having breakfast with Megan, Tommy walked in to the kitchen. He came over to see if he could talk with Thea, believing she might listen to him. In the span of a few minutes, Felicity’s phone rang four times.

“Why does the same person keep calling you?” Tommy asked.

“And why aren’t you answering?” Megan asked. “If someone is calling, they probably have something important to say. Don’t you wanna know?”

“Not really. The person who’s calling is gonna ask me to do a bunch of boring things that I’d rather not do.” Felicity said.

“Like eating your broccoli?”

“Worse than eating broccoli.” She said with a frown. “Why don’t you go get ready for school?” She turned to Tommy once Megan had gone upstairs. “It’s Queen Consolidated and they’re calling because Oliver signed his shares over to me. So, I’m kinda one of the CEOs right now.”

“Why would he do that? No offense, but it’s not really-.”

 “Isabel Rochev, my business partner, is in league with the people who took Thea, and their leader is someone I met on the island. He wants revenge against me. The board came to me last night, they wanted to give me a way to step back while we looked for Thea. I signed control of my shares over to Felicity, to avoid giving them to Isabel. We know she’s been working with Slade, and he wants QC for something.” Oliver explained.

“This Slade guy, why does he want revenge?” Tommy asked.

“My friend Shado was killed on the island. And he blames me for her death, even though I was put in an impossible position. I couldn’t just let Isabel have the company. Who knows what she’d do with it?”

“Well, what does that mean for the company?” Tommy asked. “Is Felicity CEO forever now or can you get the control back? I don’t think anyone’s gonna look twice if you do that, since Thea’s safe. Don’t get me wrong, Felicity, you’d make a great CEO but it shouldn’t be- you shouldn’t become CEO like this.”

Oliver nodded, and said he was going to make a few calls to find out what happened now. He agreed that this wasn’t how Felicity deserved to run a company. Tommy left when Raisa came downstairs and told everyone that Thea was awake, but refused to eat breakfast until after Oliver was gone. She hadn’t said anything about Tommy, so the black-haired man headed upstairs to give it a try.

“Before you start making calls, we might have a bigger problem.” Felicity said. “I was thinking, we know why Isabel wants the company. She thinks she’s owed it because Robert dumped her, but where’s the advantage for Slade? What use is a multinational company to him? Then, it hit me. Applied Sciences.”

“What about Applied Sciences?”

“Well, they have all the equipment it takes to mass produce the Mirakuru, right? And Isabel has the authority to order them to make it.” She said. “I looked at the internal reports they’ve been sending in, they haven’t mastered it yet, but they’re close. We can’t let them continue working.”

“What do they think it is?” Oliver asked.

“A new pharmaceutical, probably.” She said. “We can’t just shut down production, without raising her suspicions though.”

“What are you saying?”

“We need to break in and destroy everything related to the serum. Tonight.” She blurted out.

Megan came downstairs and said she was ready to go. Her parents drove her to school and dropped her off before heading into work. As they were saying goodbyes, she asked a question.

“What’s a CEO?” She asked. “Mommy said to Uncle Tommy that she was the CEO of Grandpa’s company now.”

“It’s a job title. It means I’m the boss of everyone.” Felicity explained.

“You were already the boss of everyone.” Megan pointed out. Oliver laughed at that and Felicity gave him a look.

“We’ll talk about it after school, okay?” Her mom said. The girl nodded and went inside.

Many employees were surprised to see Oliver at work today, but he explained that, since his sister had been found, he could give the company his full attention once again. If Isabel was startled by his presence, she didn’t say anything.

“You do remember that you signed control of the company over to your secretary, correct?” She asked.

“You mean, the smartest person I’ve ever met? Yes, I haven’t forgotten. It was meant to be temporary, and now that I no longer need to take a step back, I’m back.” He responded.

“You can’t just do that. You didn’t sign those forms just for fun. On paper-.”

“I know what I signed. But I don’t see the harm in using the next few days to catch up on paperwork, do you?” He said before walking into his office. Looking at the forms he signed, Oliver learned what they needed to do to revert the shares back to him. It would take a few days to finalize, and to be honest, Oliver wasn’t sure if he wanted to be CEO again.

Isabel came back five minutes later and said there was a meeting with the board. If Oliver couldn’t attend, then she would speak to them alone.

“No, there isn’t a meeting.” Felicity said.

“I know Oliver didn’t hire you because you’re a good assistant but-.”

“You do remember that, because of his actions last night, I’m currently your business partner, correct?” She countered. “Maybe talking to me in a tone like that isn’t a good idea. We wouldn’t want the board to think that you’re difficult to work with, would we?” Unlike Oliver, Felicity had worked for the company for years. Many members of the board not only knew her, but respected her. She had an advantage that Isabel didn’t. She took a deep breath. “And the meeting with the board was rescheduled this morning, at my request. It’s happening next week.”

Isabel stormed back to her office, where her assistant informed her about the meeting being changed.

 

Felicity came up with a plan on how to destroy the Applied Sciences equipment so that Slade couldn’t salvage anything from it and no one was hurt. With some discussion, they fine-tuned the plan and agreed to enact it the following night. When the discussion was over, Oliver pulled Felicity aside.

“I think you should sit this one out.”

“Well, I’m not going to. Slade might claim he’s not after me, or Megan, but I don’t believe him. I can help. Besides, the more people we take inside, the sooner we can get out.”

He wanted to argue. It wasn’t that he didn’t think she could handle herself. He just wouldn’t be able to live with himself if anything happened to her. Slade was dangerous and he didn’t know if he suspected what they were planning or not. If tonight turned into a fight, he wasn’t sure that Slade wouldn’t try to kill Felicity for trying to interfere.

Being more scientifically gifted than the others, Felicity outlined what they needed to do in order to destroy the equipment being used without needing to blow up the building. The best way to pull this off was to make the whole thing look like an accident. The others needed to keep the guards distracted while she worked. Felicity had finished making her adjustments to the machine and was exiting the building when a guard snuck up on her and started questioning her. Oliver was about to intervene but she acted before he could.

“What’s your name?” She asked the guard, doing her best “Moira Queen” impersonation.

“Daniel Andrews.”

“Nice to meet you, Daniel Andrews.” She said. “Felicity Smoak.” She saw the moment he realized who she was.

“Ma’am, I’m very sorry, I-.” He had almost pulled his weapon on one of the CEOs of the company. He was pretty sure he was going to be fired.

“You were doing your job. Your job is to make sure no unauthorized individuals enter certain areas. I wanted to see what Applied Sciences was working on, but my schedule filled up and I didn’t have a chance until this evening. I was hoping Dr. Forest or another employee might still be here, but apparently not.” She said calmly. “Have a nice evening, Mr. Andrews.”

“Have a nice evening, Ms. Smoak.” He said before continuing on his rounds.

She went outside where the others were waiting. A few minutes later, alarms started going off inside the building, a sign that a piece of equipment was malfunctioning. Then, a fire alarm began to sound. The team stayed in the parking lot until they heard sirens approach to extinguish the flames.

“Well, that was almost a rousing success.” Oliver said.

“We did what we came to do and nobody got hurt. I call that success.” She said. “And Slade’s plan has hit a snag as a result.”

News of the “accident” at Applied Sciences made the news. With Felicity now as the CEO, she held a press conference before Isabel could. She announced that the incident was being investigated and that operations at the building were being halted for the time being. The brunette couldn’t demand work restart without looking suspicious.

 

That night, when Felicity, Oliver and Digg arrived at the foundry, they found it in disarray. Someone had broken in and ransacked the place. Everyone knew this was Slade’s doing. Oliver and Digg started trying to clean up, to discover what had been taken.

An hour later, they regrouped. “Everything’s accounted for, except the skeleton key.” Digg said.

“He has the skeleton key? Frack.”

“Ok, he has the key, but he wouldn’t have taken it unless he already knew where he wanted to break in to. His equipment is unavailable, so he’d need to break into another company or some government lab or-.” Oliver said.

“Star Labs.” Felicity said. “There was an attack at Star Labs annex in town less than an hour ago, and the two employees who were present during the break-in reported it was just one guy. It might take me a little bit to figure out what he took.”

“We’ll go to the scene, see what we can find.” Oliver said.

The rest of the team left, and Felicity got to work. They returned empty-handed and frustrated. John asked Felicity if she found what had been taken.

“A biotransfuser. State of the art. It can be used to transfer blood from one individual to several recipients at once.” She explained.

“So, he can use it to transfer the Mirakuru serum from his own blood into his troops. All at once.”

“Maybe not “all at once” but he could transfer it to multiple people at the same time, yes.” She clarified.

“So, when he uses it, he’ll be vulnerable. Even with his enhanced durability, giving that much blood will weaken him.” Oliver reasoned.

“If he’s the person donating. Roy wasn’t the only successful subject of Cyrus Gold’s experiments. Hypothetically, he could use any of the other Mirakuru soldiers as a blood bag.”

“We need to find out where they are.” Digg said.

“I’m already on it.” Felicity said as she started typing. “The staff at Star Labs, they’re okay right?”

“He killed a guard but that’s it.”

“I don’t know if that makes me feel better or worse.”

Oliver didn’t have an answer to that. Felicity was able to figure out where Slade had taken the machinery. Technology like that needed to use a lot of power, so an output spike in an abandoned building definitely caught her attention. Oliver and John left to confront him while Felicity stayed at the foundry.

At the warehouse, the pair found not Slade hooked up to the machine, but Roy. As Oliver started to remove the tubes and needles from Roy’s body, Isabel and Slade stepped into the light. They warned him that it wasn’t a good idea to remove Roy, saying it could kill him. Isabel decided to add insult to injury by revealing that Roy hadn’t even put up a fight when they’d found him in Bludhaven. Oliver shot the device, destroying the machine so that he could stop Slade without killing Roy.  He then hit Slade with a sedative, knocking him out.

“You should worry less about saving him, and more about saving yourself.” Isabel said.

“God, could you be more of a cliché?” Felicity asked when she heard Isabel speak. “Also, I knew she was a supervillain.”

Oliver got Roy disconnected from the machine while Slade was disoriented from the sedatives. Isabel stood up from where she’d been hiding and moved to shoot Oliver. Digg leapt into action and shot three bullets at Isabel, hitting her in the chest.

They left, taking the unconscious Roy with them. Slade woke up not long after they left and found Isabel, with a weak pulse. The heroes met back at the foundry, where Oliver decided to keep Roy sedated until a cure for Mirakuru could be developed. He had Felicity send a sample to Star Labs. He tried to ask her something else, but she waved him off, saying she was tired.

Felicity decided to check on Megan when she got home. Her daughter was awake when she walked in, expecting to find her asleep. Megan was instead reading a book to Tiger.

“What are you doing up?” She asked her.

“Couldn’t sleep.” She answered. “Is Slade a bad guy?”

“What makes you ask that?”

“When he came here, you seemed scared.” She said with a shrug. “And Daddy told Uncle Tommy that you needed to stop him. You and Daddy only stop bad guys, so….is he a bad guy?”

“Yeah, baby, he is.” Her mother said. “He was the one who took Auntie Thea. Which is why what I need to tell you is really important.” She sighed. “Stay away from him and Ms. Isabel. No matter what, don’t let them come near you, okay? I don’t want them to hurt you which means if they come near you, you need to run away.” She didn’t know what Slade or Isabel were capable of. She didn’t know what they might do next. All she knew was that they were a threat to her family and she needed to keep her daughter safe above everything else.

“Daddy doesn’t run away. I wanna be brave like Daddy.”

“Megan, I’m serious.” Felicity said. “If Daddy and I aren’t here, and Mr. Diggle isn’t around, I want you to run and hide, no matter what. I will find you, but I don’t want them to take you. Promise me you’ll do that?”

“Promise.” She said. “Does he wanna hurt Daddy?”

“He does, sweetie.”

“Why? Daddy didn’t do anything wrong! He should go away and- and be a meanie-face somewhere else!”

“I want him to go be a meanie-face somewhere else too.” Felicity said.  “Now, go to sleep.”

“Wait. Can I- can Wolfy sleep in here?” She asked. While she was a little scared and wanted to ask if she could sleep in Felicity’s room, Megan was a big girl. Big girls didn’t sleep in their parents’ beds when they got scared. If Wolfsbane slept in her room, though, she’d feel safe. “He’ll keep the bad pirate man away. I know he will.”

“Yes, I’ll go see where he is.” Felicity said. She found the wolf asleep in Oliver’s room and signalled for the animal to follow her. She led the wolf into Megan’s room. “I want you to stay here and make sure no bad men come and hurt her.” Part of this was a show for Megan, but part of it was also for her own piece of mind.

Wolfsbane laid down in front of the girl’s bed. He wouldn’t let anything happen to his companion’s pup or his mate. Or the small kitten that always wanted to play with him.

Chapter 61

Summary:

Isabel makes a daring move, that jeopardizes Felicity and sends Oliver into a panic.

Chapter Text

The day after the team destroyed Slade’s stolen biotransfuser and rescued Roy from him and Isabel, Felicity kept a close eye on the news. Isabel was one of the CEOs of the city’s biggest companies. Her death was bound to make the news. Yet, there wasn’t any announcement of her being dead or even missing. A very bad feeling came over Felicity. Had Isabel survived? What would she do in retaliation for Oliver and Digg nearly killing her?

Felicity didn’t see Isabel at work that day, thankfully, and none of the people who worked closely with Isabel mentioned her, but she was still on edge. Oliver tried to convince her that this wasn’t a big deal. Slade probably disposed of the body to cover his tracks and not arouse suspicion. Still, the blonde couldn’t shake the feeling that something was very wrong. She spent the day on edge, worried about what was going to happen next.

After an uneventful, but anxious, day, Felicity left around 3:00 to pick Megan up from school. She was then going to drive back to the office and have her daughter work on her homework until her workday was over. Since it was raining pretty hard, Felicity got out of the car and walked into the school. A few moments later, she walked out holding Megan’s hand and carrying an umbrella. The little girl was telling her mother about her day. As Felicity neared the car, she saw that two shady-looking men were hanging around the vehicle. When she reached the car, she saw that two of her tires had been slashed.

“Wow, two tires ruined. That’s bad luck.” A voice said from behind her. It was Isabel, sitting in the passenger seat of a black SUV. “Good thing I happened to be here, to give you a ride.”

“That’s not necessary. I’ll call a tow truck.” Felicity said. Right now, she was silently begging for someone, anyone, to be nosy and ask what was going on. To her dread, the other people in the parking lot didn’t seem to notice.

“I insist.” Isabel said with an edge to her voice. The two men lingering around the car moved closer to Felicity and Megan, effectively boxing them in. Clearly, this wasn’t a request.

“Megan, it looks like Ms. Rochev is gonna give us a ride.” She said, trying not to let her daughter realize how scared she was. “Let’s get out of this rain.”

“What about your car?” Megan asked. “You’re not supposed to just leave it here.”

“I’ll call someone to get it fixed later. C’mon, we don’t wanna waste any more of Ms. Rochev’s time since she’s being nice enough to help us.”

Felicity and Megan got into the SUV, and the two goons got in after them. One got into the front seat to drive, while the other got in next to Megan.

In the front seat, Isabel smirked. While she hated children, and especially Oliver’s child, the girl had come in handy for once. If Felicity had been alone, she might have run, but she wouldn’t take as many risks when her daughter was around. She’d be a lot easier to deal with now, given that Isabel could very easily hurt her daughter in this situation.

In the backseat, Megan leaned up to whisper something to her mother. “Is Miss Isabel gonna hurt us?”

“I don’t know.” Felicity answered. She then continued as if Megan had asked a completely different question. “When we get home, why don’t you ask Raisa what her name means?”

Megan gave her mother a funny look, but didn’t say anything else. Since she was very smart for her age, she must have realized that her mom was pretending for a reason. The car pulled up outside of a rundown building and the driver told Megan and Felicity to get out of the car. They went inside and Isabel took Felicity’s cell phone and smashed it, so that she couldn’t tell anyone where she was. One of the others searched Megan’s backpack, but the only thing in there was her schoolwork.

“I’ll be back in a little bit.” Isabel said to no one in particular. She then turned to the two Mirakuru soldiers with her. “Unless they try to leave, don’t touch them. I have plans for them.” She then stormed out.

The two men took up positions near the only entrance to the building, effectively leaving the two Smoaks alone.

“Mommy.” Megan said. “I’m scared.”

“I’m scared too.” Felicity admitted. “But we’re gonna be okay. Everything’s gonna be okay.”

“Are you lying to make me feel better?”

“No. I don’t know what’s gonna happen, but Daddy is looking for us. So is Mr. Diggle and Uncle Tommy and Grandma and Sara. They’re gonna find us.” She said. “We just need to wait.”

“Why can’t we run away?” In movies, the bad guys always tied up the heroes so that they couldn’t escape, but Isabel hadn’t done that. There were two scary men at the door, but if they were sneaky, they might be able to escape.

“You see those two men? If we try to escape, they might hurt us, and I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

She sat there, comforting her daughter and hoping Isabel didn’t come back.

 

Oliver felt incredibly uneasy. Felicity should’ve been back by now. Even if she was running late, or had gotten caught in traffic, she would’ve called him and told him that she was running late. The last time he heard from her, she was leaving to pick up Megan from school. He called her, but her phone was going straight to voicemail. Something happened.

Standing up, he turned to John. “We need to go. Something’s wrong.”

“What makes you say that?” Digg said, getting ready to leave nonetheless.

“Felicity should’ve been back by now. She’s not. And she hasn’t called. And her phone is going straight to voicemail.”

“She’s never more than three feet from her phone.” He remarked. “Where are we going?”

“She texted me that she was at the school, so that’s where I’m gonna start.” Oliver answered.

They drove to the school in silence. They found her car parked in the parking lot with two tires slashed. Felicity’s purse was still in the car. He hadn’t gotten a call about Megan needing to be picked up, so he reasoned that whatever had happened, Megan was with her.

So, she went into the school to get Megan, because it was raining, but she never made it back to the car.” Digg said.

“Someone abducted her before then.” He finished. “And by someone, I mean Slade.”

“You think he’d abduct them here? In the middle of the day?”

“If it got him one inch closer to his goal, then yes.” He said. “I need to go find him.”

“Call Lance first.” Digg said. “If you- call Lance, file a missing persons’ report. The police will start searching, because there’s a child involved, which at the very least will rule out a few places he could be holding them. I’ll go back to the foundry, check the traffic cameras and see if any of them caught something suspicious.”

While he wasn’t happy about the delay, Oliver took Digg’s advice and went to the SCPD to report Megan and Felicity missing. Thankfully, Lance believed him when he said Felicity wouldn’t just take Megan and disappear and they were genuinely in trouble. It seemed like someone was targeting the Queen family. After the Amber Alert was issued, he got a sobbing phone call from his mother.

“Are they- do you- is this the same people who took Thea?”

“I don’t know.” He said honestly. “But I’m going to find them. I- I have to find them. I’ll let you know when I know more.” A thought struck him. “Mom, do you have Slade Wilson’s number by any chance?”

“Yes. Why?”

“I think he might know something. I wanna give him a call.” Oliver said.

Moira reluctantly gave Oliver Slade’s number and made him promise to call her as soon as he knew anything about Felicity and Megan’s whereabouts. Oliver dialled Slade’s number and spoke as soon as he answered the call. “Where are you? I need to talk to you.”

“We’re a bit past the point of talking, Kid.” Slade said. “You did try to kill me yesterday.”

“That’s exactly what I want to talk to you about. As Oliver Queen. Where can I meet you?”

Slade gave him an address and told him to come alone. Oliver texted Digg that he had a lead and went to meet his nemesis.

 

To Isabel’s frustration, Oliver wasn’t at Queen Consolidated when she arrived. Her assistant said he’d left while she was gone, but didn’t elaborate on where he’d gone to. This made it impossible to taunt Oliver with the fact that she had his family and she was in an especially rotten mood when she returned to the building where she was keeping Felicity and Megan.

“I can’t seem to find Oliver.”

“Probably because he’s out looking for us.” Felicity said. “I don’t think you thought this through.”

“I could kill both of you right now, and no one would know for days, if not weeks. I wouldn’t be so smug if I were you.” She pointed out.

“Why do you wanna kill us?” Megan cried. “We didn’t- we didn’t do anything wrong!”

Isabel didn’t take her eyes off of Felicity. “If you can’t keep your snivelling little brat quiet, I’ll take matters into my own hands.”

Felicity glared at her, but bent down to Megan’s level. “Baby, I know you’re scared. I know you wanna go home, but I need you to be good for me, okay? That means no yelling at Ms. Rochev or her friends. We’re gonna be okay. Everything’s gonna be okay, but I need you to trust me.”

“Everything’s gonna be okay?” Isabel said in a mocking tone. “Really?”

“What else am I supposed to say?” She responded. “I know you’re not gonna answer me, but why are you doing this?”

“Because the Queen family needs to suffer and because I can.” Isabel said. “They took everything from me, so I’m going to take everything from them. Starting with the two of you.” As much as she wanted to kill Felicity, it wouldn’t be effective without an audience. No, she’d wait for Oliver to rush in to save his girlfriend and daughter and then kill them.

 

Oliver walked into the rather posh offices that Slade had directed him to and tried to keep his temper in check. He was angry, but he didn’t want to ruin his best chance of finding his family by blowing up at Slade. He needed to be smart about this, which meant playing this the right way.

Slade was seated behind a large ornate desk and he didn’t react to Oliver entering the room. “What brings you to my office so early?”

“You know why I’m here.” He said. “I’ve come to turn myself over to you. I’m surrendering. You wanna kill me, kill me.”

“It’s not your time to die yet.” Slade said.

“Whatever you’re gonna do, just do it. I don’t care.” He said. “Just- once Felicity and Megan are safe, you can do whatever you want to me.”

“Ms. Smoak and your daughter are already safe from me.”

“That’s bullshit and you know it.” Oliver said. “They’re missing. I know you took them. Tell me where they are, and once they’re rescued, we can finish this.”

“We will “finish this”’ when I decide we will. And I have not idea what you’re talking about.”

While he’d tried to be level-headed, he lost his cool. His family was in danger and he hated that Slade was jerking him around like this. “Felicity and Megan are missing. You kidnapped them, or had someone else do it, when Felicity went to pick up Megan from school. I know it was you, Slade, just tell me where they are.”

“While I want you to suffer, I’m not gonna stoop so low that I kidnap a five-year-old. Yes, I kidnapped your sister, but Thea is 19. I’m a monster, but I don’t hurt kids. And if I wanted to abduct Felicity, I would’ve done it when she wasn’t with your kid. I also wouldn’t feign ignorance, as you know. I didn’t take them.”

“Well, if it wasn’t you, who was it?”

“Possibly one of your numerous other enemies.” An idea came to Slade. “Give me half an hour. If you don’t hear from me, you can assume I wasn’t able to find anything. Now, get out before I rethink not killing you.”

Once he had seen Oliver leave the building, Slade made a call. If the person who abducted the two Smoaks was one of his allies, it could only be one of two people. And Blood didn’t have the balls for it. “Where are you at the moment?”

 

“We’re gonna find them, Ollie.” Sara told Oliver when he returned to Verdant. She’d been out looking for leads on Felicity and Megan’s location ever since she got Oliver’s call. She hadn’t had any luck so far.

“What if we don’t?” He responded. “They’re missing. I don’t know if they’re unhurt or even if they’re still alive. My family is- I- I can’t lose them. I don’t- I need to find them. I have to find them.”

“We will.”

Chapter 62

Summary:

Oliver gets help from an unexpected source in finding Felicity and Megan.

Chapter Text

Once he had seen Oliver leave the building, Slade made a call. If the person who abducted the two Smoaks was one of his allies, it could only be one of two people. And Blood didn’t have the balls for it. “Where are you at the moment?”

“There are some annoyances that I’m taking care of.” Isabel responded. “Why? Did you need me for something?”

“Do these annoyances have names by any chance? There wouldn’t happen to be two “annoyances” would there?”

“What are you getting at, Slade?” She hissed.

“Did you abduct Felicity Smoak and her daughter?” He asked angrily.

“Technically, no. They chose to get into the car.” She said. “Then again, I didn’t really give them much of a choice. Why does it matter? They’re out of the way.”

“This wasn’t part of the plan.”

“I’ve decided to change the plan.” She said. “With what’s coming, who cares if the two of them get hurt a little earlier than everyone else?”

“Tell me where you are. I need to speak with you in person.” He said. “And don’t do anything….drastic until I arrive.”

Isabel scoffed, but gave him the address.

 

Digg returned from ARGUS empty-handed. He tried to see if Lyla could help him and Oliver find Felicity and Megan, but none of their technology could find them. The tech was used to track terrorists and other criminals ARGUS had an extensive amount of intel on, not missing CEOs or first-graders. Oliver was skeptical that Slade wasn’t on Waller’s radar, but didn’t comment. Calling Waller out on her lies could wait until after his family was safe.

He’d called everyone he could think of, asking if they’d heard from Felicity. Donna hadn’t. Moira hadn’t, Laurel, Tommy, Thea, even Felicity’s friends from IT hadn’t heard from the blonde.

“You think your wolf might be able to help out here?” Sara asked. “I know he couldn’t find Thea, but- I mean, it’s worth a shot, right?”

“He couldn’t find Thea because she’d gotten into a car. I think the same thing happened with Felicity.” He said, remembering that Wolfsbane had tried to track Thea’s scent and failed. “But I agree that we should at least try.”

He woke the animal, who’d been sleeping in a pile of blankets in the foundry, up and drove back to the school. As with Thea, Wolfsbane could track the scent for a short distance, but quickly lost the trail. The wolf let out a whine.

“It’s not your fault. I was the one who was supposed to protect them.” Oliver told his companion. He was about to return to the foundry when he got a call. “Hello?”

“I found Felicity and Megan. Come to the address I just texted you, alone, and I’ll help you rescue them.” Slade said.

“You’re gonna help me? You, the man who’s said about 50 times that he’s going to kill me. Why the sudden change of heart?”

“It’s not a change of heart.” He said. “I still want to kill you. I will kill you, on my own timeline. The abduction of your girlfriend and daughter interfere with my plans and I won’t allow it. Now, do you want my help or not?”

“Do you know who took them?”

“Yes.” He said, but didn’t answer the unspoken question. “Meet me there in half an hour.” He hung up before Oliver could say anything else.

“Looks like we’re gonna go for a little ride.” Oliver told Wolfsbane. He drove to the address in question and found Slade there waiting.

“I told you to not to bring anyone else.”

“I didn’t bring any other humans and if I’d had to take Wolfsbane home, I couldn’t have made it here in time.” He said. That wasn’t strictly true. He brought the wolf because he’d be able to smell Felicity and Megan if they were nearby. He also felt slightly better that he had some form of back-up, in case this was a trap. “Who am I gonna find inside that building?”

“Someone I should’ve let die two days ago.”

“Isabel took them. And you still expect me to believe that you didn’t know about this?”

“I didn’t. Whether you believe it or not is irrelevant.” Slade said. “Shall we?”

 

While Felicity tried her best to put on a brave face for Megan, she was beginning to get scared herself. Isabel was clearly unhinged and the two of them were trapped here, at her mercy. Felicity’s biggest fear was something terrible happening to Megan and her being unable to do anything about it. As the moments passed, it seemed more and more likely that she was in the exact situation that she most feared. While she’d told Megan that Oliver would find them, she didn’t know how long it would take.

“I wanna go home.” Megan said.

“I know. Me too.” She responded. “I need you to promise me something, okay? Until we’re home, I need you to do exactly what I say. If I tell you to close your eyes, close your eyes. If I tell you to run, I want you to run. Can you do that?”

“Yes.”

“Okay.” She said. “Now, do you remember what I told you to do if you were ever in trouble?”

“Find a phone and call 9-1-1.” Megan said, proud that she’d remembered.

“Exactly.” Felicity said. “If we get separated, I want you to find a phone and do that.”

“Why would we get separated?”

“I don’t know, but in case that happens, that’s what I want you to do.” She said.

“What are you two whispering about?” One of the men who’d helped Isabel kidnap them asked snidely.

“Mommy was just telling me a story.”

“Does this look like a great place for storytime?” He challenged. He walked off not long after.

“I don’t like him. He’s not a nice man.”

“No, he’s not.” Felicity agreed.

“It’s been a few hours and he still hasn’t shown up yet.” Isabel said, walking over to the pair. “I guess Oliver doesn’t love you as much as you seem to think he does.”

“Or he’s waiting for you to make a mistake.” Felicity said.

“Why wait, though? I’ve got you and his brat, at my mercy, if he loved you, he’d rush in even if it was a suicide mission.”

“You and I have very different ideas of what is and isn’t love.” She said.

“Ms. Rochev, someone’s coming.” One of Isabel’s goons yelled. “It doesn’t look like anyone I know.”

“Guess that means it’s showtime.” Isabel said with a grin as she grabbed Megan’s arm and pulled her away.

“Ow! You’re hurting me!” The little girl cried. “Mommy!”

Felicity moved towards her daughter, but another goon held her back. “Megan, remember what I said.” She yelled.

The doors of the warehouse banged open. “So, you finally- Slade?” Isabel asked.

“You’re surprised to see me. Why? I did mention wanting the speak to you in person.” Slade said. “You can stop using the four-year-old as a human shield now.”

“I’m five, almost six!” Megan told him. Isabel let go of Megan’s arm and the little girl rubbed the spot she’d been gripping.

“Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” Slade asked Isabel.

“We need the brat out of the way, along with her know-it-all mother. I figured, why not just deal with them now and get it over with?” She said. “They’re gonna die anyway, so what does it matter if it’s now or later.”

“Except, you abducted them, in broad daylight and the city isn’t in crisis right now, so nearly the entire police force is out looking for the little girl in front of you.” He said. “Not only was your plan frustratingly short-sighted, but also mind-bogglingly stupid.” He turned to look at Megan. “Run over to your mother.” The girl did exactly that. Felicity ran forward and met her halfway. Slade turned back to Isabel. “Your plan was stupid. And it forced my hand.”

“Forced your hand? What do you-?”

Just then, Oliver dropped down from one of the rafters. He fired an arrow at the goon closest to Felicity before he started fighting the other one. Wolfsbane ran into the building and bit the man Oliver had shot. Standing between the solider and the Smoaks, he started growling trying to warn the men against trying to move any closer. On the far side of the warehouse, Slade and Isabel seemed to be fighting, although it looked more like Slade was humoring his pupil.

“You’re working with him?” The brunette shouted at Slade.

“I’m eager to see Oliver suffer, but I refuse to stoop to hurting a child to do it. Based on your reaction to my arrival, you planned to harm, if not kill, the girl in front of her father. I’m a murderer, but even I’m not that much of a monster. This was the only choice that I could make.”

“You know what his father took from me!” She shouted.

Slade cocked his head to the side and gave her a sad smile, the kind one would give someone they pitied. “Did you really think Robert Queen was going to leave his wife, for you? Run away with you? He said whatever he had to in order to get you into bed.” He said before lowering his sword. “I told the kid that I’d reunite him with his family. Knowing him, he’s already called the police. Let’s go before they arrive.”

“You’re scared of the cops.”

“My plan has not reached fruition yet and despite this….misstep, you are still my partner. If we leave now, we can fight another day.” Slade walked away without looking back. Either Isabel would follow or she wouldn’t. He’d done what he told Oliver that he would and now, his part was done.

Wolfsbane was standing protectively in front of Megan. Oliver had knocked out one Mirakuru soldier and was busy fighting the second one when Felicity noticed Isabel and Slade were no longer fighting, but just talking. Isabel was likely going to leave. She couldn’t let that happen. She couldn’t let the woman get away with this. Looking around, she saw a handgun that the unconscious goon had dropped during his fight with Oliver.

Felicity picked it up and moved closer to Isabel, who was heading towards the door. The brunette looked back, to take in the scene and noticed Felicity had a gun. “What are you gonna do with that? You gonna shoot me?” She asked condescendingly.

Felicity had had a rough day. She was tired, scared, but mostly angry. She held the gun up, and remembering what Digg had told her a few weeks ago, she took aim at Isabel and fired. After getting one shot off, she couldn’t stop herself. She kept firing.

“STAY AWAY FROM ME AND MY DAUGHTER YOU BITCH!” She yelled. The gun ran out of bullets and Felicity dropped it.

Oliver had just knocked out the Mirakuru soldier when he heard Felicity yell. Sara and Digg rushed into the warehouse just as they saw her shoot Isabel. Once the brunette fell to the ground, Felicity rushed over to hug her daughter.

“Are you okay, honey?” She asked, looking her daughter over and making sure she hadn’t been hurt.

“You said a bad word, Mommy.” The girl responded.

“I’ll put money in the swear jar when we get home.” She said. “Are you hurt?”

“Well, Ms. Isabel grabbed my arm really tight, but I don’t have any boo-boos.” Megan said.

Digg mentioned that he’d called Lance and the SCPD was going to be there shortly. The three vigilantes left when they heard sirens. A paramedic looked Megan over while Felicity answered the police officers’ questions. She told Lance that the Arrow and the Canary had found them and fought the people who took them. She told him that Isabel was behind the plot, as a strange form of corporate espionage. When Lance asked why Isabel had over a dozen bullets lodged in her body, Felicity took a deep calming breath.

“When the Arrow showed up, she- her plan was falling apart. She pulled out the gun and I- I was scared she was gonna shoot me. Or worse, Megan. We fought for the gun and I- I shot at her, I meant for it to be a warning shot, but I- I don’t know what came over me, but she kept coming closer, so I kept shooting and I- oh god, I’m a murderer.”

“No, you’re not.” Lance said. “You were defending yourself and your daughter. That’s not murder and no one’s gonna arrest you for trying to protect your kid.”

Chapter 63

Summary:

Megan and Felicity start to recover from their abduction and Roy puts everyone in a precarious position.

Chapter Text

Felicity took a brief leave of absence after Isabel’s death. While the board didn’t know the full story of what had happened, they were informed that Isabel had been behind Felicity’s abduction and had been killed during the rescue attempt. Stellmoor International was being investigated by several agencies, due to one of their Vice Presidents kidnapping someone, and QC’s board strongly encouraged Felicity to take a few days off and “clear her head” after the ordeal. She had a feeling this move had more to do with stock prices than any genuine concern for Felicity or her daughter.

One night, Felicity was getting ready for bed when she heard a shout come from across the hall. She raced out of the room and towards Megan’s room where the sound was coming from. Heading inside, she found Megan tossing and turning in her sleep. Clearly, the little girl was having a nightmare, as she’d been having for the last few nights.

“Megan, sweetie, wake up.” She said, approaching the bed.

“No! Leave me alone!” The girl yelled, still caught up in her dream. “Get away from-.” Shaking her daughter’s shoulder, Felicity woke her up from the dream. “Mommy!” The girl launched herself into her mother’s arms. “I- we were in that building and there was a bad man and-.”

Hugging her back tightly, Felicity tried to soothe her daughter. “Shh. Baby, it’s okay. It was a dream. It was just a bad dream.”

“But it happened!”

“I know, but it’s over now.” She said. “It’s over and we don’t have to be scared anymore.”

“But what if- it could happen again.” Megan said quietly. “What if another bad guy tries to hurt me again?”

“What’s all the hub-bub in here?” Oliver asked from the doorway.

“I had a bad dream, about Ms. Isabel trying to hurt me and Mommy again.” Megan said. “I’m scared another bad guy’s gonna try.”

“I’m scared of that happening too.” He said. “I promised you and your mom that I’d keep you safe, but I didn’t do a very good job.”

“It’s not your fault, Daddy.” She said. “I just- I don’t wanna be scared anymore.”

“I don’t want you to be scared either.”

“Megan, why don’t you grab a stuffed animal and sleep with me tonight?” Felicity suggested. “That way, if you have another bad dream, I’ll be right there.”

Megan thought about it for a minute. “Okay. Just tonight though. Only babies need to sleep in the same bed as their mommy and daddy.”

“Of course.” Felicity said with a slight chuckle.

“I’ll go put on my PJs then.” Oliver added. “That way if you have a nightmare, I’ll be right there.”

He knew Felicity hadn’t slept well since killing Isabel. She’d done the right thing, and protected Megan, but it still wasn’t an easy thing to deal with.

While Megan was trying to decide which stuffed animal to bring, Felicity and Oliver talked a little more about Megan’s recent nightmares and the scary situation they’d been in. Felicity thought Megan should see a therapist for a little bit, that talking to someone might help her.

“Megan’s a smart girl, sometimes too smart for her own good, but she’s only five.” Felicity pointed out. “And she was kidnapped for the second time, she was hurt by Isabel and she watched someone die. That’s a lot of trauma for someone so young. I’m worried that- I don’t want this to fester.”

“Do you really think it will help?” He asked her.

“I think it’s an idea worth exploring. And I don’t want her to be scared anymore or have nightmares every night.” She said. “Mine are bad enough.”

“Isabel would’ve killed you and Megan.” He said. “You didn’t have a choice.”

“Doesn’t make it any easier to live with.”

Megan had finally decided on a stuffed animal, a teddy bear, and followed her mother across the hall to her room. Felicity, Oliver and Megan got into bed and said goodnight to one another. Megan fell asleep pretty easily, surrounded by her parents. It took Felicity another hour to relax enough to sleep and Oliver stayed up, watching them, looking for signs of nightmares, before he succumbed to sleepiness himself.

 

One week after Isabel’s death, Felicity was down in the foundry with Megan and the still unconscious Roy. She was looking at something on her computer when she heard Megan call her name.

“Mommy!”

“Just a second, baby.” She responded. “I just need to-.” She heard a creaking noise behind her, like the sound of someone sitting up. Spinning around, she saw Roy, wide awake, sitting up on one of the metal tables. He was staring right at her, and based on the look in his eyes, Roy wasn’t completely in control.

“Yay! Uncle Roy’s awake!” The little girl declared as she moved to hug him.

“Megan, no!” Her mother exclaimed. Felicity liked Roy, but didn’t know what he might do, especially if the Mirakuru was starting to take over. She moved closer to the girl, trying to act as a buffer. “He just woke up and might not be ready for hugs yet.” She looked over at Roy. “Hey, you’ve been out for a few days. How are you feeling?”

He didn’t answer but jumped down from the table.

“Roy, I know you’re probably really confused, but-.”

Before she could finish, he overturned one of the tables where her computers were set-up, causing all of the machine parts to fall to the ground. He then bolted towards the stairs, shoving an unsuspecting Digg out of the way on his way out.

Megan began peppering their mother with questions about why Roy was acting funny. Felicity did her best to answer them, while Digg called Oliver, Tommy, Sara and anyone else he could think of to tell them about Roy’s escape. Oliver and Sara both said they’d be at the foundry soon, while Tommy offered to come lend a hand, but Felicity turned him down. Soon, the four adults were standing in the foundry, debating what to do about Roy.

“We should’ve-.” Sara started to say.

“We’re not killing Roy. Star Labs is working on a cure. He was doing fine for a long time. We don’t need to resort to that.” Felicity said. “What we need to do right now is find him. He’s gotta be out there somewhere.”

“Where would he go though?” Oliver asked.

 

“Despite everyone’s predictions, you’ve managed to pull ahead of Sebastian Blood in recent polls.” Bethany Snow said to Moira during their sitdown interview.

“Yes. I think our message is resonating with the voters.” Moira said. “The people of Starling knew that I have a vision, and the experienced apparatus to make that vision a reality.”

“What would you say is the main reason they should vote for you over Alderman Blood?”

“Well, um, Alderman Blood isn’t a parent.” She answered. “And the soul of a parent is making sure that your children have a bright future. I want this city to have a bright future.”

“Speaking of your children,” Thea said, entering the room. “Can I talk to you for a sec?”

“Thea, we’re in the middle of an interview.”

“It’ll only take a minute.” The younger Queen said.

Moira apologized to Bethany and left the room to talk to Thea. Thea told her that she didn’t want Moira to hold her rally at Verdant. While she was still angry with both Moira and Oliver for keeping the truth from her, Oliver had at least tried to make amends, Moira hadn’t. Their argument got heated, neither unwilling to budge. Moira then pointed out that Thea had signed a contract. Thea scoffed and stormed off. Moira’s campaign manager heard the end of their fight and told Moira that she couldn’t afford to split her focus.

 

“There have been several assaults by someone wearing a red hoodie.” Felicity told the others. “No one’s been able to see a face or get a better description, but-.”

“But it’s most likely Roy.” Oliver finished. “How bad?”

“He’s beaten them pretty bad, but there haven’t been any- he’s not a lost cause.”

The team spent the next day trying to find Roy. Oliver and Felicity both asked Digg to keep an eye on Thea, just in case Roy came looking for her. The closest they got was when Oliver and Sara managed to corner him in the clocktower that Sara used to use as a base. He easily knocked Sara out of the way. When Oliver shot an arrow at him, he caught it. The archer then tried to plead with Roy, which didn’t work. Roy ended up stomping on Oliver’s knee, seriously injuring it. Roy escaped and encountered two cops, who he also dispatched.

Luckily, Sara was able to get Oliver to a hospital and found a doctor who didn’t ask too many questions. The doctor told them that, six months ago, drug shipments kept getting stolen, until someone stopped the group behind the thefts. He said that, in the following six months, he’d wanted an opportunity to thank the person who put an end to the Triad’s scheme.

 

Oliver arrived at Verdant while Moira’s campaign staff were putting the finishing touches on everything. Her campaign manager told him she was waiting in the office on the second floor. He also mentioned Moira was thinking of dropping out of the race.

“I don’t think you should drop out.” He said when he entered the room.

“I should’ve done it weeks ago, after Thea was abducted. I need to focus on repairing our relationship.”

“Mom, what’s happening with Thea isn’t because you weren’t spending enough time with her. it’s because of the things you’ve done. Terrible things. She needs to see you do something good. As mayor.” He said. “I know a little something about sacrificing the people closest to me for the good of the city. it’s what you need to do now.”

“I know.”

“Good.” He said, calming down.

“No, Oliver. I know.” Moira said, putting emphasis on the last word. “I’ve known since last year, I suppose. The night of the Undertaking, everything became so clear. That’s the night I stopped sleeping.”

“Before you say anything else-.”

“There’s not much to say. Except that I couldn’t be more proud of you.”

The rally started and Moira took the stage to make her speech. Thea, after spending days listening to Oliver, Tommy and even Digg tell her to cut her mom some slack, decided to attend. When Moira’s speech was done, Thea went to the podium. She made a nice speech about her mom, but her focus was on Roy. She made sure to reveal in the speech where she’d be in the hopes of drawing him out.

People began to mingle. Oliver and Felicity both went downstairs to the foundry. They knew Thea’s comments might draw Roy out and wanted to be prepared in case he showed up. As they feared, Roy arrived while the event was still going on. He attacked a security guard who tried to stop him from getting near Thea. People scattered and Moira was rushed out of the building. Thea refused to leave, hoping she could get through to him.

He lifted her up by the neck. She was starting to struggle to breathe when a shot rang out. Sara shot him in the leg. Before he could say or do anything, Oliver appeared and hit him with several doses of the pit viper venom. In the chaos, they got Roy downstairs and restrained him to the table. Sara decided she needed to leave town for a little bit to clear her head, as she fully intended to kill Roy if Oliver hadn’t interfered.

Felicity hugged her and wished her well. “You better stay in touch.”

“I will. I promise.” She said before leaving.

“I should get home. Megan’s been clingy ever since- I only came because I wanted to make sure that Roy- I’m going home.” Felicity said. “And I’m sure Moira and Thea are wondering where you are.”

“Speaking of my mom-.”

“Can it wait?” She asked. “It’s been a long night and I just wanna go home.”

“Yeah, I’ll see you at the mansion.” He said.

 

Oliver went outside and joined his mother and sister in the limo. He said that Digg had taken Felicity home early, before Roy appeared. As soon as it drove off, Thea confronted Oliver about knowing that something was wrong with Roy. He said that he didn’t know for sure, but suspected something had happened to him. He admitted that he should’ve told her the truth, or at least what he suspected. She wasn’t interested in listening to him.

“The two of you, you think you’re protecting me by lying and keeping secrets.” Thea told her mother and brother. “But that’s what’s actually hurting me.”

“You’re right. We need to turn a new page.” Moira said. “It won’t be easy or simple. If the truth were easy, we wouldn’t be in this situation, but to start with,” she took a deep breath. “There’s something about Malcolm that you need to know. Malcolm-.”

Before she could finish, another car collided with the limo.

 

“Something’s wrong.” Felicity said, looking out the window.

“What?” Digg asked.

“Oliver should’ve been back by now. Even in pouring rain, it doesn’t take this long to get here from Verdant.” She said.  “Something happened.”

“Well, whatever it is, Oliver’s a survivor.”

“I don’t know if he’ll survive this.” She said. “Stay here, if you want to. I need to go find him.” She grabbed her keys and ran out to her car.

 

When Oliver started to stir, the first thing he heard was someone calling his name. “Oliver!”

He opened his eyes to see a crying Thea leaning over him. He then noticed his mother was tied up next to Thea. He tried to move and found his arms bound as well.

“I was dead the last time you were offered this choice.”

“Slade.” Oliver said, sitting up.

“What’s happening?” Thea cried.

“I often wondered how you looked when he pointed the gun at Shado and took her from me.” Slade said.

“You psychopath.” He said. “Shado….Shado wasn’t yours!”

“No, she wasn’t. She was yours! But you still chose another woman over her.”

“That’s not what happened. I tried-.”

“Slade….you were on the island. With Oliver?” Moira said, in realization.

“I thought I had known true despair, until I met your son.” He said. “I trusted him…to make the right choice.”

“Let me make the right choice now.” Oliver begged. “Kill me.” Moira and Thea both yelled in response. “Choose me, please!”

“I am killing you, Oliver.” Slade said, pulling out a gun. “Only more slowly than you would like.”

Slade yelled at Oliver to choose, while moving the gun back and forth between Thea and Moira. Oliver yelled threats in response. After a few minutes, Moira got to her feet.

“Mom, what are you doing?”

“There’s only one way this night can end. And we both know that, don’t we, Mr. Wilson?” Moira said.

“Mom, please don’t.”

“Both my children will live.” Moira said. “Thea, I love you. Close your eyes, baby.”

Slade raised the gun and aimed it at her. “You possess true courage. I am truly sorry that you could not teach that to your son.”

Slade lowered the gun and turned away. Moira let out a sigh of relief. A second later, Slade turned back around and stabbed Moira in the chest. He withdrew the blade and she fell to the ground, dead.

“No!” Thea yelled before she broke down crying. Slade walked up behind her and cut her bonds free.

“No!” Oliver yelled. He tried to break free from the ropes, but couldn’t.

“There is sill one person who has to die before this can end.” Slade said as he cleaned off the blade and walked away.

Thea was crying over her mother and Oliver was struggling to stay awake and try to free himself. Slade got into his car and drove off. Oliver wasn’t sure how much time had passed between Slade leaving and another car driving up. Two people jumped out and ran towards them.

“Oh my- Oliver!” Felicity yelled. “Digg, call an ambulance!”

Felicity helped Oliver free himself and tried to comfort Thea while they waited for the police to arrive. The next hour passed in a blur as Oliver gave his statement about his mother’s death and Felicity drove back to the mansion.

Chapter 64

Summary:

The Queen family mourns while also trying to stop Slade from finishing his plans.

Chapter Text

Thea was nearly catatonic on the ride back to the mansion. Oliver wasn’t doing much better. Felicity couldn’t blame them, as they’d just watched their mother be murdered in front of them. At the same time, the fact that neither Queen sibling seemed to react to anything was a little unsettling. She wasn’t entirely sure how to help either of them. They reached the mansion and neither Oliver nor Thea moved to get out of the car.

“Thea? Oliver?” Felicity said. “We’re back at the mansion now.” Oliver robotically opened the door and got out of the car, while Thea didn’t move. “Oliver, can you- Thea can’t say out here all night.”

He nodded once and helped pull his sister out of the car. Wrapping her arms around Thea, Felicity led the younger woman into the house. Raisa was waiting by the door and rushed over to Thea to look her over.

“Has she said-?”

“She hasn’t said anything since I found them.” Felicity told the housekeeper. “Moira is-.”

“Mr. Diggle called me and told me.” She said. “Miss Megan is still asleep. I’ll take care of Miss Thea. Last time she was like this, the Queen’s Gambit couldn’t be found. Look after Mr. Oliver.”

Felicity nodded once and led Oliver upstairs to his room. As the door closed behind her, she realized that she wasn’t sure what to do right now. She didn’t know what to say or how to help Oliver. “You can’t sleep in a suit.” She said, untying his tie and pushing his jacket off his shoulders. She didn’t know what to say, but he needed sleep, so she focused on that for now, and would figure out the rest later.

“It was Slade.”

“’I know.” She said. He’d told the police as much and Slade was the only person who would do something so blatant, with no concern for the consequences.

“This is my fault.”

“No, it’s not.”

“He killed her because of me. To get back at me.” He said. “How is it not my fault?”

“Did you give him that sword? Did you tell him where to find you? Did you ask him to kill her? No, you didn’t. So, this isn’t your fault.”

“Slade hates me because I didn’t save Shado. I injected him with Mirakuru, which led to her death. And then, I didn’t cure him. I tried to kill him, and I failed. He’s here, because of me, because he wants to make me pay. Roy, the Count, Isabel, all of that happened, because I didn’t kill him five years ago.” He said. “This needs to end.”

“And how does it end?”

“By surrendering myself to Slade.”

“What will that solve?” She asked. “Do you think this will all just end after he has you?”

“After my mom- the last thing Slade said to me, before he drove off, was that one more person has to die. He didn’t say who it was, but its fair to say that he was referring to me. This vendetta of his only ends with my death.”

“I refuse to accept that, and you should too. If I accepted things as they were, I never would’ve met you. And I wouldn’t have Megan and- you can’t just give up.”

“Part of the reason I need to do this is for you. And her.” He said. “If Slade finally gets his vengeance and leaves, then I don’t have to worry about him coming after either of you.”

“But we need you. Thea needs you. You can’t- you can’t just leave to go die.”

“Someone once told me that the essence of heroism is to die so that others can live.” He said. “I’d rather die at Slade’s hands than let anyone else I care about, or this city, the one I vowed to protect, suffer at his hands.”

“Oliver, listen to me.” She said. “Your mother died less than two hours ago. Now really isn’t a good time to be making rash decisions, like handing yourself over to some one-eyed psycho. We need to arrange a funeral and-.”

“I’m not gonna change my mind. And you aren’t gonna talk me out of this.”

“Oh, I think I will.” She said. “I want to be understanding, but you- you don’t get to do this to me again. You don’t get to do this to Megan or Tommy or Thea, again. Especially since you have no intention of coming back this time.”

“It’s the only way.”

“No, it’s not. It’s the easy way, but not the only way.” She said. “And if I have to, I’ll get Digg to handcuff you to a chair until I find a better way. Get some sleep.”

When Oliver woke up the next morning, he could hear sniffles coming from across the hall. He walked into Megan’s room to find her hugging Felicity and crying. Wolfsbane was curled up next to her, trying to comfort the girl. Clearly, she had been told what happened to Moira.

“But why- why did Mr. Wilson wanna kill her?”

“Because he’s a bad man. And that’s what bad men do.” Felicity said.

“Why didn’t Daddy-?” Oliver was the Arrow, he was a hero. Heroes always won in stories and protected people. Why hadn’t he been able to save her grandmother?

“He tried. He tried as hard as he could, but- but Mr. Wilson killed her anyway.” She said. “Sometimes, the bad guy wins.”

Oliver cleared his throat and his girlfriend and daughter turned to look at him. “Hope I’m not interrupting.”

“You’re not.” Felicity said. “I think I’m gonna go check on Thea. And Walter’s supposed to stop by soon to discuss- there’s a lot we need to get done.” She left the room, leaving Oliver to comfort his crying daughter.

 

Tommy watched Laurel as she wrapped up her phone conversation. While he wasn’t the smartest person alive, he knew Laurel very well, and he could tell something was wrong. After Oliver’s call this morning, it was safe to say that a lot was wrong, but he had a feeling Laurel’s expression wasn’t explicitly about Moira’s murder.

“Yeah, I’ll- I’ll talk to you in a few days.” She said before hanging up the phone.

“What’s wrong?” Tommy asked her. “Besides the obvious, I mean.”

“That was Sebastian Blood. He offered his condolences about Moira and wants to discuss his plans for the city.” She said.

“The person running against him for mayor is murdered and he isn’t even gonna wait until after her funeral, or you know a full day has passed, before turning his attention back to his mayoral aspirations?” He asked. “Real classy.”

“It’s more than that. He’s- there’s always been something about him that I find unsettling. I’ve never been able to- this is gonna sound crazy but-.”

“My best friend spends his nights dressed in green leather, shooting arrows at criminals.” He said. “Crazy’s kinda relative. But what were you gonna say?”

“Do you think he might’ve….had something to do with Moira’s death?”

“I don’t know. Slade Wilson couldn’t be working alone, but at the same time, the only connection Felicity found was between Blood and the guy in the skull mask who was killing people around Christmas.”

“We haven’t found one yet, that doesn’t mean its not there.” She said, with a thoughtful look on her face.

“Please don’t do anything impulsive. You’re pregnant.”

“I know.” She said. “I just wanna go talk to my dad about something. I’ll be fine.”

Laurel went to her father and told him her theory that Blood and Slade were connected. He didn’t completely dismiss the possibility, which was a good sign in her mind. She went to Blood’s campaign office to discuss his plans for the city. While they were talking, she hid a bug under his desk. Hopefully, whatever it picked up would help the police in their investigation.

 

Moira’s funeral, like most funerals, was a very dreary affair. Oliver attended, but stood in the back of the crowd and left before any of the other mourners tried to speak to him. Thea was very upset by her brother’s actions, and for not warning the family about the danger Slade posed, and Walter spent much of the wake trying to comfort her and Megan.

Felicity had warned Digg that Oliver was thinking of turning himself over to Slade. They agreed that they couldn’t let him do something like that and the bodyguard tried to keep an eye on Oliver. Digg went to go looking for Oliver when Sebastian Blood started walking over to Felicity.

“Oh, frak, not this guy.” She muttered. She spotted Tommy and speedwalked over to him. “Is Blood still headed this way?”

“Yes.”

“Frak. Why’s he even here? I mean, he can’t think that this looks good. He misses the funeral, to be sworn in as mayor, and then comes to the wake? Are we just supposed to forget that, her death is the only reason he-.”

“He’s here for appearances. If he shows up, people will think he’s a slimy politician. If he doesn’t, they might think he had something to do with her death.” He said. “Let him tell you how sorry he is and then find an excuse to walk away.”

Blood offered his sympathies and then Felicity made an excuse about checking on Megan to get away from him. After taking Megan away from the mourners for a little bit, she got a call from Digg. Oliver was still planning on turning himself over to Slade. Digg knocked him out so that they could talk some sense in to him.

“Mommy?” Megan asked.

“Yeah, sweetie?”

“Daddy’s gonna stop Mr. Wilson from doing more bad guy stuff, right? The hero always stops the bad guy eventually.”

“He is.” She said. She really hoped that Oliver was going to stop Slade, unwilling to consider the alternative.

 

A few hours after leaving his mother’s funeral, Oliver came to in the foundry. Each of his hands were handcuffed to different legs of the table. He looked around and found not only Felicity and John, but also Laurel and Tommy standing there.

“I warned you that I’d do this.” Felicity said.

“It’s the only way.” He insisted. “Slade’s vendetta will end if I surrender.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure.” Tommy said. “Even if it would, the Ollie I know wouldn’t do something like that to his friends, or his family. Especially his sister, who just lost her mother, or his daughter. It would destroy both of them, and you know that.”

“Thea will be fine.”

“And Megan?” Felicity asked. “Is she gonna be “fine” without you? I doubt it. You can’t just give up. There are other ways to-.”

“I can’t think of another way.” He said. “I don’t know how else to stop Slade. And if turning myself in keeps you, all of you, safe, that’s a price I’m willing to pay.”

“I don’t think your death will end this, Ollie.” Laurel said. “I helped the SCPD bug Blood’s computer. The press release announcing your mother’s death was written three days before she died. He was working with Slade, they conspired to kill your mother. And her death made him the mayor, so-.”

“This is bigger than we thought.” He finished. “He’s going after the whole city.”

“So, handing yourself over doesn’t seem like such a good idea after all.” Digg said, unlocking Oliver’s handcuffs.

“No. It doesn’t. In fact, I think I should go have a word with our new mayor.” He said. He called Blood and asked him to meet for dinner.

They met at a Japanese restaurant and the first thing Blood did was offer his condolences to Oliver. Oliver accepted them and congratulated Sebastian on becoming mayor.

“Believe me, Oliver, I wish it had happened a different way.” Blood said. “Your mother and I, we didn’t agree on much, but we both wanted what was best for Starling City. I will help this city find its heart again, I promise you that.”

“Do you really think that he will let that happen?” Oliver asked, At Blood’ confused look, he clarified. “Slade Wilson.”

“How do you know I’ve been working with Slade Wilson?”

“Wasn’t too hard to figure out.” He said. “Because I’m the Arrow.”

Sebastian chuckled. “Of course. It all makes sense now. It was right in front of me. You came into my office and you shook my hand. You said that together, we can save this city.”

“You think that there will be a city to be saved after you unleash Slade’s Mirakuru army?”

“They’ll only cause enough damaged to make the city ready.”

“Ready for what? Your leadership.”

“For my vision of what this city could be. A better city. And after the storm that’s coming, the people of Starling will follow me to that city.”

Oliver leaned forward. “Whatever Slade promised you, he won’t deliver. You’re a pawn in a much larger game.”

“Slade promised me city hall. And he delivered. He makes good on his promises.” Blood said. “I understand he made you a promise too.”

Oliver stood up to avoid doing something drastic, like attacking the mayor in public. “I hope you live long enough to realize how much of a mistake you’ve made.”

“It’s a new day in Starling, Oliver. And there’s nothing you can do to stop it.”

 

Digg and Felicity had been questioning one of Blood’s security detail and learned that Slade’s army was going to be unleashed that night. They called Oliver to warn him and so they could try and formulate a plan. Slade’s army was hiding in the sewer system and the easiest way to cut him off from his forces would be to trap the army underground.

“Digg and I will handle it.” Oliver told her. “You should get home to Megan.”

“Megan’s safe at the mansion, spending some quality time with Walter.” She countered. “The two of you aren’t gonna be enough. And I’m not sitting this one out.”

“Felicity-.”

“If his army gets out, and starts causing destruction, we’ll be having a much different conversation. At this moment, if you’re not leaving, then I’m not leaving.” She said. “I’ll see you at the foundry.”

Chapter 65

Summary:

The Siege of Starling City begins.

Chapter Text

After realizing he wouldn’t be able to talk Felicity out of helping him trap Slade’s army, Oliver came up with a plan. Felicity and Digg would plant explosives on one side of the building, while he rigged explosives on the other. To his frustration, Tommy insisted on coming with them as well.

“Tommy, you don’t- this isn’t something you should be involved in.” Oliver tried to tell his friend.

“Believe me, I know. But Laurel’s worried and if I hadn’t volunteered to help, she’d be here, insisting on doing her part.” He said. “I promise I won’t be in the way and do whatever you say.”

“Fine. But you’re not getting any weapons.” Oliver said, before both teams left.

 

Tommy and Oliver were planting the explosives to take out Slade’s army when they suddenly found themselves surrounded. Tommy wasn’t sure they could fight their way out. Before she could come up with a plan, Oliver shot an explosive arrow into the ceiling, causing the roof to collapse and separating them from the Mirakuru soldiers. The only problem was that when the dust cleared, there was a bunch of debris between Oliver and Tommy as well.

“Tommy? You okay?” He shouted in concern.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” He said standing up. He glanced over and saw Oliver’s bow laying on the ground. “Um, your bows kinda…..over here next to me.”

“What?”

“I have your bow.” He yelled. “It’s not damaged or anything.”

“Are there any arrows over there too?”

“Yeah.” He looked around him at the ground. “There’s one that looks like the kind you used to drop the ceiling on us.” Tommy shouted back.

“Okay. I need you to listen to me very carefully. I’m gonna walk you through how to fire the arrow at the debris.”

“Are you crazy?!”

“If you don’t do this, it’ll take hours, if not longer, for us to get out of here.” Oliver said. “Just do exactly what I say.” He talked Tommy through nocking and firing the arrow, before taking a step back so that he wouldn’t be hit by the blast. “Count to ten and then release.”

“Okay.” Tommy said, very nervous. He counted slowly before he released the arrow. The wall of rocks gave way, with Oliver waiting on the other side. “I never wanna do that again.” He said as he handed the bow back to the archer.

Felicity reported in over comms, telling them that she and Digg had failed to blow up their half of the building. According to her, a soldier spotted them and attacked Digg when he was about to detonate the explosives and in the process of fighting the man off, the detonator was broken. He ran off once realizing the bomb couldn’t go off now.

“Of course, that didn’t work. It was too easy” Felicity scoffed.

“We need to regroup with the others.” He said.

“I need to call home first.” She said. “I need to make sure Megan’s okay and ask my mom for a favor..”

After Oliver’s attempt to destroy the base failed, Slade sent his men to begin their attack on the city. He held two men back, telling them he had a special assignment for them. “You need to locate Felicity Smoak and her daughter. Bring them to me unharmed.”

 

Back at the foundry, Oliver, Felicity Digg and Tommy were trying to regroup. Now that fighting off Slade’s army was unavoidable, they needed to come up with a plan in regards to how to stop them. Roy was still drugged and unconscious on one of the medical tables.

“So, how do we-?” Oliver started to ask.

“I gotta call my mom. And Tommy, I know you wanna help, but you should head home to Laurel.” Felicity said. “Kinda wish you guys hadn’t delayed your visit to Central City right now.”

“Me too.” He said, as he walked away.

Felicity pulled out her phone and called Donna. Her mother had come to town for Moira’s funeral and had spent the last few days comforting Megan. She had no idea what was going to happen or how this fight would end, but she knew she needed to keep her daughter safe. Donna, having watched the news, answered the phone and immediately started asking questions about what was going on. “I’ll explain when it’s all over. I need you to do something for me.”

“Anything.”

“Put Megan, Tiger and the wolf in the car. Get out of the city. Get as far away from here as you can.” She said. “Don’t stop until you’re out of the state.”

“Felicity, I don’t-.”

“I don’t know what’s gonna happen, but I need Megan to be safe.” She said. “Please, I need you to do this. Grab Thea, put everyone in the car and run. I’ll call you when its safe.” She hung up before Donna could say anything else.

 

“Laurel called her father while we were at the Slade’s hideout. She wanted to give the SCPD a head’s up.” Oliver said when Felicity got off the phone. “What did you need to ask your mom?”

“I’ll tell you about it later.” She said. “When this is over.”

“Is Megan safe?” He asked.

“As long as my mom listened to me and did what I asked her to do.” Her phone then rang. “Hello?.....This is she….You do? Fantastic.” She ended the call. “That was Star Labs. The cure’s enroute with a courier.”

“Oh thank god.” Digg remarked.

“Until I hear from the driver again, we can’t just sit here.” She said. “The army’s going crazy. The SCPD has no idea how to deal with any of this. Grab whatever gear you need. We’ve got work to do.”

“What about him?” Oliver asked, gesturing to Roy. “Slade knows about this place. he might’ve told his followers. Leaving him here would be-.”

“Slade doesn’t know about the clocktower, does he?” She asked.

“Not as far as I know.”

They took Roy to the clocktower. Sin happened to be there, looking for Sara, so Oliver asked her to look after Roy.  They told her they might have a way to fix him, and left her with a comm unit and a syringe of sedatives in case he woke up before they came back.

The group then headed out to try and protect as many people as possible from Slade’s army. After fighting off a few soldiers, Felicity got a phone call from the driver. One of Slade’s men had attacked his van, causing him to crash. He was pinned underneath the car and unable to move. They needed to reach him before someone else could. They were driving to his location when one of Slade’s men attacked the van, causing it to flip over. Felicity hit her head and Digg and Oliver had some bruises and minor cuts.

Then, the driver called back. She stayed on the line and told him to honk his horn so they could find him. He claimed he could see them arriving, but they were nowhere near his location. Over the line, she heard someone, likely a Mirakuru soldier, attack him. She sped up her run when the driver said he saw her feet, reaching the totaled vehicle and seeing the driver was already dead and someone had torn his hand off. The cure was gone.

Due to Felicity hitting her head when the van flipped, Digg rushed her back to the clocktower to get a look at it while Oliver went looking for leads on the cure. While Digg was checking to make sure she didn’t have a concussion, she got a call from Donna. Donna was refusing to leave without Felicity. Her daughter kept begging her to go, to keep Megan safe, but she wouldn’t budge.

 

Blood stormed out of the elevator on the top floor of Queen Consolidated. This wasn’t the plan. This wasn’t how things were supposed to go. He demanded that Slade explain why he’d changed the plan last minute. In a condescending tone, Slade informed him that this was always his real plan, to destroy Starling. Blood had just been a convenient tool to help him sow seeds of chaos and achieve that plan. He dismissed Blood, saying that he wasn’t needed anymore.

As Sebastian was walking towards the elevator, he spotted a black case with an unusual logo on the side of it. He waited for attention to be off of him before grabbing the case and sneaking out. Once he was away from Slade, he saw that inside, there was a bunch of vials of chemicals, no doubt a cure of Mirakuru.

With the city falling apart around him, there was only option he had left. He pulled out his phone and dialed one of the numbers.

“What do you want?” Oliver asked.

“The same thing you do, Oliver. To save this city before it’s too late.”

“It’s already too late.”

“You were right about Slade Wilson. I should have listened to you. But I’m here now and I can help you.” He said.

“Why should I trust you?”

“Because, I have the Mirakuru cure.” Blood told him.

Oliver left to meet with Blood to get the cure. While handing over the case, Blood warned Oliver about Slade’s plans for him. He wasn’t interested in killing him, not yet at least. Blood also vowed to make the city better, if he remained mayor, once this was all over.

The mayoral candidate sat in his office and waited for Slade or another soldier to appear and demand an explanation. He was just starting to pour his second drink when a masked man walked in, demanding to know where the cure was. He killed him when he said he’d given the cure to Oliver.

 

When Oliver reported that he had the cure, Felicity urged him to get to the clocktower as quickly as possible. Not long after they’d left the foundry, Slade’s men attacked Verdant. The clocktower was currently the only safe place they had to operate out of. Oliver arrived with the case and handed it over to Felicity.

“Why does every secret formula have to be a color?” She asked as she saw the blue vials. “What’s wrong with good, old-fashioned clear?”

“All right, so if we inject one of Slade’s soldiers with this, it will counteract the effects, right?” Oliver responded. “Assuming they got the recipe right.”

“We need to test it.” Digg said, looking at Roy. “I know he shouldn’t be turned into a lab rat but we need to know. One way or the other.”

“What if it doesn’t work? What if it kills him? What if he wakes up and kills us?” Felicity asked him.

“We have to know.” He said. He took the syringe and injected Roy with the untested cure.

 

Lance turned on the news and saw that the army was arriving to restore order, according to the news. He wanted the convoy arrive, but something didn’t quite sit right with him. The army wasn’t going into the city, just setting up guards at all of the entrances into the city. something was off. He picked up his phone.

“You near a TV?” He asked the person who answered. “Turn it on.”

In the clocktower, Oliver asked Felicity to pull up a news feed.  He watched the live footage of the group, allegedly the army, setting up a perimeter. Letting out a frustrated sigh, he pulled out his phone.

“Amanda, what are you doing?” He asked.

“How did you get this number?” Waller responded. “And I’m not sure what you mean.”

“The troops taking up position at the city’s exits, they’re not army. They’re ARGUS. Those are your men. So, you tell me what you’re up to.”

“Slade’s followers are a clear and present danger. I cannot allow them to escape the city. They need to be contained, by any means necessary.”

“You can’t do that.” Oliver said.

“There’s a drone enroute carrying six GBU43-B bombs, enough fire power to level the city.” She continued.

“There are over half a million people in this city.”

“576,000.” Waller said. “None of whom deserve to die, but I have to think about the people in every city. You once told me that Mirakuru made a man virtually unstoppable. What could happen to this country, this world, if I don’t end this here and now?”

“Listen to me. I have the cure, I can stop Slade and his men.”

“I can’t take the chance that you’ll fail Oliver.”

“Amanda, I just need more time.”

“I’m sorry. You have until dawn. Then, Starling City is a crater.” Waller said before hanging up.

“Based on your expression, whoever “Amanda” is, she just gave you really bad news.” Felicity said. “How bad?”

“ARGUS is gonna level the city at dawn if we can’t stop Slade.” He said.

“What?”

“I- I have to- I need to- I know you need me, but I gotta go.” Felicity said. “Megan, I need to-.”

“Go.” He said. “One of us should be with her right now. She’s probably scared.” He walked her out of the building and, before they parted ways, he gave her a kiss. “I’ll see you when this is all over. You understand?”

“Yeah.” She said. “And I’m gonna hold you to that.”

Chapter 66

Summary:

Slade's reign of terror over Starling comes to an end.

Chapter Text

After getting the Mirakuru cure from Blood, and giving it to Roy, Felicity decided it was time for her to go home. She wanted to stay and help Oliver, Digg and Roy save the city, but at the same time, she knew that Megan was at home, probably really scared and wondering what was going on. She explained this to Oliver, and he understood, telling her to go be with their daughter.

As Felicity was about to get into the car, Oliver grabbed her arm and pulled her closer to him, giving her a kiss. “I’ll see you when this is all over. You understand?”

“Yeah. And I’m gonna hold you to that.” She said before getting in the car and driving away.

When Felicity reached the mansion, she was annoyed, but unsurprised to find her mother hadn’t listened to her and tried to leave. Donna pointed out that she’d never leave without Felicity and that her daughter hadn’t told her much of anything, so she wasn’t going to just run and leave her behind.

“The city’s under attack, Mom.” Felicity said. “And the same person who killed Moira is responsible. He blames Oliver for something, and I wanted you to leave because I wanted Megan to be safe from him.”

“Oh, I didn’t- we can go now and-.”

“It’s too late. Every way in and out of the city has been shut down.” She sighed. “I’m gonna go see what Megan’s up to.”

She walked upstairs and found Megan in her room, with Wolfsbane standing guard by the door. “Good boy.” She said, patting his head. “Hi, baby.”

“Mommy!” Megan exclaimed as she got off of her bed and went to hug her mother. “What’s going on? Something’s happening. I know it is. Grandma won’t let me watch TV.”

“It’s complicated, but Slade has people destroying the city.” She said. “But it’s gonna be okay. We’re gonna be okay.”

“Because Daddy’s the Arrow and he’s gonna stop the bad guy, right?”

“Yeah. Your dad’s gonna make sure he doesn’t win.” She said, not really believing what she said.  “So, for right now, we’re gonna have to stay here, while he’s taking care of that.”

 

After Felicity left, Oliver, Digg and Roy started discussing what their next move should be when a handful of Slade’s men broke into the clocktower and began to attack. They held them off as long as they could, but soon became overwhelmed. Using a zipline arrow Oliver had fired, everyone fled the clocktower, one-by-one, with Digg carrying the Mirakuru cure with him. No sooner had they exited the tower than a helicopter flew up next to it and someone on board fired a missile into the building, killing the Mirakuru soldiers inside. Digg spotted Lyla lowering a missile launcher and let out a chuckle.

“Why am I not surprised?” He said.

Lyla caught up with them on the way back to the foundry. They discussed the fact that Waller was trying to blow up the city, along with their very low numbers of allies to help fight Slade’s army off.

They reached the foundry, which was completely wrecked and Oliver told everyone to start looking for injection arrows.

“Slade has about fifty or so of those human weapons.” Digg pointed out as they gathered arrows. “We’re gonna need a whole army if we plan on hitting them with the cure.”

“I know.” Sara’s voice called out. Everyone turned and grabbed a weapon when they saw she wasn’t alone.

“Which is why an army is what I’ve brought.” Nyssa finished for her.

Oliver pulled Sara aside and started asking for an explanation of why she’d go to the League of Assassins for help. Sara rebutted by saying she was willing to do whatever was necessary to stop Slade and she hoped Oliver was too.

“I’m kinda surprised Felicity’s not here.”

“She wanted to be with Megan.”

“Understandable. Though if she’s with Megan, it means the two people you love most in the world are in the same place.”

“Slade wants to kill me, not them.” He said. “Did you really go to Nanda Parbat and make a deal with the League?”

“To fight the unthinkable, you have to be willing to do the unthinkable.” She said.

“You may not want my help, Mr. Queen, but there's little question you are in desperate need of it.” Nyssa said.

“First we need to find Slade's base of operations.”

“Slade Wilson is using your office building as his base of operations. Though, Isabel Rochev must not have been his only mole in the company, if he still has access to the building.”

“We do this my way.”

“The League doesn’t take prisoners.”

“It does tonight.”

It was decided that Digg and Lyla would find a way to stop Waller from blowing up the city while the others focused on taking down Slade’s army.

 

It wasn’t too difficult for Sara, Roy and Oliver to get into Queen Consolidated. All three had some experience being covert, so they were able to take a few of the sentries down without being seen before heading upstairs to the top floor where Slade waited. Sara and Roy took down a few Mirakuru soldiers by the elevators while Oliver continued into his old office, now Felicity’s, where Slade was hiding.

“You must a lot of faith in this so-called cure, for you to come alone.” Slade said as he placed a framed photo back on the desk. A masked soldier, standing between Oliver and Slade, drew his weapon as a few others stepped into the office from the conference room.

“Who said I came alone?”

Three figures dressed in black crashed through the windows. The League, Sara, Oliver, and Roy began firing injection arrows at the masked men. Most of them went down pretty quickly. A few, men who’d been brawlers before getting the serum, managed to fight back for longer, but eventually, every Mirakuru soldier was passed out on the ground, having been cured of the serum. Unfortunately, in the chaos, Slade and another man escaped through one of the broken windows.

Roy was about to say something when Oliver got a call from Lance. It seemed that Slade’s army was trying to leave the city through one of the tunnels. Digg hadn’t been in contact since reaching ARGUS, so the group’s only option was to travel to the tunnel to end this once and for all.

 

Felicity sat with Megan, in her room, and tried to ignore the situation they were in. She had no idea where Oliver was, if he was winning against Slade or even if he was still alive. The only reason she wasn’t freaking out was that she knew Megan needed her to be calm, so she forced herself not to become upset. It didn’t help that Megan wanted to know exactly what was going on in the fight to save the city.

“What’s Daddy gonna do to stop Slade?” Megan asked her.

“I don’t know, baby.”

“But he’s gotta stop him, he’s the bad guy!” She exclaimed. “You and Daddy always stop the bad guys.”

“I’m afraid he won’t be able to, this time.” A voice said from behind them. Felicity pulled Megan behind her as she spun around. Slade was standing there. Wolfsbane and Alexander were sizing one another up, preparing for a fight. “It was foolish of him, sending you off with the girl, by yourself.”

Felicity didn’t say anything. She spotted two men entered the room behind Slade, which made one thing clear, she wasn’t going to be able to fight back at all. It also occurred to her that Donna was also in the house. “My mother?”

“She’s gonna have a headache tomorrow, but she’ll live. I have no need to hurt her.” Slade said.

Wolfsbane finally got tired of circling Alexander and attacked. The two animals fought, biting and snarling at one another. Alexander didn’t want to fail his owner, while Wolfsbane wanted to keep Megan and Felicity safe and away from the one-eyed man. After the dog was stopped, the wolf was going to take on Slade.

“You didn’t need to murder Moira, either.” Felicity said.

“That’s debatable.” He said. He then grabbed Felicity’s arm. “You and your daughter are coming with me.”

“No. You wanna take me somewhere, fine, but Megan stays here.” Felicity said firmly. “Stay away from my daughter.”

“That’s not an option. She needs to witness Oliver’s downfall, just as you do.”

“No!” She said, tearing her arm out of his grasp. “You want Oliver to suffer, I know that, but leave my baby out of it.” She took a deep breath. “Please.”

“As I said, she needs to see what’s about to happen too.” Slade said, remorselessly. “Your daughter may be innocent, but the sins of the father are passed down.”

“So, you’re gonna prove you’re better than him by traumatizing a first-grader?” She spat out. “You’re disgusting.”

He didn’t respond, but continued leading Felicity and Megan out of the building and into a waiting van. Alexander and Wolfsbane were still fighting inside, but Slade left his pet behind as he made his escape.One of his men drove to a power plant on the edge of the city. Once they arrived, Slade made a taunting call to Oliver.

 

In the tunnel, there was nowhere for Slade’s men to go. They became sitting ducks and it was easy for Oliver, Roy, Sara, Nyssa, and the League to cure everyone. As the SCPD began to cart away the unconscious soldiers, Slade called Oliver.

“It’s over, Slade. Your army is broken.

“And I pity them, but once again, you miss the point.” He said. “When was the last time you heard from Felicity? I thought you had a thing for stronger women, but having met her, I can see the appeal. She is quite lovely. And your daughter Megan, she’s a very sweet child. It seems she inherited nothing from you. I have the ones you love. You will meet me where I say, or I’ll kill them both.”

 

“You’re going to meet me, where I say, or I’ll kill them both.” Slade said right before hanging up.

“Daddy!” Megan yelled before one of Slade’s few remaining men tried to cover her mouth with his hand. She bit him in response.

“Get the hell away from my daughter.” Felicity warned him.

“Keep an eye out for any visitors.” Slade told the man and his soldier scoffed, but walked off to obey the order. “You know, that wasn’t very nice.”

“You’re a bad man! You hurt Daddy! You killed Grandma! Your doggy tried to hurt Wolfy!” The girl defended. “Why should I be nice to you? I hope my Daddy kicks your butt!”

Slade was about to respond when he looked off into the distance. “Yes, that’s right. We will have our justice soon.”

“Mommy, who’s he talking to?” She asked.

“I don’t know. Maybe his imaginary friend.” Felicity said, worriedly. She then looked at Slade. “You see someone, don’t you? Shado, right? Is she the one who told you to do this? What is she telling you to do?”

“She doesn’t say very much.” He said, ignoring all of her questions. “And I’m sure, a brilliant mind such as yours, has already worked out what my plans for you are.”

“I’m guessing either you’re gonna kill Oliver in front of us. Or you’re gonna kill one of us in front of him. You’re disgusting. I want you to know that. I don’t know what you think Oliver did, but all of this? Whatever you think he did, this outweighs all of that.”

“I’d be quiet if I were you. If I’m the monster you think I am, angering me isnt a good idea.” He said. “It doesn’t matter. My plan is almost complete. There’s nothing you can do now to stop me.” He walked off and Felicity turned to try and comfort her daughter.

When she bent down to Megan’s level, she felt something jab her in the side. Digging through her pocket, she pulled out a syringe of the cure that still had its safety cap on. She suddenly remembered the last time she saw Oliver. He pulled her closer to him to kiss her, and must’ve placed the cure in her pocket when he did that.

“Mommy, what’s-?”

“Shh.” She said. “It’s gonna be okay. Everything’s gonna be okay. We’re gonna be okay.”

 

“He has them.” Oliver said after Slade hung up on him. “He has Felicity and Megan.”

“Slade Wilson has both of them?” Roy said. “He tell you where?”

“Yup, but I need to come alone.”

“Yeah, Ollie, that’s not happening.” Sara said. “Did you forget that he wants to kill you? Or about the running ARGUS clock?”

“I- if I don’t come alone, then- then he’ll- he said he’s gonna kill both of them if I don’t do what he says.” Oliver said. “I can’t let him kill Felicity or my daughter. She’s so little, they-. I have to go and I have to go alone. If they see you-.”

“He’s not gonna see me.” Sara said.

 

Oliver made his way to the power station. Slade had one person standing guard and the man didn’t stop him as he approached. Nocking an arrow, Oliver made his way through the building, on edge and expecting an attack at any moment.

“Twitch and I will open your throat.” Slade’s voice called. “My first words to you. Do you remember? I do. I remember the exact moment. My blade against your neck, just like my blade is against her’s now.” There was a pause. “If only I’d killed you then, everything would be different.” Oliver rounded a corner and found Slade standing there, with his sword near Felicity’s throat, just as he’d claimed. One of his men was holding onto Megan, who was sobbing. “Drop the bow, kid.” Seeing no choice, Oliver did as he was ordered. “Countless nights dreaming of taking from you all that you took from me.”

“By killing the woman I love?”

“Yes.”

“Like you loved Shado?” From behind Slade, another masked man appeared.

“Yes.”

“You see her, don’t you?” Oliver asked. “What does she look like in your madness? I remember her being beautiful. Young. Kind.” He paused. “She would be horrified by what you’ve done in her name.”

“What I have done? I did what you lacked the courage to.” Slade yelled. “To fight for her!” He looked down at Felicity. “When her body lies at your feet, her blood wet against your skin, then you will know how I feel!”

“I already know how you feel.” Oliver said. “I know what it’s like to hate.” He looked at Felicity as she began pulling a syringe out of her pocket. “To want revenge.”

“Megan, baby, I want you to close your eyes.” Felicity said.

“Mommy-.”

“Close your eyes!” She repeated.

“And now, I know how it feels to see my enemy so distracted, he doesn’t see that the real danger is right in front of him.” Oliver said just as Felicity spun around and jabbed the syringe, with the cure, into Slade’s neck. There were two loud pops form behind her at the same moment.

She then ducked out of the way as Oliver picked up his discarded bow and started firing at Slade. Behind her, Sara had blitzed the man holding Megan. She pulled her daughter closer to her and tried to stay out of the way as Slade and Oliver fought and Sara and some assassins took down Slade’s remaining men. Soon, Oliver and Slade’s fight had taken them to the roof and the other Mirakuru soldiers were unconscious on the concrete floor.

“It’s okay. You’re okay. We’re both okay, baby.” Felicity said as she hugged her daughter tightly and tried to calm herself down. “Oh, baby. I was so scared.”

“Daddy saved us. I told you he’d save us.”

“That’s right, you did.” She said with a small smile.

“That was a pretty risky move you made.” Sara said, walking over to Felicity and Megan.

“I couldn’t let him hurt them.” She said. “I- it was the only way to-.”

“Oh, I wasn’t judging. I’m impressed.” She said.

“As am I.” Nyssa said, approaching the pair. “I’m Nyssa, daughter of Ra’s al Ghul, Heir to the Demon.”

“Felicity Smoak, MIT class of 2009.”

“And I’m Megan Smoak. I’m gonna be the Arrow’s sidekick when I grow up!” Megan said proudly. “The Green Canary!”

“Green Canary?” She asked.

“She’s a fan of Oliver, and of Sara.” Felicity explained. “So, she wants to be like them when she grows up.” She paused. “I know I don’t know you, and this isn’t why you’re here, but thank you for helping us.”

“No innocent should suffer for the vendetta of a madman.” Nyssa said.

Oliver came downstairs a few moments later, saying he had restrained Slade.

 

Waller, Digg, Lyla and Deadshot were in the middle of a Mexican standoff when Oliver’s voice echoed around the room. “Amanda, it’s over.” He said. “Slade’s down. His army’s been taken out.” Everyone in the ARGUS control room looked at one another. “Call back the drones.” Amanda’s hand lowered minutely, but she didn’t drop her guns just yet. “Amanda, it’s over!”

Waller made a gesture to Digg, Lyla and Deadshot before she put her guns down and pressed a button to call back the drones she’d sent to level the city. Everyone else lowered their weapons.

“Now that the excitements over, will one of you escort Mr. Lawton back to his cell?” Waller asked.

 

Felicity, Oliver and Megan drove home once ARGUS had arrived to take Slade into custody. As soon as they crossed the threshold, Megan ran off in search of Wolfsbane. The last time anyone had seen the wolf, he was fighting Slade’s dog, Alexander. Megan let out a yell, causing both her parents to rush upstairs.

“Wolfy’s leg is hurt!” She said when they reached her. She was in the hallway outside her bedroom, sitting next to Wolfsbane, who was laying on the floor. The wolf had a few nasty bite marks and scratches on his leg.

“We’ll put some bandages on it and take him to see the vet tomorrow morning, okay?” Felicity said. She looked around, wondering what had happened to Alexander, when she spotted a shape at the end of the hall, which wasn’t moving. “Oliver.” She said, looking pointedly in that direction.

“I’ll deal with it.” He said.

“Okay, Megan, why don’t we go find Grandma and Tiger while Daddy bandages up Wolfsbane?” She and Megan left while Oliver focused on the wolf.

They found Donna in the kitchen holding an ice pack to her head. She’d been knocked out when Slade broke in and woke up about twenty minutes ago with a headache. Tiger was curled into a ball, hiding under Felicity’s bed. The kitten wasn’t hurt, just very scared. It took a while for Megan to coax her pet out from under the bed.

Felicity, Oliver and Megan all slept in Felicity’s bed that night and passed out the second their heads hit the pillow.

 

Slade jolted awake. He looked around and saw that he was in a cell somewhere. “Where am I?”

“As far away from the world as we could get you.” Oliver answered. “Where you can’t hurt anyone ever again.”

“That’s your weakness. You don’t have the guts to kill me.”

“No, I have the strength to let you live.” Oliver said.

“You’re a killer. I know, I created you. You’ve killed plenty.”

“You helped turn me into killers when that’s what I needed to be. I’m alive today because of you. I made it home, because of you. But I couldn’t just be a killer, I needed to be more. I faltered, that’s true, but I stopped you, without killing. You helped me become a hero, Slade.” Oliver said. “Thank you.”

Slade yelled about “keeping his promises” as he left and climbed up the hatch. He exited onto the beach where Felicity, Digg and Megan were waiting. Megan refused to be separated from her parents after the last two days and had a massive fit when she heard that Oliver was going somewhere. She insisted that she needed to come with him and Felicity. As a result, Oliver, Felicity and Megan flew to the island separately from the ARGUS plane carrying Slade and Digg.

“This was where you lived Daddy?”

“Yup.”

“It’s really pretty.” She said. “But I like home better. It has Wolfy and Grandma and Tiger and Big Belly Burger.”

“I like home better too.” He said as he picked her up. “Let’s go home.”

 

By the time Felicity and Oliver made it back to Starling, a few things had changed. Sara had already left with the League. Lance was in the hospital after getting a blood clot. Thea had also left, leaving a note for Roy telling him that she was leaving, she wasn’t coming back and not to look for her.  The thought made Felicity and Oliver both uneasy.

They paid Tommy and Laurel a visit one day and learned Laurel was going to have twins.

“Can I say something that sounds crazy?” Oliver asked as he and Felicity watched Megan play with Wolfsbane, whose leg was healing. “I’ve got a feeling that things are gonna start turning around.”

Chapter 67

Summary:

After the Siege, QC tries to move forward, while Tommy and Laurel prepare for parenthood and Felicity and Oliver try to help Megan cope with what happened during Slade's attack.

Chapter Text

The first few weeks after the Siege ended were quiet but busy. Quiet because, for the first time in months, there wasn’t a major threat hanging over everyone’s heads. The city was able to recover without having to worry about another, larger attack. It was also very busy because, in the chaos, a number of prisoners had escaped, and the team needed to round them up and return them to prison. Felicity and Oliver were also dealing with the ramifications of Moira’s death and the situation with Queen Consolidated. Megan, by far, was having the best time, since she was getting to spend a lot more time with both her parents, and while her kidnapping made the little girl clingy, they were slowly working through it.

One day, three weeks after Slade was sent back to Lian Yu, Felicity and Oliver were both asked to attend a meeting with QC’s board. The more cynical part of Oliver wondered why it had taken them so long to request a meeting. They didn’t think it would be a good idea if Megan came with them, so Tommy offered to watch her for a few hours.

When Oliver and Felicity arrived at QC, more than ten minutes early, the board was already there. “There’s goes my shot at making a good impression.” He muttered.

“You don’t need to impress these people. Not after the last year.” She told him. “Let’s go see what they want.” They walked into the conference room and greeted everyone.

“I wasn’t expecting you to join us, Mr. Queen.” Mr. Dennis, one of the board members, said. “What a nice surprise.” His expression indicated that the surprise was anything but nice.

“Why wouldn’t he be here? His name’s on the side of the building.” Felicity pointed out. “Never mind. What did you, and the rest of the board, want to discuss?”

“Leadership of this company and its future.”

“Okay. Well, as far as leadership goes, I’m the CEO of Queen Consolidated.” She said.

“On paper, yes.”

“On paper? She’s been operating as the CEO since I signed control over to her. It’s not like she just sits in the corner office and plays Tetris all day.” Oliver pointed out. 

“Yes, well, events over the last year have suggested that perhaps the board needs to reevaluate the way we operate.”

“Which events are you referring to?” Felicity asked. “The part where Isabel Rochev, who was co-CEO, turned out to be an insane jilted lover and attempted to kill me and my daughter? Or the part where the board didn’t do its due diligence and sold her a large chunk of shares in the company in the first place?”

“We could not have known that-.” Another board member began to say.

“It didn’t make me very long to discover that Isabel’s attempted takeover was connected to Slade Wilson’s actions. Which means either I’m much smarter than you are, and I’d never claim that, or the board simply ignored the warning signs and sold her the stock anyway. In either case, I don’t see why my role as CEO should be impacted by events I wasn’t involved in.” She was smarter than the board, but she certainly wasn’t going to say that to their faces.

“This company is sinking.”

“Because Isabel actively sabotaged it.” Oliver said. “And I’m sure, if the scandal around Isabel hadn’t ruined Stellmoor International, we wouldn’t be having this conversation because we would’ve gone after the company for damages she caused.”

“The city’s still recovering from the attack two weeks ago. And so is this company. Perhaps we’re being preemptive in calling this meeting.” One board member said. Mr. Dennis had been doing most of the talking so far, and it was clear that he was the driving force behind this meeting.

“Preemptive about what?” Felicity asked. “Having me as CEO? I went to MIT, I graduated with honors and since this company is moving towards tech, I don’t mean to brag, but having a CEO with a tech background sounds like a pretty good idea. Or is there some other reason why the board wants to replace me?”

“We have had….offers to buy the company. The board has to, at the very least, consider those offers.” Mr. Dennis said.

“Wouldn’t you need the majority of the shareholders to sign off on a deal like that?” Oliver asked. “I don’t know what’s happened to the shares Stellmoor bought, but last time I checked, the Queen family owns 53% of the shares of this company.”

“That is true. And we were hoping that-.”

“You think, if you can find the right buyer, I’ll step down and Oliver will agree to the sale.” Felicity said. “Let’s put that in the “maybe” pile for now. I’m not going to say “no” outright, but this buyer, this potential new CEO, is gonna have to impress me first. I’d need to be sure that I wasn’t handing the reins over to another Isabel Rochev.”

It would be a while before Felicity planned to let the board off of the hook for trusting Isabel. The woman had kidnapped her and probably would’ve killed either her or Megan, or both of them, if given the chance. That wasn’t something she was simply going to forgive or forget anytime soon.

“No, we certainly wouldn’t want something like that to happen.”

The meeting ended not long after. The only board member Felicity felt the slightest bit of respect for was Ned Foster, because he was the only person who asked her how Megan was doing.

 

After the meeting ended, Felicity and Oliver went to Tommy and Laurel’s apartment to pick up Megan. When they arrived, she was sitting in the living room, drawing something.

“Hi, honey.” Felicity said, bending down to her daughter’s level. “What are you doing?”

“Drawing a picture for the babies. Uncle Tommy already painted their room, but he said if I drew something, he’d hang it up.” She answered. “Why couldn’t I come with you?”

“Daddy and I had to go to a really boring meeting about work. You would’ve hated it. Hanging out with Uncle Tommy is much more fun than that. You did have fun, right?”

“Yeah. We played Candy Land and I helped him pick out some toys for the babies. Is Laurel gonna have boys or girls?”

“We don’t know yet. She and Tommy decided they wanna be surprised.” She said. “She could have two boys, or two girls or a girl and a boy.”

“I hope she has at least one girl, cuz boys are icky.” Megan said. “Do you think the babies will wanna be my friends?”

“I think you’re gonna be their first friend.” She said.

On the other side of the apartment, Oliver stood talking to Tommy. Laurel was at work, though the DA’s office had managed to convince her not to be in court every single day.

“So, how was she?” He asked, gesturing to Megan.

“Good. She’s always been an easy kid to look after.” Tommy answered.

“That’s not what I meant. I- after we left, did she start crying or freak out or-?”

“No, none of that.”

“Okay, good. Because the last few weeks have been- you know, I understand why she doesn’t want to be away from us, but at the same time, we can’t be with her all day, every day.” He said. Megan was on her summer break, but her parents wanted her to become more comfortable with being separated from them before she started second grade. Her teacher had subtly suggested home schooling, given what had happened, but Felicity didn’t want Megan to miss out on social development as a result. “But the fact that she didn’t have a meltdown, when left with someone she’s known her whole life, is good.”

“Yeah, she’s never really been the meltdown type though. I think she’s just scared, because the last month and a half has been scary, and she’s six, so she doesn’t know how to express all of that so…yeah.” Tommy paused. “I also made sure to keep her busy, which probably helped. Never play Candy Land with her, the girl’s a shark.”

“I learned that lesson last week.” He said with a smile. “How’s Laurel doing?”

“Ready to be done being pregnant. She’s got a few more weeks left, but at this point, she wants to meet the babies already and for them to stop attacking her kidneys.”

“Have you decided on names yet?”

“We have a few we’re considering, but we haven’t made a decision yet.” He said. “Then again, Megan didn’t have a name until after she was born.”

“She didn’t?”

“Felicity hadn’t- she got annoyed with people suggesting names. I think partly because people kept saying she should name the baby Oliver or Olivia, depending on the gender. So, past a point, she started telling everyone she needed to meet the baby before deciding. Something about not wanting to give her a name that didn’t fit. Anyway, Megan was named a few hours after she was born.”

“It must run in the family. According to my grandma, she didn’t have a name for my dad until her aunt walked in and said he looked like a Robert.” Oliver said. “Do you feel ready to be a dad?”

“Not at all, but at least I already know the basics from being Megan’s uncle.” He said.

“Thanks again, for being there for them when I couldn’t be.”

“You would’ve done the same thing, if our places were switched.”

Megan and Felicity then walked over to the two men. “Daddy, can we go home now? Wolfy’s leg is better and I wanna play with him.”

“Yeah, we can go.” He said. “Say bye-bye to your uncle and we’ll leave.”

Megan hugged Tommy, thanked him for playing with her today and left with her parents. They went back to the mansion, which felt emptier than ever, and Megan took Wolfsbane into the backyard to play fetch. She was very excited that the wolf’s leg was finally fully healed and they could play like they used to.

“How soon do you think it’s gonna be before she asks for one?” Oliver asked Felicity as they watched their daughter run around.

“Asks for what? Another pet or a younger sibling?” She responded. Oliver looked a little startled by the second option. “What? You think she’s not gonna ask after Laurel has the twins and she realizes that she wants a sister or a brother?”

“And would- what’s your take on it? Having another child?”

“Are you asking me to have a baby with you?” She countered. “I don’t know. I’d have to think about it, with the life we lead and all that, but I’m not saying never. I guess we’ll see.”

 

Laurel’s baby shower was a week later. She didn’t want it to be a huge event, so only Felicity, Sara, Dinah and a few of her colleagues at the DA’s office attended. Thea was still travelling but sent a gift. Megan went to the aquarium with Oliver while Felicity was at the party.

Two days after the baby shower, Oliver was out on patrol when Felicity spoke to him over the comms. “How soon can you make it back here?”

“I’m on the other side of the city. Why?”

“Tommy just called. Laurel’s in labor. Meet me at Starling General. I’ll bring your street clothes.” She said. “We should be there for this.”

“I’ll meet you there. It’s a quiet night anyway.”

“Let’s hope it stays that way.” She said before closing the line

Chapter 68

Summary:

Laurel and Tommy's kids are born, which brings an unwelcome visitor to Starling.

Chapter Text

“Tommy just called. Laurel’s in labor. Meet me at Starling General. I’ll bring your street clothes.” Felicity told Oliver. “We should be there for this.”

“I’ll meet you there. It’s a quiet night anyway.”

“Let’s hope it stays that way.” She said before closing the line.

When he reached Starling General, it wasn’t hard for him to spot Felicity’s mini. Despite it being a small car, the color made it stand out. He unlocked the car and changed out of his hood in her backseat, despite the cramped space. Once he was sure his bow, suit and quiver were hidden, he headed into the hospital. When he reached the maternity floor, he found that Laurel and Tommy were still getting checked in.

“I can’t- the baby can’t come now.” Laurel said.

“Well, it could be worse.” Tommy said, trying to assure her.

“How could it be worse?”

“This is the best hospital in the city.” He said. “Plus, at least we were at home when this happened. Felicity went into labor while trapped in an elevator with Moira, who didn’t like her.”

“To be fair, I spent a good five minutes screaming at her when it looked like she’d have to help me through the birth.” Felicity said. “I called your mom. She’s on her way, but there aren’t many trains this late.”

“She- what if she misses it? We aren’t as close as I am with my dad, but-.” Laurel said.

“It’s gonna be fine. If she can’t get a train, I’ll hire a private plane to go get her.” Tommy said. “She’s not gonna miss anything.” He caught Felicity’s look, but she shook her head before he could ask what it was about.

Felicity doubted Dinah would miss the birth, since Central City was only a train ride away and childbirth could take a while. A nurse came with a wheelchair to take Laurel back to a delivery room so that they could monitor her progress more closely.

“You guys don’t have to stay, you know.” Tommy said. “Lance is on his way. So is Dr. Lance. And if movies are anything to go by, this is gonna take awhile.”

“We wanna stay.” Oliver said. Tommy went back to be with Laurel, while they took a seat in the waiting room. They each grabbed a magazine to read while they waited. When Felicity was done with hers, she went to grab another one and Oliver noticed a strange look on her face. “What’s on your mind?”

“This just….brings back memories. I’m surprised I didn’t develop claustrophobia after I nearly had Megan in an elevator.” She said. “Then again, QC’s elevators are pretty roomy.”

“Why were you at QC? Shouldn’t you have been on maternity leave by that point?” Oliver asked her.

“Megan came early. I guess she didn’t take after you in that sense.” She joked.

Captain Lance arrived, walked over to them and asked if there was any news. There wasn’t, so he took a seat and waited. Tommy came out sporadically to give updates. Laurel was in labor, but it wasn’t progressing. Dinah managed to get a ticket for the last train to Starling City and was on her way. Lance, Oliver and Felicity talked to Laurel for a bit before returning to the waiting room. After about five hours, Tommy came speedwalking towards them.

“Nothing’s wrong, but Laurel’s kinda freaking out and asking to talk to Felicity.” He said. “Since Dinah’s not here yet and Felicity’s the only one here who’s had a baby so-.”

Felicity had already stood up and was making her way down the hall to Laurel’s room. Laurel was dressed in a hospital robe and pacing back and forth in her room. The doctor had told her that walking around for a bit would be good for her muscles and for her nerves.

“Hey, how’s it going?” Felicity asked.

“Not great. I’m only seven centimeters dilated.” She said. “And they keep asking if I want an epidural when the time comes. Do I want one?”

“Yes, you do. Even if you think you don’t need one, you should get one.”

“It’s really that painful?”

“Can I be blunt?” Felicity asked and Laurel nodded. “If they don’t perform a c-section, which they might because you’re having twins, you’re going to be pushing two football-sized humans out of your body. I don’t wanna scare you, but it’s gonna hurt a lot. You’ll recover, but in the moment, you’re gonna wanna be as numb as possible.”

“How did women don this in the old days?” She asked.

“They kinda just….had to. According to my grandmother, they used to knock the mother out and hand her a baby when she woke up six hours later.” Felicity said. “Though, they figured out that doing things that way wasn’t good for the mom or the baby. Look, Laurel, these doctors are the best in their field, and you’re one of the most determined people I know. The next few hours are gonna be rough, but you and those two little ones are gonna be fine.”

“Thanks. I think I just needed- I needed someone, who’d actually given birth, to tell me that I was gonna make it through this.”

“Don’t mention it.”

“Did I miss it? Please tell me that I didn’t.” A voice asked, entering the room. They looked to find Dinah Lance standing there.

“Nope. I’ve got a little bit longer to go.” Laurel said before waddling over to hug her mom. “I’m glad you made it.” Felicity slipped out of the room while Laurel and her mom were talking.

A few hours and one epidural later, Tommy walked into the waiting room with a giant smile on his face. “They’re here. I’m a father.”

“Ok, we need details.” Felicity said. “Height, weight, a name? Genders?”

“Baby Boy Merlyn, 19 inches long. Eight pounds, four ounces.” He said. “Laurel and I decided on Robert Quentin Merlyn for a name.” He paused. “And a few minutes later, came Baby Girl Merlyn. 17 inches long, eight pounds, one ounce. We’re thinking Rebecca Dinah for the name.”

“Those are great names.” Lance said. “Now, let me see my baby and my grandkids.”

Felicity called Raisa, who was watching Megan, to let her know that Laurel had had the twins. A little after 7am, Raisa came to the hospital with Megan, who wanted to meet the babies. Felicity took her daughter over to the nursery so that they could see the babies.

“Why can’t we go in?” Megan asked.

“Well, they’re both sleeping right now, for one. And the doctors only want the nurses or the babies’ parents going in.”

“Ok. So, Uncle Tommy has a boy and a girl. How come you just had me?”

“Laurel was pregnant with two babies. I only had one baby in my tummy when you were born. And Lyla, Digg’s girlfriend, has only one baby in her tummy.”

“Will she have a girl or boy?”

“I don’t know, they wanted to be surprised. We’ll find out when the baby is born.” She said. “Let’s go see Laurel and see if she’s feeling better.”

“Why wouldn’t she feel good?”

“Having a baby is really tiring. I remember, when I had you, I slept for a whole day afterwards.” She said, taking her daughter’s hand. “Come on, let’s go see her.”

They had a nice visit with Laurel, who was awake but still a little tired. Before leaving, Megan got to see both babies up close as Felicity held Robert and Tommy held Rebecca.

 

While taking a break from sparring that afternoon, Digg turned to Oliver and asked him a surprising question. “So, Lyla just reached Week 32 of her pregnancy. She’s only got about 4 weeks left. As the only father I know, aside from Tommy who became a father this morning, any advice?”

“I’m….not the one you should ask. I wasn’t here when Felicity actually went into labor. I can answer questions about raising a kindergartener, but not newborns.”

“Well, Tommy already gave me his advice, which was basically not to freak out and start yelling when Lyla’s water breaks.” He deadpanned. “I guess he was really unprepared when it happened.”

“According to Felicity, no one’s ever really ready. You know what you’re having yet or does Lyla still wanna be surprised?”

“She wants to be surprised, but at the same time, she’s insisting we’re gonna have a girl. She can’t really explain why, just keeps saying the baby feels like a girl.”

“You know, three weeks ago, Lance joked that me having a girl was proof that there is a god and he’s got a sense of humor.” He said. “Because having a daughter was clearly some kind of karma for the way I behaved as a teenager.”

“I don’t agree with that.” Digg said. “I think someone up there decided Felicity was so amazing, the world needed a miniature version of her.”

“Megan is pretty amazing, just like her mother.”

Digg and Oliver went back to sparring, but Oliver was distracted. Maybe it was because Laurel had just had a baby and Lyla was about to have one, but he’d like to have another child. Maybe not right now, but soon. Megan would be a good big sister.

 

Laurel left the hospital a few days after giving birth with her newborns. Things began going back to normal. Team Arrow tracked down a few more Iron Heights escapees from the Siege and returned them to prison. Felicity and Tommy had both sent Thea numerous pictures of Robert, Rebecca and Megan, but she never responded anything longer than a few emojis. The fact that she didn’t want to visit or even FaceTime with Tommy to meet her new family members was a little unsettling.

Fearing something was wrong, Felicity wrote a program and executed it, just in case, without telling Oliver. Things were very quiet, until Tommy got a surprise visitor.

It had been a quiet day. Tommy was now the father of two healthy babies and trying to figure out this whole “parenthood” thing. He entered the nursery to find Laurel asleep in an armchair, exhausted from the day's events and his son and daughter was sound asleep in their cribs. He still couldn't believe that was a father now. Suddenly, Tommy began to sense that he and Laurel were not the only ones in the room. He looked around and noticed a figure was standing in the shadows of the room.

"Hello, son.” Malcolm said as he stepped out of the shadows. Tommy opened his mouth to speak, to demand to know why his father was here, but Malcolm put a finger to his lips and nodded to Laurel’s sleeping form. "I didn't want to cause an unnecessary scene.”

"What are you doing here, dad?" Tommy whispered angrily, so as not to wake Laurel or the twins.

"I came to congratulate you and to see my grandchildren.” He quietly moved to the crib and looked at the sleeping babies. "What names did you choose?"

"Robert Quentin Merlyn.” Tommy replied. “And Rebecca Dinah Merlyn.”

Malcolm looked up from the baby to Tommy and then back at the baby. "Robert would be proud of that. At times, he was more of a father to you than I was. I had better go then. And your mother would’ve been ecstatic to meet her grandchildren.” Malcolm turned to leave, but then stopped. "Tommy, I never wanted what happened to you to happen. I never wanted- I closed your mother’s clinic in the Glades because-.”

"You couldn’t bear to see it leveled with the rest of the Glades. I know, you told me that already.” He said. “And I remember telling you how disgusted she’d be with what you’ve done.” Malcolm left as quietly as he’d entered.

“You say something?” Laurel asked, sleepily.

“No, just- I can’t believe they’re real. That this is real.”

“Me neither.”

“You should go to bed, get some sleep. I’ll stay up for a bit with these two.” He suggested. She walked out to the nursery to go to bed.

Tommy immediately called Oliver and Felicity to tell them Malcolm had visited and ask them about putting a better security system in place.

“Malcolm was here?” Felicity asked. “Like, in the city, here?”

“Yes.”

“That’s not good.” She said. “Not at all. If what I think is happening is happening- oh frak.”

“Felicity, what’s going on?” Oliver asked.

“Malcolm’s in town, and Thea’s passport was scanned at the airport two hours ago.”

“Thea’s in town?”

“It seems so, unless someone stole her passport.” She said. “Do you think-? Is it possible she’s been with Malcolm this whole time?”

“I don’t- no, she wouldn’t do that.” Oliver said. “She hates Malcolm. She- no, it’s just a coincidence.”

“Can you find her?” Tommy asked. “Maybe she is, maybe she isn’t, but I’d like to see her either way.”

“I’ll try.” She said. “No promises.”

Chapter 69

Summary:

Felicity manages to get a hold of Thea while the twins make new friends.

Chapter Text

After Malcolm paid Tommy a visit, he immediately returned to his hotel. Thea was waiting inside their suite. She looked up when he entered and asked him how the visit went.

“About as well as you’d think.” He said. “Your brother has a beautiful son and daughter, but wasn’t happy to see me and I didn’t want to overstay my welcome.” He paused. “Are you packed? We should leave soon.”

“We haven’t even been here for a full day.” She pointed out. “I haven’t gotten to see Tommy at all.” Or a few other people she’d missed, but didn’t name. “And you wanna leave already.”

“When you left town with me, when you came to me for help and for guidance, we made a deal.” He reminded her. “Are you saying you no longer want my help?”

He knew that he couldn’t stay in Starling City for very long. If Tommy hadn’t already told Oliver about his visit, he would soon. Even if Oliver remained unaware, Malcolm was under no illusion that the League of Assassins wasn’t looking for him. There was a price on his head, and he had a plan to make that happen, but the timing wasn’t right. He needed to keep Thea close, and isolated from Oliver and Tommy, until the right moment had arrived.

“No, I’m not saying that at all.” She said defensively. “I just-.”

“Good. Now, go pack your things, because we’re leaving.” He said, going to pack his own bag.

They packed quickly and left within the next two hours.

 

It wasn’t difficult for Felicity to find Thea after Tommy’s call. Tracking a cell phone was pretty easy for someone of her skill level and Thea hadn’t done anything to try and hide her location like using a burner phone or using software to mask her location. It was unsurprising, but still disappointing, when she found that Thea was in Starling City. Part of Felicity had hoped that Thea would’ve at least given her a call or reached out to her if she was in the area. The blonde wrote down the address of Thea’s hotel, but it was rather late so she didn’t call Tommy right away. It could wait until morning.

When morning came, and Felicity checked to make sure she’d written down the correct address of Thea’s hotel, she was shocked that the other woman had left the city already. If Thea wasn’t with Malcolm, why had she come for less than a day and not visited anyone? If she was traveling with Malcolm, why had they left so soon? She gave Oliver and Tommy the news, and they were both upset, but tried to hide their disappointment.

Felicity then went about her day as normal, or at least, she tried to. The more she thought about the situation, the more upset she got. Because Thea not wanting to talk to Oliver was one thing. Her decision to leave town was also one thing. It had been months though, and she hadn’t spoken to anyone from Starling. And every attempt Felicity made to call her went unanswered, as did every text. She was more than a little angry about that.

 

Thea and Malcolm were sparring, as they did every morning, when Thea’s phone began to ring. They continued their workout and waited for the ringing to stop. It did, only to start up again a few seconds later. After the cycle repeated about six times, Malcolm was finally annoyed enough to address it.

“Maybe you should answer that.” He said. “Someone clearly wants to talk to you.”

Thea put the sword she’d been using away and went to answer her phone, which was ringing once again. “Hello?”

“Do you ever intend on coming back or speaking to any of us again?” Felicity asked bluntly. “Please just tell me now, so that I can stop stressing about it.”

“It’s not like that-.”

“Oh, I’ll tell you what its like. I call you, you don’t answer. I text you, you don’t respond. Same thing happens when Tommy calls, and Oliver, and Laurel. Meanwhile, Megan keeps asking me where you went and when you’re coming back, which I can’t answer. And since you never answer your phone, it’s not like I can call you up and let her talk to you for a few minutes.” She said. “You’re angry at Oliver, I understand that. But I never, in a million years, thought you’d take it out on the rest of us. You think Tommy doesn’t miss his sister? You think he doesn’t want to introduce you to his kids? You think Megan doesn’t miss you? That I don’t?”

“I can’t go back there.” Thea said stubbornly.

“I’m not asking you to. I’m asking you to pick up the phone every few days and give me or Tommy a call so that we know you’re alive and can keep having a relationship with you.”

“I’ll try.” She said. “Can you- is Megan there?”

“She’s still asleep. It’s 7AM here. Call me in a few hours and you can talk to her.”

“Okay.” They talked for a few more minutes before saying goodbye.

“Who was that? What did they want?” Malcolm asked, walking into the room. He’d only heard the very end of the conversation, when he felt like Thea had been on the phone for too long, and he wasn’t able to gather anything from what he’d overheard.

“A friend from school.” She lied. She wasn’t entirely sure why she lied to Malcolm, but a gut instinct told her not to admit she’d been talking to Felicity. “Her boyfriend proposed and she kept calling me because she was so excited to tell me the news. She wants me to be a bridesmaid. I told her I wasn’t sure if I’d be available.”

“It’s seven o’clock in the morning in Starling.” He pointed out.

“Like I said, she was excited to tell me the news.” She went back to the training area. “Should we get back to our sparring?”

“No, I think we’re done for the day.” He said. “I have some business I need to attend to. I’ll see you this evening for dinner.”

Thea kept herself occupied for a few hours before she gave Felicity a call. She spoke to Megan for about half an hour, and while the call felt far too short, it was nice to hear the girl’s voice and listen to her talk about her summer. She promised Megan she’d call again soon. Malcolm, who hadn’t left his property in Corto Maltese, heard her say goodbye to Megan, but decided not to confront her about lying to him. Thea talking to a six-year-old couldn’t do much to derail his plans anyway.

 

“Did you have a nice conversation with Auntie Thea?” Felicity asked Megan as her daughter handed her back her phone.

“Yeah, I told her all about going to the zoo, and our trip to the lake and Robbie and Becca.” She said. “I didn’t tell her about seeing the island Daddy was on, because it’s a secret. And she told me about Paris.”

“Oh, is that where she is right now?”

“Uh-huh.” She said. “When is she coming back?”

“I don’t know, but we can call her anytime we want and talk to her. As long as it’s not past your bedtime.” Felicity said. “Go change out of your PJs. Uncle Tommy and Auntie Laurel are bringing the twins over today.”

Megan excitedly ran into her room to change out of her pajamas. She then followed Felicity and Oliver around the house, asking when the others would get here. A little before noon, Oliver said they were arriving outside.

Laurel and Tommy drove up the driveway and parked. Tommy got out of the car and started to move Robert and Rebecca from their car seats to a double stroller. While he was getting them situated, Megan ran over to greet them.

"Can I play with them?" She asked.

"Not yet, honey. Your cousins have to be a bit bigger before you can play with them.” Felicity said, walking up behind them. “Hey, everyone.”

They started making their way into the house and Megan couldn’t keep her eyes off of the twins. As they got settled into the living room, the girl spoke again. "I don't understand."

“What don’t you understand?” Oliver asked her.

"I know the babies came from Auntie Laurel’s tummy, but how did they get in there in the first place?” She asked. “How did I get into Mommy’s tummy?”

The adults went awkwardly quiet at the question and Megan looked around, about to ask why they weren’t answering her question. Just then, Wolfsbane came into the room.

"Wolfy!" She yelled. The adults breathed a collective sigh of relief at the distraction. “Come meet the babies.” She beckoned the wolf to come over to her. The wolf noticed the babies and immediately, his behavior changed. Wolfsbane slowly approached the two newborn human pups. Regarding both of them, and their parents cautiously, the wolf moved closer. Laurel moved to say something.

"Don't worry. He's just getting to know them.” Oliver told her. “Wolves are actually surprisingly good around kids.”

Wolfsbane moved right up to the two babies. Then, he leaned down to Robert and began sniffing him.

"That’s Robbie.” Megan told the wolf, as though he could understand her. The wolf moved back when Robert began to squirm, not wanting to upset the baby. He then moved over to Rebecca and began to sniff her. "And that's Rebecca.” After he was done sniffing her, the wolf sat himself down in between the two babies.

"Looks like we've got a babysitter already.” Tommy joked.

“Oh! I forgot something!” Megan said as she ran off.

“Where’s she going?” Laurel asked.

“Probably to go get Tiger, so that she can meet the twins too.” Felicity said. “Because Wolfsbane got to meet them, and if Tiger doesn’t get to meet them too, it’s not fair. In her mind at least.”

Megan came downstairs holding Tiger in her arms. "I brought Tiger to meet the babies.” She brought the kitten over to Rebecca. "This is Rebecca.” Tiger squirmed a little, but didn’t wiggle her way out of Megan’s grip. The little girl then turned to show the cat Robert. "And this is Robbie.” She placed Tiger on the ground in front of Wolfsbane.

Now on the ground, Tiger began to “inspect” the babies, walking around their stroller and smelling them. Robert let out a gurgle and the cat jumped back, before collecting herself and continuing to inspect the newborns before curling up on the carpet.

“Yay! The babies like Tiger and Wolfy and they like the babies.” Megan said.

“So, Megan, are you excited for second grade?” Laurel asked.

“I guess. I miss school and my friends, but I- never mind.” She said with a frown.

“No, what is it?” Oliver asked.

“Grandma and Auntie Thea aren’t here, so its not gonna be the same.” She said. Moira and Thea helped Megan decide what to wear her first day of preschool. When Megan started first grade, Thea helped her pick her “first day of school” outfit. It had been their special tradition, but now the tradition was gone.

No one really knew what to say to that. No one wanted to tell Megan that Thea might be back in Starling for the first day of school, in case she wasn’t. And they didn’t quite know how to comfort the girl about losing a tradition that they hadn’t realized was so important to her. Then, Rebecca started crying.

“Why is she crying? Is she sad?” Megan asked.

Tommy picked his daughter up and wrinkled his nose. “No, she’s not sad. She just wants her diaper changed.”

“Have fun.” Laurel said with a smile.

Tommy, Laurel and the twins stayed for a few hours. Megan got to hold Robert, with supervision, for a little while and told both twins all about the fun things she was going to show them how to do when they got a little bigger.

When it was time to go, Megan decided to “help” Laurel get everything back into the car while Tommy talked to Oliver and Felicity.

“Where did Thea go?” He asked them.

“Her phone shows her in Corto Maltese and that’s where Malcolm’s plane landed after it left Starling.” She said.

“We should go there and-.” Oliver said.

“After months of silence, I managed to get her to answer my calls.” She said. “If you go there now, it might spook her. Let’s give her a few weeks, reconnect with her a bit through calls and texts. Then, you can rush off and try to talk her into coming home.”

Chapter 70

Summary:

Sara pays someone a visit, Thea rethinks some of her choices and Felicity tries to plan for the future.

Chapter Text

After Tommy, Laurel and the twins went home, Oliver and Felicity talked while the former made dinner. Raisa didn’t work on the weekends, so it was just the three of them and the pets in the massive mansion. Megan was in the living room watching television. They were talking about Thea and the fact that she was in Corto Maltese with Malcolm. Oliver, obviously, wanted to get his sister as far away from the man as possible.

“You really think you can talk Thea into coming home?” He asked.

“I think it’s the best possible way.” Felicity said. “Thea is angry, and she’s hurt, and she’s got every right to be. However, the best thing we can do is remind her that she has people who care about her. People other than Malcolm. Because, if she remembers that Malcolm’s not the only person who cares about her, it’ll weaken whatever hold he might have on her.”

“Hold?”

“Thea was in a very vulnerable place when she left. She felt like she was alone. And Malcolm’s very manipulative. Given everything she’s been through, it’s not a far jump from “I care about you too” to “I’m the only one that cares about you”. But, at the same time, if we drag her home kicking and screaming, and don’t let her have some choice in the matter, all it’s gonna do is push her further away.”

“And you think talking to her every now and then, letting Megan talk to her is the right way to nudge her towards coming home?”

“There was a period of time right after Megan was born when I felt very alone. Because I didn’t know who I could trust, since the tabloids wanted all the dirty details about my life, I started to isolate myself from people and before I knew it, the only friend I really had was Tommy. I’m not close to my mom, Thea was 13 and I had issues with your mother.” She said. “Now, I love Tommy, he’s great, but imagine if he was someone that was manipulative. Or just not a very nice person. When you feel like you only have one person you can count on, you’ll do anything to keep that person in your life.”

“I know what that’s like.” He said, thinking about the lengths he went to to try and save Yao Fei and Slade. “What snapped you out of it?”

“A few different things. My mom came to visit for three weeks. I made friends with other moms. One of the friends I’d lost touch with reached out to me.” She said. “And that’s what I think we should do with Thea. Reach out to her, try to reconnect, but also let things move at the pace she sets.”

It was quiet for a few moments. “Do you think she’ll ever forgive me?” He asked.

“I think she will, but it’ll take time. And a few more apologies.” Felicity couldn’t say how she’d feel about being put in the situation, but one apology wouldn’t have been enough.

The family ate dinner and watched a movie before they went to the foundry so that Oliver and Roy could patrol that night. The team was working on recapturing the escapees from Iron Heights, which was fairly easy for the most part, but time consuming. Digg had taken the night off to work on the nursery for his soon-to-be son or daughter.

 

At around 11:30, Laurel had gotten up to get a glass of water. The twins would wake up soon for another feeding and she wanted to be hydrated. As she walked out of her apartment’s kitchen and towards the nursery, she saw something move out of the corner of her eye. She tensed and turned. There was a shape in the darkness.

“Relax, it’s me.” Sara whispered.

“How did you get in here?” She asked.

“You gave me a key, remember?” She said. “I know this is unexpected, but- is there any way I could meet them? I tried to be here earlier, but-.” Sara hadn’t met her niece and nephew yet, but it wasn’t for lack of trying.

“Come with me.” Later, she’d talk to Sara about showing up unannounced. For now, she was just happy that her unexpected visitor wasn’t here to hurt her, Tommy or the kids. She showed her sister into the nursery and turned on the light. Sara was dressed normally, not as the Canary. “Sara, this is Robert Quentin Merlyn.” She pointed to her son. “And Rebecca Dinah Merlyn.”

“Dad told me you broke the tradition of having “Dinah” as a first name.” She said. “Oh, they’re so cute.”

“What’s the point in giving a kid a first name they don’t use? I never go by Dinah, I’ve always been Laurel, except on paper.” She said with a shrug. “So, since she was gonna go by Rebecca anyway…plus, Tommy wanted to name her after his mom.” Rebecca started to get fussy, so Laurel picked her up. “Do you wanna hold her?”

Sara, who used to babysit when she was in high school, confidently took the baby and held her in her arms. “Hi, little Becca. I’m your Aunt Sara. The cool aunt.” Laurel let out a soft laugh. “I’m sorry if my appearing in your living room scared you. I didn’t really think that through.”

“I was gonna say something about that later.” She said. “At least you used the door and didn’t break in like…”

“Like who? Did someone break in?”

“Like Malcolm. He’s alive.”

“I know.” Sara said. “Moira- one of the last things she did before she died was, somehow, get a message to Nyssa’s father, the head of the League of Assassins, and tell him he was alive. There’s a price on his head.”

“He was here two days ago, to meet the twins, but he left.”

“I thought he might’ve visited, or be on his way to visit.” She said. “I’ve….kinda been assigned to track him down so that he can face justice. For the deaths he caused during the Undertaking. It violated the League’s code of ethics.”

“Felicity says he’s somewhere in South America.” Tommy said from the doorway. “I could hear both of you on the baby monitor.”

“And, if I were to find him, how would you feel about that?” She asked him. She hadn’t intended to tell anyone what her assignment was, but once Malcolm was mentioned, it just slipped out.

“He killed 502 people. He nearly killed me. And he claimed it was to honor my mom, but she never would’ve- I don’t think I’d feel much of anything. And Ollie kinda made the League sound like a group that always gets what they want.” He said. “But if you do find him, promise me you won’t let anything happen to Thea.”

“Thea’s with him?” Thea travelling with Malcolm didn’t make any sense to her. Sure, she could understand why Thea might want to travel with Malcolm: she’d lost her mom, learned that her father wasn’t her father and her relationship had ended. She couldn’t see why Malcolm would keep her with him and not just send her to some chateau in France. He clearly had a motive, but she couldn’t discern what it was.

“Yeah, we’re pretty sure.” He said. “She left town after the Siege, and when he came to town, so did she. When he left, so did she, according to Felicity. None of us are really sure what his angle might be, but- don’t let anything happen to Thea.”

“Well, I have to find him first, but I won’t. I promise.” She said. She spent about half an hour talking to Tommy and Laurel before leaving.

As she walked away from the apartment building, she made a call. “Moira Queen was telling the truth. Malcolm Merlyn is alive. I spoke to someone who saw him not two days ago.”

“Good.” The Demon Head said. “Does his son believe him to still be in the city?”

“No. He seems confident that he left the following day.”

“And the hunt continues.” Ra’s al Ghul said before ending the call.

Sara went back to her hideout and made arrangements to travel to South America. She had no doubt that Felicity was right about Malcolm’s location but it was a rather large continent to search. After that was done, she headed into the Glades.

 

“Tell Lance that we left Paul Jordan tied up near 15th street.” Oliver told Felicity over the comms.

“You know, for a guy who was arrested for bank fraud, he’s a surprisingly good fighter.” Roy added.

“Will do, and rich people have all kinds of weird hobbies.” She said.

“You’re telling me.” A voice said from behind Felicity, causing her to turn around.

“Felicity, who is-?” Oliver asked. He couldn’t hear the voice that had spoken clearly, but knew it hadn’t been Felicity.

“Sara’s here.” She said.

“We’ll be right there.” Oliver said, referring to himself and Roy.

Felicity gave Sara a hug and woke Megan, who was asleep on a cot, up so that she could say hi. Oliver and Roy returned about ten minutes later. After greetings were exchanged, Sara explained that she’d come to town to see Laurel and the twins, but didn’t want to leave without seeing how everyone else was doing. No one asked her if meeting Robert and Rebecca was the only reason she came to town and she didn’t volunteer any more information. When it came to the League, the team didn’t ask, unless they had to, and she didn’t tell, unless she had to. Sara had made the decisions that she made and no one wanted to rehash the same old argument again.

 

Five days after Felicity’s first call to Thea, she and Megan called her again. Just like last time, the two adults caught up for a bit before Megan got on the phone and told her aunt about some of the fun things she’d done in the last week, including how fun her summer camp was and about the twins’ visit to the mansion. They talked for over an hour and Thea promised she’d talk to them soon.

Malcolm noticed Thea seemed a bit withdrawn later that day, but didn’t comment on it. His plans didn’t rely on her mood or emotions, and none of her actions concerned him. He’d just learned Sara Lance had been in Starling the day after he left, and that was far more important to him at the moment. When she was still acting that way the next day, he confronted her about it.

“Is there a reason you’re walking around like a kicked puppy?” He asked.

“I’m just- I wish I could go meet Tommy’s kids.” She said. Hearing Megan talk about meeting the twins reminded her that she was missing out on some very important moments.

“Things are really complicated right now, I thought you understood that.” He said. “I can’t risk anything happening to you, and that means lying low.”

Thea bit back about a thousand comments and left the room. It seemed like his reasons for why she couldn’t do things kept changing. The reasons changed, but it all circled back to Malcolm wanting her to break all of the ties she had to her old life. She was starting to wonder if she wanted to sever all of those connections.

She went to her room and stared at her phone for a few minutes before tapping an app. “Hey, Tommy. I know it’s been a while. I’m sorry about that.” She started to say.

 

Tommy was in the middle of changing Robert’s diaper when his phone beeped, indicating that he had a new text. “I hope that’s not Mommy complaining about the smell.” He said to his son. “I love you, but you’ve got really stinky poops.” The baby let out a gurgling noise. “It’s true.”

He finished his task, and sprayed some air freshener, before going to check his phone. The text wasn’t from Laurel, it was from Thea. And it wasn’t a text, but a video. He pressed play.

“Hey, Tommy. I know it’s been a while. I’m sorry about that.” She said. She was sitting in a room with pale green walls. The first thing he noticed was that she’d cut her hair. “I know I’ve kinda been ignoring all your messages. I just…I needed space. And I’m sorry I haven’t had a chance to meet those two beautiful babies of yours. Don’t take this the wrong way, but they’re too cute to be yours. I- if you could send pictures every now and then, that would be appreciated.” She paused. “And maybe, you can show them this video, so that they know who I am? Anyway, I hope you and Laurel are doing well. Bye-bye.”

Tommy wasn’t entirely sure how he was feeling when the message ended. Among the myriad of emotions, one feeling stuck out to him: hope. He was feeling hopeful that Thea would come back soon.

Chapter 71

Summary:

Thea starts to reflect on her choices while Malcolm starts to put his plan into motion.

Chapter Text

It took Tommy a few moments to recover from seeing Thea’s message. He was surprised, but in a good way, to hear from her so soon. Felicity told him and Oliver that it might take weeks or months for their sister to reach out to them on her own. The fact that she was reaching out so soon seemed like a good sign. He had hope that he’d be seeing her in person sooner rather than later.

As soon as he left the nursery with Robert, he told Laurel about the message. She seemed as hopeful as he did after he told her the news. She and Thea had gotten closer over the last two years and he knew she missed the younger woman as well.

“You can call this me being paranoid, or blame it on me growing up as a cop’s daughter, but what if, when she comes back, she doesn’t come back alone?” Laurel asked after he’d told her the news and what he thought it meant.

“Well, if she comes back with someone, I think Roy might-.”

“I’m not asking “what if she comes back with a new boyfriend”. I’m referring to the possibility that she comes back, and your father comes with her.”

“I don’t think he will. You heard Sara, the League of Freaking Assassins is after him. He wouldn’t just come back here.”

“Maybe he would and maybe he wouldn’t. But if he’s unwilling to let Thea go, it’s a risk he might be willing to take.” She said. “So, what are you gonna do if he does?” Laurel didn’t necessarily want Malcolm to come back or for Tommy to have to deal with a situation like the one she’d just outlined, but she needed her family to be safe. She needed to know someone had a plan in case Malcolm came back and was up to something nefarious.

“Tell Ollie. Find a way to knock my dad out with enough drugs to take down an army and call your dad. Or Ollie will call his shady government connections to take him away.” He said. “And I’ll bring this up with him, Felicity, and the others so that this plan isn’t so flimsy. In case it does happen. Do you really think he’d come here just to keep Thea under his control?”

“I honestly don’t know.” She said. “It’s scary, but I don’t think anyone knows what your father’s truly capable of.” A shiver passed through her as she said that.

Tommy nodded in understanding. She had a point. They probably had no clue the lengths he might be willing to go to. He sent a text to Oliver and Felicity, telling them that Thea had reached out to him, although they hadn’t actually talked. He also asked to meet with both of them the next day so that they could talk about the questions Laurel had asked.

 

Thea walked out of her room and found Malcolm walking past the door. Perhaps it was just a coincidence, but she wouldn’t bet that he hadn’t been eavesdropping.

“You called Tommy.” He said. So much for pretending he wasn’t listening in.

“I didn’t call him. I sent him a video message.” She said. “Just to say hi and congratulate him on becoming a father. Since I wasn’t able to do it in person.”

“Please at least tell me that you didn’t tell him your location.”

“Since I’m assuming you heard everything I said, you know that I didn’t.” She crossed her arms. “You told me that we can’t go to Starling because it’s too dangerous. People are after you, and me. If I told Tommy where we are that would put him and his family in danger too. And I don’t want anything to happen to him.”

“You realize he’s going to tell Oliver about your message, who’ll turn around and ask Felicity to track down your location.” He said.

“He might, and then Ollie might ask, but I don’t think she’ll do that. I told he that I need space and time and she seems to be respecting that.” Thea said. “After all, if she wanted to find me, I know she could’ve done it already.”

“I suppose we’ll see.” He said. “Come on, I just put some water on for tea.”

“Please tell me it’s not that gross one that tastes like dirt again.” She said as she followed after him.

Ever since coming to Corto Maltese, Malcolm and Thea had developed two routines. First, they trained in combat every morning, part of Malcolm fulfilling his pledge to make Thea stronger. Every afternoon, they had a cup of tea together. Once or twice, the tea he’d given Thea was laced with votura, a plant that made those who consumed it susceptible to suggestion and left them with no memory of their actions within a window of time after consuming it. For his plans to work, Malcolm needed to be sure Thea didn’t have an adverse reaction or immunity to the plant’s compound. Both times, the plant had worked and Thea retained no memory of what she did after drinking it.

“No, those leaves had gotten moldy. I threw it out.” He told her. “There’s a new blend I want to try, though.”

Malcolm made tea for himself and Thea and they talked while they drank. Partway through the conversation, Thea realized that she needed some space from Malcolm. The events of the last few days had given her a lot to think about, and for some reason, whenever he was around, she couldn’t really think clearly. He seemed to know exactly what to say in order to get her riled up or start questioning her own memories. She needed space to clear her head.

After about twenty minutes, and without finishing her tea, Thea made an excuse to leave the house. She told Malcolm she’d ordered something to be delivered to one of the local shops and claimed the item was supposed to arrive today. She thanked him for the tea and left to pick up her package. Malcolm let her leave without a fuss, but sent one of the locals, a man on his payroll, to follow her. The man later reported that Thea went into a shop before heading to one of the island’s beaches.

Thea sat on the beach and thought about her life. She missed Starling City. She missed her home. She missed Megan, and Felicity, and Tommy and Laurel and even Roy and Oliver. She was pissed that they’d lied to her, but she missed them nonetheless. They were her friends and family. Or at least, they had been. It seemed like over the last six months, she’d lost everyone in her life except Malcolm. Who would’ve thought Malcolm would be the one person still in her life?

Only, Malcolm was the reason she’d lost touch with the others in the first place. Early on, he was the one telling her not to call anyone back home. To ignore the messages they’d sent. One-by-one, the messages became less frequent, and then he claimed it was because they didn’t really care. How could he say that when he was the one urging her to push everyone away?

She made a decision right then and there. When she left Starling, she vowed not to be easy to trick again. She needed to be just as wary of Malcolm’s actions and words as she was of everyone else’s.

 

As promised, Tommy met with Team Arrow to talk about Thea’s message and what they’d do if Malcolm came back to town with Thea. Obviously, they couldn’t just attack and detain Malcolm in front of Thea, as that wouldn’t help her realize the truth. So, Oliver came up with a few plans regarding how to apprehend Malcolm without upsetting Thea or forcing her into a weird position.

“So, does this mean she’s gonna be coming back soon?” Roy asked.

“Probably not too soon. Like, she’s not gonna be back tomorrow.” Felicity said. “It’s a step in the right direction, but an itty-bitty step.”

“I should’ve told her the truth.” He said. “About me, and the Mirakuru, I shouldn’t have-. I was convinced that I was protecting her but- in her note she said that she was leaving because she couldn’t trust me. I never should’ve lied.”

“If that’s on anyone, that’s on me.” Oliver said. “I’m the one who told you to lie.”

“You told me to, but I’m the one who listen-.”

“It doesn’t matter who’s fault it is.” Felicity said. “Yes, Oliver, you suggested that he lie and break up with Thea to “protect” her. And yes, Roy, you made the choice to listen to him. None of that matters now, because the last time I checked, we can’t change the past.”

“Yeah, what matters is how both of you intend to fix it when Thea finally comes back.” Tommy said.

Weeks passed and Thea began reaching out to everyone more often. She spoke with Felicity, Tommy and Megan every few days. She told Megan she’d do her best not to miss Megan’s first day of school. She FaceTimed with Tommy once or twice so that she could see the twins. She even started responding, not in detail, to texts from Oliver and Roy. Oliver might ask her how she was doing and she’d tell him what she was watching on Netflix or send him a picture of the place she claimed to be visiting. Slowly but surely, Thea was reconnecting with people.

Sara had spent the same amount of time trying to narrow down Malcolm’s location. She knew he was somewhere in South America, but it was a large continent to search. She decided to search Brazil, Argentina and Peru first, since they were the largest countries on the continent. When she found no trace of him in any of those countries, the League “suggested” she return to Starling to see if Tommy had learned anything more about his father’s location.

 

When Malcolm received word that Sara was heading back to Starling, he knew it was the moment to strike. Sara needed to die in Starling for his plan to work and he couldn’t predict the next time she’d be there if he didn’t act now. Thea’s training was coming along nicely and, if he delayed any further, he ran the risk of Oliver getting impatient and tracking Thea down before he got another chance.

Malcolm entered Thea’s room without knocking. “Pack an overnight bag.”

“Where are we going?”

“Starling.” He said. “I realize I might’ve been overly cautious the last time we were there. After all, we’re not hiding from Tommy. I should’ve let you meet Robert and Rebecca.”

“We’re going to Starling to see them?” She asked.

“Well, I have some business to take care of, which is why I’m going. I want you to come so that you can meet your niece and nephew. But if you’d rather stay here-.”

“No, I want to come with you.” She said. “Just- I need to pack.”

“We will be staying for one night only.” He said. “So, you won’t need to bring much.” To his satisfaction, she didn’t argue with him or ask for their stay to be longer. Thea might be talking to Tommy and Felicity, but he was still in control. He left the room so that she could pack with a smirk on his face.

Thea was still under his control and Sara Lance would soon be dead, initiating the plan he’d been scheming since Moira name-dropped Ra’s al Ghul during their argument after her trial.

The next morning, after a slightly shorter than usual training session, Malcolm and Thea boarded his private jet to head to Starling City. “What is this business meeting you have to go to anyway?” She asked him once they were settled in their seats.

“Just tying up a few things.” He said. “I hate loose ends.”

Chapter 72

Summary:

Thea returns to Starling as Malcolm puts his plan into motion.

Chapter Text

The next morning, after a slightly shorter than usual training session, Malcolm and Thea boarded his private jet to head to Starling City.

“What is this business meeting you have to go to anyway?” She asked him once they were settled in their seats. The plane began moving as the pilot made his way towards the runway.

“Just tying up a few things.” He said. “I hate loose ends.”

“What exactly does that mean?” She asked. The sentence sounded very ominous and she didn’t like that feeling. “Because, no lie, that sounds like something a Bond villain would say.”

“Oh, it’s nothing as dramatic as that.” He said dismissively. “It’s just a bunch of boring business stuff, making sure things are filed properly, certain partnerships are dissolved. They need to be done, however, to ensure the government doesn’t start looking into those companies. It shouldn’t take very long, but you’ll have time to meet with Tommy and his twins while I’m working.”

“As long as you don’t make me work, I’m fine with that.” She said, leaning back in her chair.

“No. This is meant to be a vacation, remember?” He said. He stood up and walked over to the counter where there was a small coffee station set-up. He kept his footing despite the fact that the plane was now taking off and he really should’ve been in his seat. “Tea?”

“Sure.” She responded. “Only if you have that raspberry tea.”

About five minutes later, Malcolm handed her a disposal coffee cup and sat down with one of his own. Thea thanked him and put the cup to her lips. Malcolm took a sip of his own tea a moment later.

For most of the flight, Malcolm worked on his laptop while Thea busied herself with her phone. She told him she was playing the newest Candy Crush game, which she claimed she’d been addicted to. In actuality, she was staring at her phone, wondering if she should tell Tommy or Felicity that she was coming to town.

 

A new version of Vertigo had started popping up around the city since the siege and Team Arrow was trying to get to the bottom of it. It didn’t take long for them to realize that the culprit wasn’t just trying to sell drugs, he was trying to become the only crime boss in the city. When they realized all of Zytle’s, the new Count Vertigo, competition were in the same building, they knew he was going to attempt something.

The Arrow and Arsenal sped to Rockets Arena, expecting to run into trouble. While searching the building, Roy found a massive bomb, capable of levelling the entire arena. Felicity talked Roy through trying to disarm it while Oliver fought Zytle. The man injected Oliver with a dose of his new, and worse, version of Vertigo, but he was able to stay focused and fight him. He also got some unexpected help when someone else started fighting Zytle’s followers.

“Don’t look so surprised.” Sara said when Oliver spun around to face her. “I haven’t been gone that long.”

“I know, but-. You’re here for work, aren’t you?” He asked her.

“That’s not the only reason that I’m here.” She said.

Sara left to visit Laurel, while Oliver and Felicity went to Starling General. Lyla had gone into labor right as Roy managed to stop the explosion. They met Diggle’s daughter before heading home.

 

Malcolm’s plane landed in Starling just after nightfall. Instead of going to a hotel, as they’d done last time they were in Starling, Malcolm drove himself and Thea to a small, non-descript house on the edge of town. The inside was very bland and Thea thought it was either vacant or a rental. There was no personality to the space. She shrugged and headed upstairs to unpack.

Not long after arriving, Malcolm called Thea downstairs. To her surprise, he handed her a bow and quiver when she reached the ground floor.

“You remember what I taught you?” He asked.

“Yes.” In addition to sword-fighting, he’d also taught her archery over the last few months. She wasn’t an expert like him, but she wasn’t an amateur either.

“Good.” He said. “Sara Lance is in town. She is a threat to both of us. You must kill her. Do not fail me.”

He told her where his sources had spotted Sara and told her to neutralize the threat immediately. Thea left without argument.

 

“Thanks for meeting me out here.” Sara said after Laurel came to the address she’d texted her. It was a building in the Glades where no one would pay too much attention to her presence. “I would’ve come to your apartment, but-.”

“You’re not just in town to visit me, are you?”

“No, I’m not. That’s why I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell Dad I’m here yet.” She said. “This life….its complicated.”

“We didn’t want you to choose it. Not for us.”

“I know. I chose it for me,” She said. “Now, are the twins doing?”

“Great. Felicity says they might start to hold their heads up soon.” She said, before showing Sara a few pictures on her phone of her kids. Sara let her talk about each and every development twins had had over the last few weeks.  When she ran out of things to say, it seemed like a good time to leave.

 

She watched her prey. It had its back to her, exactly how she wanted it. Slowly, quietly, she stalked towards her prey. She inched closer and closer, watching, waiting for her moment to strike. Silently, she moved ever closer to her prey, step by step. She was now within striking distance of her quarry.  She readied herself to pounce. She narrowed her eyes and licked her lips. She was about to strike when-

Wolfsbane brought his paw down on the little kitten, who was about the pounce on him without opening his eyes. He had only been pretending to sleep and Tiger crept closer, like she was hunting him. Tiger yelped and squirmed under his paw. She’d been so close!

 

After saying goodbye to her sister, Sara waited to see Laurel exit the building before putting her domino mask on and heading to her hideout. She scaled down the building and turned into a nearby alley.

“Hello, Sara.” A voice said from behind her.

Sara spun around to face the speaker. “What are you doing here?”

“Not killing you, for one thing.” Thea said, stepping out of the shadows.

“Why would you want to kill me?”

“I don’t, but Malcolm handed me this bow and told me to do it.” She said. “And he acted like I’d do it without question.”

“That’s….strange.”

“Do you know where I can find Tommy or Felicity?” She asked. “I’m not gonna kill you, but I’m scared of what he might do if I go back there and he learns that I didn’t.”

“Stay right here.” Sara said. “I need to go call a friend.” She walked a few feet away and made a call. She spoke too quietly for Thea to hear. When she walked back over to Thea, her face was blank. The shock from earlier had worn off. “Stay as close to me as you can. I don’t know who else might be here or who might try to follow us.”

She took Thea on a scenic tour of the city, hoping to shake any tails, as she made her way to Verdant. She and Thea entered the foundry through Oliver’s secret entrance. The Canary held a finger to her lips as they made their way down the stairs. The bottom stair creaked, causing the occupants of the lair to turn around.

“Sara, do you wanna explain why-?” Oliver started to ask. Then, he saw Thea. “Speedy.”

“Ollie, what are-?” Oliver wasn’t supposed to be here. She was supposed to be meeting Felicity or Tommy. She wasn’t ready to see Oliver yet. She looked around and saw the Arrow’s hood and quiver and arrows displayed. Did this mean-?

She didn’t know why she was so surprised to see Oliver. Her plan was to see Felicity in the morning and ask for a place to stay. She knew he might be there when she showed up. She wasn’t going to back to Corto Maltese, at least not right away. But then Malcolm had handed her a bow and her whole plan was forgotten.

“I know you told me to come alone.” Felicity told Sara. “But when I got a call at 2AM saying to come here, he refused to stay behind.”

“You told her my secret.” Oliver said accusingly.

“You- you’re him.” Thea said. “The Arrow. All those times I got mad at you, thought you were a flake, you- you were-. That’s why you were so secretive. You didn’t want me to be in danger.”

“Yes. And I know you hate me for lying to you, but I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Speedy. I-.”

“As touching as this is, I don’t think Sara asked me to come here for you and Thea to reconcile.” Felicity said. “And it doesn’t explain her clothes. Why are you dressed….well, dressed like Oliver’s alter ego?”

“When I left town, I went with Malcolm.” Thea admitted.

“We knew that. We worked it out a few weeks ago.” Oliver said. “We- I wanted to bring you home as soon as we worked it out. But you said you needed space, so we gave it to you.”

“That might’ve been a mistake.” She said. “I-.” She wasn’t sure what had happened over the last 12 hours, much less how to explain it to someone else.

“When I was heading back to my hideout, Thea made her presence known to me.” Sara said. “She stepped out of the shadows and told me that she wasn’t here to kill me.”

“Why would she have wanted to kill you?” Felicity said.

“I didn’t! I don’t. But Malcolm, he- when we arrived, we went to his safehouse, I guess that's what it was, and he handed me these arrows and told me to kill Sara.” Thea said.

“He just….told you to kill her? No threats? No blackmail? Nothing?”

“Yeah. He seemed to-. He acted like I’d do it without question.” She said. “Why would he think that?”

“Speedy, I want you to think really hard. What have you eaten and drank today?” Oliver asked.

“Why?”

“I think he might’ve tried to drug you.” He said. “There are compounds that make people….easy to manipulate. Did Malcolm give you anything….unusual? Anything he didn’t eat?”

“No. He- we had breakfast, which I watched him make before leaving Corto Maltese. I had some packaged snacks on the plane.” She said. “He gave me a cup of tea when we took off, but I didn’t drink it. I pretended to and when he went to use the bathroom, I tossed it out.”

“Why not?” Felicity asked.

“I- I can’t really explain it. I just- I had this feeling.” She said. “I’ve been having it for a while. He- he kept trying to tell me that I could only count on him, that everyone here didn’t care about me, because you didn't try to reach out to me until recently but- but he was the one who told me not to answer your calls. To ignore everyone and- it just felt wrong. When he handed me the cup, I got this feeling that I shouldn’t drink it. Between what he said when we took off and the-.” She let out a bitter laugh. “He put something in the tea. He must’ve because he was watching me to make sure I drank it.”

“Why would he order you to kill Sara, though?”

 

Malcolm paced his safehouse. Thea should’ve been back by now. Not only should Thea have returned by now, but she hadn’t been on the roof. He’d told Thea exactly where to find Sara, but the Canary left the rooftop, where Thea was meant to kill her alive. His plan was falling apart.

Chapter 73

Summary:

Malcolm's plan goes awry as Oliver, Felicity and Sara rush to help Thea.

Chapter Text

Malcolm paced his safehouse. Thea should’ve been back by now. Not only should Thea have returned by now, but she hadn’t been on the roof. He’d told Thea exactly where to find Sara, but the Canary left the rooftop, where Thea was meant to kill her, alive. His plan was falling apart.

“This is incredibly inconvenient.” He said to himself.

He had had planned everything out. Thea would kill Sara. Oliver would learn about her death. Eventually, the League of Assassins would come to Starling, looking for their missing member, just as they did a year ago. When Ra’s, or possibly Nyssa, demanded that Oliver hand over Sara’s killer, Malcolm would show him the proof that Thea killed Sara and get him to confess to the crime to protect his sister. He’d then convince Oliver that the only way to keep Thea safe was to challenge Ra’s al Ghul to trial by combat.

He’d given Thea the votura and told her to kill Sara. He even told her where Sara would be. He’d watched Sara and Laurel talking on the rooftop for nearly half an hour. As soon as Laurel left, to avoid witnesses, Thea had plenty of time to strike. Except, Thea had failed him and now, his perfectly executed plan was on the brink of total collapse. What had he missed? How had things gotten derailed so quickly?

 

Thea had revealed to Oliver, Felicity and Sara the events of the last 12 hours. She explained that Malcolm was in town for “business” and to let her meet Tommy’s twins. It took her a while, a few false starts, but she relayed the story of Malcolm ordering her to kill Sara, and telling her exactly where to find the Canary.

“Why would he order you to kill Sara, though?” Felicity asked. “I’m not- I know you probably don’t know the answer to that, but- but there’s a reason he wanted you to kill someone, and a reason that someone is Sara.”

“He’s after me because I’m hunting for him.” Sara said. “He might’ve left Starling, but I’m sure he’s still got one or two lackeys in town, who told him that I arrived the day after he left the last time and put the pieces together. If I’m dead, he’s gonna be a lot harder to find.”

“Why are you after him?” Thea asked. “Why is anyone? He kept- while I was away, he kept saying that we couldn’t come here, because it was too dangerous, because people wanted to hurt him and they’d hurt me to do that. I don’t- I wanna understand.”

“Interesting that he didn’t extend the same concern to Tommy.” Oliver said, crossing his arms. “After Rebecca Merlyn died, Malcolm disappeared for a while. We found out last year that he wasn’t on some soul-searching journey. He traveled to a place called Nanda Parbat where a group calling themselves the League of Assassins are based. He was trained by their leader, Ra’s al Ghul.”

“Malcolm is an assassin?”

“He was.” Sara said. “He was released by Ra’s a year after his training was complete. He was allowed to return home on the condition that, despite no longer being in the League, he would honor their code. The Undertaking violated their code and Ra’s al Ghul wanted him dead. For a year, he believed Oliver had killed Malcolm, and considered the matter settled. Then, your mother, somehow, contacted Ra’s with proof that he was alive. And I was given a mission to determine whether or not Moira’s claims were true.”

“Wait, you’re an assassin too? With the same group that Malcolm was with?”

“It’s complicated, but yes.”

“I still don’t- why me? If he’s an assassin, why does he need me to kill you?”

“I don’t know. I’m sure there’s some convoluted reason, but I don’t know what it is. Maybe he hoped, if we had to fight, I’d hold back because if was you. Maybe he expected the surprise to give you a chance to attack.” Sara said. “For whatever reason, he wanted you to kill me, and he wanted it to be with an arrow.”

“Am I the only one who got a very ominous feeling when she said that?” Felicity asked. “It’s getting late- well, early- and I don’t think we’re gonna figure out his evil plan tonight. So, Thea, what do you wanna do?”

“What do you mean? I can’t- Malcolm knows by now that something went wrong. I was supposed to kill her and come straight back to his hideout.” She said. “He’s probably looking for me.”

“Yeah, he might be, but he doesn’t know that you didn’t drink the tea that he drugged. He doesn’t know that you didn’t kill Sara.” Oliver said. “He just knows that you’ve been gone for a while. If Sara stays hidden for a few days, he might think his plan worked.”

“Ollie, I might be good at lying to you, but I don’t think I can trick him.”

“Then don’t.” Sara said. “Just….be very careful about how you answer questions. Tell the truth, but be vague.”

“And then what? There’s no way I’m going back to Corto Maltese with him.”

“We wouldn’t let you do that.” Oliver said. “In the morning, go see Tommy and meet the twins. It wouldn’t be unreasonable for you to want to stay longer.”

“I kinda wish I’d sent the texts I drafted on the flight.” Thea said as they were leaving the foundry. “I nearly texted you, Tommy and Felicity, telling you I was coming to Starling.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“I wasn’t sure if you’d want to see me. I did ignore you for five months.” She said. She gave Oliver a hug before she left. “I’ll see you later.”

Oliver was very quiet on the ride home. He was processing a lot of new information and Felicity had a feeling he was having trouble with most of it.

“I think this was partially about me.”

“What?” She asked.

“I think- I think whatever Malcolm’s plan is, it involves me.” He said. “Archery isn’t- he taught her to shoot an arrow for a reason. He wanted Sara to be killed by an arrow. I- do you think he wanted to frame me or something?”

“I don’t know. I honestly don’t, but nothing happened. Sara’s alive and Thea’s home.” She said. “Let’s focus on that for a little bit.”

 

Thea snuck into the hideout that she and Malcolm were using. She was still dressed in the outfit Malcolm had given her to kill Sara. She started towards the stairs when a light turned on. She turned to see Malcolm sitting in the living room.

“Well?”

“Well, what?” She asked.

“Sara. Did you find her?”

“Yes.” She said. It wasn’t a lie, so she didn’t try to be vague.

“Really? Because I followed you to the location I gave you, and I watched her leave the rooftop alive.” Malcolm only had about ten minutes before the votura wore off, so he needed to be quick.

“I waited for her in the alley and confronted her there.” She said. “The rooftop felt too…out in the open.” Again, it wasn’t a lie. She just left out the reason why she’d confronted Sara. “I didn’t want someone, like the Arrow, to see me.”

“Why didn’t you return here after you had completed the task?”

“I took a detour, because I thought I was being followed. Though, I suppose that was probably you following me.” She said. “I’m gonna go upstairs, if you don’t mind.”

“No, go ahead.”

Thea went upstairs and pretended to go to sleep. In actuality, she waited for sunrise before sneaking back out of the hideout, with her suitcase and the weapons Malcolm gave her. By the time he went to wake her up, she was gone.

 

Tommy had just finished changing Rebecca’s diaper when there was a soft knock at the door. Not wanting to wake Laurel up to ask if she was expecting a visitor, he looked through the peephole and his jaw nearly dropped. He tore the door open and looked down to see Thea standing there.

“I- Thea?” He said. “What are-?”

“I’m back. For good. And I’ve got a lot to tell you, but- but not right now.” She said. “There are two people I’ve been waiting a long time to meet.”

He stepped out of the way, letting her into the apartment. “Robert’s still asleep, but someone takes after her mother and likes to get up early.” He said as he picked Rebecca up from the spot where she was laying. “Becca, meet your Aunt Thea.” He handed Thea the baby and Thea held her tightly, remembering what Felicity had told her when Megan was born.

“She’s….she’s absolutely beautiful.”

“Yeah, she got that from Laurel too.” He said fondly. They talked quietly about random, insignificant things until Laurel came out of the twins’ nursery holding Robert.

“I think someone felt a little left out.” She said, and then she noticed Thea. “You’re back.”

“I’m back.” She smiled. “Can I- I’ve already met Becca, and I’d really like to meet Robert.”

Thea held Robert as she told Laurel that she was staying in Starling. She knew she’d need to tell Laurel and Tommy about everything eventually, but now wasn’t the right time. So, she told them that she had been staying with Malcolm, but recently she’d missed home and decided it was time to come back. She didn’t want to overstay her welcome, so she left the apartment after about an hour.

 

Megan woke up and ran downstairs to have breakfast. It was Saturday, which meant no school. She had a lot of ideas for fun things she could do during the day and she wanted to tell her parents her ideas as soon as possible.

As she walked towards the kitchen, she noticed Wolfsbane was standing at attention and looking at something inside the kitchen. She went to pet him, and noticed he wasn’t taking his eyes off of something, or someone, in the corner.

Megan walked into the kitchen and looked at the spot where Wolfsbane was focused. She let out a scream. “Auntie Thea!” She ran towards her aunt and gave her a big hug.

“Hi, Megan.” Thea said, hugging her back. “Did you miss me?”

“Uh-huh. I know I got to talk to you on the phone, but- but I wasn’t the same.”

“I know. And I’m sorry.” She said. “I’m sorry I didn’t get to help you pick out your “first day of school” outfit too.” Felicity had told her, in passing, how much that ritual had meant to Megan and how she’d missed it this year. Thea realized that she’d missed it too.

“It’s okay. You can help me pick what to wear on Monday!” Megan said. “Are you coming home? Or just visiting?”

“Oh, you’re not getting rid of me that easy.” She said. “I’m back, for good.”

“Yay! And there’s no school, so we can go to the park and you can tell me about your trip and I can show you a new game I learned and-.”

“Why don’t we just start with breakfast?” Felicity asked with a laugh. Megan had been so excited to see Thea that she hadn’t even said “good morning” to her parents. “And then, we’ll go from there.”

“I think Thea being home calls for pancakes.” Oliver agreed. Megan’s favorite breakfast.

“I’ve missed pancakes, especially blueberry ones with lots of syrup.” Thea said.

Megan excitedly agreed

 

Sara made herself some breakfast in her hideout before making a call to Nanda Parbat. Nanda Parbat was 13 hours ahead of Starling, but she needed to share a few things with the League immediately.

“Moira Queen was being truthful. Malcolm Merlyn is alive.” She said when she called to provide a status update. “I know where he is, but I’ve run into a complication.”

“I do not appreciate being told excuses.” Ra’s al Ghul said.

“I make no excuses. I’m just pointing out that, the situation is far more complicated than I anticipated, and the situation might require additional help.”

Chapter 74

Summary:

With Malcolm's plans foiled, everyone has to reconsider how to move forward with their lives.

Chapter Text

Sara made herself some breakfast in her hideout before making a call to Nanda Parbat. Nanda Parbat was 13 hours ahead of Starling, but she needed to share a few things with the League immediately.

“Moira Queen was being truthful. Malcolm Merlyn is alive.” She said when she called to provide a status update. “I know where he is, but I’ve run into a complication.”

“I do not appreciate being told excuses.” Ra’s al Ghul said.

“I make no excuses. I’m just pointing out that, the situation is far more complicated than I anticipated, and the situation might require additional help.”

“And what, may I ask, has made the situation, as you say, far more complicated than you anticipated?”

“He knows I’m searching for him.”

“Al Saher knows our ways. He is aware of the fact that, once I learned of his survival, I would send someone to capture him and bring him to Nanda Parbat to face justice.” Ra’s said in a bored tone.

“No, you don’t understand. He knows that I’m the person you sent, looking for proof that he was alive.” She said. “Only a handful of people outside the League know what my mission is, and I know they wouldn’t have told him. Meaning he might have someone in Nanda Parbat aiding him.”

It was one thing for Malcolm to have known the League was after him. The fact that Malcolm knew it was specifically Sara sent to find him was another matter entirely. He knew it was her. Thea was told to kill Sara, not to kill whatever masked assassin she encountered. How had he known who was after him?

“Or, you have gotten sloppy.”

“I doubt you would have chosen me for the assignment if that were the case.” She said. “If you choose to believe that he isn’t getting help from within the League, where he’s made many connections, that’s up to you. In any case, I believe I will need additional assistance to complete my task.”

“What do you propose?”

“Merlyn tried to kill me, through an intermediary. I’m currently allowing him to believe he succeeded. In a week or so, you could send someone to look for news of me. Any sooner would be suspicious. While he’s avoiding this new assassin, a new threat, I should be able to maneuver him into a trap.”

“Why let him think he succeeded in the first place?”

“Like I said, it’s complicated and I doubt you want to listen to the details. It simply makes the most sense to me at the moment.”

“I will reflect on what you have told me and inform you of how you should move forward.” Ra’s said before hanging up the phone.

 

Malcolm had two big problems on his hands at the moment. First, Thea was gone. He realized she might’ve simply gone to a hotel, which was much more hospitable than his safehouse, but he was surprised and annoyed by her leaving. If he didn’t know where she was, it was hard for him to have her followed or control her actions. What if she had already gone to visit Tommy and his kids? What if she let slip that she’d been living with Malcolm to him? Or worse, Felicity and Oliver? His plan depended on no one suspecting Thea of being in any way connected to him.

His other problem was that Sara had died, but he wasn’t able to record it. A video of Thea killing Sara would be invaluable when, inevitably, the League of Assassins demanded her killer be handed over. He knew that DNA evidence could be tampered with, but Oliver knew that too. And there was no way Oliver would ever trust Malcolm’s word. What he needed was proof, indisputable proof, of Thea killing Sara in order to force Oliver into challenging Ra’s. He didn’t have it. He knew one thing: he needed to get to Sara’s body before anyone else found it.

Malcolm gave Thea a call and tried to sound casual, telling her that he was heading to a meeting and asking her to let him know when she was going over to see Tommy, claiming he wanted to join her. He then left the hideout in search of Sara’s body.

 

Thea glanced at her phone before turning it over so that she couldn’t see the screen. She didn’t want to see the message Malcolm had sent her. She was home, she was with her family. She didn’t care about his plans or what he wanted anymore.

“Auntie Thea!” Megan exclaimed. She had been explaining the rules of a boardgame.

“Oops! I’m listening. It was just a boring grown-up thing.” She said. “So, the goal of the game is to get my pieces all the way around the board before you do? I think I can do that. Though, go a little easy on me for the first round, okay?” Thea already knew how to play Sorry, but Megan had wanted to teach her how to play and she didn’t want to ruin her niece’s fun.

“Okay.”

“Megan, will you and Aunt Thea be okay on your own for a few hours?” Felicity asked, coming over to the pair.

“Uh-huh.” The girl said. “Are you and Daddy leaving?”

“Yeah, we’re gonna go out for a bit. And let you have some bonding time with Thea. But if you need us, we’re just a call away.”

“Okay. Have fun!”

Felicity and Oliver left a few minutes later. Today was the first time in a while that they had a chance to do something, just the two of them. Tommy and Laurel were new parents. Digg and Lyla had been preparing for their own baby to be born, and Roy wasn’t exactly babysitter material. They decided to go on a lunch date to Table Salt.

‘I’m really glad we decided to do this.” Oliver said as they were given their food.

“Me too. I’ve missed you. Well, not missed you, because I see you every day, but I missed having you all to myself, in a way.”

“I know what you meant. And I did too.” He said, leaning over to give her a chaste kiss. “And, it’s nice that Thea’s back.”

“That too. I missed her. And I’m glad she’s not super pissed at me for the way I acted.”

“What do you mean?”

“When I- I might’ve left a few things out when I told you that she’d reached out to me. I’d been texting her, and getting no response for weeks. Just like you and Tommy, and the day she came to town and left before she saw anyone, I was moody and Megan was having one of her rare difficult days, so I just kinda snapped. I called her, she didn’t answer and I kept calling her until she did.” She said. “When she answered, I kinda yelled at her for ignoring all of us. I told her that it wasn’t fair for her to take her anger at you out on me or Tommy or Megan. I tried- I was attempting to tell her that we missed her, and even if she didn’t come back, we just wanted to still be in her life. But I might’ve come off a little strong.”

“Well, it seems to have worked. And, sometimes, you need someone to come along and yell at you to snap you out of bad habits.” He said. “You know, I didn’t push Thea to talk because I thought her needing space was a temporary thing. I didn’t expect her to be gone for so long.”

“Me neither.” She said. “But, the past is the past and we can’t change it.”

“I wish we could.” He said. “I would’ve been less of a coward and told you how I felt six years ago.”

“Well, there’s no time like the present.” She said with a smirk before kissing him again. “I know I shouldn’t feel giddy about kissing my own boyfriend and the father of my child, but-.”

“But it’s feels nice. Because it is nice. Because we haven’t had a chance to focus on “us” since before Slade was stopped.”

“Exactly.”

“How long do you think Speedy can keep Megan busy for?” He asked.

“Well, she wanted to teach her to play Sorry. And to show off the new tricks Wolfsbane and Tiger learned. Not to mention, there are a few other things she either wants to show her or have your sister tell her about, like her trip, so I’d say at least another hour. Why?”

“I was hoping we can sneak into the mansion while Megan is spending time with Thea, and have some more “just us” time.” He said.

“I’m on board with that.”

The pair went home and spent some alone time for about an hour before going downstairs to see what Thea and Megan were up to.

 

Tommy and Laurel had just gotten the twins down for a nap when there was a knock on the door. The pair braced for one of the babies to start crying, and breathed sighs of relief when no sounds came from the nursery. Not wanting to tempt fate, Laurel opened the door. There was person wearing a hoodie and large sunglasses standing there.

“Sa-?”

“Don’t say my name.” Sara said. “Can I come in?” Wordlessly, Laurel stepped out of the doorway. “Has Thea come to see you?”

“Yeah. She stopped by this morning.” Tommy said. “She wanted to finally meet the twins and-.”

“How much did she tell you about where she’s been? Or what happened last night?”

“We know she was living with Malcolm.” Laurel said. “She told us, but she also- I could tell there was something she wasn’t saying.”

“That’s an understatement.” She said. “Malcolm tried to get her to kill me last night. As far as he knows, he succeeded.”

“Wha- why would- Thea wouldn’t-.” Tommy said.

“I know. And she didn’t do anything other than warn me. It’s- take a seat. This is a very long story.” She said.

It took Sara less time to explain than she thought. She told them as much as she could. Why Malcolm wanted to kill her, how he’d probably tried to drug Thea. Her conversation with Thea after meeting with Laurel last night. At the end, they were both speechless.

“So, yeah, I’m gonna be in town, but lying low for a week or so. Pretending to be dead.” She said, wrapping up the story. “But I didn’t want either of you to hear the wrong thing from the wrong person, like Malcolm, and-.”

“Why would he pick Thea?” Tommy asked. “He could’ve- how could he do this to her? If she’d actually-.”

“I don’t know. And, to be honest, I don’t want to know.” She said. “But, if anyone other than Ollie or Felicity asks, you haven’t seen me.”

“Got it.”

 

Malcolm came to the conclusion that he needed a new plan. Sara was dead, and either Oliver or the police had found her body. He was leaning towards Oliver, because the police would’ve made a statement by now. With Sara dead, and no direct way to tie Thea to the crime, he had to come up with another way to force Oliver into challenging Ra’s to a duel. The League would be sending someone, eventually, to find Sara after they didn’t hear back from her. Maybe Malcolm could try to execute his original plan, but with the new assassin that was sent?

That wouldn’t work. Another assassin wouldn’t let Thea get close enough to kill them. Sara was the perfect target because she knew Thea and wouldn’t see her as a threat. There was only one thing he could do. Malcolm would have to kill the assassin, frame Thea and use the false evidence to manipulate Oliver.

“Why couldn’t she just kill her on the rooftop like I ordered?” Malcolm asked angrily.

Chapter 75

Summary:

Sara tries to figure out what to do with Malcolm while Thea explains why she left and Oliver confronts someone.

Chapter Text

“Auntie Thea?” Megan asked her aunt after they had finished playing the board game Megan wanted to teach her. She and Thea were currently playing with Barbies while Felicity was outside with Wolfsbane and Oliver was making everyone snacks.

“Yeah?”

“How come you went away for so long?” She asked. “Mommy said you went on vacation, but you were on vacation for forever.”

“I went on vacation because I was sad. And angry.”

“Because Grandma died?”

“That’s some of it.” Thea said. “I also left because I was mad at your dad.”

“Why were you mad at Daddy?”

She sighed. She wasn’t entirely sure how she was supposed to explain the very complicated, very mature reason why she was so angry to Megan without upsetting her. “Well, he found out something very important, important to me at least, and he didn’t tell me. So, I had to find out from someone else, someone who wasn’t very nice. It hurt my feelings that your dad didn’t tell me the truth.”

“Did he say sorry?” The girl asked.

“He did, but- have you ever gotten mad at someone, and even when they say sorry, you still don’t forgive them? Maybe you’ll forgive them in a little bit, but you don’t forgive them now?” She asked.

“Uh-huh. That’s how I felt when I found out Daddy’s the Arrow.” Megan said before she covered her mouth. “Oops! I wasn’t- Mommy told me not to tell.”

“It’s okay. I know about that too. You found out before I did.” Thea said. “But the way you felt? That you didn’t want to stay upset at your parents, but it still hurt? That’s how I felt, even after Oliver said sorry. So, I went away for a little bit so that I could start to feel better and forgive him.”

“And now, you aren’t mad at Daddy anymore?”

“No. I’m not mad at him anymore.” She said. “Plus, I missed you so much! And I wanted to come here and meet Robbie and Rebecca.”

“I missed you too. And so did they, even though Mommy said they’re too little to remember.” Megan leaned forward to whisper. “Don’t tell her, but I think Mommy’s wrong this time.”

“I won’t.” Her aunt whispered back with a smile. “It’ll be our little secret.”

“And what are you two whispering about?” Felicity asked as she walked into the family room, closing the sliding glass door to the patio behind her. Wolfsbane walked into the room ahead of her and jumped onto the couch to take a nap.

“Nothing.” Megan said with a guilty expression on her face. She looked over at Thea and they both started laughing.

“Well, okay then.” Felicity said, assuming they were laughing over an inside joke. “Keep your secrets.”

That night, Thea sent Malcolm a short, but simple text. She told him that she’d decided to stay in Starling for a little while longer. She didn’t mention reuniting with Oliver, but she said she’d missed the city and wasn’t quite ready to leave yet.

 

Sara found that faking her death actually made her mission easier to accomplish. Malcolm believed Thea had killed her. Knowing the League of Assassins, he probably thought he had a week or so before Ra’s dispatched another assassin to look for Sara. This meant that, until another assassin arrived, he didn’t feel the need to be as cautious as he normally would. As far as he knew, he was the only League trained assassin in the city, so no one would be able to follow his trail. Sara thought it was stupid of him to assume that, since Sara could’ve come with a partner, but she wasn’t going to complain about him making her job easy.

Since Malcolm didn’t feel the need to cover his tracks anymore, Sara spent the next week following him as he moved throughout the city. She knew where he was staying, who he was meeting with, and a lot more. When she mentioned how easy following him had been to Team Arrow, Oliver was less optimistic.

“How do you know he’s unaware that you’re following him?” He asked.

“Because he hasn’t tried to “shake” me while I was tailing him.” She said.

“And, what if he’s trying to lull you into a false sense of security?”

“The League taught me how to follow people without being noticed.”

“They taught him that too.” Felicity pointed out. “He thinks you’re dead, but just because he doesn’t think you’re following him, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t think he’s being followed.”

“We could try testing to see if he knows he’s being followed.” Digg suggested.

“What do you mean?” Sara asked.

“Instead of you following him, we have Oliver or Roy do it and see if he acts the same. We know they’re not as subtle as you, so if he behaves exactly the same-.”

“Then, we know that he knows he’s being followed.” She finished. “If he knew, why hasn’t he done anything yet? I’ve been following him for a week.”

“Who knows why Malcolm does anything?” Thea asked. “It’s just- what Digg suggested seems like it’s worth a try.”

“Fine by me.”

After some debate, it was decided that Oliver would trail Malcolm for the night. Oliver had more experience after all, and a better excuse to follow Malcolm if the man confronted him about being followed. Thankfully, it was a quiet night in Starling, so Oliver’s quest wasn’t pulling his focus away from people who needed the Arrow. Instead of his hood, Oliver was wearing dark clothes and a beanie.

Sara had told Oliver where Malcolm’s new safehouse was and how he typically moved through the city, so Oliver went there and waited for Malcolm to leave. He spotted Malcolm not long after arriving and began to trail after him.

After about fifteen minutes, Oliver could tell that Malcolm realized he was being followed. Merlyn started moving at a faster pace, not running but also not a causal walk, and would often try to double-back or make sudden turns to shake off the tail.

At one point, Malcolm walked into an alley between two buildings, and when Oliver followed, the older man spoke.

“Are you going to tell me why you’re following me? Or is this going to turn into a physical altercation?” He asked. “I know you’re there. I know you’ve been following me for the last forty-five minutes. What do you want?”

Oliver stepped out of the shadows. “To talk.” He didn’t point out that he’d been following him for over an hour.

“Oliver. You’re not wearing your usual costume.”

“I wasn’t following you as the Arrow, but as Oliver Queen.”

“I don’t really see the difference, but whatever.” He said. “What do you want?”

“I wanna know where Thea is.” He asked. “I know she left town with you last May. Where is she?”

As far as Malcolm knew, Thea had only seen Tommy since arriving in town a week ago. On the plane to Starling a week earlier, she had stated outright that she wasn’t planning on seeing Oliver. Therefore, it would make sense that Oliver would confront Malcolm about Thea’s whereabouts if he knew Malcolm was in town, but didn’t know where Thea was.

“She’s still ignoring you, huh? Maybe you should take a hint. She doesn’t want to talk to you.” Malcolm taunted.

“Malcolm, where is she?” He asked again.

“I don’t know. She’s an adult, so when she decided she wanted to head off on her own, I didn’t stop her. She could be here in Starling, or she could be in Sydney. Why do you wanna know?”

“She’s my sister. I might’ve messed things up with her, but I wanna make sure she’s okay.”

“Saying you “messed things up” is an understatement.” He said. “Last time I saw her, she was fine. She’s probably still fine. Now, next time I catch you following me, I’m just gonna attack. I’m here on business and I’m leaving in the morning. So, you can spare me the “you have failed this city” act.”

“I don’t care. I just wanted to ask about Thea.” Oliver said, as he turned to walk away.

“How did you find me anyway?” Malcolm asked. He wanted to make sure that Oliver hadn’t figured out where his hideout was, so that he couldn’t lead someone else, like a League member, there.

“One of Felicity’s programs, and some sheer dumb luck. It picked you up back near 18th Street and I followed you from there.” He said. “You can change your name, or get a burner phone, but you can’t change your face.”

“Until next time, then.”

“There isn’t gonna be one.” Oliver went back to Verdant. After discussing what had happened, the team agreed that Malcolm probably didn’t know Sara had been following him. Despite his claims, no one believed that Malcolm was really going to be leaving the city soon.

 

Malcolm continued on his way after he confronted Oliver. Something about the interaction felt off to him. On one hand, it seemed odd that Oliver hadn’t mentioned Sara’s death or demanded to know why Malcolm was in the city. Then again, he might not have made the connection between Malcolm’s presence and Sara’s death. He probably didn’t know how long Malcolm had been in town, On the other hand, Oliver had such a one-track mind that it made sense he’d want answers about Thea, and not think to ask about anything else.

He knew it was possible Oliver had made up the reason for the confrontation, but if that were the case, why had Oliver been following him? And why wouldn’t he have just told the truth when he was called out? There might be something Malcolm was missing, and he hated being ignorant.

 

The next morning, Sara got a call from Ra’s al Ghul. It was a very short conversation and the Demon Head did most of the talking. He told Sara that her plan, to send another assassin to Starling under the guise of trying to locate Sara, seemed the most feasible at the moment. He told her to expect the second League member to arrive in the next day or two.

“Are you going to tell me who you’ve sent?” She asked him.

“No. For this gambit to work, it must be a surprise. Meaning you cannot warn Oliver Queen or his comrades who is coming. If you had truly died, the first person I would confront would be your friends. If Al Saher is watching them, then their reactions need to be as genuine as possible.”

“He’s not.” She said.

“Still, it would be beneficial if the search for you appears as routine as possible.”

 

Malcolm woke up one morning and had a bad feeling. He wasn’t the type to believe in “gut instinct” but he could feel that something in the city had changed. He knew it could be nothing, it was possible he was simply being paranoid. There was, however, a chance that it was more than paranoia. Any day now, the League of Assassins would finally send someone looking for Sara. For all he knew, the second assassin was already here. He needed to be cautious.

Chapter 76

Summary:

Starling receives a visitor whose presence puts Malcolm, and a fair few others, on edge.

Chapter Text

Sara finished her conversation with Ra’s al Ghul, about the League’s plan to apprehend Malcolm, and immediately gave Oliver a call. Ra’s didn’t tell her who was coming to “search” for Sara, but she thought she should at least warn him that he might be confronted by an assassin. She would’ve gone to the team, rather than ask Oliver to come to her, but she didn’t know if Malcolm was keeping an eye on him or not.

Under the guise of following a lead on the new Count Vertigo, Oliver made his way to Sara’s hideout to find out what she wanted to discuss with him.

“Is everything okay?” He asked her when he entered the room.

“Yeah, it’s fine, You’re gonna get a visitor from Nanda Parbat soon.” She said. “I thought it would be a jerk move not to tell you.”

“Why would someone from Nanda Parbat come here? Or wanna talk to me?”

“Malcolm thinks I’m dead. And he knows how the League works. If I disappear on assignment, he knows that eventually someone will be sent to find me. And, since I last reported to Ra’s al Ghul that I had arrived in Starling, the assassin’s gonna start looking here.” She said. “The plan is really complicated and I don’t wanna get you involved in League stuff, but you need to know. Mostly because, if Malcolm is watching you, your reactions need to be authentic.”

“Who’s coming? When are they coming?”

“I don’t know.” She said. “They wouldn’t tell me. But you should expect someone to come looking for me soon. Act as if I’m really dead and everything should be fine.”

“Last time someone from the League came looking for you, they attacked my home. I can’t just trust that they won’t do the same thing again and put my family in danger. You’re my friend and I wanna help you, but I can’t risk Megan or Felicity’s safety.”

“You won’t be. I promise. When I spoke with Ra’s about this, he agreed that your home, QC and Megan’s school were off-limits. Despite what the name implies, the League of Assassins doesn’t immediately default to violence to achieve their goals.” She said. “And Ra’s doesn’t want to be your enemy.”

“You’re asking me to put a lot of faith in the man who trained Malcolm Merlyn. And sent his own daughter to kill you.”

“You don’t have to trust him. You just need to trust me.” She said. “It might not make sense to you. But this, all the subterfuge I’ve been doing for the last week, I’ve been doing it to keep you out of what’s going to happen as much as possible.”

“Fine.” He said. He wasn’t happy at the situation, but he knew that this wasn’t really his fight. “Thanks for letting me know.” He left a few moments later.

 

After realizing that the League would send someone looking for Sara pretty soon, Malcolm decided it might be in his best interest to put some distance between himself and Starling. He needed to remain nearby, in order to keep an eye on things, but if he stayed too close, he’d be caught and either killed or dragged to Nanda Parbat before he could put his plan into motion.

His original plan depended on Thea killing Sara and him being able to record the act. His new plan was to kill the assassin and frame Thea for it. He had to be in Starling, and alive, in order to pull that off. Calling in a few favors, Malcolm left his current hideout and relocated to a monastery on the outskirts of town.

 

Felicity was about to leave the mansion to head to the foundry when Thea called her name. She turned and saw the younger woman walking towards her, looking worried.

“I’m glad I caught you. I- Megan started freaking out when she realized you were leaving to go to the foundry.”

“Let me guess, she wants to come with me?” She asked with a sigh. She understood why Megan wanted to always go to the foundry with her parents, but they needed to enforce the rules they’d come up with. Megan only came to the foundry on weekends. Felicity and Oliver couldn’t keep making exceptions for her.

“I don’t know. I just- can you take a minute and talk to her? I don’t know if she wants to come too, or if she doesn’t want you to go or what, but I think she really needs to talk to you.” Thea said.

“Okay.” She said. Megan had been in a very good mood for most of the day, so she wasn’t sure where this sudden change had come from. Nonetheless, she needed to hear what her daughter had to say.

Felicity walked upstairs and found Megan in her room. She took a seat next to the girl on her bed. “Aunt Thea said you got upset when you found out I was going to meet Daddy at the foundry.”

“It didn’t happen like that. I’m not a baby.”

“No, you’re not a baby.” Felicity agreed. “But you aren’t happy that I’m going. Is it because you wanna come with me? Because we talked about this. I know you like being there, with everyone, but that’s not for weeknights. I can’t-.”

“I don’t wanna come with you.” Megan said with a pout.

“Okay.” At least she was getting somewhere. “If you aren’t upset because you wanna come with me, then why are you upset?”

“I don’t want you to go.” She said.

“Why don’t you want me to go?”

“I don’t- I just really want you to stay here, with me.” Megan said. “I don’t know why, but I just- can you stay here? Just for tonight? I know Daddy needs your help, but-.”

Felicity pulled away to get a good look at Megan. She could read her daughter’s expression incredibly well and Megan looked scared, completely terrified. “I think your dad can take care of himself without me tonight. I’ll tell him I’m staying in with you.” She said. She then opened her arms for a hug and Megan wrapped her arms around her. “Are you scared something’s gonna happen to me?” She felt Megan nod. “Why?”

“I heard Auntie Thea talking to Daddy, about a mean man who tried to make her hurt someone. I don’t want that to happen to you too.” The little girl admitted. “And then I had a bad dream about it.”

“Nothing’s gonna happen to me, baby.” She said. “But if it will make you feel better and be less scared, I’ll stay right here.”

 

“Where’s Felicity?” Roy asked when Oliver ended his phone call. “Is she stuck in traffic or-?”

“She’s not coming tonight.” He said. “Megan overheard Thea and I talking about Malcolm and it made her have a nightmare and she’s terrified that something’s gonna happen to Felicity. She decided that being with Megan was more important tonight.”

“Well, I suppose that’s- hey!” Roy said, looking behind Oliver, causing him to turn around.

“Where is she?” Nyssa asked as she nocked an arrow and pointed it at them. “Where is Sara? She came here for the League two weeks ago. We haven’t heard from her since.”

In hindsight, Oliver shouldn’t have been surprised that Nyssa was the League member sent to find Sara. She was one of the few assassins who knew Sara well and would have her own reasons for wanting to find her. Still, it was a problem that she was here because he didn’t know how “in character” Nyssa would be during this confrontation.

“There’s something I have to tell you.” Oliver said.

Nyssa lowered the bow and spoke. “Sara’s dead? It was an arrow, wasn’t it?” She was fully committed to the part she was playing, he’d give her that.

“How do you know that?”

“Where’s her body?”

“Nyssa-.”

“Where?!”

“We buried her in her grave from seven years ago.” Oliver admitted. He didn’t know why he’d said that. He hadn’t expected to be asked that question, so the answer just kind of slipped out without him thinking about it.

Nyssa turned and left the lair.

Oliver asked Roy to shadow Nyssa and see where she went. He called Oliver hours later when she’d gone to Sara’s hideout. He went there, just to make sure how much further he needed to push the “Sara is dead” act. Nyssa didn’t answer, but said she needed to meet with Team Arrow immediately.

He didn’t want to bother Felicity with what was going on, but John and Roy were at the foundry when they returned. Oliver told them about Sara’s mission in Starling and the fact that Malcolm Merlyn was alive. He felt foolish for taking the time to tell them information that everyone in the room already knew, but Sara had said their reactions needed to be convincing, which meant pretending that he didn’t know why Sara had been in Starling in the first place.

“Malcolm knows how you operate, right?” Roy asked. “So, he’s probably not still in town.”

“If he’s left the city, he wouldn’t have gone far.” Nyssa said. “He would want to observe events to manipulate the people involved to his advantage. Do you have any idea where he might be hiding?”

“Pretty sure Sara was asking Tommy the same thing a few weeks ago. I don’t think he would’ve had many ideas.” Oliver said. “But she might’ve visited her father. I can ask Laurel if she can parse something out.”

“No need. Her last message to my father, before she disappeared, was that she was looking for someone named Jansen. That seems to be a good place to start my search.” Nyssa said. “I must learn the truth of what happened to her. If you do not wish to be further involved, due to your vow not to kill, I understand.”

“I don’t like your methods, but Sara’s my friend. So, I won’t help you kill him, but I’ll help you find him.”

“I suppose that is better than no help at all.”

With the help of one of Felicity’s programs, they figured out that Jansen was the surname of a Buddhist monk that Malcolm had helped avoid deportation. He lived in a monastery on the outskirts of town, a place where Malcolm would probably seek sanctuary.

They headed to the monastery and split up to search the compound.

 

Malcolm sat in the sensei’s quarters meditating. Jansen had died a few months before the Undertaking, but his offer to Malcolm for sanctuary was still honored by his disciples. He sat there with his eyes closed, but opened them when he heard light footsteps approaching. The assassin had already found him. He prepared for him or her to strike.

“Jansen sensei. I am Nyssa, daughter of Ra’s al Ghul.” Nyssa said from behind him. “You will tell me where I can find Malcolm Merlyn or I will kill you where you sit.”

Well, this was certainly unexpected. And incredibly inconvenient. Killing a standard League assassin was one thing, killing the Heir to the Demon was another matter entirely. It seemed he, once again, needed to rethink his plan. First, however, he needed to get out of this room.

He stood and turned. “Hello, Nyssa.” He released a smoke bomb to cover his escape and fled. As he ran away from the building, he felt something nick his shoulder. He looked to see a green arrow lying on the ground. He met Oliver’s gaze, smirked and ran off.

“You missed.” Nyssa remarked.

“I wasn’t shooting to kill.” He said. “But I needed to make it look believable. What happens now?”

“Now, I hunt Malcolm and you should do your best to stay out of my way.”

 

Malcolm reached his back-up safehouse and started pacing. Nyssa was here. The Demon Head sent his own daughter to search for Sara and hunt him down. He hadn’t expected that.

“I gotta get her out of the city. Send her on a wild goose chase after Sara. Ra’s will have to send someone else. Yes, if she goes running off to find Sara, he’ll send another to hunt for me. Someone easier to kill. That’s what I’ll do. That’s what I have to do.”

Chapter 77

Summary:

Malcolm tries to get rid of Nyssa, Oliver explains some of his behavior and Felicity considers Megan's recent concerns.

Chapter Text

Following Nyssa and Oliver’s unsuccessful confrontation against Malcolm, they returned to the foundry. Nyssa had wanted to immediately chase after Malcolm in the hopes of having a second chance to kill him, or in the very least capture him, but Oliver suggested that doing that might not be as strategic as she thought.

“Oliver, I appreciate that you want to get justice for Sara. However, your idea of justice and mine are clearly very different. And sitting down here, talking about “next time” we should do this or that brings me no closer to finding him.” She said. “Especially given that you had an opportunity to kill him, or in the very least injure him, and yet, you didn’t take it.”

“And, as I said back at the monastery, I wasn’t aiming to do either. I just needed it to look believable.” He said. “You’ve fought beside me before, and I know Sara told you about events on Lian Yu. We both know that I’d have to start going blind or lose an arm to miss such an easy shot.” When Malcolm was running away from Nyssa, he’d left his back wide open to attack from Oliver and even on an “off-day” it would’ve been an easy shot to make. “I didn’t need to injure him, just cut him.”

“Why? If you don’t start explaining yourself, I’ll assume you had no valid reason and that you’re just making up an excuse now.” She said.

“I didn’t shoot him with a normal arrow.” He said. “There was a small tracking device on the tip of the arrow. When it cut Malcolm’s shoulder, the tracking device went into the wound.” QC had been making a number of strides in the field of nanotechnology lately, and Felicity allowed Oliver to “borrow” a prototype intended to function as a GPS tracker. “Now, you can track him.”

“Until he begins to wonder why you would miss such an easy shot and discovers the tracker.”

“Merlyn doesn’t think very highly of me. I doubt it would occur to him that I’d miss on purpose. No, he probably thinks I was just trying to slow him down, for you to catch up, so that that way, I wouldn’t have to be the one to kill him.”

“Why would you not want to kill him? He killed over 500 people. He probably killed Sara. I can understand not wanting to kill every evildoer who crosses your path, but surely an exception-.” Nyssa had a very low opinion of Oliver’s rule against killing, but she could respect his commitment to it, for the most part. When it came to Malcolm, however, she couldn’t understand his reluctance.

“Because he’s my little sister’s father and I don’t wanna make her an orphan.” He blurted out. He hadn’t meant to reveal that much, but it had been a long night and he was tired of this whole situation. “And I’d appreciate it if that particular fact didn’t make its way back to your father.”

“I must share any relevant or useful information I uncover.”

“Thea has no control over who her father is. And I don’t want my sister to be targeted over it. She shouldn’t suffer because our mother slept with the wrong person.” He said.

The comment struck a nerve with Nyssa. She knew better than most how one could suffer because of who one’s parents were. “I will refrain from giving my father that information unless I have no other choice. I cannot make the same promise of Tommy Merlyn.”

“I know that. And so does he.” He said. He turned towards Felicity’s computer and started typing. “The blinking dot is Merlyn’s location.” The dot was currently moving at around 35 miles per hour, indicating Malcolm was in some kind of vehicle.

“What happens when he cleans the wound? Will the tracker be dislodged?”

“Maybe.” He said. “In that case, it’s not gonna lead you directly to him, but it’ll at least tell you where he’s been hiding.” Having said his piece, Oliver changed out of his hood and went home.

He arrived at the mansion to find Megan asleep, with Wolfsbane curled up in front of her bed. The wolf raised his head when he heard the door open, but set it back down when he recognized Oliver.

“Thanks for keeping watch over her.” Oliver told the wolf. Wolfsbane let out a breath and adjusted himself so that he could go back to sleep.

He left Megan’s room and walked towards the room he and Felicity shared. Felicity was also fast asleep when he walked in, so he quietly put on some sweatpants and got into bed next to her. She rolled over and curled into his warmth.

“How’d it go?” She asked sleepily.

“Go back to sleep. I’ll tell you tomorrow.”

 

Malcolm was at somewhat of a loss. He needed to trick Nyssa, send her off on a wild goose chase, in order for his plan to work. However, Nyssa was a difficult woman to fool. She wouldn’t rush to Central City or Monument Point or some other place just based on a rumor of Sara being seen there. Especially not now that she knew Malcolm was in Starling. At the very least, she’d capture Malcolm and then go running after Sara. He had no intention of being captured, so he needed to get her to leave first, send word to Ra’s al Ghul that she’d found Malcolm and have Ra’s send another assassin to actually capture him.

The only way to get Nyssa to leave would be with proof. Genuine, or at least appearing to be genuine, proof that Sara was somewhere else and in danger would be the only thing that would get the Daughter of the Demon out of the city immediately.

Fortunately for him, Malcolm had friends, allies and lackeys with a wide range of skills. He called one such man, whose services Malcolm had used in the past.

“He-?”

“How good are you at photoshop? And whatever the video equivalent is?” He asked before the man could even say hello.

“Very. What exactly do you need? How complex are we talking?”

Malcolm explained exactly what he needed from the man and ordered him to get to work. Within four hours, he’d received the edited photos and videos he requested. A surveillance photo of Sara Lance exiting a train station in Chicago and a video of her fighting a few criminals and appearing to be captured. He could tell the footage was faked, but Nyssa, who wasn’t very tech-savvy, wouldn’t know what to look for. She’d fall for it in a split second.

 

The next morning, Oliver explained what had happened the night before with Malcolm and Nyssa to Felicity. She wondered why dealing with Malcolm involved such a convoluted plan with so much room for error, but also couldn’t come up with a better way to handle the situation, given what she already knew.

“I feel like we should talk about Megan’s worries last night.” Oliver said.  “She’s scared about you dying.”

“All kids are scared of that. Most adults are scared of that too. I’m scared of something happening to my mom.” Felicity said.

“But she thinks you just being in the foundry means you’re gonna die.”

“It’s not surprising. She’s a little girl and she’s been through a lot in a short amount of time. Yes, she’s going to therapy so that she can deal with some of that trauma, but- but it’s still a lot. And trauma is- she’s so smart, but her brain is still developing, so she’s making weird connections between things she does, or things I do, and what happens.” She said. “I did the same thing when my dad left.”

“What?”

“The night before my dad left, we got into an argument because I didn’t want to eat broccoli. He went to work the next day and then he never came back.” She said. “To seven-year-old me, there had to be a reason why he didn’t come back, and it had to be something I did, so I thought that if I ate all the broccoli I could find, he’d come back. For the first few weeks, I used to beg my mom to make broccoli with every meal, because if I ate the broccoli, he wouldn’t be mad at me anymore and he’d want to be my dad again.”

“Felicity, that’s-.” The story was one of the saddest things he’d heard in a while.

“I’m over it. I know now that he didn’t leave because of vegetables or even because of me.” She said. “But my point is, Megan’s trying to find a logical explanation for things that have happened, and because there’s no easy explanation, she’s settled on a reason that makes sense to her.”

“So, how do we help her?”

“I don’t know. I’ll talk to Jeanette.” Jeanette was the therapist Megan had been seeing for the last few weeks. The woman was part of ARGUS, so they didn’t need to worry about Megan spilling the beans about Oliver being the Arrow to her. The woman couldn’t disclose anything Megan told her, but hopefully they could work through the matter together. “She might be able to help Megan work through it.” Felicity then noticed Oliver’s expression. “Megan’s gonna be okay. This is tough now, and she’s struggling, but we’re doing all we can for her. She’s gonna be okay.”

“I just feel so helpless. It feels like the one person I want to protect the most is the one person I can’t help.”

“I know.” She said. “But Megan’s-.”

The door to their bedroom cracked open. “Mommy? Daddy? Are you awake?” Megan tried to whisper as she peered inside. She meant to whisper, but it was almost as loud as her normal voice.

“Yeah, we’re awake.” Felicity said. “I think it’s time we had some breakfast. What do you think?”

The girl nodded. Together, the three of them made their way downstairs to the kitchen. Oliver asked Megan what kind of cereal she wanted.

“Can I have Cocoa Puffs? Please, please. please?” Cereals with a lot of sugar were normally only for the weekends, but today was Thursday.

“I don’t know. That’s a lot of sugar to be eating this early.” He said.

“Pretty please with a cherry on top?”

“I think it’s okay if she has Cocoa Puffs for breakfast today.” Felicity said. “But tomorrow, no Cocoa Puffs. Cheerios or another non-sugary cereal.”

“Okay.” Megan said.

 

Nyssa, dressed in civilian clothing, was walking around Starling, looking for clues to Malcolm’s location. She was exiting an alleyway when she spotted a brick on the wall that was out of place. The average person wouldn’t have noticed it, but the League used a similar method to hide notes for other members while on assignment. Deciding to take the chance, she moved the brick out from where it had been placed and found a folded up piece of paper.

She opened the paper to find a short note. She wasn’t certain the message had come from Malcolm, but it mentioned Sara and seemed to hint that it was meant for her. The message was simple: the author had information about Sara and wanted to meet her at a noodle shop in half an hour.

Tucking the note away, Nyssa moved the brick back into place and made her way towards the aforementioned location. She arrived at the noodle shop and, unsurprisingly, found Malcolm sitting there, waiting for her.

“I see you got my message.”

“I see that you have no sense of self-preservation. Do you truly believe that, just because there are people around, you are safe?” She countered.

“You’ll want to hear what I have to say. I know why you’re really here, and its not for me. You’re here because you’re looking for Sara.” He said.

“I might be. Or perhaps I’m not. Why does it matter to you?” She asked.

“Because I have something you should see.” He placed a cellphone on the table between them, along with an envelope.

Nyssa picked up the envelope first and opened it to see a black and white photo of Sara at a train station. It wasn’t Starling’s train station. She then picked up the phone and a video started playing. It showed Sara fighting off three thugs, but a fourth showed up and overpowered her. The video cut out before she saw what happened next.

“I got that video from an associate in Chicago this morning. I don’t know who the men were or why she was fighting them, but as you can see, it didn’t go well for her.” He said. “If you leave now, you might be able to save her. Or, you can stay here and let Sara die, to capture me.”

Nyssa stared at him for a moment. “This photo is convincing. And I don’t know how you managed to create this video, but there’s just one problem.”

“What’s the problem?”

“The woman in this video cannot be Sara, because Sara is dead.” She said. “Did you think Oliver wouldn’t tell me?”

It hadn’t occurred to Malcolm that Oliver could’ve told Nyssa that Sara was dead. In fact, he didn’t even know if Oliver was aware of her death until now. “How do you know he wasn’t lying? Or that she didn’t just fake her death? Oliver’s not exactly the brightest bulb in the box, you know.”

She could tell that Malcolm was beginning to panic. “Because he showed me her body. So, why should I run off to Chicago, knowing that the woman in this video cannot be Sara?”

Malcolm stood up and started to back away. “Well, now that you mention it, perhaps-.” He crashed into a server, causing her to drop a large tray of dishes. Everyone in the shop turned towards the noise, other employees came to help, and he escaped in all of the excitement.

Chapter 78

Summary:

The League keeps plotting, while Felicity decides Megan needs a break from everything.

Chapter Text

After Malcolm ran away from Nyssa, following his plot to get her out of Starling City failed, Nyssa calmly paid the bill for the food she had ordered and left. She had expected Merlyn to try something like this. Nyssa was a genuine threat to Malcolm and, unlike a faceless assassin, there were repercussions to him try to kill or incapacitate her. She wasn’t entirely sure how he had managed to doctor both photos and videos to make it appear that Sara was in them, but she also was not very tech-savvy.

She returned to her hideout, which was Sara’s original hideout, and relayed to her father what had happened. She suggested that she simply track Malcolm down and capture him, but Ra’s believed that plan was too straightforward and that it would make it easier for Merlyn to escape.

“If you don’t want me to capture Malcolm Merlyn, what is it that you want me to do?” She asked. “He’s not stupid or desperate enough to attack me. And he seems reluctant to flee the city. So, we appear to be at an impasse.”

“An impasse where he is at more of a disadvantage than we are.” Ra’s responded. “He’s unaware of what orders I might give you. He’s unaware that Taer al Safher is alive. He’s unaware of what assistance, if any, Oliver Queen will give you going forward. Or what you may do if he attempts anything. His son, grandson and granddaughter are located in Starling City. He would be wise to step lightly.”

“What relevance do Thomas Merlyn or his children have to my mission?” Nyssa asked. She knew better than to outright refuse to harm Tommy or his kids, since Ra’s al Ghul didn’t take being told “no” very well, but at the same time, she didn’t want to harm Tommy or his family. “Thomas is engaged to the assistant district attorney, whose father is a police captain. Targeting them would be-.”

“You ask what relevance they have? They have none to your actual mission. But Al Saher is unaware of what orders I may have given you. Or how angry I am for him violating our code.” He said. “The chance you may target his son or grandchildren is a power tool in our favor.”

“So, you wish to play mind games with him.” She said. “Very well.”

“Did you expect me to order you to kill two infants? Such a task would be beneath you.” He said. “And yes, I wish to unnerve Al Saher before we capture him. His defeat will feel that much more cathartic. Did you have anything further to report?”

“No. I didn’t.” She said before hanging up.

 

While Megan was at school, Felicity went to work like usual. Today, however, she was having a very difficult time concentrating on her job. She had completely zoned out during a meeting and when someone called her name, it was a little obvious that she hadn’t been paying attention. She told the person presenting, a smaller company looking to collaborate, that she’d need to look over the data they’d provided before making her decision. A few board members looked unhappy as the meeting concluded.

She knew Queen Consolidated’s board was still annoyed with her for not agreeing to talk to the potential buyer of the company, Ray Palmer, and that the board was looking for any reason to try and get rid of her, but work needed to come second right now.

She ignored Mr. Dennis’s attempts to get her attention after the meeting, since he probably wanted to bring up Ray Palmer again, and went back to her office. Her assistant Gerry told her that she didn’t have any more meetings for the day, which made her sigh in relief.

“It’s tough being the boss, huh?” He asked.

“And it’s only Tuesday.” She responded. “What do I have scheduled for the rest of the week?”

Gerry rattled off a list of meetings that had been scheduled. It wasn’t the busiest week she’d ever had, but it was still several meetings she’d need to sit through, and she wasn’t looking forward to that.

Megan was going through something and right now, she needed her mom more than ever. Only, work was keeping Felicity so busy that it seemed like she couldn’t be there for her daughter. Felicity needed a break. Megan needed a break. Maybe, it was time for them to take some time away from the city.

“And how much of a pain would it be to reschedule those five meetings?” She asked.

“…Not very.” He said. “Which ones need to be rescheduled?”

“All of them.” She said. “I’m going to Central City tonight and I’ll be there until Saturday.”

Gerry looked down at his tablet. “I don’t- you don’t have a trip to Central City marked on your calendar. And I don’t see any emails from companies based there in your inbox. Did Star Labs or Dayton Optical respond directly to you about the possible collaboration?”

“Not exactly.” She said. She could tell that he was going to ask her more questions, so she kept talking. “This isn’t a work trip. I’m taking a trip to Central City. I know it’s short notice, but I need to go. If the board asks, which they probably won’t, tell them it’s a personal matter. I’ve got weeks of vacation saved up, so they can’t really say I don’t have the time accrued.”

“Is everything okay, Ms. Smoak?”

“Yeah, I just- everything’s fine, Gerry.” She said. “Apologize to the people I was supposed to be meeting with.”

After making the snap decision to take the next few days off, Felicity called Oliver. He answered on the second ring. “I was thinking that we should take Megan to Central City for a few days. And by that, I mean I’m buying train tickets to leave tonight. I think it might help her to be away from Starling for a bit. And I need a break too. And so do you.”

“I can’t.” Oliver said. “With Nyssa in town, and Malcolm plotting something, I just- I feel like leaving town right now isn’t a good idea.”

“That’s- is it okay if Megan and I still go?” She asked. “I really- getting out of town, maybe seeing Barry, I really think it’ll help her. She’ll be able to get her mind off of Slade and Moira and the other things that’ve happened.”

“No. You should definitely go. She didn’t really get to go anywhere over the summer, during summer vacation, so a short trip to Central City sounds like a good idea.” He said.

Felicity booked a ticket for herself and for Megan. When she arrived at Megan’s school to pick her up, she stayed to talk to Megan’s teacher and tell her that Megan would be absent for the next few days. The girl would make up the classwork when she came back.

“We’re going on a trip?” Megan asked her mom when they got into the car.

“Yeah. I thought it would be nice if you and I went to Central City for a few days.” She said. “We can see some museums and explore. And- do you remember my friend Barry from the Christmas party Grandma Moira had?”

“Yeah. He was funny and liked science.” Megan said.

“He lives in Central City.” Felicity said. “And he was in the hospital for a long time, so I haven’t seen him for a while. So, I thought we could have a “Mom and Megan” vacation for a few days in Central City. How does that sound?”

“Daddy isn’t coming?”

“No, it’s just gonna be you and me. But we’ll call him every day.” She said. “How does a little trip sound?”

“It sounds fun, but this isn’t like that other trip is it? The one where we went to Russia?”

“No, it’s not like that trip.” She said. “I took the next few days off work, so I’ll have all day, everyday to spend with you.”

They reached the mansion and Felicity helped Megan pack her suitcase. They had dinner with Oliver before saying goodbye and driving to the train station. The train ride into Central City was pretty quiet. Megan used the time to read a book and work on some homework. Felicity tried to distract herself, but couldn’t stop thinking about what she needed to do to help Megan heal. They reached Central City and checked into their hotel.

 

The next morning, Felicity and Megan went to the CCPD. She convinced the desk sergeant that she was a friend of Barry’s and talked him into letting them wait in his lab. She was standing there, waiting for him to show up and trying to stop Megan from touching Barry’s equipment, when she heard voices.

“Take it from someone who’s been investigating the impossible since they were 11, blogging about this is only gonna bring the crazies to your front door.” Barry said.

“My blog is anonymous.” A woman’s voice responded.

“Anonymous or not, it’s not safe. You never know what kinda weirdos are out there, trolling on the internet.”

“I can vouch for that.” Felicity said as Barry and an African-American woman rounded the corner and walked into the lab. “The Internet is full of weirdos. And nerd-rage. Lots and lots of nerd-rage.” She then turned to the woman. “Hi, Felicity Smoak.”

“Iris West.” Iris responded, shaking her hand.

“Barry!” Megan yelled before launching herself at the CSI. She then immediately started asking him what the different machines did.

“And this is Megan, my daughter.” Felicity said. “We’re taking a little mini-vacation and I wanted to make sure I stopped by and saw Barry.” She cleared her throat. “Megan, can you say hi to Iris?”

“Hi Iris, my name’s Megan Smoak.” Megan said. “I’m in the second grade.”

“It’s nice to meet you Megan.” Iris said.

Not long after, Iris excused herself, claiming she wanted to let Barry and Felicity catch up. They made small talk before Barry asked why she was there. He wondered if Oliver needed something.

“No, I- Megan and I needed to get out of town for a few days. Central City’s a lot sunnier than Starling this time of year. And I wanted to see you. I heard you woke up, you didn’t call, didn’t write, didn’t race over.”

“Oliver told you?”

“Not exactly. Oliver didn’t shut off his comms before you two started talking.” She heard Barry telling Oliver exactly what had happened to him.

“Well, I’d offer to take you to Star Labs, so that I could give you a tour, but-.” He looked at Megan and then back at Felicity. “You’re on vacation.”

“Megan knows Oliver’s secret.” Felicity said. “If that’s what you’re worried about.”

“She knows he’s the Arrow?” Barry asked. “How did-?”

“You know my daddy is the Arrow too?” Megan asked. She then launched into the story of how she was extra sneaky and managed to find the Arrow’s secret lair. She then asked Barry how he knew what Oliver’s secret.

“Well,” Barry started to say. He looked over to Felicity for help, but she didn’t say anything. “I know the Flash and he trusted me with the Arrow’s identity. Speaking of the Flash, do you wanna see the place where he works?”

Megan eagerly agreed, so Barry took Felicity and Megan to Star Labs where he introduced them to Caitlin and Cisco. Before the tour could get too interesting, or Megan could ask too many questions, Barry’s team learned of a robbery in progress and he needed to stop it. Thankfully, Megan was distracted by some of Cisco’s gadgets and didn’t notice what was going on.

He came back an hour later with frostbite, but only on a small section of his abdomen. Cisco had created a cold gun to stop Barry, in case he was evil and the robber, Leonard Snart, had stolen it. Not only was Barry outmatched, but he was incredibly hurt by the fact Cisco would create a weapon like that and then lose it. He went off to run on his special treadmill, where Felicity found him.

“Look, Cisco messed up. He knows that. But, to be fair, we’re talking about something he did before he even knew you. For all he knew, you were another Snart. You can’t fault him for taking precautions.”

“I can still be angry about it.”

“I’m not telling you not to be angry. I-. If you wanna have a team, things like this happen sometimes.” She said. “Sitting here and being angry about it isn’t gonna stop Snart.”

Cisco managed to find a way to track the cold gun, giving them a lead on Snart. Barry took off alone, and turned off his comm, saying he didn’t feel like talking. Felicity wanted to help Team Flash, but she had come to Central City to get away from work and Team Arrow business and spend time with Megan, so she decided it was time for them to head back to the hotel. Before leaving, she told Cisco and Caitlin they should have Barry’s back, no matter what and reminded them that he didn’t do very well the last time he faced Snart.

Snart was at the train station, preparing to make his escape. Barry caught up to him, but he derailed the train as a distraction. After Barry got the last passenger to safety, Snart hit him with the cold gun.

“Thank you.” Snart said as he aimed the weapon at Barry again.

“For what?”

“You forced me to up my game. Not only with this gun, but how I think about the job. I wouldn’t have been able to steal the diamond as theatrically without you. It’s been educational.”

Snart was about to fire when he heard the sound of something powering up behind him. He turned to see Cisco and Caitlin standing there. Cisco was pointing a bigger cold gun at him. “Drop it. This is a prototype cold gun. Four times the size, four times the power.”

Snart didn’t seem willing to risk losing in a fight against the Flash and his team, so he left. Once Snart was out of earshot, Cisco revealed that what he’d brought wasn’t a cold gun, but the Star Labs vacuum with a lot of LEDs attached.

“What made you follow me?” Barry asked.

“Felicity pretty much told us to ignore your “I wanna be alone” act.” Cisco said. “She probably would’ve come too, but she’s on vacation with her daughter, so- do you think the kid knows who the Arrow is?” Ever since learning that Felicity and Barry knew the Arrow, the engineer had been trying to determine who else knew the Arrow’s identity.

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Caitlin said.

 

After a night of watching movies and eating ice cream, Felicity and Megan went to sleep, with plans to go to the science museum the next day. Megan loved the science museum and wanted to go back the next day so that she could see more of it.

Over the next few days, Megan and Felicity explored Central City. Megan had a chance to be a kid once again and Felicity could see how happy this trip was making her. Megan didn’t have any nightmares during their trip and when the Flash made the news, she seemed to be excited rather than scared.

“So, do you think this trip was a good idea?” Felicity asked her as they made their way to the train station.

“Yeah! I had lots of fun.” Megan said. “I wish Daddy could’ve come with us.”

“Me too. Maybe next time he’ll be able to.” She said.

“Do you think he’ll let me meet the Flash?” The girl asked. “Because Daddy knows Barry and Barry knows the Flash, maybe Daddy can convince him.”

“It’s certainly worth a shot.” Felicity said. “Is the Flash your new favorite hero? Or is it still the Arrow?”

“The Flash isn’t my favorite. I like Arrow and Canary the best.” She said. “Don’t tell Sara, but the Arrow is my favorites.”

“I won’t, I promise.” Felicity said. “Are you still worried about me? That I’m gonna get hurt?”

Megan shook her head. “I want you to be safe, but- but I didn’t have the bad dream I was having.”

“That’s good.”

Chapter 79

Summary:

Felicity encounters someone she used to know, and never expected to see again.

Chapter Text

Felicity wasn’t having a great morning. First, Ray Palmer showed up at the mansion unannounced to talk to her while she was trying to wrangle Megan to get her ready for school. Ray had proposed a collaboration with QC, which the board approved in the hopes spending time with Ray would convince Felicity to sell the company, and was clearly very eager to get started. Still, she had boundaries and he should’ve called. On top of that, while Ray was still in her house, her mom showed up. Her mother, who’d come to visit her but forgot to tell her she was coming. She knew her mom meant well, but her mom could be embarrassing sometimes and she didn’t want Donna to say anything too humiliating in front of Ray. Or Megan, for that matter. She hadn’t seen her mom for most of the day, thanks to work, but decided to call out of Arrow duty that night to spend some time with her.

Felicity and Donna were having dinner, Big Belly Burger, in Donna’s hotel room. The power suddenly cut out. Seconds later, the television turned on. A synthesized voice started to speak.

“We are Brother Eye. Judgement has been rendered against this city. A sentence carried out. An earthquake, a siege, this is what comes next. A new life you will live on your knees and it will take nothing more than the push of a button. We are in control now, and this is just the beginning. Let there be light.” The power came back on.

She took her mom to Verdant, knowing her system there might be able to track Brother Eye down. They made an announcement, threatening Starling National Bank, which let Felicity take a look at their code that led to a horrifying discovery. The code they were using was hers, it was the algorithm she wrote at MIT, back before Cooper died or she met Oliver. She left to go to work, hoping for a break from the bad news. Her mother followed her there and they had another fight.

On her way home with Megan, Felicity stopped by her mother’s hotel. Donna was already packing to leave. “I’m glad you’re still here.”

“You are a terrible liar Felicity. Might be the only thing we have in common.” Her mother said as she kept folding clothes.

“That’s not true, Grandma! You’re both pretty and smart and-.”

“You’re right” Felicity said. “We’re different and its always gonna be that way and its not easy-.”

“Mommy, I need to go to the bathroom.” Megan said.

“The bathroom’s right through that door, okay?” Donna said, showing Megan where it was. “No, it’s totally my fault for just showing up here uninvited. Seriously, I think I just got so excited about this free flight.”

“’What?” Felicity asked.

“My plane ticket, I got an email saying I’d won some contest. Free first-class round-trip to Starling.”

“Email?” Felicity said getting to her feet. Donna ignored her and kept packing. “Mom, someone wanted you to be here.” Then, the front door was broken in and two men forced their way inside. They put black bags over both their heads and took them away.

Megan finished in the bathroom and exited. Her mother and grandmother were gone and the door to the hotel room was wide open.

 

Oliver had no idea what was taking Felicity so long. She was taking Megan home to change, and stopping by Donna’s hotel to talk to her before coming to the foundry. She should’ve been back by now. What was taking her so long?

He was about to call her when he got a call from an unknown number. “Hello?”

He heard a sniffle on the other end of the phone. “…Daddy?”

“Megan, where are you? Are you safe?” He asked. “Where’s your mom?”

“I don’t know. We went to see Grandma and I had to go to the bathroom and when I came out, Mommy and Grandma were gone and the door was wide open.” She said before she started crying again. “Why did Mommy leave without me?”

“Mommy didn’t leave you. I’m gonna find out what happened. Megan, are you still in Grandma Donna’s hotel room?” He asked.

“Uh-huh.”

Thankfully, he knew which hotel Donna was staying in. “Ok, what number is on the door?”

“403.” She said.

“Okay. I’m on my way there to pick you up.” He said.

He hung up the phone and told Digg and Roy what was going on. Felicity never would’ve left Megan alone in a hotel room, meaning she and Donna had been taken. He asked them to call Felicity’s phone, so that they could track it, while he went to get Megan. He was relieved that Megan hadn’t been taken as well.

He picked up Megan and took her to Tommy and Laurel’s apartment. He briefly explained that Felicity and her mother had been taken, but whoever abducted them didn’t know Megan was there. Oliver told his daughter that he’d be back as soon as he found Felicity.

 

Felicity wasn’t sure how long it had been when the bag was pulled off her head. She looked around and saw her mother tied to a chair next to her. The only other people in the room were a handful of generic, intimidating, gun-for-hire type of men. She looked around and didn’t see Megan, before remembering that Megan had been in the bathroom when these men kicked the door in. Megan wasn’t here, but was she safe?

A door opened and someone walked into the room. “Felicity Smoak, just the woman I wanted to see.” The Brother Eye voice said.

“Who are you? What do you want from me?”

“You really don’t know?” the voice asked before the person stepped into the light. It was Cooper. “I thought you never forget your first love.”

Cooper’s death, and a desire to get away from the pain was what caused her to take the internship in Starling, and led her to meeting Oliver. “I thought you died. They told me-.”

“That I committed suicide, right? The NSA needed a hacker with game for cyber espionage, and I needed to not be in prison for the rest of my life. Because of what the NSA wanted me doing, it was….advantageous for me to be dead.” He said. “But, this is probably a familiar feeling for you.”

“When I found out you died, I was devastated. I loved you.”

“I loved you too. After I finished my time with the NSA, I was gonna find you, to let you in on this. and then I discovered you’d become this corporate lap dog, playing house with some billionaire asshat. It broke my heart, you changed.”

“If you ever thought I was capable of this, then you never really knew me at all.”

“When you wrote this virus, Felicity, you knew exactly what it was capable of. All I’m doing is unleashing the true potential of what you made.”

“This isn’t who you are.”

Cooper then explained his whole plan. He staged the attack on the bank so the mayor would reach out to the treasury and request fresh cash. Cooper wanted Felicity to hack the Treasury Department’s encryption so she could direct the cash to Brother Eye’s base. He flew Donna into Starling so he could use her as leverage. “Now, I know I could’ve just used your kid, but why take one hostage when you can take two?” He said.

“Except, Megan isn’t here.” She said. “And if you’d even tried, the guys you sent to kidnap us would be dead.”

“You think you can beat the mercenaries I hired? Trained killers?”

“If doing so would’ve protected my daughter? Abso-frakking-lutely.” She said.

“Well, unfortunately, it looks like I won’t get to see that.” He said.

Someone untied Felicity and Cooper dragged her over to the terminal. He ordered her to get started. Cooper’s associates left the room as soon as she got started.

Felicity did as Cooper asked, not wanting him to hurt her mom.. When she was done, he ziptied her to the table she was working at and left. As soon as he walked out of the room, she heard a beeping noise. “What is that?”

“Oh, it’s- I bought one of those smart watch thingies a few days ago. It chimes every hour, and apparently when we’re in mortal danger.” Donna said.

“We’re not in mortal danger.” She said. She turned back to the computer. “We’re gonna get out of here. It’s supposed to replace your computer.”

“I don’t know what that means.”

“It means it has wi-fi.” Cooper might’ve smashed Felicity’s phone, but he should’ve known she could use anything with wi-fi to send out a message.Taking advantage of the mistake, Felicity used its signal to get a message to Oliver.

In the foundry, Oliver was starting to worry about Felicity when his phone, Digg’s and Roy’s started beeping. They all received the same text message, which read ‘Taken by Brother Eye. Mom with me, unharmed. Megan at Hochman Hotel, Room 403. At abandoned warehouse at 14th and O’Neil. Hurry.’ Everyone suited up and left.

 

The sound of a fight could be heard from outside the building and Cooper stormed into the room when he realized things weren’t going according to his plan.

“What did you do?” He yelled at her. She didn’t answer so he raised his weapon and pointed it at her head. “Tell me what you did or you’re never gonna see your stupid little brat again!”

“Hey!” Donna yelled. “You wanna wave that gun at me, fine, but don’t you dare threaten my daughter.”

He lowered the gun but was still holding Felicity’s face. He turned to look at Donna. “Here I thought you were all nails and hair.”

“Try single mom working sixty hours a week in six-inch heels for tips in order to raise that genius child you see right there. I may not understand all this cyber-whatever, but I know without that gun, you wouldn’t last ten second against my girl.”

“Too bad she doesn’t have ten seconds.” He said. Just then, the doors at the far end of the room opened and Oliver rushed in.

“You always were good, but so am I.” Cooper said, cutting Felicity loose and pulling her in front of him, like a human shield.

Two devices mounted above everyone’s heads turned towards the intruder. “Machine guns. Motion-sensored. They can hit most any target.”

Oliver used one of the guns to take out the other. He was then able to disarm the second gun by hiding in its blindspot and destroying it. The whole ordeal took about two minutes and when he turned his attention back to Cooper, he still had a gun aimed at Felicity’s head.

Oliver nocked an arrow, preparing to fire, but trying to figure out how to hit Cooper without also hitting Felicity. He didn’t have to, because Felicity grabbed the gun and, doing what Oliver and Digg had both taught her, twisted it out of Cooper’s hand and hit him across the face with it. She then kicked him for good measure.

Felicity dropped the gun and ran over to hug her mother. The police arrived not long after. A few minutes after that, while Felicity was giving a detective her statement, Oliver returned dressed as a civilian with Megan.

“Mommy!” Megan yelled as she ran towards her mom.

“Hi, sweetie.” She said, hugging her daughter tightly. “Are you okay? You aren’t hurt, are you?”

“No. When I came out of the bathroom and you weren’t there, I called Daddy and he came to pick me up.” Megan said. “Are you and Grandma okay?”

“We’re okay. We were a little worried about you, right, Mom?”

“That’s right.” Donna said. “But you’re safe and sound and that’s what’s the most important.”

“Did a bad man take you?” Megan asked.

“Yeah, he did. And then the Arrow saved us.” Felicity said.

“The Arrow helped.” Donna said, wanting to give Felicity credit for what she’d done during this whole mess. “Your mother saved herself.”

Megan’s eyes got big. “You did?”

“I helped the Arrow find me. And stopped the main bad guy.” She said.

Megan was very impressed when she heard this and started to wonder if she could somehow be the Arrow, Canary and Felicity when she grew up.

 

Felicity took the next day off of work to spend with her mother. Megan didn’t have school, because of a professional day, so she spent the day with Felicity and Donna as well. Despite the circumstances, Felicity was happy to see her mother and wanted to spend time with her. She just wished it hadn’t been a surprise visit.

When she dropped Donna off at the airport, she hugged her mother goodbye.

“Megan’s gonna be okay, you know.” She said. “I know you’re worried about her being traumatized, but-.”

“She’s been kidnapped twice and keeps having nightmares that I’m gonna die.”

“I know.” She said. “But Megan’s strong, like all Smoak women are. She’s gonna be okay.”

Chapter 80

Summary:

Sara begins to get frustrated with the situation and Malcolm has an unexpected confrontation.

Chapter Text

Sara sat in her hideout, listening to the clock on the wall tick, growing more and more anxious by the second. While she was happy Malcolm had failed to kill her, she didn’t deal well with boredom. The League’s ruse to draw Malcolm into a trap hinged on two things: increasing Malcolm’s paranoia about Nyssa’s presence and him believing Sara was dead. As part of the latter, it meant Sara had been unable to leave her hideout for the past several days. She was stuck inside with very little to do and she hated feeling useless.

The door to the hideout opened and Nyssa walked through the door. Since she wasn’t dragging Malcolm behind her, Sara knew that that meant she had yet to spring the trap on the Dark Archer, which made her snap.

“I don’t know why I ever agreed to this!”

“Agreed to what, precisely?” Nyssa asked, unsure of what caused Sara’s outburst.

“This! Me staying locked up in here, for days with nothing to do, while I wait for you to, millimeter by millimeter, lure Merlyn into a trap.” She said.

“You didn’t have much of a choice. My father didn’t give you a choice in the matter. This is his plan, after all.”

“Well, I didn’t exactly argue with him either. Or suggest an alternative to staying in this one room until my brain melts from lack of use.” She said. “I- has any of his plan been put into motion yet?”

“Al Saher is aware of my presence here. And he’s already attempted to convince me to leave to track you to the other side of the country. Likely so that my father will be forced to send someone less…significant here to resume my hunt.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.” Sara said. “And Malcolm knew you were here days ago.”

“He did. Our paths crossed eight days ago.”

“So, in the last eight days, have you gotten any closer to, you know, actually capturing him?”

“I have not.” Nyssa admitted. “My father’s orders were to-. Where are you going?”

Sara had gotten up from her seat and started looking through some supplies. “I need to get out of here.” She said. “I can’t- if I spend another second in this room, I’m gonna lose my mind.”

“If Al Saher were to see you, our entire plan would be-.”

“I don’t really care right now, Nyssa.” She said. “Since you got here, I haven’t left this crummy apartment. I haven’t seen anyone who isn’t you. Because those were the Demon Head’s orders. Well, they’re stupid orders and I’m done following them. In theory, going into hiding isn’t a problem, but in practice, it kinda sucks. And if you rat me out to Ra’s, fine. I’d like to see how he reacts to being locked in this room for over a week.”

“Where will you go?”

“Somewhere Malcolm won’t think to look.” She said. “Don’t worry. I don’t plan on blowing the whole mission, I just need to not be here for a little bit. I’m starting to wish I hadn’t told your father about Malcolm’s failed hit on me in the first place.”

“What do you mean?”

“I should’ve just stolen Thea’s phone, lured Malcolm to a dark alley and broken his neck. Then, I wouldn’t have to bother with all of this subterfuge.”

“You were sent here to confirm his location and bring him to Nanda Parbat, if possible. Not to kill him.”

“Yeah, I know. That was the plan.” She said. “But, plans change. I know he’s over a century old but Ra’s is gonna have to learn that at some point.”

Sara, now somewhat disguised, started towards the door. As long as Malcolm Merlyn was more than a few feet aware from her, he wouldn’t be able to recognize her and she could walk around the city somewhat freely for a bit.

“Do you regret returning to the League?” Nyssa asked her. She could understand some of Sara’s frustration, but it seemed like she wasn’t solely angered by the situation.

“Somewhat. But I had a debt to repay, and I didn’t intend to not repay it.” She said. She walked away before Nyssa had a chance to say anything else.

 Sara was conflicted to say the least, but she hadn’t lied. Thea hadn’t shot her, but she very easily could’ve killed her, had Malcolm succeeded in drugging his daughter. Being reminded of one’s mortality had a tendency to make someone reevaluate their life and Sara was starting to think dying in service to the League of Assassins wasn’t the way she wanted to go. She had had dreams, once, goals, places she wanted to visit. She was starting to realize she wanted more out of life. Rather than discuss any of this with Nyssa, though, she fled the safehouse and walked to Verdant. She knew Malcolm didn’t have any surveillance on the club or the foundry, thanks to Felicity’s vigilance, so she could hide there.

She entered to find nearly everyone who knew she was still alive standing in the lair talking. Laurel and Tommy were the only ones who were missing, but they were most likely at home with the twins. Patrol had ended for them and they were clearly discussing the events of the night. The group moved to attack the unknown intruder when they spotted her, but then Sara started to remove her disguise and they relaxed.

“Sara, what are you doing here?” Oliver asked her.

“If I stayed in my hideout any longer, I was gonna go crazy and throw myself off the roof.” She said. “I’ve kinda been stuck there since Nyssa came to town.”

“That was almost two weeks ago.” Roy said.

“Yeah. Like I said, I needed to get out of there.” She said.

“What’s taking Nyssa so long to capture Malcolm?”

“Just capturing him isn’t dramatic enough. The plan Ra’s had involved getting him really paranoid and making him constantly look over his shoulder before luring him into the trap she’s gonna set.” She said. “And, unfortunately, he’s apparently not paranoid enough yet and Nyssa isn’t gonna disobey her father’s order to work slowly, so….yeah.”

“Is there any way that we can, you know, help?” Thea asked.

“I already told Nyssa and Malcolm, loudly and insistently, that I wasn’t gonna be a part of this.” Oliver said. “And that applies to the team as a whole.”

“Nyssa doesn’t need help; she just needs time and I needed to not lose my mind.” Sara clarified. “So, I thought I’d stay here for a few hours before heading back to the hideout.”

“I mean, you don’t have to go back to the hideout.” Felicity pointed out. “In fact, you probably shouldn’t.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, if I were Ra’s al Ghul, I would’ve told you to leave town, hell I’d send you out of the frakking country after your “death”. If the guy who thinks he killed you is here, why is it a good idea for you to also be here?” She said. “Why didn’t he tell you to come back to Nanda Parbat?”

“In case Malcolm had spies in Nanda Parbat who’d tell him I was alive.” Sara said. “After all, he found out I was sent to find him, somehow, so it makes sense he has allies in the League willing to help him.”

“Okay. Why not send you to Tahiti or something then? It’s not Nanda Parbat, so there isn’t the spy issue and it’s not here, where you’d be forced into house-arrest to maintain the story that you were killed.” She said. “You could be drinking fruity drinks out of a coconut right now.”

“That would be nice, but Ra’s wants me here.” The more she thought about it, the less sense the specifics of Ra’s plan made. She decided not to dwell on it. “How’s Megan doing? And Robert and Rebecca?”

Everyone seemed to know that she was changing the subject intentionally, but no one commented. Felicity, Oliver and Thea started telling her stories about Megan and the twins, to keep her up to date on the things she’d missed out on.

Sara ended up coming to the foundry, in disguise, every night for the next week, while waiting for Nyssa to finally make a move against Malcolm.

 

Malcolm Merlyn wasn’t a stupid man. He hadn’t seen Nyssa in over a week, but he knew there was no way she’d simply left town. He killed her girlfriend and then tried to trick her. He knew there was no way she’d just leave and allow someone else to get justice for Sara. The Heir to the Demon was clearly planning something, but he had no idea what that “something” was. Yet, for the moment, she was simply biding her time.

Merlyn also knew when someone was watching him. Someone was watching him. Someone was following him. Someone who was rather skilled, which he had to begrudgingly admit. He knew it wasn’t Nyssa, for several different reasons, but he hadn’t been able to determine who it was. It couldn’t be another League member, as Ra’s al Ghul wouldn’t send another assassin unless the first he sent failed, and Nyssa knew better than to fail. Was it someone else he had wronged? The list of suspects was rather long, but one thing was certain: Malcolm Merlyn had too many enemies in too small of an area.

As Malcolm traveled through the city, sometimes on errands, other times in an attempt to draw out his stalker, he could almost always feel eyes on him. Even in broad daylight, he felt it. Several times he’d tried to catch the stalker in the act, as he’d successfully done with Oliver, but it never worked out. He recognized no faces in the crowd on the streets and if he suddenly changed directions or turned around, he spotted no one out of place. He didn’t consider himself to be unjustifiably paranoid, but the feeling of being watched was beginning to wear on him.

Malcolm made his way back to his hideout and started when he found Thea sitting at the table waiting for him.

“Thea, I-.”

“What was in that tea you gave me?” She asked him.

“What? What tea?”

“The tea you gave me on the plane, on the flight here. You did something to it. What did you put into that tea?” She repeated.

“There was nothing in that tea. I don’t-.”

“If that’s the case, how come I don’t remember what happened that night?” She asked him. “I remember being on the plane with you. And I remember going to see Tommy the next morning, but nothing in between. There are all these gaps in my memory. What happened? What did you do to me?”

“Thea, I’m your father.” Malcolm reminded her. “You can’t really think that I’d-.”

“You caused an earthquake that destroyed half of the Glades and Tommy was nearly killed when the building he was in crumbled around him.” She said. “You can’t really use the “I’m your father, I’d never hurt you” line. What did you do to me?”

“Nothing.” He said. “You had your tea. You then decided you wanted something a little stronger and had some drinks on the plane. You must’ve drunk more than I thought, because I had no idea you didn’t even remember landing in Starling. Why didn’t you tell me before now?”

“You’re saying I drank too much and blacked out?” She repeated.

“Yes.”

She scoffed and walked out. She came here because she wanted to know what Malcolm would’ve told her if she confronted him about having gaps in her memory. Malcolm was so blinded by his scheming that it was clear he knew nothing about Thea. He didn’t even seem to know that Thea didn’t drink, because of what happened when she almost overdosed when taking care of Megan as a baby. Everyone else in Thea’s life was aware of the fact that she was sober.

Troubled by the encounter, Malcolm followed Thea out of the safehouse. He could see her briskly walking away from him and pursued her. He called her name several times, but she never turned around to face him or slowed her pace. He followed her through the streets, continuing to call her name until she’d gone down an alley with a dead end. She’d have to turn around and talk to him.

“Thea, let’s talk about this.” He said. “You know I-.”

“You know, you told me that you were the only one I could trust, that you’d never lie to me.” She said.

“And I haven’t.”

“You just did.” She said, turning to face him. “I didn’t get drunk on the plane.”

“It’s nothing to be embarrassed about. It happens to-.”

“That wasn’t a question.” She said. “I know I didn’t get drunk on the plane.”

“You just said that you didn’t rem-.”

“I don’t drink. At all.” She said. “I don’t know what you did to me, but I’m gonna find out. In the meantime, stay away from me.” She pushed past him and walked out of the alley.

Malcolm turned to follow her, but found Nyssa standing in his path. “Great, my day keeps getting better and better.”

Chapter 81

Summary:

Nyssa confronts Malcolm, who tries to keep his plan from going completely off the rails while Sara expresses some frustration with her situation.

Chapter Text

Thea confronted Malcolm about him trying to drug her on their flight to Starling, which he immediately lied about. Rather than own up to trying to drug his own daughter, he told her that she had gotten drunk on the plane and that’s why she didn’t remember what had happened.

Thea stormed out as soon as he said that. Knowing Malcolm had secrets was one thing. Knowing he’d tried to make her kill Sara was another. On top of all of that, Malcolm was so completely self-involved that he either didn’t know or didn’t remember that Thea didn’t drink.

When she stormed out, Malcolm followed her out of his hideout and into an alley. When he tried to figure out why she was so upset, she couldn’t stop herself from yelling at him.

“I know I didn’t get drunk on the plane.”

“You just said that you didn’t rem-.”

“I don’t drink. At all.” She said. “I don’t know what you did to me, but I’m gonna find out. In the meantime, stay away from me.” She pushed past him and walked out of the alley. He was slightly worried about that threat. There was little chance she’d ever find proof of exactly what he did, but the last thing he wanted was for Oliver, Felicity or anyone on their team spying on him, since they might uncover something, even if it wasn’t related to Thea or Sara’s death.

Malcolm turned to follow her, but found Nyssa standing in his path. “Great, my day keeps getting better and better.” He said. “I’m a little busy right now.”

“This may come as a shock to you, but I do not care how convenient this is for you. We will speak now.” Nyssa said. “It has been several days since you attempted to trick me with your lies about Sara being in Chicago.”

“And?”

“And, when we last parted, I began to wonder many things.” She said, moving closer to him. “I may not be skilled with technology, but even I know it would have taken you at least a few hours to doctor that photo and edit that video. And that is a level of effort you would not expend unless you needed to.”

“It’s not exactly a secret that the League’s after me. Why wouldn’t I want to try to send you off on a wild goose chase?” He responded.

“It is not the part where you attempted to trick me that I find curious.” She said. “It was your knowledge that I was looking for Sara. I had not mentioned that I was looking for her, during our earlier confrontation at the dojo. In fact, I didn’t even mention there was a League member who we had lost contact with.” She took another step closer. “No one, except Laurel Lance, knew of Sara’s presence in town. So, how did you know Sara hadn’t reported in and that she was who I was searching for?”

“Oliver said-.”

“I spoke with Oliver. He says he has had very little contact with you in the last several months, almost none. And, since he isn’t a pathological liar, like yourself, I believe him.” She said. “No, you knew Sara was in town because you were the one that killed her. That is how you knew I would come here, looking for her. And that is why you had your altered photos, prepared in advance, to send me off in the wrong direction.”

“Are you really going to kill me in broad daylight?”

“The League of Assassins wouldn’t remain a secret society for much longer if I did.” She said. “And, while I wish to see you dead, I have not had the opportunity to inform my father of this. And he has not decided what shall be done with you, yet. Only that your death will be the final result.”

“Meaning, even if you wanted to kill me, you can’t until he gives you the “ok”. It’s a shame you always do what you’re told.” He said. “It’s even worse when you make claims and then are unable to prove them. You say I killed Sara? Prove it.”

“I will prove what you have done. And I will watch you die. I may even make your children watch you die.” She said. “I suggest you get your affairs in order.” She turned and stalked out of the alley without another word.

Malcolm was somewhat shaken by the confrontation. Nyssa was clearly threatening him, but hadn’t done anything beyond that. Typically, the League found a target and killed him or her. In some cases, they found the target, abducted them and took them to Nanda Parbat. Nyssa was doing neither. It was odd to him that she hadn’t even tried to kidnap him. This tactic didn’t make sense; it didn’t fit with the way Ra’s operated. Was this some kind of convoluted trap?

Malcolm considered fleeing the city. Nyssa would come for him eventually, as she had just stated, and it would be better if he was on the other side of the world by then. At the same time, her comment about making his “children” watch him die unnerved him. First, because it meant she knew about Thea’s parentage. Second, because she was clearly threatening them as well. Nyssa had poisoned Sara’s sister and kidnapped her mother to draw her out, and she loved Sara. What might she inflict on them to draw him out, a man she hated?

Malcolm decided he needed to talk to Oliver. Oliver was easy to manipulate, and he would do whatever it took to protect Thea. If he made it sound like Nyssa was threatening Thea, he could get Oliver to confront Nyssa, and the League’s anger would temporarily be on Oliver and not himself.

 

Nyssa returned to her hideout to find Sara waiting. The Canary had been eager for her beloved to return, because Nyssa was finally supposed to confront Malcolm today and hopefully that meant this whole mess was over and Sara could stop pretending to be dead.

“Well, where is he?” Sara asked.

“He has returned to his safehouse, I assume.” She said. “I only went to confront him, to speak with him. I had no intention of capturing or killing him today.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“My father’s orders were-.”

“What more does he need? We know where Malcolm is. We can capture him. We have a secret weapon, me. Why are we just sitting around? How many times are you gonna go find Malcolm, just to threaten him and walk away?” She asked. “I’m sick of this crap.”

“The Demon Head has a very specific plan laid out for how to accomplish this mission.”

“And his plan involves us sitting on our asses and doing nothing for weeks?” She challenged. “What if Malcolm just leaves? We think he won’t but nothing’s really stopping him from leaving. He knows you’re here. He knows you’re after him. How much more suspense does he need to feel? At this point, I’m not sure if we’re here to capture Malcolm or so that your father can drive me crazy from thousands of miles away.”

“He has been trying to identify Merlyn’s source.”

“What?”

“Someone informed Malcolm that you were the one hunting for him. I doubt he has the allies within Starling to achieve such a feat, your sister and Tommy Merlyn wouldn’t betray you and I have no reason to believe Oliver Queen or any of his teammates would. This means Malcolm was told you were assigned to track him down, and that information had to have come from within Nanda Parbat. My father is trying to determine who betrayed your assignment to Malcolm before he gives me the order to make my final move.”

“Funny how he’s decided to start doing this weeks and weeks after he knew this was happening.” Sara said. “He’s really making me regret my half of the deal.”

Nyssa knew there was only one deal Sara and Ra’s had: Sara rejoined the League in return for Nyssa and a few assassins helping her stop Slade. “You wish to be released from the League?”

“To be honest? I don’t know.” She said. “I made that deal with every intention of keeping my word, but I’m not alone in the world like I once was.” The first time she joined the League, she thought Oliver was dead and that her family would never forgive her. She felt completely alone. Now, she and Laurel were on better terms than ever, she had friends who cared about her and she didn’t want to lose her family again. “And it’s not like he really wanted me to return. He just liked the fact that I had to beg him for help. Don’t tell him I said that.”

“I won’t.” Nyssa said, though Sara’s comments gave her a lot to think about.

 

“Mommy?” Megan asked Felicity on the drive home from school that day.

“Yeah, honey?”

“Do I have to go to the island where Daddy was to become the Green Canary when I grow up?”

“No, you don’t have to go there.” She said. “You can learn everything you need to right here at home.” She really hoped Megan’s dream of becoming a vigilante was something the girl was going to grow out of. Felicity wasn’t sure she could handle the stress of her daughter out there, on the streets fighting crime.

“Oh.” She said. “Can I go there just ‘cause?”

“You wanna go to the island where your dad was stranded? Why?”

“I dunno.” Megan said. “I wanna see what it’s like, I guess. Do you think Daddy will let me go there?”

“I don’t know. It’s not exactly a fun place to go.” Felicity said. “But we can talk about it later.”

 

Oliver, Roy and Digg were working out in the foundry, sparring, when Malcolm stormed in. “Oliver, I need to talk to you, right now.”

“I’m a little busy at the moment.” He said. “And I don’t really have anything to say to you.”

“Well, I-.”

“And nothing you say matters all that much to me.” He said, he turned to continue sparring with Roy.

“Thea’s in danger.” Malcolm said, knowing it would get Oliver’s attention back on him. “Nyssa, she-.”

“Why would Nyssa target Thea?”

“Because Thea’s-.”

“No, I mean, why would she target Thea when you’re right here and she could just go after you?” He asked. “The only time I’ve seen Nyssa go after someone’s family was to draw that person out. I don’t think she really needs to draw you out, if she knows you’re in town.”

“You’ve only met Nyssa two other times, so what you think doesn’t mean all that much.” Malcolm argued.

“If you’re that worried, I’ll try and talk Thea into going away for a spa weekend or something.” He said with a shrug.

“That’s not gonna work. Thea’s never not gonna be in danger.”

“Hand yourself over to Nyssa, then.” Roy said. “If you’re the reason Thea’s in danger, own up to whatever it is you did and hand yourself over to Nyssa to face justice or whatever.”

“It’s not that simple.” He said. “Nyssa isn’t just here because of what I’ve done. She’s here to capture Sara’s murderer.”

“Which is you, probably.”

“Which is Thea.” Malcolm said.

“I’m sorry. What?” Roy asked.

“Thea killed Sara.”

“No, she didn’t.” Oliver said. “Sara was shot with arrows. Thea doesn’t know how to hold a bow, much less kill someone with one. Why would she kill Sara?”

“Because that’s what I told her to do. When she came with me, she said she never wanted to be weak again. I taught her to be strong. And, the night Sara died, I gave Thea a compound that makes her….susceptible to suggestion and told her to kill Sara. Which she did. And she retains no memory of doing so.”

“That’s gotta be the biggest load of crap I’ve ever heard.” Digg said.

“Even if I did believe you, and that’s a huge “if”,” Oliver said, “what do you expect me to do about it?”

“Tell Nyssa it was you.”

“What?”

“Tell Nyssa you killed Sara. Make something up, about her wanting out of the League. I don’t care. But tell her it was you.”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that, Malcolm.”

“She’s your sister.”

“And she’s your daughter. And, assuming you didn’t just make this whole thing up, which I’m almost sure that you did, you’re the reason she’s being targeted.” He said. “And the League wants to kill you anyway.”

“Oliver, I know you’re not very bright, but you’re not this stupid. Think about it. You can tell Thea has changed since the Siege. Have you never wondered why? It’s because she killed Sara.” Malcolm said.

“You haven’t given us any proof that what you’re saying is true. And, considering everything else you’ve done, we don’t believe you.” Roy pointed out. “Sounds to me like you just want Oliver to go die for you.”

Now would’ve been an excellent time to show Oliver a video of Sara’s death, but Malcolm didn’t have that, so he couldn’t prove it was Thea. He couldn’t even create a faked video, because he knew it wouldn’t stand up to scrutiny.

“Oliver, if Thea matters to you at all, you need to-.”

“I can protect Thea just fine, without walking to my death. I love Thea, but I also have a family to think about and Megan needs me still.” He said. “I’m not gonna confess to a crime I didn’t commit, to save your ass, though. Now, get out.”

“The truth always comes out, Oliver. And I’m telling you the truth. You need to get her out of the city.” Malcolm warned. “As far away from Nyssa as possible.”

Chapter 82

Summary:

Oliver and his family take a short trip to a familiar place.

Chapter Text

After Malcolm warned Oliver to get Thea away from the city and Nyssa as soon as possible, he left the foundry. He hoped that, given enough time to think about it, Oliver would come to the conclusion on his own that the only way to save Thea would be to sacrifice his own life. He also knew that the more he tried to convince Oliver of this, the less likely he’d actually do it. He had given the necessary warnings, and he needed to let Oliver’s own paranoia do the rest.

In the foundry, Roy, Digg and Oliver stopped sparring to talk about Malcolm’s ominous warnings. On the one hand, the warnings meant that Malcolm believed the situation was so serious that he not only needed to warn Oliver, but also revealed his plans for “fixing” the mess Thea found herself in. Was he always planning to make Oliver sacrifice himself or had he come up with that plan in the spur of the moment? Oliver didn’t know and really didn’t want to know.

“Well, at least he hasn’t figured out what’s really going on.” Roy said.

“That’s a good thing.” Oliver said. “But I can’t exactly just brush his advice off. If Sara really was dead, and Nyssa really was here hunting for her killer, I’d take his advice seriously.”

“If you sacrifice yourself for Malcolm, Felicity’s gonna kill you, even if it’s fake.” Digg said.

“That wasn’t the advice I meant.” He said. “I meant what he said about getting Thea as far away from Nyssa as possible. Since Nyssa doesn’t seem to be in hurry to abduct Malcolm and leave anytime soon, we need to make it look real, which means Thea and I leaving.”

“Where are you gonna go?”

“I’ve got no idea.” He said.

Oliver went home not long after. He found Felicity and Thea sitting in the kitchen of the mansion, eating cookies. He walked in just as Thea was telling Felicity about her confrontation with Malcolm and the lies he told her about what happened on the flight from Corto Maltese to Starling.

“I mean, you’d think that he, a pathological liar, would be better at coming up with an explanation for what happened that makes sense.” Thea said. “But no, he’s so wrapped up in himself that he can’t even be bothered to remember such basic details as the fact that I don’t drink, so I couldn’t have gotten drunk.”

“This sounds mean, but he’d have to care enough about someone else for five seconds to even know that, which he doesn’t.” Felicity said. She then turned towards the door. “Oliver, how long have you been standing there for?”

“Not long.” He said. “Malcolm just came to the foundry. To warn me that Thea isn’t safe because Nyssa’s here.” He walked further into the room. “Because Thea “killed” Sara and she’s here to catch Sara’s killer. He told me that the only way to keep Thea safe was to go to Nyssa and confess that I killed Sara. He admitted to drugging Thea and telling her to kill Sara.”

“What do you think that means?” Thea said. “That he’d admit that to you?”

“I think- I don’t think having you kill Sara was entirely about Sara dying. I think he had you do it, because you’re my sister, I don’t wanna lose you, so I’d forfeit my own life to protect you.” He said. “I refused to hand myself over to Nyssa, and I told him it was because he couldn’t prove anything. And, if he doesn’t have proof, how can I know he’s not playing me.”

“And, what did he have to say to that?” Felicity asked.

“He said something cliché about the truth coming out and said, at the very least, I needed to get Thea as far from Nyssa as possible.” He said. “Which I think needs to happen so that he thinks we’re taking the threat of Nyssa being here seriously.”

“Okay.” Thea said. “And where exactly am I supposed to go where Nyssa, if she wanted to find me, couldn’t find me? I don’t know much about the League, but they seem to be pretty good at finding people.”

“I don’t know.” Oliver admitted.

“Megan’s been wanting to go to Lian Yu.” Felicity said. “She- she’s asked me a few times about going to the island. She’s curious about it, since you don’t talk about it much.”

“You wanna take our daughter there?”

“I don’t want to take her there, but- look, if you send Thea away, either he’s gonna go with her, which we don’t want, or you have to. He’s probably gonna suggest she goes to Lian Yu because it’s so remote. And Megan still thinks the island is this cool, fun place to take a vacation.” She said. “We go to Lian Yu with Megan, to satisfy her curiosity, and Thea, to pretend its to keep her safe from Nyssa, and come back in a week.”

After another hour of discussion, Oliver agreed to the ruse Felicity proposed. He called in a few favors to borrow a plane so that they could fly to Lian Yu in a few days. He also arranged to meet with Nyssa to give her a head’s up about Malcolm’s warning to him and what he planned to do in response. During their meeting, he made it clear how annoyed he, Thea, and everyone else in the know was getting with her procrastination.

Two days after Malcolm advised Oliver to sacrifice himself for Thea, Oliver, Thea, Felicity, Megan and Wolfsbane got on a plane and flew to Lian Yu.

“Not to nitpick, but why are you bringing a wolf to the island?” Thea asked.

“Because it’s his territory.” Oliver said. “I found him on Lian Yu, remember?”

“Yay! Wolfy gets to see his home again.” Megan said. “I wonder if he has any brothers and sisters.”

“He didn’t the last time I was there.” He said. Wolfsbane was a lone wolf, which was how Oliver saw himself when he returned to the island after the Undertaking. It was why he and the wolf got along so well upon encountering one another. “That’s why he came to live with us.”

“Megan, it’s gonna be a pretty long flight. Why don’t you try to get some sleep so that you’re not tired when we land?” Felicity suggested. “In fact, we all should get some sleep.”

Megan curled up between Felicity and Wolfsbane and closed her eyes. Thea fell asleep not long after and Oliver put the plane on autopilot for a bit to get some sleep while they were at cruising altitude. Felicity and Megan both woke up when Oliver announced they were about to land.

Megan immediately sat up and looked out of the small window, excited to see the island for the first time. She frowned at what she saw. Her parents had told her that the island wasn’t like a tropical oasis with coconut trees or clear waters, but she hadn’t expected it to look like this.

“It’s really…..gray.” She said. “And rainy.”

“Yeah, it rains almost every day.” Oliver said. “It looks prettier when the clouds clear up.” He landed the plane and opened the door so that everyone could disembark. Wolfsbane’s ears immediately perked up when the door was open and he ran out of the craft as quickly as he could. Megan went to run after him, but Oliver lifted her off the ground before she could follow him into the woods.

“No running off into the woods.” He said.

“I wanna see where Wolfy’s going.” She said.

“I know that, but we need to talk about a few ground rules first.” He said, putting her back down but taking her hand. “First, you can’t run off into woods. The island can be dangerous and it’s very easy to get lost. If you wanna go into the woods, I need to be with you.” He looked at Thea and Felicity. “That goes for everyone.”

“Mommy can’t go by herself?” Megan asked.

“I don’t know the island as well as your dad does.” Felicity said. “And there are traps he set up that only he knows about.”

“Why did you set up traps, Daddy?”

“To keep bad men who wanted to hurt me away.” He said. “Wolfsbane knows the island and he knows where the traps are. He’ll come back after he’s explored a little bit. Everyone, follow me.”

He led them through the forest to the wrecked plane he had lived in both times he’d been on the island. It was incredibly banged up, but was a good shelter and he knew the clearing around it was safe from most of the wildlife on the island. After everyone got settled, Oliver announced that he’d be back in an hour.

“Where exactly are you going?” Thea asked him.

“I need to check on something.” He said before walking out of the plane.

“What does that even mean?”

“There’s a prison on the eastern shore of the island.” Felicity said. “Slade Wilson’s being held there. He probably wants to make sure ARGUS knows we’re here and doesn’t try anything shady until we leave.”

“Slade’s here? Why?”

“Because it’s a prison within a prison. Even if he gets out of his cell, he’s still stuck on this island.” She said.

True to his word, Oliver returned an hour later. Slade was still locked in his cell, with a contingent of ARGUS agents making sure he didn’t escape. One ARGUS agent passed along a cryptic message from Waller, which Oliver decided to worry about later.

“Daddy, can you show me some of the thing on the island you told me about?” Megan asked. “Like the waterfall?”

“Sure.” He said. The waterfall was one of the few things about the island he’d ever mentioned to anyone, given how much ugliness happened here. “Follow me.” He led Megan to the waterfall and told her a sanitized version of the first time he’d ever seen it, when Yao Fei faked killing him to allow him to escape from Fyers’ men.

 

After two days of radio silence from Oliver and Thea, Malcolm decided he should reach back out to both of them. He needed to see if the idea he’d planted in Oliver’s mind had taken root and he wanted to be sure he hadn’t told Thea what her father had done.

To his frustration, when he called Thea, he was told her phone was outside its service area. In addition, he had gone looking for Oliver but the archer seemed to be avoiding him He considered asking Tommy, but showing up at Tommy’s apartment would mean having to deal with Laurel’s insistence that Malcolm leave and never return and he wasn’t quite that desperate yet.

Knowing Oliver would have to go to the foundry in order to act as the Arrow, Malcolm headed there and waited. Roy and Digg arrived, but Oliver didn’t appear.

“Where is Oliver?” He asked, appearing from the shadows.

“He took your advice and got Thea out of town.” Roy said. “He also sent Felicity and Megan to visit Felicity’s mother in Vegas for a few days.”

“But where is he? Where did he send Thea?”

“We don’t know.” Digg said. “He didn’t tell us because he didn’t want Nyssa to find out where he was headed.”

“I wouldn’t have told Nyssa.” Malcolm said. “And I doubt you would.”

“Intentionally? No, we wouldn’t.” Roy said. “But, given your warning, he got a little paranoid and decided it was safer if no one knew where they were going.”

Malcolm couldn’t argue with that logic in theory. It was the exact reason why Thea was the only other person who knew the location of his Corto Maltese hideout. Now that he was the one in the dark, however, the tactic really pissed him off.

“You have no idea where he went?”

“Not in the slightest. And we’ve got no way to contact him.”

 

Oliver showed everyone around the island. He and Thea spent some time training every day, since Thea was leaning towards becoming a vigilante, or so she claimed. Felicity and Megan spent time on the shore of the island or by the waterfall, taking in the few good parts of Lian Yu while they still could. Every day, Oliver caught something for dinner and cooked it for the group. Wolfsbane came and went as he pleased, enjoying being back in his own territory but also mindful of the human members of his pack.

Five days into their stay on the island, Oliver took Felicity, Thea and Megan to see where Robert was buried. He thought Thea should see the grave, to get some closure and he had told Megan about his father, so she should see it too. By now, Felicity knew about Robert, Yao Fei and Shado’s deaths, so she wanted to pay her respects to them as well.

“The island is different than I thought.” Megan said as they stood in front of Robert’s grave.

“Different how?”

“I didn’t think it was gonna be so quiet or so big. Didn’t you get lonely when you were here?”

“I was lonely a lot, especially after I lost my friend Shado.” He said.

“I also didn’t think it would be so scary.” She said.

“Scary?” Felicity asked.

“It gets really dark and there are scary noises coming from the woods.” She said and then looked at Oliver. “You told me living here was like camping, but it’s not like camping at all. Camping is supposed to be fun.”

“I told you that because I didn’t wanna scare you.” He said. “But, when you decided you wanted to come here, I knew I couldn’t keep pretending like it was a fun place. Do you wanna go home?”

“A little bit.” She said. “But if Mommy and Auntie Thea wanna stay-.”

“No, we can go home.” Thea said. “I don’t regret coming here, but I miss home.”

“Me too.” Felicity said.

“We’ll leave in the morning then.” Oliver said.

Chapter 83

Summary:

Oliver, Felicity and Thea return home, Oliver comes clean about something and Nyssa makes an unexpected move.

Chapter Text

The next morning, Oliver stood at the edge of the clearing where Slade’s plane had crashed. He let out a loud whistle and heard something running out in the forest. A few moments later, Wolfsbane ran out of the underbrush and stopped right in front of him.

“Time to head home, bud.” He told the wolf. The animal just stared at him. “And now, I’m taking after Megan and Felicity, talking to you like you can actually understand me. But you can’t, because you know, you’re a wolf.” The wolf titled his head to the side, in a move that made him look like a husky and not a wild animal. He sighed. “Follow me.”

The wolf had enjoyed the last few days back in his home territory. The hunting on the island was great, compared to Starling where he could run, but couldn’t hunt. There were no other wolves here, but he had enjoyed being home. At the same time, it was strange for the wolf to be so far from the human members of his pack for so long, and he wondered if Megan’s kitten had any idea what was going on. He followed Oliver towards the crashed plane and saw the other humans inside collecting their things. Now, he understood what the man had been trying to tell him. They were leaving the island soon.

The group boarded the plane and Wolfsbane curled up next to Megan while they took off. As he was falling asleep, he felt the girl petting him and talking to him.

“Did you have fun on the island, Wolfy? Parts of it were pretty, but it was kinda scary.” Megan said. “I don’t know how Daddy lived there for so long. I hope you had fun. And got to see your family.”

“Megan, get some sleep, okay?” Felicity said. “We have a long flight back, which means we’re gonna be landing pretty late, and you get grumpy when you’re tired.”

“I don’t get grumpy.” The girl said with the frown. She crossed her arms to enhance the effect.

Thea and Felicity both struggled not to smile. Megan’s face right now looked a lot like Oliver’s when he was wrong about something, but didn’t want to admit it. It was cuter on Megan, for obvious reasons, but the resemblance was almost uncanny.

“Well, I want you to try and get some sleep, just in case.”

 

Oliver had sent everyone in Starling a message that he and Thea were on their way back home. Not only did he want to keep everyone informed, but he also knew Tommy and Laurel, who didn’t know the full reason why he’d left, were probably worried about not hearing from him.

Sara read the message from Oliver and closed her phone. While Oliver had been staying on Lian Yu, and most likely showing Megan that it wasn’t a fun, tropical vacation spot, she had been in the same position she was in before he left: stuck in her safehouse and waiting for Nyssa to make a move against Malcolm. Over the last week, nothing had really changed.

“Hey, Nyssa.” She called.

“Yes, beloved?”

“Ollie’s on his way back home.” She said.

“That’s good to know.”

“You do realize that he’s not exactly gonna be happy that you’re still here, right?” She asked. “I think half the reason why he left was to give you the opening, and a great opportunity, to take Malcolm so that we could go back to Nanda Parbat.”

“I don’t know why he would do that and not express such a desire to me.” Nyssa said. “He knows that my father-.”

“Look, Ollie doesn’t really care, at all, about your father or his plans.” She said. “He’s just too nice to tell you that to your face. Something he’s probably regretting.”

“What do you mean?”

“Oliver wants you, me and Malcolm gone. He wants you to capture Malcolm and go. He’s been wanting you to do that for weeks, but you’ve done nothing. Now, he knows he can’t make you leave. He’s not stupid. And since you aren’t really harming anyone, he doesn’t have a reason to confront you, but make no mistake, he’s tired of this crap.” Sara said. “And, to be honest, I’m feeling almost the exact same thing.”

“I don’t know what he expects me to do about-.”

“I think he wants you to do what Ra’s sent you here to do.” She said. She was trying to remain calm, but she was more than a little annoyed by this point. “If you’re gonna kill Malcolm, do it already. If you’re gonna capture him, do it already. All you’ve done so far is make a few threats and sit and wait. And waste everyone’s time.”

“I haven’t been wasting time.”

“Maybe you haven’t, but your dad has. It’s been nearly three months since my supposed death. I’ve been stuck here, waiting for Ra’s to give you the order to do something, for three months. That’s three months of my life that I’ll never get back.” She said. “If you’re just gonna sit here for another three months, just leave. I’ll deal with Malcolm myself.”

“The plan my father is following was your plan to begin with.”

“I didn’t think he’d sit on his ass and do nothing for months.” Sara countered. “If you won’t do something soon, then I’ll handle it. And you can tell your father that I’ve kept up my side of the deal and I’m done.”

“What do you mean? You cannot simply leave the League of Assassins. You swore an oath to my father when you requested our aid to stop Slade Wilson.”

“No, I made a deal with your father.” She said. “He sent people to help us fight Slade and in exchange, I tracked down rumors of Malcolm being alive. If he was alive, I had to either kill him or help bring him to Nanda Parbat. Since Malcolm is alive, and not in Nanda Parbat, I’m still indebted to your father. And now that I say that out loud, it makes complete sense why he’s done nothing for months.”

“What do you mean?”

“Come on, Nyssa. You’re smart. You know exactly what Ra’s is doing.” Sara said. “He hasn’t had you capture Malcolm, because if you do, I don’t owe him any longer. And, while I don’t know exactly why, he doesn’t want my debt to the League to be cleared.” She could think of plenty of reasons why Ra’s would do something like that, ranging from it being a strategic move in case the League ever came into conflict with Oliver to sheer pettiness over the first time she left the League. In either case, it was clear the silence from Ra’s was deliberate.

“While I cannot say that is what is going on, what you’ve described is not…..uncharacteristic of my father.” Nyssa said. “I have orders not to move against Merlyn unless I have to. I suppose if I can get him to attack me, it would give me a reason to battle against him and capture him.”

“He’s gonna know you’re trying to provoke him.”

“Not necessarily.” She paused. “Though, I suppose I should speak with Oliver, to tell him of my intentions, before I go any further.”

 

After landing in Starling, Megan, Felicity, Thea and Wolfsbane went back to the mansion to rest. Oliver told them that there were a few things he needed to take care of now that they were home, and advised them to lay low until that night.

Megan went looking for Tiger as soon as they got home, but the kitten was nowhere to be found. She was worried, but Felicity said that Tiger was probably just asleep somewhere and would come to see them later. Twenty minutes later, Megan was unpacking her suitcase when the kitten came sauntering out of Megan’s closet. The girl immediately picked her up.

“Tiger!” She shouted. “Mommy! I found Tiger! She was in my closet.”

“Well, your clothes are probably a really comfy place to nap.” Felicity said, standing in the doorway. “And she clearly missed us.” Tiger was rubbing her face against Megan and letting out little happy meows.

“I missed you too.” Megan said before putting the kitten down.

Tiger walked over to Wolfsbane, and started rubbing against his leg in greeting. She had missed everyone who’d been gone, not just the humans. Wolfsbane allowed the gesture and laid down so that the cat could curl up next to him.

 

Oliver’s first stop after getting to Starling was the foundry. He wanted an update on what had been happening in the city while he was gone. According to reports, the city had been pretty quiet. Malcolm was still, unfortunately, in town, and he wanted to ask Nyssa why that was, but it would have to wait.

After the foundry, he drove to Tommy and Laurel’s place. He owed them a full explanation of why he’d left town so suddenly, but it wasn’t his reason for needing to see them. His trip to Lian Yu reminded him of the first time he’d gotten off the island. Memories of Hong Kong made him remember about Tommy coming to Hong Kong and what he’d had to do in order to make Tommy leave. It was long past time for Oliver to come clean about what really happened that night.

He knocked on the door of their apartment and Tommy answered the door. Almost as soon as he stepped inside the apartment, he heard two babies start crying.

“Damn it. I just got them to go to sleep.” Tommy said. “You should’ve texted me that you were coming.”

“Sorry, I- I can come back later.” He said sheepishly.

“No, you’re already here.” He shrugged. “And, since you woke them up, the least you can do is help me get Bobby and Becca back to sleep.”

“Fair enough.” Oliver said as he followed him into the nursery. “I know I left without really talking to you or Laurel, and you were probably worried. I wanted to explain.”

“Okay. Go ahead.” Tommy said as he handed Rebecca to Oliver and picked up Robert.

Oliver started with Malcolm’s warning about Nyssa before explaining where he, Thea, Felicity and Megan had gone. This then led to him having to explain why he’d take his family to the island where he had been deserted for five years.

“And this brings me to something I’ve been needing to tell you for a long time.” Oliver said. “I wasn’t on Lian Yu the whole time.”

“What?”

“In 2009, I know you went to Hong Kong looking for me. You went there because there was activity on one of my email accounts.”

“How do you-?”

“And then, you were abducted by a man who said he’d hacked into my email to lure someone to the city in order to ransom them.” Oliver continued. “Then, a police officer burst in and rescued you before anything happened.”

“How do you know all of this?” He asked.

“Because I was the one who logged into that email account. And the one who abducted you. The cop who rescued you was my partner. I didn’t mean to draw you to Hong Kong, I- convincing you I was dead was the only way you’d leave the city.”

“You weren’t on the island the whole time?”

“No, I wasn’t.”

“Why go through all of that, though? Why not show up at my hotel and-? Why couldn’t I know you were alive?” Tommy asked.

“Because I couldn’t.” He said. “After Slade- after the Amazo was destroyed, I was found and “recruited” by a top-secret government organization and brought to Hong Kong. Since I was legally dead, their director thought I’d be the ideal operative for a mission. Before that email snafu, I spent weeks trying to get ahold of a phone or some other device so that I could tell someone I was alive. I wanted to go home. I wanted to see my family. When Waller, the director, learned you came to Hong Kong because of the email, she sent me to kill you.”

“T-to kill me?”

“You were going to learn about my survival, making you a threat to her operation. At least, that’s how she saw it.” He said. “I couldn’t kill you, but if you learned I was alive, then I might- I wasn’t really given much of a choice. I did what I needed to do. And, in this case, it meant convincing you I was dead.”

“I- don’t get me wrong, I’m pissed.” Tommy said. “I had told Felicity about that email. After I was “found”, I came back here and I had to tell her that it was all some scam. That it wasn’t real, that I hadn’t found you. It was- it felt like losing you all over again. But, you know, thanks for not killing me. Please tell me the woman who forced you into working for her is dead.”

“No, unfortunately.” He said. Oliver wasn’t sure Amanda Waller could die, since he wasn’t sure if the woman was even really human. “Though, if I never hear her name again, it’ll be far too soon.”

“Why tell me now? Why not when you first came back or after I learned about your little green secret?”

“It sounds cliché, but I didn’t know how. How do you tell someone that they almost saved you two years of pain, but you had to convince them they were wrong?” He said. “With everything happening with Malcolm and Thea and Sara, though, it felt wrong to keep lying about it.”

“Well, thanks for coming clean. I’m gonna need some time, though.”

Oliver nodded and put Rebecca, who was now fast asleep, back in her crib before leaving.

 

That evening, Oliver was standing in the foundry with Felicity, Roy and Digg when Malcolm came storming in. He looked absolutely livid.

“Did you not listen to a word I said?” He yelled. “How stupid are you?”

“What are you talking about?” Felicity asked.

“I told your boyfriend here to take Thea somewhere safe, and to keep her there.”

“And that’s what I did.” Oliver said.

“I didn’t say “take her on a week-long vacation”. I said “keep her away”. You didn’t do that.” Malcolm said. “Instead, like an idiot, you brought her back here. While Nyssa is still in town.”

“If she’s in town, she’s been pretty quiet.” Roy said.

“Really? Because she kidnapped Thea.” Malcolm said.

Chapter 84

Summary:

Nyssa confronts Malcolm and some important truths come to light.

Chapter Text

The night after returning from Lian Yu, Oliver was standing in the foundry with Felicity, Roy and Digg when Malcolm came storming in. He looked absolutely livid.

“Did you not listen to a word I said?” He yelled. “How stupid are you?”

“What are you talking about?” Felicity asked.

“I told your boyfriend here to take Thea somewhere safe, and to keep her there.”

“And that’s what I did.” Oliver said.

“I didn’t say “take her on a week-long vacation”. I said “keep her away”. You didn’t do that.” Malcolm said. “Instead, like an idiot, you brought her back here. While Nyssa is still in town.”

“If she’s in town, she’s been pretty quiet.” Roy said.

“Really? Because she kidnapped Thea.” Malcolm said.

That caught Oliver by surprise. While he hadn’t discussed it expressly with Nyssa, he had hoped that the assassin would’ve at least told him before she did something like kidnap Thea, or anyone else for that matter. It didn’t make any sense to him why she wouldn’t have warned him that she was going to do this, so that he’d expect Malcolm’s reaction. “Why would she do that?” He asked. “She’s after you. Why take Thea?”

“Because she’s too smart for that.” Malcolm said. “She knows she’s not gonna be able to catch me off-guard, so she’s trying to lure me out.”

“I’d say you’re sufficiently lured.” Felicity said. “Since you’re here hoping to get our help getting Thea back.”

“If she thinks I’m going to be so easily manipulated, then-.”

“What do you think she’ll do if you don’t come for Thea?” She asked. “I’m not challenging you. I genuinely wanna know, because it sounds like she’s pissed. And tired of waiting. And when people start to get annoyed, they do things they wouldn’t normally do. If she’s annoyed enough to kidnap Thea, what comes after?”

“She won’t kill Thea, if that’s what you’re implying.” He said. “She’d lose her leverage.”

“Or, if you don’t try to get Thea back, she’ll decide she doesn’t have enough leverage and kidnap one or both of Tommy’s twins.” Oliver said.

“Which is why it’s so important that we get Thea back and show Nyssa that trying to target me through my family is a bad idea.” Malcolm said. “Now, if you’re done wasting everyone’s time arguing with me, can we go? You’re partly to blame for her taking Thea in the first place.”

“I’m not the one who killed Sara.” He said.

“No, but you ignored my warning about Nyssa because you wanted to prove a point.”

Oliver grabbed his bow. “You’re incredibly lucky that I love Thea more than I hate you.”

“I wouldn’t call it luck.” He said before turning to Digg and Roy. “You two should come too. Someone needs to watch the perimeter, make sure Nyssa doesn’t have any extra help we don’t know about.”

 

“Hey, just wondering, but you told Ollie you were abducting me, right?” Thea asked from the chair she was tied to. Thea probably could’ve broken free, given adequate time, but she wasn’t sure that she needed to.

About an hour earlier, Thea was running errands when Nyssa pulled her into an alley. The assassin very tersely told Thea to come with her and not to make too much of a fuss. She swore no harm would come to Thea, but she’d be losing the next few hours of her free time. Thea assumed this was some kind of ploy to catch Malcolm and went along with it, but it only just occurred to her to ask about Oliver. Her assumption about Nyssa’s plan was confirmed when she called Malcolm and informed him that she had Thea and wanted to meet.

“I did not have the opportunity.” Nyssa admitted. “I did not want to waste any more time by having to “clear” this plan with him. Besides, your brother is not a very good actor and if he had known, he wouldn’t have been able to authentically react to Merlyn’s revelation that I abducted you.”

“So, he’s probably gonna storm in here, with Malcolm, ready for a fight.”

“He might be ready for one, but given the choice between taking you to safety or staying here to fight me, I’m certain he’ll choose you.” She said. “Merlyn, however, will not.”

Thea’s gaze turned to the other person in the old warehouse. “And you’re cool with this?”

“Well, I was hoping she’d let me warn Ollie, but if it gets results, it gets results.” Sara said. She was dressed as a rank and file League member, not as the Canary to keep her identity concealed. “I’m gonna go get into position.” She disappeared into the shadows.

“I do apologize for this.” Nyssa told Thea honestly. She didn’t really want to have to do this, but she had no choice. Ra’s al Ghul didn’t seem inclined to let Nyssa capture Malcolm, so she needed to create the situation where Malcolm attacked her, to give her an excuse to capture him. Targeting one of his children seemed like the most pragmatic way to anger him enough to attack her.

“Well, you did kinda give me the option of coming with you, instead of just attacking me.” She said. “Or, you know, kidnap the two infants that would be much easier targets.”

Nyssa was about to respond when the door to the warehouse was kicked down. Malcolm, dressed as the Dark Archer, and Oliver stalked into the building. Nyssa drew her sword and turned to face them both.

“Let her go.” Oliver said.

“You should not be here.” She said. “This isn’t your fight and it doesn’t concern you.” She took a step forward. “I would leave if I were you.”

“And what’s to stop us from just taking Thea and leaving?” Malcolm asked. A moment later, someone landed behind him. He didn’t need to turn around to know it was another League member. “You brought back-up. Of course.”

“I knew you might not come alone.” She said.

“We’re doing this the hard way then.” Malcolm said before drawing his sword. He rushed towards Nyssa.

The person that had landed behind Oliver and Malcolm, blocking their exit, moved closer to Oliver and aimed a kick, badly, at him. It was clear she had missed on purpose, with the aim of getting close enough to Oliver to speak to him. “Take Thea and go.” Sara whispered, not wanting Malcolm to hear her voice. “She’s right. This isn’t your fight. And I’ll explain later.”

Oliver gave her a look but walked over and cut Thea free as Sara moved to assist Nyssa in fighting Malcolm. With Malcolm preoccupied, they fled the building through the same door Malcolm had kicked down.

“You okay?” Oliver asked his sister.

“Yeah. She didn’t hurt me, just told me to come with her.” She said. “And she wasn’t going to.”

“You don’t know that.”

“She seemed pretty unhappy about having to resort to this, so I’d say I was safe.” She said. “Let’s get out of here.”

Malcolm ducked out of the way of Nyssa’s sword and took a moment to get his bearings. Thea was no longer tied to a chair, which was good. He also didn’t see Oliver anywhere, which wasn’t so good. The unknown League member moved towards him ready to strike. Defeating Nyssa and her back-up would be harder on his own. Harder, but not impossible.

The pair attacked him in sync. He barely had time to block Nyssa’s blows before the other assassin was trying to strike him.  For several minutes he fought, trying not to tire while facing two enemies at once. He found it somewhat gratifying, that he was lasting so long against two opponents while most of Nyssa’s targets could barely hold her off.

“Nyssa, enough.” He said. “Thea’s gone, if you haven’t noticed, so you don’t have any leverage anymore. And we both know you can’t beat me.”

The unknown assassin swept a leg out, knocking Malcolm off his feet. The person then kicked his sword out of his hand and pressed their foot down on his arm, immobilizing it. Nyssa calmly straightened her clothing and picked up his discarded weapon.

“I’m afraid you are mistaken.” She said. “This was never about leverage. I just needed you to be the one to attack.”

“Why?” He asked.

“It gave me an excuse to capture you, finally.” She said with a smile.

“And finally, this saga is over.” Sara said, removing her mask.

“You’re supposed to be dead.” Malcolm said. “Thea-.”

“Didn’t kill me, obviously.” She said. “And, I’ve gotta say, Ollie’s performance was good too.”

Malcolm couldn’t believe that Thea had managed to lie to him so well. Or that Oliver had outsmarted him either. What had he missed? How hadn’t he seen this coming? He’d underestimated both Thea and Oliver. He wouldn’t make that mistake again.

“I’d be impressed, but you showed your hand too soon.” He said, trying to figure out his best chance at escape. “And what law have I broken, if I’m not being hunted for killing Sara?”

“You attacked the Heir to the Demon.” Nyssa said. “Which is the same as attacking Ra’s al Ghul himself. I have no choice but to take you to Nanda Parbat to face judgement.”

“Not to mention, the Undertaking broke League law.” Sara added.

“Right. I nearly forgot about that.” She said. “The reason you had been hunting Malcolm in the first place.” She pulled something from her sleeve and tossed it to Sara. “And stop looking for an escape route. You will not find one. This game of ours is over.”

Malcolm was about to ask what she meant when he felt something prick his skin. His eyes drooped as a sedative began to take effect.

 

Nyssa took Malcolm to restrain him more securely in order to take him to Nanda Parbat. Sara, meanwhile, went to the foundry to explain to the team, including a very angry Oliver, exactly why Nyssa had kidnapped Thea and why she couldn’t warn him about the plan in advance.

“So, what happens now?” Felicity asked. “I mean, is the whole mess over?”

“Yeah.” Sara said. “Unless, against all odds, Malcolm manages to escape Nanda Parbat and make his way back here without getting caught again, it’s over.”

“That’s good. This whole subterfuge thing was exhausting.” Thea said. “I’d never be able to make it as a spy.”

“I’m sorry you got mixed up in this, all of you.”

“I’m the one who went to Corto Maltese with him. I can’t exactly pretend to be completely innocent.”

“You didn’t ask to be an accomplice to murder either.” Oliver told his sister. He then turned to Sara. “When do you have to go back to Nanda Parbat?”

“That’s the best part. I don’t.” She said. “Now that Nyssa has captured Malcolm, I’ve paid my debt to the League and I’m free.”

“Well, in that case, I know a few people who’ll be very happy to have their Auntie Sara back.” Felicity said. Tommy’s twins were too young to know Sara had been gone for a long time, but Megan wasn’t. The second-grader had missed Sara a lot.

“I’ve missed them too.” She said. She had missed everyone these past few months, even though she was in the same city as the people she cared about and had seen many of them often. For the first time in months, she felt truly free.

Chapter 85

Summary:

Oliver and Felicity both reflect on the past.

Chapter Text

After the excitement died down from Malcolm finally being captured and Sara being free from the League of Assassins, the team decided to call it a night. There was nothing major happening in Starling with Malcolm no longer on the loose, and the last few weeks had been exhausting for everyone as they struggled to keep up the lie about Sara’s death.

Sara had no desire to spend any more time in the safehouse she’d been using, so she went to Queen Mansion with Oliver and Felicity, since they had offered her a room. When they arrived, Felicity went upstairs to check on Megan, while Oliver asked Sara if she wanted a drink, which the Canary took him up on.

Sara took a sip of her drink and looked around the massive living room where they were standing. “Are you ever gonna sell this place?” She asked him. The mansion looked exactly the same as it had when they both were younger, dumber and thought bad things couldn’t happen to them. It felt a little creepy to her.

“What do you mean?”

“This isn’t just a house, it’s a mansion, and only three people, a cat and a wolf live here.” She said. “This place has, like, two dozen rooms that you don’t need and don’t use. It just seems weird to me that you’d wanna stay in this giant, mostly empty house. Unless you like living in a mausoleum.”

“I can’t just sell it.” He said.

“I mean, you can. I doubt Thea would try to stop you.” She said. “Especially since Felicity and Megan only moved in here because Felicity was scared in the aftermath of the Undertaking and Moira’s arrest. She doesn’t really have to worry about those threats anymore.”

“Dad’s grave is here.” He said. The excuse about his father’s grave was pretty weak; everyone knew where Robert’s “real” grave was and he could certainly afford to have the gravestone moved if he really wanted to. The grave wasn’t the point. He couldn’t sell the mansion. It just felt wrong. Sara was right that it was odd, living in such a big house with such a small family, but selling the house wasn’t as easy as she made it sound.

“Look, Ollie, I didn’t bring this up to start an argument or to try to talk you into selling this house. I just- when I was stuck in my hideout, I couldn’t stop thinking about you, Felicity and Megan, all alone in this big house, and it made me sad.” She said. “You know, if your mom was still alive or Thea still lived here, I’d feel better about it, but-.”

“Speedy stays here when she’s not staying with Roy.” He said quickly. “What am I supposed to do? Convince your sister and Tommy that they should move in, because we’ve got the space?”

“You could do that. You could sell. Or move out and decide later what you wanna do. Or, you know, ignore what I’m saying because I’m probably projecting my own issues onto you.” She said. “It’s late and I’m tired and I don’t really know why I brought this up to begin with.” She let out a yawn. “I’m gonna go to sleep now.”

Oliver sat in the living room, thinking about what Sara had said. On the one hand, he couldn’t argue with her. The mansion was much more space than he or his family needed. On the other, he had an emotional attachment to the house. It was where he had grown up. It was the place where he and Tommy created plenty of mischief. During his time away, whenever he pictured home, it was this house that he envisioned, and if not for Waller’s threats, he would’ve stayed instead of returning to Hong Kong with Maseo.

The few days he’d spent in Starling, while working for Waller, had completely changed his life. And, given his recent conversation with Tommy about their encounter in Hong Kong, Oliver felt like it was time for him to admit a few things to Felicity. He went upstairs and found her about to get into bed.

“Uh-oh. You have mopey face. What happened?” She asked.

“There’s something I need to tell you.” He said. “I probably should’ve told you awhile ago. Tommy and I were talking and- he told me that he’d gone to Hong Kong in 2009, looking for me.”

“Yeah. I remember. He- one of your email accounts had been accessed from Hong Kong and he came to me with what he found and- and we thought that meant you were alive and there.” She said. “Turned out to be some scam.”

“It wasn’t.” He said. “Because I was there.” Before he knew it, the whole story was coming out, from the ARGUS operation he was part of to Tommy’s arrival to Waller’s threats to what Oliver did to make Tommy leave China.

“I- wow, I don’t think I’ve heard something that’s made me this angry in a long time.” She said. “I mean, I’m glad you didn’t kill Tommy, but- would you like to hear what happened when he came back from that trip?”

“I don’t think I want to, but I should.” He said.


Starling City- 2009

Felicity wasn’t entirely sure what was going on. Tommy had left for Hong Kong a few days ago, to find Oliver, and the only communication she’d gotten from him since was a short text that he had landed. He hadn’t told her how his search was going or anything of that nature. Her texts to him, asking for updates, seemed to be getting ignored.

She was thus shocked to get a text that morning from Tommy, saying he was stopping by. Megan was thankfully down for a nap when he arrived. She let him in, and for a moment, looked around, expecting to see Oliver step out of Tommy’s car or peek out from behind him, to surprise her.

“You didn’t find him.” She said.

“Can we talk inside?” Tommy asked. “I don’t wanna do this on your front step.”

She let him into the house and they sat down in the living room. “So, you didn’t find him. Did you find anyone who saw him or are you planning to go back and-?”

“It wasn’t him.” He said. “The email, it wasn’t sent by him. It- right after I got to Hong Kong, someone grabbed me. He explained that the email was a scam, a ruse to draw someone to the city so he could take whoever it was hostage.”

“Or someone saw you, recognized you from the tabloids, guessed at why you might be there and-.”

“Felicity, the person who took me knew exactly what brought me there, how I knew to go to Hong Kong.” He said. “He- Ollie’s gone. He’s dead. He-.”

“I need you to leave.” She said. “Like, right now.”

“What?”

“I need you to leave. And don’t talk to me for a little bit.”

“Feli-.”

No, you need to go.” She said. “Go, get out. You came to me weeks ago, with that frakking email and you gave me hope. You made me think that, maybe, somehow, Oliver was alive. That he was alive and you’d find him and- you gave me hope that Megan would get her dad back, that I’d get my- that I’d get Oliver back. You made me believe that he was alive and we’d get him back and now, you’re taking that hope away. So, I need you to go.” She and Tommy were the only ones who knew about the trip, because they didn’t want to get Thea or Moira’s hopes up, but that didn’t stop Felicity from getting her own hopes up.

“I’m sorry.” Tommy said as he left.

“I know, but I just- I’ll let you know when I wanna talk again.” She said.


Present

Oliver looked pain-stricken as Felicity finished her story. It was hard to hear her talk about how upset, how completely heart-broken she was after Tommy returned from Hong Kong. “And now, you’re telling me that that was a lie. That you did that, you put us through that, because you coming home would’ve ruined ARGUS’s plans.”

“I didn’t really have a choice. If Tommy stayed, started asking people about me, showing a picture to people, Waller would’ve gotten someone else to kill him. I didn’t want him to die.” He said. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, I-.”

“I want you to show me how to properly punch someone.” She said.

“Why?”

“Because if I ever meet this Amanda Waller, I’m gonna break her frakking nose.” She said. “Who the hell does she think that she is? What right does she have to put you in that kind of position? Better yet, if she’s the head of this super effective, totally badass spy group, why does she need some castaway billionaire who never graduated college, no offense, to work from her? Does she not have qualified agents? Oh, wait, I know she does, because Lyla works for her and-.”

“She had been watching events play out on Lian Yu and decided I might be useful. Past a point, though, it had less to do with qualifications and more to do with access.” He said. “Peter Kang was involved, who-.”

“Worked for Queen Consolidated, I know.”

“Some of the information ARGUS needed was in QC’s servers.” He said. “So, about two months after Tommy came back from Hong Kong, Waller sent my partner and I here, so that I could get into the system. QC has biometric security and they didn’t take my print out of the system.”

“Why would they?”

“That’s exactly what my partner said.” He said.


Starling City- 2010

Oliver had the crawler Maseo had given him running on his mother’s computer when something on the screen caught his eye. There was a folder on his mother’s computer titled “Robert_Q PRIVATE”. He clicked on it and found two files inside, one was for Thea and the other was for himself. He looked around and found a flashdrive in the drawer, which he inserted so that he could copy the files.

“Oliver, you have to go.” Maseo said over his comm unit.

“I’m not done.” There was the ding of an elevator and then footsteps approaching his position.

“You have to go. Someone’s coming.”

The files finished downloading, and Oliver started to hide his tracks. He ducked out of the office just as a blonde woman holding a toddler in one arm and a file in the other entered the office. The woman put the toddler down and approached the desk. The toddler took a few steps before sitting down on the floor. From the new angle, Oliver realized the woman was Felicity Smoak.

Felicity was looking at the same photo of Oliver and his father that he’d noticed minutes earlier. “Why the hell did you get on that boat?” She asked. “You should be here.”

“Mama!” The toddler called.

“Give Mommy just one second.” She said, putting down the folder in her hands. She looked back at the photo. “I miss you every day, and I’m not the only one.” She walked back around the desk and picked up the little girl. “Okay, Megan, Mommy’s done working now. Let’s go home so we can have some of those yummy leftovers Grandma gave us.”

Felicity and her daughter left and Oliver couldn’t help but watch them leave. Felicity was a mom and the girl looked to be just under two years old. Briefly, he wondered if the girl was his daughter, but he waved the thought off. It was possible, but if Felicity had known she was pregnant before he left on the Queen’s Gambit, she would’ve told him. Her daughter was beautiful and he hoped she was happy.


Starling-Present

Oliver told Felicity about breaking into Queen Consolidated and his very close call when he almost ran into her.

“I spent the next few months hoping you were happy and wondering about that little girl.” He said. “If she was mine. Because I did the math and she was either mine or you got pregnant soon after I left and I- it was never not on my mind, but then everything with my mission turned to crap and-.” Oliver had so strongly talked himself out of the toddler being his daughter that when he first saw Megan again, on the second floor of Queen Consolidated, the incident in his mother's office had been almost completely forgotten.

“That’s my biggest regret, you know.” She said. “I used to wonder what might’ve happened if, when you called me the morning you were setting sail, I told you about the pregnancy test I’d just taken.”

“And I spent weeks wondering what would’ve happened if I’d stepped out from the shadows that night in Mom’s office. What if I’d told you I was there? In Hong Kong, Waller could’ve made me disappear, but if I’d told you I was there, it would’ve- she couldn’t have done anything to me, not easily anyway.” He said. “I should’ve just called out your name. I wouldn’t have missed quite so much of your life or Megan’s.”

“Well, we can’t change the past.” She said. “And you’re here now.”

Chapter 86

Summary:

After his capture, Malcolm finds himself in an unexpected position and everyone in Starling begins to move forward.

Chapter Text

Malcolm spent the entire trip to Nanda Parbat fuming. It was frustrating enough that he’d gotten captured to begin with. He had always viewed himself as the kind never to be captured. He would either win, or he would go down fighting, never allowing himself to be taken alive. He was incredibly annoyed that his brilliant plan had not only failed, but that he hadn’t known it failed until it was far too late. His capture and the failure of his plan weren’t the worst parts of this situation, however.

Above everything else, Malcolm Merlyn was absolutely livid that he had been deceived. Malcolm was a deceiver, he wasn’t the one who was deceived. Yet, Thea had managed to deceive him and make him believe his plans were progressing when they weren’t. Oliver had managed to trick him and convinced him that Sara was really dead, Nyssa was really hunting for her killer and that he had a good chance of talking Oliver into dueling Ra’s to save Thea. Being deceived was one thing, but Malcolm couldn’t help but wonder how deep the deception went. Who else had known the truth about Sara and also tricked him? Did Laurel know the truth? Did Tommy? Had the volturra ever worked on Thea, or had she simply been pretending all along? Had she been in contact with Oliver the whole time they had been in Corto Maltese?

Malcolm prided himself on being too smart, too good at reading people to ever be tricked, but now, he wasn’t so sure. Now, he felt like a gullible amateur and he hated feeling that way. He said nothing for the entire journey to Nanda Parbat, stewing in his anger. Nyssa made no attempts to taunt him, content to let him sit and stew and contemplate his upcoming death.

When he, Nyssa and the pilot reached Nanda Parbat, assassins began to murmur and talk to each other upon seeing him, but no one addressed him. He hadn’t expected a friendly reception, as the League took its laws very seriously and hated those who violated them, but he was surprised no one was sneering at him and calling him a traitor or something along those lines.

Malcolm was brought before Ra’s al Ghul and the Demon Head was the first person to address Malcolm in over 12 hours. “Al Saher, it seems that, despite your penchant for disappearing, you could not evade us forever.”

“Only because I was tricked by Nyssa and Sara Lance.”

“I deceived you.” Nyssa said. “The word “tricked” implies what we did was in good fun or nothing serious. And as my father loves to say, theatricality and deception-.”

“Are powerful agent to the uninitiated, I know.” Malcolm said. “You still manipulated me into being the one to attack, so that you had a reason to capture me.”

“Is this what you have been reduced to, Al Saher?” Ra’s asked him. “Whining like a child when things do not go your way? Complaining about lies and deception and manipulation when you are outmaneuvered by someone? It is truly a pity.”

“Your daughter forced my hand and then captured me on false pretenses.” Malcolm said. “Sara Lance is not dead. And as such, it hardly makes sense for Nyssa, or anyone here for that matter, to apprehend me for the crime of killing her.”

“Except attempting to kill Taer Al Safher is not your only crime.” The Demon Head said. “Or have you forgotten about your failed Undertaking? I have not. Sara Lance’s supposed death was merely a pretense. It was never going to be the crime that condemned you to death.”

“So, I’m here to die.” He said. He looked around. “I was kinda expecting to have more of an audience, since my crime was so egregious, according to you.”

“It seems you have forgotten much in your time away from Nanda Parbat. Today is not the day you are going to die. You are not owed that mercy.” Ra’s said. “First, you must suffer for the hundreds of lives you took in your failed Undertaking.”

Malcolm was dragged away and taken to Nanda Parbat’s dungeon. Nyssa stayed behind to speak to her father about what had transpired in Starling City, since she hadn’t been able to tell her father in advance of her plans and a lot had happened in a short period of time. He seemed pleased, or as close to pleased as he could manage, by how things had turned out. She was surprised he didn’t make a snide comment about Sara while they talked. The first time Sara had left the League of Assassins, he had had plenty to say about her beloved and the fact that she had never truly belonged in the League or with Nyssa.

“You look as if you want to say something.” Ra’s said as their conversation drew to a close.

“I’m somewhat surprised that he didn’t try to argue further with you.” She said. “I expected Merlyn would try to convince you this was some big misunderstanding or beg you to kill him quickly or something of that ilk.”

“I suspect that will come later, once the reality of the situation sets in and he realizes what awaits him.”

 

When Oliver woke up the next morning, it took him a few moments to realize that there was nothing he really needed to do. The confrontation between Nyssa and Malcolm, which he had been waiting months for, had finally happened. While Oliver had been living a double life in some sense for years, the ploy with Sara added extra stress into his life, stress which was now gone. He no longer had to worry about letting the truth about Sara’s survival slip out or concern himself about the possible collateral damage when Malcolm and Nyssa inevitably came to blows. For the first time in weeks, he could relax.

Oliver let out a happy sigh and pulled Felicity closer, going back to sleep.

“What was that happy little sigh about?” She whispered.

“Malcolm’s been dealt with by Nyssa. The city’s been quiet lately. There’s finally nothing really pressing I need to worry about.” He said. “It just hit me that I can actually relax for once. Enjoy my time with my family without having to worry about what might happen.”

“It’s a great feeling, huh?” She said. “And, to top it all off, it’s Saturday. So, no school for Megan or work for me. We get to spend all day together.”

Felicity and Oliver slept for a little while longer before getting up to have breakfast. Oliver was in the middle of making some pancakes when Megan came downstairs. She was rubbing her eyes and her hair was all messy. She looked so much like Felicity that Oliver couldn’t help but smile.

“Morning, Megan.”

“Good morning, Daddy.” She said. “Why are we having pancakes?”

“Why not have pancakes?” He asked her. “It’s Saturday. Unless, you don’t want pancakes, in which case me and your mom can eat all of them.”

“No! I want pancakes. It’s just been a really long time since we had them.” Pancakes were Megan’s favorite breakfast, and she was never going to turn down the opportunity to have them.

“Well, there’s been a lot going on lately.” Felicity said. “But all that stuff’s over and done with, and we’re not gonna be as busy anymore.” She wasn’t unaware of the fact that she, Oliver and Megan hadn’t been able to spend as much time together as a family over the last few weeks. She hoped Megan hadn’t felt like her parents weren’t around, but she knew the three of them hadn’t been able to spend as much time together as they should’ve.

“Okay.” The girl said. She started to say something else, but stopped herself.

The small family had breakfast in relative quiet and then Oliver asked his daughter what she wanted to do that day. He told her that, since it was the weekend and no one to go anywhere, they were going to spend the whole day together. Megan decided that first, she wanted to watch some Disney movies with her parents.

Oliver, Felicity and Megan spent pretty much the whole weekend together, having family time. The two adults didn’t show up at the foundry Saturday or Sunday night, since the city was quiet and they needed a break from being vigilantes. Sara came and went as she wished.

On Sunday night, after Megan was in bed, Barry called Oliver and asked him for his help. The speedster had finally identified who the Reverse Flash was and asked for the archer’s help capturing him. After talking it over with Felicity, he went to Central City for a few days to help Barry.

When Oliver returned home, he was a little banged up from the fight it took to catch Reverse Flash, but no worse for wear.

“I don’t think I wanna do this anymore.”

“Do what?” Felicity asked him.

“Be the Arrow. At least, not full time.” He said. “The city seems to do just fine without me. It has the rest of the team and- and being the Arrow has meant I’ve had less time with you and Megan and-.” This was something he had been thinking about for a while. He didn’t want to necessarily give up being the Arrow, but needed to maybe take a step back.

“If that’s what you want, I understand.” She said.

That night, the pair went to the foundry and met with the others. Oliver explained to them how he was feeling and they understood, or at least claimed to. He promised that he’d be there when they really needed him.

“Ollie, you sound like you need a vacation, a real one.” Tommy told him. “Just take the damn vacation.”

 

When Malcolm heard footsteps walking towards his cell in Nanda Parbat’s dungeon, he tried not to tense. He was the only person in this part of the dungeon, so whoever was coming, they were coming for him. By his count, he had been down here for just over a week. He had been visited and made to suffer several times already. The worst thing he could do right now was appear afraid. He refused to give Ra’s or Nyssa or whoever it was the satisfaction of seeing him scared or intimidated. Malcolm may be doomed to die, but he didn’t have to lose his dignity when he faced his death.

The door to the cell opened and a masked assassin bearing a torch stepped into the cell. The figure didn’t look familiar, but it was hard to tell.

“I am here to aid you.” A man’s voice said. The figure neared the spot where Malcolm sat, as if to unlock the shackles around his wrists.

“Does he think I’m an idiot?” Malcolm asked. “I might be chained up down here, but I know a trap when I see one.”

“This is not a trap or a trick.”

“Well, excuse me if I’m not exactly inclined to believe you.” He said. He knew this was a trick. It had to be. There was no other reason why someone would come and try to free him, unless Ra’s had ordered it as part of a plan to further mess with him.

The man stopped. “Well, if you wish to stay here and die, then-.”

Another masked figure neared the door. The new arrival tensed for a moment before drawing their sword and attacking the man who was undoing Malcolm’s shackles. Malcolm could do nothing as he watched the pair duel. He was completely perplexed as to what the purpose of this charade was or what Ra’s al Ghul hoped to achieve with this farce.

It wasn’t until the first assassin cut off the second assassin’s head that Malcolm was willing to accept that, perhaps, this wasn’t some big trick orchestrated by Ra’s. The Demon Head wouldn’t waste men in such a manner, regardless of how much he wanted Malcolm to suffer.

The masked man sheathed his sword and turned his attention back to Malcolm. “As I said, I am here to aid you, but only if you want my aid. We must move quickly, before someone comes looking for this one.” He looked at the assassin he had just killed. “Do you want to die here or not?”

“No, by all means, unchain me. Since you’ve gone to all of this trouble.”

The man undid Malcolm’s remaining restraints and led Merlyn through various passages until they found themselves outside. They hadn’t crossed paths with anyone during their exit and by Malcolm’s reckoning, none of the sentries could see them at their current position.

“Who are you? Why free me?” He asked.

The man removed his mask and Malcolm had no idea who the man was. If he’d met the man before, he didn’t recognize him.

“Who I am doesn’t matter. My employer has a proposal for you.”

Chapter 87

Summary:

Oliver, Felicity and Megan decide to take a break away from it all.

Chapter Text

Malcolm was, needless to say, very perplexed about who would go to the effort to free him. He wasn’t exactly winning any popularity contests and not many people had the resources, much less the skills needed, to break into Nanda Parbat and help him escape.

The man who had helped him escape didn’t say much, but Malcolm guessed the man’s boss was either incredibly stupid or incredibly desperate to be willing to go up against the League of Assassins itself just to free him and offer him a proposal. The situation no longer felt like a trap by Ra’s, but Merlyn was still very suspicious of the entire series of events. His suspicion was only made worse by the fact that his questions were going unanswered. His traveling companion refused to tell him who his employer was when he asked.

“What’s the proposal?” Malcolm asked after a long bout of silence. “You broke me out of that dungeon because your boss has a proposal for me. You won’t tell me who you work for, so I at least need to know what this is about.”

“Does it matter? The proposal, regardless of what it entails, is better than being tortured to death in a dungeon. You should be grateful.”

“And I am.” He said disingenuously. “But my gratitude only goes so far. It’s why I won’t kill you as soon as we get out of these mountains. However, I’m gonna need something better, more enticing than “I broke you out of a dungeon” to convince me not to run off to some beach as soon as I can.”

“Revenge. My boss offers you the chance at revenge. That’s all I can say.”

“Revenge against who, exactly?”

“You’ll need to fight the urge to “run off to some beach” in order to find out.”

Well, now Malcolm was intrigued and he supposed it wouldn’t hurt to meet the man who’d gone to so much trouble to offer him an alliance.

 

“All right. Coast City, here we come!” Felicity exclaimed as she finished putting her suitcase and Megan’s into the car.

They were leaving today to spend a few days in Coast City before heading off for a trip to Las Vegas to see her mother and then a few other places on the west coast. In total, the trip was going to last about two weeks. Megan’s summer break had just begun and Felicity was finally using some of the vacation days she’d built up. Oliver had talked it over with Felicity and since his desire to take a step back from being the Arrow hadn’t changed, he claimed the best way to truly take a step back was to spend some time away from Starling City. She agreed.

“I’m excited!” Megan declared.

“I’m excited too.” She said. “What are you the most excited about?”

“Well, I wanna see Grandma Donna, but I’m more excited to go to Disneyland so I can meet Ariel and the other princesses.”

“I’m excited to go to Disneyland too.”

“I can’t wait to just sit on a beach or by a pool and do nothing.” Oliver said. When they were planning this trip, he said that his plan for Coast City and most of their other stops was to relax as much as possible.

“I thought you didn’t like beaches because of the island?” Megan asked him.

“I like the beach, and I don’t dislike islands, except that one. I just don’t like boats.” He explained. He wasn’t fond of being in the ocean either, but Megan was a little too young for him to try and explain the complicated nature of PTSD to her.

“Oh.” She said. “Are you sure Wolfy and Tiger can’t come with us?”

“I’m sure.” He said. “I don’t think either of them would like spending so long in the car or being cooped up in a hotel room when we’re out doing things.”

“But they’ll miss us.”

“They will, but Auntie Thea and Uncle Tommy are going to come by to play with them and make sure they’re taken care of.” Felicity said.

“We’ll be back before you know it.” Oliver said, putting the last of the bags in the car. It was one of Felicity’s and he realized it was pretty heavy. “Did you put rocks in here or something?”

“No, but there’s some stuff I wanted to bring just in case, so I threw it all in one bag.” She said, not looking at his face. Why didn’t she want him to know what was in the bag?

“You said you were taking a vacation. As in, not doing any work.” He said. He had a feeling the bag contained some stuff for work so that she could do some work for QC while everyone else was having fun.

“And I’m not going to.” She said. “None of that’s work stuff.”

“If you say so.” He didn’t really believe her, but he also didn’t want to start a fight. Maybe she was bringing her computer, maybe she wasn’t. As long as Felicity didn’t skip out on spending her vacation with her family so that she could work, it didn’t matter.

“All right. I think that’s everything.”

They waited for Megan to go inside and say goodbye to the pets before leaving.

 

Two and a half weeks later, Megan, Felicity and Oliver returned from their vacation. Megan had had a blast at Disneyland and everyone had a nice trip overall. They were having such a nice time that they had stopped in Oregon for a few extra days before heading home. Oliver and Felicity felt completely refreshed from the trip.

As soon as they reached the mansion, Megan ran upstairs to see how Tiger and Wolfsbane were doing. Wolfsbane was excited to see her and spent a few minutes sniffing her and letting her pet him eagerly. Tiger was another story. She rubbed against Megan’s legs once or twice before walking away and sitting on Megan’s bed with her back to the girl.

Felicity winced when she walked into the room and saw Tiger sitting with her back to Megan. Cats tended to do that when they were mad at you. She didn’t think Megan realized that, but clearly, the tabby hadn’t been happy that they left, even if she had company the whole time.

“Did Tiger say hi?”

“Yeah. She rubbed against my leg and purred a few times.” Megan said. “I tried to pet her a few times, but she moved away. I think she’s mad.”

Felicity nodded and walked over to where the cat was. She picked the animal up and began to pet her. “Are you mad at us, Tiger?” She asked the cat. “Or are you happy we’re home, but trying to seem like you’re not?”

“Tiger doesn’t talk. She’s a cat.”

“I know that, but just because she can’t talk to us, it doesn’t mean we can’t talk to her.” She said. “We missed you, and I know you missed us.” She put the cat back on the bed. “Let Tiger have some time to herself She missed us, but now that we’re back, she wants to know how upset she was that we left. In a little bit, she’ll be back to her normal, playful self. You should start to unpack your suitcase before Uncle Tommy, Aunt Laurel and the twins come for dinner.”

“Ok, Mom.”

On their trip, Megan had stopped using “Mommy” and “Daddy” and started calling her parents “Mom” and “Dad” respectively. She hadn’t said why, and when Oliver noticed and asked Felicity about it, she just kind of shrugged it off. Megan had most likely decided that calling her parents “Mommy and Daddy” was something that only “babies” did and decided not to call them that anymore. Felicity was a little sad, because it meant her daughter was growing up, but it wasn’t a big deal in the long run.

 

When Tommy and Laurel arrived for dinner with the twins, Megan got really excited and rushed over to say hi to her cousins. Robert and Rebecca were standing next to their parents, though they were both holding onto Tommy’s pant leg. She was a few steps away when Tommy spoke up.

“Actually, Megan, don’t come any closer.” He said.

“Why not?” The girl asked with a frown. “Do Robby and Becca not wanna see me?”

“No, there’s something they wanna show you.” He said. “Just wait.”

Rebecca was the first to move. She saw Megan, got a determined look on her face and then let go of Tommy’s leg. She took a few wobbly steps before falling onto her butt. She then decided to craw the rest of the way to where Megan was, babbling in her baby-speak. Robert, not wanting to be outdone by his sister, soon followed after her, making it a few more steps than Rebecca had before falling on his butt.

“They’re walking already?” Oliver asked his best friend.

“Kinda. Becca started a few days ago and Robert didn’t wanna be outdone. They take a couple of steps and then crawl the rest of the way.”

“Baby-proofing the apartment’s been an interesting experience.” Laurel added.

“I thought you did that when you were pregnant.”

“Once a baby starts to crawl around and walk, you gotta do it again.” Felicity said. “Because the dangers are now at a different height. I hope all your furniture’s attached to the wall.”

“Do we really need to do that?” Tommy asked.

“It’s better to be safe than sorry, right? Let’s say the twins are crawling around, or maybe once they start to walk a little better. They see something they wanna look at, but it’s on the shelf of the bookcase, so they have to climb it. They climb up to the shelf, and then it tips over because there’s more weight at the top of the bookcase than at the bottom and gravity’s a thing.” She said. “If the bookcase or whatever it is, is fixed to the wall, it won’t tip over with the extra weight.”

“Ok, well, I know what we’re gonna spend the weekend doing. I didn’t- all the parenting books say different things and I didn’t know if the furniture thing was real or just some people being paranoid.”

“And, on top of that, there are all these warnings our parents didn’t have when we were kids.” Laurel said. “It seems like when I talk to my mom and ask her for advice, half the stuff I say we’re supposed to do weren’t a thing when I was a kid.”

“It’s crazy to think about, isn’t it? How many dangerous things we were allowed to do that we’re now learning we shouldn’t let our kids do.” Felicity said. “Like, when my mom was a kid, seatbelts weren’t mandatory. So, she and my grandmother would argue about me needing to wear one if I was in the car with her.”

“It’s insane.” Oliver said. No one spoke for a little bit as they thought about how much things changed between when they were kids and when they had kids.

They went into the dining room to have dinner. For most of the meal, Megan told Tommy and Laurel about the trip they’d just gone on. While she didn’t tell them every single thing that happened in Coast City, Las Vegas or Disneyland, she came pretty close. They got to hear about building sandcastles on the beach and the rides at Disney and meeting the princesses as well. When she exhausted stories to tell, Oliver asked how things had been for Tommy and Laurel.

“Not much has changed. Two and a half weeks isn’t that long, when you think about it.”  Tommy said. “Starling’s not gonna change too much in less than a month.”

“Starling’s changed over the course of a few hours before.” Oliver said, referring to both the Undertaking and the Siege.

“That was….an extreme circumstance.”

“It happened twice in two years.”

“But it’s not happening now.” Laurel said. “Things are pretty much the same. Nothing huge to worry about, no grand conspiracies lurking under the surface.”

“Honestly, you could take the next two and a half months off of being the Arrow and we’d probably be fine.” Tommy said.

Chapter 88

Summary:

Oliver and Felicity think about their future, in more ways than one, and tragedy strikes the city.

Chapter Text

When Megan finished telling Tommy, Laurel and the twins all about the vacation she’d gone on with her parents, Oliver asked how things had been for Tommy and Laurel.

“Not much has changed. Two and a half weeks isn’t that long, when you think about it.”  Tommy said. “Starling’s not gonna change too much in less than a month.”

“Starling’s changed over the course of a few hours before.” Oliver said, referring to both the Undertaking and the Siege.

“That was….an extreme circumstance.”

“It happened twice in two years.”

“But it’s not happening now.” Laurel said. “Things are pretty much the same. Nothing huge to worry about, no grand conspiracies lurking under the surface.”

“Honestly, you could take the next two and a half months off of being the Arrow and we’d probably be fine.” Tommy said.  He then noticed Felicity’s expression. “What? What did I say?”

She looked at the children and made sure Megan wasn’t paying attention to their conversation, before answering. “Have you never watched a horror movie? Or an action movie for that matter?” She asked.

“I have. I’ve watched a few with you over the years, even. Why do-?”

“Then, you didn’t pay attention.” She said. “Because, like, in every horror movie, or spy movie or action film, there’s the point where the cast thinks it’s over. They’re safe, the missions been completed and so on. And then one character says “I’m glad that’s over” or “yay we’re safe” or “this can’t get any worse” and then-.”

“And then, it gets worse.” He said. “This isn’t a movie though. This is real life. Things like that don’t happen. It’s not- the universe doesn’t somehow I said something to jinx the city and-.”

“My life seems to work exactly like that.” Oliver said. “The time that I was away, up until I was found by those fishermen, it seemed like every time I thought I was safe, I’d say “well, threat’s gone” and then another threat showed up.”

“Ok, so don’t give up being the Arrow entirely. Maybe just….take a short sabbatical. Switch to being a part-time vigilante.” Tommy said with a shrug. “You know, if you wanna.”

“You don’t wanna be the Arrow anymore, Dad?” Megan asked. “I thought you liked it, because you got to help people.”

“It’s not that I don’t like it anymore.” Oliver explained. “But I- being the Arrow means that I don’t always get to be around for you and your mom as often as I wanna be. And I wanna be able to spend more time with you, so I might be the Arrow a little less.”

“But the city needs the Arrow!”

“Well, the city has other heroes, like Black Canary and Arsenal now. I don’t have to do it by myself anymore. It doesn’t need me all night, every single night anymore.”

“Oh, okay.” She said. “Does that mean Mom isn’t gonna be in the foundry doing computer stuff anymore?”

“Well, that’s up to your mom, not me.” He said.

“I don’t know yet.” Felicity said, answering the unspoken question. “I guess I gotta think about that too.”

“So, Megan, what part of Disneyland was your favorite?” Laurel asked. She didn’t necessarily want to distract Megan, but she could tell that Oliver and Felicity didn’t want to talk about their future as vigilantes any longer. They hadn’t made any decision yet, so there wasn’t much to say.

The rest of dinner passed quickly and the group moved into the living room for a little bit. Megan was sitting on the floor, trying to play with Robert and Rebecca while the adults were talking.

“Kinda surprised Thea didn’t come over for dinner.” Tommy remarked.

“I invited her, but she said she had plans with Roy. She’s coming over tomorrow, said something about a “girls day” with just her and Megan.” Oliver said. “You hear from Sara recently?”

Sara had left Starling a few days after Oliver, Felicity and Megan went on vacation. Unlike the Queen-Smoak family, she didn’t have plans to return. According to the note she’d left, she wanted to see some more of the world, now that she was free from the League of Assassin and not pretending to be dead.

“She’s somewhere in Europe. We got a postcard from Turkey a few days ago. Seems to be enjoying herself.” Laurel said. “Which is good. She- it seems like she’s using this trip to find herself and I think she needs that.”

“Mom, do you think Robbie and Becca remember Wolfy?” Megan asked. “I’m gonna go get him.”

“Megan, I’m not sure that’s-.” Having the twins, who were now old enough to crawl and grab things, play with Wolfsbane might not be a good idea. The wolf was gentle, for a wild animal, but toddlers were rough and they might pull his tail or hurt him, causing the wolf to react. Just then, Wolfsbane came into the room, catching the twins’ attention.

“Doggy!” The twins babbled upon seeing the animal.

“No,” Megan said patiently, “Wolfy’s a wolf.”

Robert and Rebecca crawled closed to Wolfsbane. “Woof, woof.”

“No, not woof. Wolf.”

“They’re very little, Megan. They can't say words as well as you can.” Felicity told her daughter. “At least not yet. When you were as little as they are now, you struggled to say words too.”

“Oh.”

Wolfsbane moved towards the two human pups, sniffing. They let out delighted squeals as he sniffed and licked them. They babbled as they tried to grab his fur, tail and ears. The wolf seemed unhappy, but didn’t make any attempt to scare the children.

"Hey, guys, let's be gentle with Wolfy ok?” Tommy suggested as he moved over to where the twins were. He sat down near them and showed them how to pet Wolfsbane gently.

“I’m gonna go get Tiger.” Megan announced.

“Why don't we wait before we introduce them to Tiger?” Oliver suggested.

“But why do we have to wait?”

“Well, because Tiger is very small and the twins are still learning to be gentle.” He said. “Wolfy doesn’t seem to mind, but it might make Tiger upset.”

"Woof, woof, woof.” The twins continued to say.

"Wolves don't “woof”, they howl.” Megan said. She knew it wasn’t nice to act like a know-it-all, but she enjoyed being able to share things she knew with the twins, who didn’t seem to know what sounds wolves made, or even what wolves were.   

As if on cue, Wolfsbane let a long loud howl which caused the twins the shriek with delight.

“Well, someone seems to be a hit with these two.” Tommy said, feeling somewhat better now that the twins were being more gentle with Wolfsbane and seeing that the wolf wasn’t starting to get agitated. “But it’s time for us to go. Bedtime’s coming soon.”

“But it’s not even near bedtime.” Megan said.

“Maybe not your bedtime, but it’s probably almost their bedtime.” Oliver said, gesturing to the twins. “They’re little. They need lots of sleep.”

“And so do their parents.” Laurel added. “We really should get going.”

Oliver helped Tommy get the twins settled into the car and then everyone said their goodbyes. After they had driven away, Megan turned to her parents.

“Robbie is Becca’s brother, right?”

“Yes. We talked about Becca being Robbie’s sister and him being her brother.” Oliver said. He didn’t understand what she was asking, since she was a smart kid and knew what a person having a sibling meant. “Why do you ask?”

“How come Becca has a brother and I don’t?”

“Because when I had a baby, I just had one baby. I didn’t have two, like Laurel did.” Felicity said.

“But Grandma Moira had a baby. The baby was Dad. And then a few years passed and she had another baby, Auntie Thea.”

“That’s right.”

“So, I could have a brother.” She said. “Or a sister.”

“Megan….” Felicity didn’t like where this was headed.

“I wanna be a big sister.” She said.  “You just need to have another baby.”

“It’s not that simple.”

“You had one baby. Why can’t you have another?”

“It’s- Megan, babies don’t just show up on the doorstep one day. And Mom and I can’t just snap our fingers and create one.” Oliver said. He and Felicity hadn’t talked about kids, prior to the Gambit, and they’d barely discussed having more children since his return. If Megan was going to get a younger sibling, there was a lot Oliver and Felicity needed to talk about long before that happened.

“But I’d be a good big sister and-.”

“Megan, we’re not gonna talk about this anymore.” He said firmly. “Having a baby is something for Moms and Dads to talk about, not kids. I’m gonna leave it at that.”

“But-.” She realized her parents weren’t going to budge and dropped it. She went upstairs to sulk, saying she wanted to play with Tiger.

“She wants a little brother.” Oliver said, baffled by the way the conversation had transpired.

“Or a baby sister. I guess she’s not picky.” Felicity said, somewhat amused. When Megan had been asking for a sibling, it wasn’t something to laugh at, because Megan didn’t know how babies were made, but now that she’d gone upstairs, Felicity could laugh. “You know she’s gonna keep asking right?”

“I hope it’ll be a while before she asks again.”

“It won’t be. She’s persistent. I don’t know if she got that from you or me.” She said.

 

The next day, Thea arrived in the early morning to spend the day with Megan. Felicity went into work for her first day back from vacation. She had purposefully scheduled no meetings for that day so that she’d have plenty of time to catch up on what happened during the two weeks she had been gone.

There didn’t end up being all that much to catch up on. Projects that were “in progress” when she left were still being worked on. Deals that needed to be made still hadn’t been made. The board was still trying to convince her to sell the company to Ray Palmer and Ray Palmer continued to inundate her with ideas for future partnerships and projects.

When he heard Felicity was in the building, he made his way to her office. He clearly had a big idea and began eagerly telling her about it. She wasn’t able to follow exactly what he was saying, but she knew it had something to do with nanotechnology.

“Dr. Palmer, I-.”

“-results so far have been groundbreaking and I really think we-.”

“Ray!” She said, her voice slightly raised. This caused him to stop talking and look at her. “I’m sorry but I can’t really talk about this today. I just got back from a nearly three-week vacation. I’ve got a lot to catch up on. Can we maybe talk about this in a few days?”

“I-sure.” He said. “Actually, that’s better. That way I can work on this last experiment and be able to show you the results when we talk.”

“Awesome. We’ll talk more at the meeting.”

Ray left her office. She briefly considered asking him what “experiment” he wanted to run, but decided not to. She was sure he’d tell her all about it at their meeting and, as much as she hated mysteries, she could wait a few days. She put Ray and his ideas out of her mind for the rest of the day.

She was halfway home when she got a panicked call from Oliver.

“Where are you? Are you safe?” He asked. “Please tell me you aren’t at your office.”

“No, I’m on my way home. I- why?”

“There was an explosion at QC. It’s all over the news.”

“What?! When?”

“News broke like five minutes ago.” He said. “The whole- the top three floors are on fire.”

“Has Megan seen the news?” She said.

“No. I got an alert on my phone. She’s still hanging out with Thea.”

“Okay, I gotta- I need to head back to QC. I need to-.”

“it’s not safe.”

“I’m not going inside. But I’m the CEO. There’s been an accident. I need to be there.” She said, making a U-turn and heading back towards QC.

It took a few hours for the fire department to get the flames under control. According to witnesses, the explosion came from Ray Palmer’s lab, but no one knew what he’d been doing. Ray was also the only person who’d been in the building who was unaccounted for by the time Felicity left.

 

Malcolm turned to his new ally. “This accident at Queen Consolidated. Does it impact our plans?”

“No, my plans are unaltered. Even if it did, you wouldn’t need to concern yourself with it.”

Malcolm refused to acknowledge anyone as being his boss or superior or someone he had to answer to. His ally, and that was all Malcolm would call him, clearly seemed to think Malcolm worked for him. it was an unspoken point of contention between the pair and Merlyn wondered when they would inevitably need to discuss their exact relationship.

Chapter 89

Summary:

The team encounters someone new and Felicity deals with the repercussions of the explosion at QC.

Chapter Text

“How many do you see?” Thea asked over her comm.

“Four.” Roy answered, peeking over the ledge of the building he was watching from.

Below them, four masked men wearing what looked like fatigues had broken into Starling National Bank and were starting to carry bags of money out of the building.

“And there’s only three of us.” She said. “This would’ve been easier if La-Black Canary was patrolling with us tonight.” Becca and Robbie had their first cold, and Laurel didn’t think it was fair to leave Tommy alone with two sick infants. “Or the Arrow.” Oliver had said to give him a call if they needed his help, but they couldn’t wait for him at the moment, or the bank robbers would get away.

“I say we go for it.” Digg said. “We have one less person, but also the element of surprise.”

“Arsenal?”

“I agree.” Roy said.

“Okay, I guess we’re doing this.” Oliver had the most experience, which was why the others followed his lead in the field. When he wasn’t around, the others put everything to a vote to decide what to do. That way, no one was in charge and, if something went wrong, there wasn’t one person to blame.

Digg, Thea and Roy jumped into action to confront the bank robbers. Immediately, two jumped into their truck and ran off. Thea went running after the truck, hoping to figure out where it was going, while Roy and Digg remained behind to fight the two remaining bank robbers.

The two remaining robbers fought with the vigilantes for a few minutes before deciding to just make a run for it. They each ran in separate directions, prompting Digg and Roy to each chase after one.

“Arsenal, I lost him.” Digg said after a few minutes.

“I lost mine too.” Roy said. “Speedy?”

“I hate that codename.” Thea said. “The truck just vanished.”

“It’s an armored truck. It can’t just disappear.”

“Well, it did. I was running after it, it turned a corner and then it was gone. Poof.” She said.

“Next time, we gotta make sure we don’t let them get into the truck, then.”

“Next time?”

“Bank robbers don’t normally only hit one bank.” Digg said. “We should head back to the foundry and regroup.”

 

“There has been no sign of him.” Nyssa reported to her father. Ever since Malcolm’s escape, the League of Assassins had been trying to locate him. They knew he had help escaping, and whoever was helping was a lot better at covering their tracks than most.

“This world is a finite place. As is the list of those who would aid him.”

“I’m aware.” She said evenly.

“Oliver Queen-.”

“If Queen, or anyone in Starling City, wanted to rescue Malcolm, why would they allow us to capture him to begin with? Why aid Sara and I in doing so?”

Ra’s turned to face his daughter. “I was not going to accuse him of subterfuge. From what I have heard, he lacks the skill and intelligence to deceive one of us. Merlyn may attempt to retaliate for the part he played, so he should be informed of what has happened.”

 

Felicity was annoyed and more than a little nervous when she showed up to work the day after the accident at Queen Consolidated. The fire department had done a thorough check of the building and declared it to be structurally sound, though the floor where Ray Palmer’s lab was had been declared a crime scene and no one was allowed on the floor.

Felicity hoped that, somehow, Ray was okay. No one had seen Ray since mid-afternoon the day before and no one had spoken to him either. It was completely possible that Ray had been in his lab when the explosion happened. The fire department hadn’t found a body, though, so it was also possible that the explosion had happened after he’d left and he was perfectly fine.

Felicity’s annoyance and apprehension had very little to do with Ray, at the moment. The board had called an emergency meeting. She had a pretty good idea of what the meeting would entail. They would want answers. Answers that Felicity couldn’t give them so soon. And somehow, that would be made to be her fault. With everything else going on, dealing with the board was the last thing she needed on her plate.

She walked into the conference room. As she expected, the board was there and most of them didn’t look happy. Felicity wondered, briefly, how many of them had wanted to make Isabel Rochev CEO during the “family crisis” that prompted Oliver to give Felicity his control of the company. Some of them had to have liked Isabel, but clearly didn’t like her, so she wondered how they’d use this incident against her. She pushed the thought away. Isabel was dead and gone and it had been more than a year since Rochev had tried to achieve her little coup. It didn’t matter.

“What happened?” Mr. Dennis asked Felicity before she could even fully sit down in her chair.

“Last night, it appears there was an accident in Dr. Palmer’s lab.” She said.

“And that’s all you know?”

“At this time? Yes. It has been less than 12 hours since the accident. The Starling City Fire Department is doing an investigation, but they’ve only just started.” Felicity was smart, but she wasn’t psychic. She wasn’t omnipotent and she certainly wasn’t an arson investigator.

“So, it was an accident.” Another board member asked.

“As far as I’m aware, yes.” She said. “Since it was just Ray’s lab, it’s unlikely it was anything else.”

“An accident or corporate sabotage.”

Felicity visibly balked at that. The person who said was someone she knew had been on “Team Isabel” and she found it ironic he’d mention sabotage when that was Isabel’s entire goal. “Security footage didn’t show any unknown or suspicious persons entering or leaving the building within hours of the explosion. Unless you’re saying you think Dr. Palmer sabotaged his own lab?”

“No, of course not. Has anyone heard from Dr. Palmer, though?”

“Not as far as I’m aware.” She said. “The authorities tried to talk to him last night, but couldn’t reach him. The last time I saw him was yesterday morning. A few others recalled seeing him later in the day. The staff who were in the building when the accident happened were in shock and didn’t know if he’d been in his lab when the accident happened or not. When I was finished with the SCFD last night, they had not found a body.”

“So, we don’t know if he’s alive or where he is.” Mr. Dennis said. “What was Dr. Palmer working on?”

“I’m not entirely sure.” Felicity had to admit. Now, she was wishing she’d paid a little closer attention to Ray’s excited ramblings the day before. “He said he was working on a project and scheduled a meeting with me to discuss it. He didn’t seem ready, when we talked yesterday, to get into the nitty-gritty details of what the project was or its applications.”

“You’re the CEO and you don’t know what’s going on in your own company?” Mr. Dennis asked.

“As we had previously discussed, Dr. Palmer isn’t an employee of Queen Consolidated. We were working on a number of things “in partnership” with him, but he was not obligated to keep me apprised of things in the way Applied Sciences or the technical division does.” The board had been hoping Felicity and Oliver would sell the company to Ray, so he hadn’t been hired as an employee. Instead, QC was partnering with Palmer’s company, so that if the board got their way and QC was sold, there would be less paperwork with the sale.

“This happened in your building.”

“I’m aware of that. And I’ve been giving the fire department my, and the company’s, full cooperation in their investigation.” She said. “The investigation has just started, they don’t even know what substances exploded and I can’t give you answers I don’t have.”

“In order for this company to be profitable-.”

“I doubt the stock price is going to be terribly effected by a tragic accident. And if the stock prices drop a little bit, the majority shareholder doesn’t mind.” She said.

“Mr. Queen-.”

“I was actually referring to myself. Since it seems you have forgotten, I own over 50% of the company. I’m the majority shareholder.” She said. Oliver hadn’t wanted his stake back, and she also had a feeling he’d have made the same comments about not caring about profits given the situation. “The company has been doing well over the last two years. Our value will take a hit due to this accident, but we’ll recover. And since we have at least one person who is missing, possibly dead, discussing profits comes off as insensitive.” She stood up. “I want to thank you for your time, but I’m afraid I have another meeting starting shortly.”

The other meeting was a lie, but Felicity knew if she had to discuss this any longer, she was going to start getting angry. She found it somewhat funny that, sometimes, talking to her seven-year-old who just stopped believing in Santa, was easier than talking with the board of fully grown adults. It was certainly more productive.

Felicity spent the rest of the day trying to focus on work and calming the nervous QC employees who were more than a little shocked by what had happened the night before.

 

Oliver, Felicity and Megan were just finishing up dinner when Oliver got a call from Thea. “Hey, can you and Felicity come to the foundry?” Her voice sounded strange, which worried him. “I already told Tommy and Laurel they need to come.”

“Is everything okay? You sound weird.”

“Nothing’s wrong, but- just please get here when you can.” She said before hanging up.

“Something wrong?” Felicity asked.

“Thea needs us to come to the foundry. She wouldn’t say why.” He said.

The pair, along with Megan, went to the foundry and arrived at the same time as Tommy. Laurel and the twins.

“You have any idea what this is about?” Tommy asked as he held a fussy Rebecca.

“No clue. All Thea said was that nothing was wrong, but that doesn’t mean everything’s okay.”  Oliver said.

Inside the foundry, they saw Roy, Digg and Thea standing there. And Nyssa standing off to the side.

“It’s Auntie Sara’s cool ninja friend.” Megan whispered a little loudly. Her parents chuckled and Nyssa smiled briefly before her face returned to being neutral.

“I take it Nyssa being here is the reason you called?” Laurel asked Thea.

“Yeah, she- she showed up and said she wouldn’t tell us why she was here until the rest of you arrived.” Roy said.

“This is not a conversation I wish to have more than once. In fact, I would prefer not to have to have it at all.” Nyssa said. “Malcolm Merlyn has escaped from Nanda Parbat.”

“How? I thought that place was some fortress that no one could get in or out of without your people knowing.” Thea said.

“It is. And he escaped because he had help from someone.”

“We didn’t-.” Oliver started to say.

“No one believes you had a hand in his escape.” She said. “But you needed to be told, in case he tried to retaliate for assisting me in capturing him.” She then turned to Tommy. “And I felt it was only right to warn you as well, since he may try to contact you.”

“I doubt it, but good to know.” Tommy said. “What am I supposed to do if he does? Let you know?”

“If possible, yes.”

“Wait, does Sara know? What if he goes after Sara?” Laurel asked.

“I’ve told her what occurred.” Nyssa said. “She knows and she’s taking precautions.”

“Good.”

“Since I’ve given you the news I came here to deliver, I shall leave now.” Nyssa said.

“I’m not offering to help hunt him down, but if we can be of any help, please let us know.” Oliver said. “He’s a threat to all of us and while I might not want him dead, I don’t want him running around, possibly coming after any of us either.”

“I shall keep that in mind.” Ra’s didn’t seem terribly interested in finding Malcolm at the moment. The world was only so big and there were only so many places Merlyn could hide. Eventually, he’d be found. The Demon Head was much more interested in whoever freed Malcolm. They had done so for a purpose and Ra’s wanted to know what that purpose was.

Chapter 90

Summary:

The team tries to move forward after an important, and upsetting, revelation

Chapter Text

The group in the foundry was reeling from what Nyssa had told them. Malcolm had escaped from Nanda Parbat. The League of Assassins didn’t know where he was or what he might be up to. No one knew what he might be planning, as another scheme or revenge against those who caused his last scheme to fail.

Nyssa was turning to leave when Digg addressed her. “You can’t just tell us this and leave. There’s some other stuff we should probably talk about.”

“Very well.”

“I, uh, why don’t I take the kids upstairs?” Tommy asked. “I feel like the conversation we need to have next might upset some people.” Rebecca and Robert were too young to understand what was going on, but Megan wasn’t. She maybe didn’t understand what was going on yet, but once the team started discussing it, it wouldn’t be hard for her to piece together what was going on and why the situation was dangerous. “Laurel can fill me in later. Come on, Megan. They need to talk about some boring grown-up stuff.”

“Okay.” Megan said, pouting slightly. “Bye Auntie Sara’s friend.”

“You may call me Nyssa, if you want.” Nyssa said with a smile. When the door at the top of the stairs closed, indicating Tommy, Megan and the twins were out of earshot, she faced the group. “What questions do you have?”

“Who would help Malcolm escape?” Laurel asked. “That would be my big question.”

“We do not know. If anyone in the League knew, we would have sought the person or persons out already. We don’t even know how they were aware of Malcolm’s presence in Nanda Parbat.”

“Ok, maybe you don’t know exactly who. But there can’t be that many people with the resources and knowledge needed to get into Nanda Parbat, free Malcolm and then escape the compound alive.” Oliver said. “The one time Sara told me about the place, she said it was a massive labyrinth.”

“Not to mention whoever freed Malcolm knew doing so would cause the League to come after them. I don’t think many people would want to piss the League, or your father who calls himself the frakking Demon Head, off.” Felicity said. “Unless they have a death wish or think they can somehow go to war with the League and win.”

“I can think of two people, or rather two organizations, who would take that risk.” Nyssa said. “It does not explain how they would know of Malcolm’s presence, aside from having a spy.”

“They probably did have a spy.” Roy said. “It makes the most sense from what you said.”

“When did Malcolm escape?” Thea asked Nyssa.

“More than a week ago.” She said. “It was our hope to capture Malcolm before there was any need for anyone outside of Nanda Parbat to know of his escape, but we are having more difficulty in locating him than I anticipated.”

“So, not only was he free two night ago, but he could’ve been here, in Starling City, at that time.” Felicity said, sounding slightly distracted.

“You think Merlyn-?” Digg started to ask.

“Did something occur two nights ago that you believe he might be responsible for?” Nyssa asked.

“There was an explosion at Queen Consolidated. An entire floor caught fire. One person is currently missing. The fire department is investigating it as an accident, but if Malcolm Merlyn was in town, and looking for revenge-.”

“Arson has never been Merlyn’s style.” Nyssa said. “Though, people change and it is always a possibility.”

“I don’t think Malcolm caused the explosion to try to hurt you.” Oliver said. “Palmer’s lab isn’t anywhere near your office and Malcolm has been nothing if not meticulous. He’d know that and, if he wanted to hurt you, he would’ve- I don’t wanna finish that sentence, but I think you know where I’m going.”

“An explosion and all the attention would make for a really great distraction, though.” Laurel said. “If everyone’s looking to the left, no one’s paying attention to what’s happening over to the right.”

“Is there anything else you can tell us about Malcolm’s escape?” Thea asked. She could tell that Nyssa wasn’t keen on remaining there any longer. She probably hoped to deliver the news and leave, and not have to answer a bunch of questions.

“No. If I learn more, I will be in touch, but there’s nothing that comes to mind currently.” She said. “I’m going to leave now.” This time, no one tried to stop her from heading out of the foundry.

“So, Malcolm’s free. No one knows where he is. He’s probably out for revenge and he likely made a new friend. That’s….fantastic.” Laurel said. “Just fantastic.”

“Unless he killed his “new friend”.” Thea said. “Which wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest.”

“I don’t think he has.” Digg said. “First of all, his “new friend” might be useful to him, to get revenge, so he might not wanna kill them. And second, they probably have some form of leverage to stop Malcolm from killing them.”

“I hate this.” Felicity said. “All of this. I’m not one to advocate for violence, but I really wish someone had just cut off Merlyn’s head months ago. Because then, he’d be dead and we wouldn’t have to spend the next who knows how long looking over our shoulders, waiting for an attack when we didn’t do anything wrong.” Her expression changed. “What if- he’s gonna come after us. He’s gonna try to kill us. He’s gonna try to kill all of us. He-.”

“Felicity, I need you to take a deep breath. In and out, nice and easy.” Digg said.

“I can’t breathe right now. There’s some psycho who’s probably gonna kill me, or Megan. And I don’t think I can protect her and-.”

“Felicity, I’m not gonna let anything happen to Megan.” Oliver said. “I promise. No matter what it takes, I won’t let anyone hurt our daughter, but you need to take a deep breath, like John said. Because you look like you’re about to pass out.”

Felicity took several calming breaths and her expression returned back to normal. “I don’t know what just happened.”

“I think you just had a panic attack or something.” Roy said. “Which is totally understandable, considering some of what’s happened over the last three years.”

“And that means this isn’t a good time to talk about the bank robbers we ran into last night.” Thea said.

“Bank robbers?” Laurel asked.

“Let’s talk about it tomorrow.” Digg said. “It can wait one day.”

Laurel, Oliver and Felicity went upstairs to where Tommy was sitting with the Megan and the twins. Tommy was rocking one of the twins while Megan was playing peekaboo with the other child. Oliver and Felicity left with Megan to head back to the mansion for the night. Megan had a lot of questions about what happened on the drive home but her parents didn’t answer.

That night, neither Oliver nor Felicity got much sleep. They were both scared of what might happen next and worried about how to deal with it when it came. They hoped Malcolm would disappear off the face of the earth and stay hidden for the rest of his life, but they knew it was just a pipe dream. He would come for revenge, because that’s exactly who he was.

“I’m going to keep Megan safe. And you safe. No matter what it takes.” Oliver whispered in the darkness. “I’ll kill him if I have to.”

“And what if he kills you?” She asked. “I- I’m scared he’ll come after us and I won’t be able to protect her. I’m scared I’ll lose you. I-.”

“I know, but I’m not that easy to kill.” He said. “We’ve stopped him before. We’ll stop him again.”

 

Felicity went into work the next day, tired and cranky. Her mood was made even worse by members of the QC board wanting answers about the accident in Ray’s lab. After the third time being asked, she told her assistant to start telling them she was unavailable for meetings for the next several days. It had been two days since the accident, the investigation was still ongoing and she didn’t know why they expected answers so quickly.

“And what should I say if they want to schedule an appointment?” Gerry asked her.

“I’m available on September 31st.” She said. “Or just make something up for like a month and a half from now.”

“September 31st is not a real dat- oh, got it.” He said. “If they ask to set a meeting, I’ll give them your availability.”

Felicity wasn’t sure if the board had backed off for the day, or if it was Gerry’s doing, but she spent the rest of the day free from interruption and was actually able to get some work done.

 

In the foundry that night, Digg, Roy and Thea told the rest of the team about the bank robbers they had run into a few nights earlier.

“It was a group of four. They broke into Starling National Bank. We engaged with them when they exited the bank and tried to make off with the money.” Digg said.

“Two of them got into the truck they came in and drove off. Thea chased after it while Digg and I fought the other two.” Roy said. “They escaped.”

“And so did the truck.” Thea said. “It just vanished, which is impressive for an armored truck.”

“The bank robbers showed up with an armored truck?” Oliver asked.

“Yup.”

“How much did they take?” Laurel asked.

“We don’t know. Several large bags filled with cash.” Roy said. “It wasn’t on the news so-.”

“Of course it wasn’t.” Felicity said. “It’s bad press for the bank. The branch would’ve filed a report though. For insurance reasons.” She started typing away at her keyboard. “Keep talking. I’m gonna look into this.”

“Anything else stand out about the robbers?” Oliver asked.

“They were wearing ski masks and army fatigues.” Thea said.

“Not just fatigues.” Digg said. “They were wearing body armor.”

“What kinda bank robbers wear body armor?” Laurel asked. “Especially if they’re breaking in after hours?”

“I don’t know, but I don’t like it.”

Felicity found the report the bank filed to replace the stolen funds. They estimated that around $75,000 had been stolen.

 

Three days after her visit, Oliver receive a call from Nyssa. It seemed both too soon for her to have news about Malcolm, but also not soon enough. He had enough problems as is. Searching for Malcolm Merlyn was the very last thing he wanted to deal with.

“Did you find him?” He asked her. He really hoped that that was what she was calling to tell him.

“We have not. When we last spoke, someone asked who would be willing to go to challenge the League of Assassins, and my father, in such a way.” She said.

“Yeah, you said there were only two people you could think of.”

“I have confirmed that one individual had nothing to do with the matter, so it must be the other.” She said.

“Just because the first one didn’t do it, it doesn’t mean it had to be the second guy. Process of elimination doesn’t really-.”

“Oliver, you are a smart man, but you know very little of the League or our enemies. There are only two who would take such a risk, and with one eliminated, it must be the other. Not only are there two who would risk such a thing, but they are the only ones with the capability to succeed as well.”

“Okay.” He said. She had a point; he wasn’t an expert on the League of Assassins or their enemies. “So, this culprit, who is he? Since we now need to keep an eye out for him.”

“His name is Damien Darhk.” She said. “He was my father’s only rival for the title of Demon Head.”

Chapter 91

Summary:

Nyssa shares some information on her father's nemesis.

Chapter Text

Oliver received a call from Nyssa a few days after her visit to see the team and tell them about Malcolm Merlyn’s escape. She had said the League of Assassins only had two enemies who would take the risk of freeing Malcolm. She had eliminated one as a suspect, without explaining who this person was or how they had been ruled out, and concluded there could only be one alternative.

“His name is Damien Darhk.” She told Oliver. “He was my father’s only rival for the title of Demon Head.”

“What do you mean your father’s only rival?” He asked. “Your father is the Demon Head. That’s what his name means. How could he have a rival for his own name?”

“Because Ra’s al Ghul is not his name.” She said simply. “Ra’s al Ghul is a title, not a name. One that has been passed down for centuries, from one leader of the League to another. When he joined the League of Assassins, he abandoned the name he was born with and was given a new name, just as Sara supposedly ceased being Sara Lance and became Taer Al Safher. He trained within the League for many years, and when the time came for the previous Ra’s al Ghul, he was selected to take that man’s place and was bestowed the name Ra’s al Ghul, discarding his second name. Since it would be foolish for his mentor to hang all of his hopes on one person, my father was not the only possible replacement.”

“So, this Damien Darhk lived alongside your father, trained alongside him. He knows how the League operates, and how your father thinks.” Oliver said. “Kinda surprised he’s still alive.”

“Darhk’s survival is something my father is not eager to discuss, with anyone, so I cannot say how he is still alive.” She admitted. “When my father was chosen to ascend, Darhk fled Nanda Parbat with some assassins loyal to him and began his own organization, seeking to further the League’s goals in his own way and through more modern means.”

“And what does that mean, exactly?” He said. “Not to sound insulting, but I wasn’t aware the League of Assassins had any goals, aside from killing the people your father wishes to kill.”

“The League was created to ensure justice was properly served, regardless to the status of the accused. By any means necessary.” Nyssa said. “Doing so will direct humanity to follow a specific path. As for the finer details, that is better explained in person. I’ll be returning to the city in a few days. And I will not be alone.”

“You can’t just show up with a bunch of assassins.” He said.

“I meant that Sara would be joining me. In discovering if my alternative suspect was involved, our paths crossed and she decided returning to Starling City was the best option. I will see you soon.”

“Wait! Your other suspect, who was it? How do you know they weren’t involved?” He asked her.

“Her identity is a story for another time, but she would’ve happily admitted to freeing Merlyn, had she done so. To boast, if for no other reason.”

Oliver had more questions about who this mysterious woman was, but Nyssa was right that now wasn’t the best time to ask. In fact, he was pretty sure he didn’t want to know more. He had enough problems without having to get worried about the League’s enemies, so the less he knew, the better. As long as this woman didn’t come to the city to help Darhk or attack them, he didn’t have to care. “Is there any chance this woman might’ve teamed up with Darhk?”

“No, I can say with absolute certainty that she would not collaborate with Darhk, or his hive of minions, in any way, shape or form.” She said. “I will see you in a few days.”

When Oliver met with the team that night, he told them he had heard from Nyssa and gotten an update on Malcolm’s escape. After saying Malcolm was still at large, he asked them if they wanted to hear the good news or the bad news first.

“I feel like that’s an unfair question.” Thea said. “Since Malcolm’s still out there, there isn’t any “good” news. The good news would be “she caught him” but you just said she didn’t, so it’s just bad news and worse news.”

“Well, the good news is that Sara’s on her way here.” He said. “The bad news is that Nyssa has narrowed down the list of people willing to get on the League’s bad side and break Malcolm out to one man, named Damien Darhk. The worst news is that Darhk used to be part of the League and was almost put in charge of it, before Ra’s was appointed instead. So, not only is he a skilled killer, but he knows how the League thinks.”

“After you said “Sara’s on her way here” I hated every word you said.” Laurel said.

“And every word I hated more than the word before it.” Tommy added. “Why? Why break Malcolm out? What use does he have to Darhk? What does Darhk even want?”

“I don’t know. And Nyssa wasn’t eager to discuss it with me over the phone, since she’s gonna be here in a few days, but it might be that old Machiavelli quote. You know, the enemy of my enemy is my friend and all that.” Oliver said.

“That wasn’t said by Machiavelli. That proverb’s been around a lot longer than that.” Digg said. “What you’re suggesting might be possible, or Darhk wants to use Malcolm as a puppet.”

“My dad as a puppet? I don’t think that’s possible.” Tommy said. “Malcolm manipulates, he doesn’t get manipulated.”

“They’re both enemies of the League, or Ra’s himself. Malcolm got caught. Darhk didn’t. Malcolm owes Darhk, somewhat, now as well for saving him from death. If nothing else, that implies its more likely that Darhk is using him than he’s using Darhk.” Felicity said.

 

The next day, Felicity and Oliver were busy getting Megan ready for school. The school year was going to start in a few weeks and she was very excited to get back to learning. Much like her mother, Megan liked school. She liked learning and she was especially excited to have the same teacher as some of her friends. Last year, she hadn’t had as many friends and the few friends she had didn’t have the same teacher, so she only saw them at recess.

“And since I’m in third grade, I get to learn times tables and how to divide.” Megan said, finishing her explanation as to why she was eager to start third grade and why it was going to be even better than second grade. “When is college?”

“Not for a long time.” Oliver said. “You can’t go to college yet.” Megan was too young. She wasn’t even ten years old yet. She couldn’t already be thinking about college.

“I know that. I don’t even know cursive yet.” She said in an exaggerated tone. “But how many more years until I get to go?”

“You’re starting third grade. College comes after twelfth grade. How many years is that?” Felicity asked.

“Nine.” Megan said.

“So, nine years.”

“What if I skip grades? Can I go sooner?”

“Why do you wanna skip grades?” Felicity asked her daughter. “Why do you wanna grow up so fast?”

“Because being a kid is boring. You never get to do anything.”

“When you do grow up and become an adult, you might not feel the same. You might miss getting to be a kid for a little but longer.” She said. “And I’m not ready for my baby to be heading off to college, so you need to stop growing up so fast.”

“I’m not a baby.”

“No, you’re not a baby, but you are my baby. And I’m barely ready for you to be starting third grade, much less thinking about college.” She said. “It seems like I blinked and you went from a baby to a third grader.”

Megan didn’t say anything but grumbled about not wanting to be a kid forever. Felicity and Oliver ignored her because they understood the childish desire to be a grown-up, because kids thought grown-ups knew everything and always knew what to do. Megan left the living room, saying she was going to read a book in her room.

“I’m glad I’m not the only one freaked out about how much she’s grown up.” Oliver told his girlfriend. “I can’t believe its been almost four years since I came back.”

“Yeah. It’s like I know she’s gonna keep growing up, that’s what kids do, but I want her to stop growing because I wanna keep her safe. If she stays the way she is now, it’s easy to protect her. I don’t have to worry about-.”

“We’re still gonna keep her safe. We can protect her. We’re her parents. That’s part of our job.” He said. “She’s gonna grow up, but we’re gonna- she’s gonna be okay. We’ll make sure of it.”

“What if we can’t?”

“We will.”

“But what if we can’t? I’m- part of me wants to send her to school with a bodyguard or something, because of Malcolm, but I don’t wanna make her worry and- why isn’t there a frakking book or a pamphlet on how to do this?”

“Maybe we should write one.”

 

The next night, another bank in Starling was robbed. As with the first robbery, the culprits were men dressed in fatigues who disappeared not long after leaving the scene. The team started referring to them as “Ghosts” due to their ability to disappear so easily.

The night after that, Felicity, Oliver and Megan arrived at the foundry to find Sara and Nyssa already there. Megan saw Sara and immediately ran over to hug her and ask her about her “vacation” and all the places she had seen. She then told Sara all about the trips she’d gone on over the summer.

“She is good with your daughter.” Nyssa remarked as the pair were talking. “I have never seen this side of her.”

“Are there many kids in Nanda Parbat?” Oliver asked.

“No, though Sara could never be her true self there, so I suppose its unsurprising that I was unaware of this facet of her personality. In the last year, I’ve come to realize how very much I still have to learn about Sara.”

All too soon, the others arrived and Megan and Sara had to cut their reunion short. Megan was having a “sleepover” with Robbie and Rebecca, so when Laurel and Tommy arrived, Tommy dropped Laurel off and Megan was taken back to the apartment with him. This way, Megan got to see Sara for a bit, but the adults didn’t have to come up with something to keep her distracted while they talked. Tommy had also decided he didn’t want to know everything that was going on, for his own sanity, so it worked perfectly. He asked the team to tell him only what he needed to know, and nothing further.

“So, Damien Darhk is the guy who freed Malcolm.” Oliver said. “And he was part of the League. What else do we need to know about him? What are his plans?”

“All of you may want to take a seat and possibly gather some snacks.” Nyssa said. “This will take quite some time to explain.”

“He runs an offshoot of the League of Assassins. How much more needs to be explained?” Roy asked.

“A great deal. For one thing, Dahrk has abilities, talents that you might call magic.”

“So, he’s a magical master assassin.”

“This is no laughing matter.” She said. “As I said, all of you should sit down. There is a lot I must explain. Information my father insisted I tell you, and yet was reluctant to share.”

Chapter 92

Summary:

Nyssa tells the team more about Damien Darhk and the team has their first encounter with him.

Chapter Text

It took Nyssa a long time to fully tell the team everything she knew about Damien Darhk. There was a lot of history between Ra’s and Darhk, and she also needed to tell the team about how the League of Assassins operated and the Demon Head was chosen in order for them to fully understand the significant threat he posed, as well as why he had a vested interest in rescuing Malcolm from Nanda Parbat. Freeing Malcolm would divert League resources and Darhk was planning something big.

“Darhk is not just an assassin. He’s not just a magical assassin, as one of you called it. He is a magical, master assassin who was nearly Ra’s al Ghul.” Nyssa said. “And he has very dangerous ideas about how to achieve the League’s ultimate mission, more dangerous than my father’s.”

“What exactly is the League’s ultimate mission?” Oliver asked her. “I thought you guys were just mercenaries. No offense.”

“None taken, I am aware of who I am and how I am viewed.” She said. “The purpose behind the League is to create a better world, a more just world, by whatever means necessary.”

“And what’s Darhk’s “more dangerous than Ra’s” idea about how to do that?” Laurel asked.

“From what I understand, he believes this world cannot be saved, the better world cannot be achieved. So he means to clear the board and begin again.”

“Armageddon. He wants to start Armageddon.” Digg said incredulously.

“No, its sounds more like the apocalypse.” Felicity said. “It’s not the end of the world or humanity completely, just something to destroy the world as we know it. If he wants to create this new world, he’s gonna need people and that means it can’t be the complete destruction of mankind. I’m not saying it’s better, but-.”

“I never thought there would be someone worse than your father.” Sara said.

“Nor did I.” Nyssa said.

“So, now we gotta deal with him and whoever these Ghosts are.” Thea said. “Great.”

“Ghosts?”

The team then told Nyssa about the soldiers they had encountered. Men who disappeared like ghosts once they had finished each heist. The more they explained, the stranger Nyssa’s expression became until finally, she spoke.

“Are you certain these Ghosts do not work for Darhk?”

“Well, no, but what would bank robbers have to do with a guy who wants to end the world?” Roy asked.

“How certain are you that these men are truly just bank robbers?”

“Because all they’ve done so far is-.”

“Rob banks, until tonight it seems.” Felicity said. “There was a break-in at Kord Industries that just got called in. The suspects broke in and disappeared without a trace.”

“What did they take?”

“I don’t know yet, but I intend to find out.” She said.

“Where have you encountered these Ghosts?” Sara asked. “They have to have a base or something. If we can find one of them, we might be able to find out where they’re hiding.”

The team changed into their armor and left the foundry. Felicity had a very bad feeling about what the Ghosts might want with tech. Kord Industries made a lot of things, weapons being one of them. An hour later, the group returned without any leads.

“I hacked into Kord Industries computers just to see what the Ghosts stole. Cluster bombs. Sensor fused and high yield. Any more powerful and they’d have to be nuclear.” Felicity said.

“Weapons need targets.” Oliver pointed out. “These had to be stolen for a reason. Felicity, hack into Kord Industries databases. I want to know everything there is to know about these explosives. Laurel, we want to start a dialogue with your father and make a list of potential targets. Digg, Roy, Thea, hit the streets, see what we can find. Sara and Nyssa-.”

“I have my own orders that I must follow.” Nyssa said before leaving.

“Is she not gonna help us with this?” Thea asked Sara.

“She will, but I’m pretty sure Ra’s told her to pass along any and all information she learns. Darhk having bombs that are nearly nuclear-grade is something she definitely needs to tell him.”

The group left again and Felicity dug further into the cluster bombs to find out as much as she could about them. Thanks to the cluster bombs having GPS trackers, Felicity was able to pinpoint where they’d been taken. She gave Oliver the location and he went to collect Roy and Thea while Felicity called Digg and Laurel and asked them to meet there.

 

“Uncle Tommy?” Megan asked Tommy. “Is something going on?”

“What do you mean?” He responded.

“Mom and Dad seem worried. I heard them talking about it before.” She said. “Mom is worried something is going to happen to me.”

“She’s a mom. Moms always worry about their kids. I’m sure your Grandma Donna worries about your mom.”

“She also said- I heard them say your Dad, who I know is a bad guy, is back.” She said. “I thought he went away forever.”

“He was supposed to leave forever, but he came back.” He said. He didn’t want to lie to her and telling her things would be okay had backfired in the past. “We’re trying to get him to leave again, but we don’t know how yet.”

“So, something is going on. Something bad.” She said.

“I don’t know yet.” He said. “I hope it’s nothing serious, but I don’t know. We just have to wait and see.”

“I don’t like it.”

“I don’t either.” He admitted. “But your parents have stopped a lot of bad people. They’ve gotten pretty good at it. Whatever happens, whatever comes next, they’ll make sure things end up okay.”

 

An hour after they left, the team returned and Oliver had a very unhappy look on his face. When Felicity asked what happened, Oliver told her the Ghosts were going to use the bombs to blow up the new train station, likely during the opening of a new rail line the next night.

“Are we not gonna talk about what just happened?” Thea asked. “That dude just killed that guy by touching him.”

“Seriously?” Felicity asked.

“Yeah, and Ollie didn’t seem phased by it at all.”

“It was mystical. I’ve seen things. A lot of things during my time on Lian Yu. There’s things that can’t be explained. And Nyssa said Darhk had..abilities. It’s possible he’s not the only one in his organization that has them.”

“You wanna maybe share what those things are?” Roy asked.

“We gotta find those bombs first. Felicity, can you track them?”

“I can try, but if their target is the train station, it might already be destroyed by the time I find them.” She said. “You’re gonna have to do this the old-fashioned way.”

Everyone except Oliver and Felicity went to the train station to start searching. Felicity and Oliver stayed behind in case they learned the station was a false lead and so that, if Nyssa arrived at the foundry, she could be brought up to speed.

The team returned, having had no luck at the train station. There weren’t any explosives in the station, on the tracks or in any of the trains. Roy asked how the Ghosts were going to blow up the station without a bomb in the station. Felicity realized that the bombs weren’t at the station because the Ghosts were bringing them in on the first train. They needed to stop the train before it arrived at the new station.

 

Oliver, Digg and Roy located the train and got onboard while the others helped evacuate the station. Once onboard, Oliver confronted the man he’d seen perform magic and demanded that he stop the train. The man claimed that he couldn’t, as he’d destroyed the breaks. He then introduced himself, saying his name was Damien Darhk. Oliver fired a few arrows at him, but he stopped all of them with his magic before attacking Oliver. He almost killed Oliver, but Digg and Roy arrived just in time and managed to stop him. Darhk disappeared and Oliver revealed that the only way to stop the train was to blow it up. They jumped off the train and Oliver and Roy fired enough explosive arrows to derail it.

The team regrouped at the foundry. They had barely arrived when Nyssa stormed in, an angry look on her face. “Why did you not inform me that you were going to face Darhk tonight? Did you not think my aid could be useful?”

“We don’t have a way to get in touch with you.” Oliver said. “You always contact us, not the other way around. And Sara was chasing down a lead on Merlyn, so we couldn’t have her tell you either.”

“That…is not an invalid point.” She conceded. She then started writing something down and handed the paper she was holding to Felicity. “I can be reached at this number. Do not use this information irresponsibly.”

“We won’t.” She said. “And trust me, we wanted your help with all of this. This Darhk guy scares me, and I want him dealt with more than almost anyone.”

“He only recently became your enemy.”

“He also wants to destroy the world, or in the very least, destroy the city where my daughter lives.” She said. “I don’t have a years-long rivalry with him, but that doesn’t mean I don’t understand the threat he poses.”

“That is fair.” Nyssa said. “Will someone please tell me what occurred on the train?”

Oliver, Digg and Roy told her everything that happened from the moment they snuck onto the train to when the train exploded. She repeatedly asked them to recap their confrontation with Dahrk himself and how it unfolded.

“You do not seem as shaken by Darhk’s abilities as the others.” Nyssa said to Oliver.

“I encountered magic like his, if we wanna call it magic, on Lian Yu. A few years after the Amazo exploded.” He admitted. “The shock has worn off.”

“Tell me everything.”

“I’ll tell you tomorrow.” He said. “I need to go home.”

“This is-.”

“I already missed getting to tuck my daughter into bed tonight. I’d like to get home and see her.” He said. “Dahrk’s plan failed and I’m sure he’s gonna regroup, but he’s not doing anything right now and I wanna be with my family. We can talk tomorrow.”

 

Darhk watched the news with disdain. He hadn’t anticipated masked vigilantes stopping his attack on the train station and he was annoyed they had worked out his plan. Had one of his men talked?

“You seem annoyed.” Merlyn said.

“Because I am, and thanks to your comment, I’m even more annoyed.” Darhk said. “Do you want something?”

“Oh, there’s a lot I want, but I came to offer you some advice, about your new green friend.”

“And that advice would be what?”

“Kill him as soon as you can.” He said. “Don’t wound him. Don’t capture him, just kill him. And do it quickly because he’s almost like a cockroach with his ability to survive what most people can’t.”

“Hmm.” Darhk didn’t need Malcolm’s advice. Merlyn seemed to think he was much smarter than he was. If he had been smart, he wouldn’t have gotten captured by the League in the first place. Damien was also reluctant to kill the Arrow on sight. He was proving to be a nuisance, but perhaps Dahrk could turn him into an ally. It was an option worth exploring, in the very least.

“Oh, and until you kill him, expect him to pop-up at the most inconvenient time possible. As you saw tonight, maybe he can’t beat you, but he can thwart your plans.” Malcolm left the room after saying his piece.

“You’re lucky I don’t just kill you.” Darhk said under his breath. “If you weren’t a useful distraction, I would’ve left you to rot.”

Chapter 93

Summary:

Darhk makes a move to consolidate his power, while Oliver shares what he knows about magic with Nyssa.

Chapter Text

After hearing Malcolm’s unsolicited advice, Damien Darhk was in an even worse mood than he had been before. He was already annoyed that the Arrow had thwarted his plan at the train station. Either one of his men betrayed HIVE or the vigilantes were smarter than he’d been led to believe. He didn’t like the development in either case. Merlyn’s comments didn’t make him angrier at the situation, but angrier in general.

It seemed there had been a massive miscommunication about Merlyn’s role in what HIVE was building. Malcolm seemed to think he and Darhk were equals, when they were not. Malcolm had no power within HIVE, no authority, no status. Darhk was somewhat put off by Malcolm speaking to him as if they were, as if he needed the man’s advice. Malcolm had one purpose and one purpose only: to distract the League of Assassins if they got too close.

Sure, Merlyn had experience fighting the Arrow, but he had not beaten the Arrow, otherwise the man would be dead. His so-called expertise was a blueprint of what Darhk and HIVE should not do when facing the vigilantes more than anything else.

Darhk took a deep breath and tried to clear his mind. Malcolm was a nuisance, nothing more. What mattered was HIVE, and Genesis, and the vigilantes’ intervention tonight meant Genesis would face another delay. The board wouldn’t be happy and Darhk needed HIVE’s board, for the moment at least.

His plot for the new rail line had failed, but there was more than one way to force the city to die.

 

The next morning, Oliver and Felicity did their best to dodge some of the tougher questions Megan had about what was going on. She knew Malcolm was back and her parents were worried. She had a feeling something else was going on and she wanted answers. They did their best to assure her that things were going to be okay.

“I’m not a little kid anymore.” Megan said after Felicity told her, for the second or third time, that there was nothing she needed to worry about. “I know when you don’t tell me stuff and I know when you’re lying. I heard you two talking.”

“Talking about what?” Oliver asked her. “When?”

“At night a few days ago. You and Mom were talking about Tommy’s dad being back and why that’s a bad thing. And Mom was saying you two might not be able to protect me.” She said. “You both think something terrible is gonna happen to me.”

“We don’t think something is going to happen, we’re worried that something might happen. It’s not the same.” Felicity said. “And you’re right, you’re not a little kid, but you are still a kid. And the things we’re worried about are grown-up problems. Telling you everything that’s going on isn’t gonna make you safer and it’s not gonna make us worry less. If anything, it’ll just make you more worried. We can’t- Dad and I have always stopped the bad guys, right?”

“Yeah.”

“And what’s going on right now, it’s just another bad guy. A new one. He’s not worse than Slade Wilson or Tommy’s dad, he’s just someone new. And we’re gonna stop him just like we stopped the others.” Oliver said. “Things might not be great right now, but we’re gonna figure it out and make things get back to normal, okay?”

“Okay. I still wanna know what’s going on.” She said.

“We’ll explain soon. Go get your backpack.” Oliver said. “We need to get you to school soon.”

Megan went up to her room, a little grumpy that she hadn’t gotten the answers she wanted. As soon as she was out of earshot, Felicity turned to Oliver. “Why would you tell her we’d explain soon?”

“I couldn’t think of what else to say. Was I supposed to tell her “tough luck, you don’t need to know”? She has a point, we can’t just leave her in the dark, not since she knows something’s going on.”

“How are we supposed to explain what Nyssa told us? Darhk wants to end the world, how do we explain that to our daughter? She’s a little young to hear about something so heavy.”

“We don’t need to tell her everything. We can leave what Darhk’s goal is out of it. All she needs to know is that he’s a bad man who came to the city to do bad things and some of the people with him have robbed banks and tried to blow up the train station. And Malcolm is helping him.”

“I don’t like having to tell her at all. That’s- once she knows someone like Darhk exists, she can’t unknow it.” She said before letting out a defeated sigh. “But she does need to know some of this.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m not mad at you. I’m mad at Malcolm and Darhk and everyone else for creating this situation in the first place.” She said. “I’m gonna say goodbye to Megan and then head to work. The board called an early meeting and that never bodes well.”

 

Felicity’s meeting with the board was unproductive. They had called the meeting to remind her that they weren’t happy with her performance as CEO. The company was losing money and they decided her leadership might be to blame. She found it fascinating that they saw her as the problem and Moira’s involvement in the Undertaking or Isabel Rochev using company resources to try and destroy the city weren’t mentioned at all for possible reasons why people didn’t want to invest in QC or buy QC products.

They gave her an ultimatum at the meeting. She needed to either find a project that would make Queen Consolidated profitable again, quickly, or begin laying people off. Obviously, her ideal choice and the board’s were different.

“I will consider it.” She said, trying not to show how angry this meeting was making her. “I’m not committing to layoffs.” She wouldn’t even know who to layoff if she had to take things in that direction.

“Luckily, an employee named Curtis Holt has developed a method for determining just that.” Mr. Dennis said, causing Felicity to realize she’d said that last part out loud. “So, the option is there, if a project does not come along quickly to change the company’s current course.”

Felicity had two questions. One, why would someone create a program to determine who was expendable? Two, could she use it to layoff the board?

 

When Oliver had relayed what happened aboard the train to Nyssa, he revealed that he’d encountered people with magical abilities before. She wanted more information then and there, but he held her off, saying they’d talk the next day. Since it was now the next day, he knew he’d have to share what he’d seen on Lian Yu. Deciding there was no point in waiting, after he dropped Megan off at school, Oliver went to meet with Nyssa so that they could talk.

She got straight to the point. “You said you’d seen magic like Darhk’s before on Lian Yu. What did that mean, how did you encounter such abilities and how similar were these abilities to Darhk’s?”

“After the Amazo, I was….”recruited” to work for ARGUS in Hong Kong. I was assigned to stop-.”

“The sale and release of a bioweapon known as the Alpha-Omega virus.” She said. “The man you knew as Maseo Yamashiro sought out my father after your mission in Hong Kong ended. I know that story, though I was unaware you were his partner until after our first encounter.”

“Okay.” He felt a little uneasy that Nyssa knew so much about Hong Kong, but didn’t address it at the moment. “After the mission, I didn’t know what to do with myself. I felt that I couldn’t go home, not after what happened. So, I drifted, working as a vigilante in another city. I was found by ARGUS, again, and, again, I was “recruited” to work for them.”

“You say recruited with such….annoyance.”

“I was drugged, put on a plane and dropped into the area where they needed me. I don’t really consider that recruitment, but that’s the wording that makes me less angry.” He said. “Anyway, they sent me back to Lian Yu, to infiltrate some drug operation that had gotten set-up there while I’d been gone. Turns out the drugs were to finance the real goal of the operation, searching for dangerous magical artifacts. Or rather, a specific magical artifact.”

“What was the artifact? What did it do?”

“It was an idol of some kind. It seemed to absorb death and destruction, and used death to give powers to whoever held it.” He said. “Reiter, the leader of the operation, could stop objects with his mind, he was temporarily indestructible and do a number of other things.”

“What became of the idol?”

“When I destroyed the drug operation, ARGUS came to collect the survivors and took the idol with them. I don’t know what happened to it after it left the island.” He admitted. If Waller was smart, she would’ve locked the idol away, where no one would ever find it. He wasn’t confident Waller would do something that smart, however.

“And, what abilities did you see Darhk display last night?” She asked. “How similar or different were they?”

“Pretty similar. Darhk did the whole “stop things with his mind” thing. He tried to choke me with a length of chain. And prior to our run-in, we saw him literally suck the life force out of one of his followers.”

Nyssa nodded. “I need to relay this information to my father. If Darhk is in possession of an idol, he has to be storing it somewhere, which means it can be located and stolen.”

“If Darhk has an idol, and its anything like the one that was on Lian Yu, you can’t just take it back to Nanda Parbat. Your father having it wouldn’t be any better than Darhk.” He said.

“Darhk is a madman, my father is no-.”

“It changes people. I saw how it changed people, drove them to madness. You wanna steal it? Fine, but we gotta steal it to destroy it, not to give to someone else, or this cycle never ends.”

“I will also share your suggestion with my father.” She said. “We’ll need to speak about this further, I know there are questions I haven’t thought to ask that he will want answers to.”

 

Mid-day, several members of the city’s leadership gathered for a meeting. The interim mayor, the district attorney, the fire chief, the chief of police, and a few others all gathered in City Hall.

“What is this about?” The DA asked the interim mayor.

“I didn’t call this meeting. I thought you did.”

“I’m the one who called this meeting.” Darhk said, entering the room. “I wanted a word with all of you.”

“Who the hell are you?”

“Someone who’s very tired of the people in this room trying to save this city.” He said. “Let it die. It needs to die. Death brings new life.”

“We have an obligation to the people of-.” The chief of police started to say.

“You’re about to give a speech. I hate listening to speeches.” Darhk said. “I wanted to do this the easy way, but fine. I suggest you say goodbye to your loved ones, while you still can.”

“You’re really gonna threaten a room full of public officials?”

“Yeah, why not? If you all die, who’s gonna take your place? You’re the ones keeping the city running, so if I kill you, I’ll kill the city.” He said. “Or you can consider what I’m saying and live a little longer. Your choice.” He walked out.

By nightfall, half of the people in the room had been killed and the city was starting to panic.

Chapter 94

Summary:

Oliver makes a decision about his future while the team tries to prevent panic from spreading.

Chapter Text

Damien Darhk had hoped the leadership of Starling City would take the easy route after he made his intent clear to them. He wasn’t asking them to do anything, he just wanted them to let the city die. His plans would come to fruition much faster and easier if they all just sat back and let him work. Unfortunately, it was clear that the collective of civil servants actually cared about the city and would try to save it. He couldn’t allow that to happen.

A few hours after Darhk had tried to threaten the city’s leadership, the interim mayor was found dead in his office of an apparent heart attack.

An hour after that, the fire chief was killed in a hit and run. The vehicle that struck him had vanished in the chaos after the collision.

Not long after that, the district attorney was declared dead and the city started to panic, since the DA was the third high-profile person to die that day. Laurel left the DA’s office after answering a few questions from police and immediately called Oliver.

“Someone’s attacking the city’s leadership.” She said. “The DA was poisoned. The mayor and fire chief are also dead.”

“I know. It’s all over the news.” He said. “Everyone’s meeting at the foundry. Head over there when you get a chance.”

“You think this is Darhk?”

“I’m not ruling him out by any means.” He said.

When Laurel arrived at the foundry, the rest of the team was gathered around Felicity’s computers. There was a press conference being held by City Hall, trying to urge the public to remain calm, ineffective though the message was. Journalists kept asking if the leadership was being targeted or if there was an attack coming. Either these deaths were tragically coincidental or something bigger was going on.

“We urge everyone to remain calm. These deaths are being investigated with all available resources. That’s all I’m able to share at this time.” The poor spokesperson for the late mayor said. More questions followed, but he stepped away from the podium.

“What do we do here?” Roy asked. “Three people are dead, and they were kinda important people.”

“We try to stop the panic that’s about to be unleashed.” Oliver said. “However we can. And we make sure any other potential victims are kept safe. Laurel, you’re more….familiar with the city government than the rest of us. The DA’s dead. The mayor’s dead. The fire chief is dead. Who else would they go after?”

“Chief of police, head of emergency services, head of health and human services, and possibly a few deputy positions, like deputy chief of police, to cause further chaos.” She said. “I’d add a few judges to that list, but they’ve got their own, separate security that’s already mobilized.”

“We- I mean, this is clearly Darhk, right?” Felicity asked. “We all pretty much agree that Damien Darhk is behind this.”

“He’s the only one we know of with the resources needed to pull this off, but I haven’t figured out why.” Oliver said. “Why do all of this? What does it cause? How does it help his plans?”

“The city’s on the verge of chaos. Maybe that’s what he wants, or needs. The city to be in chaos.” Digg said.

“That is precisely what he wants.” Nyssa said, making her presence known. “Whatever he is planning, he intends to implement those plans here. A city thrown into chaos, with a great deal of its leadership dead, makes it much harder for him to be stopped.” She turned to Oliver. “I have spoken with my father and discussed what you shared with me. Since now is not an opportune time, we’ll need to discuss what he said later.”

“Good. Because hearing what Ra’s al Ghul has to say really doesn’t matter to me all that much right now.” He said. “Everyone suit up, we’re in for a long night.”

Even if Darhk or HIVE didn’t strike tonight, the atmosphere in the city was tense. People were on edge and that meant people would make some pretty bad decisions. The last thing the city needed was mass panic.

“I guess I oughta take the twins and head home.” Tommy said. The twins were asleep in their stroller and there was nothing he could reasonably do in the foundry to help.

“Don’t go home.” Oliver said. “Go to the mansion. The twins can have a sleepover with Megan.” Raisa had stayed late tonight, at Oliver and Felicity’s request, to watch the girl.

“Why shouldn’t I go back to our apartment?”

“Laurel’s an assistant DA and her father’s a police captain. They’re both prominent civil servants, and civil servants are the ones being attacked.” He said. “The mansions a much safer place to spend the night, until we get this all figured out.”

“Fine.” He said. He didn’t like this, he didn’t like any of this, but he couldn’t argue with Oliver’s logic. The mansion was much more secure than Laurel and Tommy’s apartment and it was far enough away from the center of the city that if things did escalate, he, Robbie and Rebecca wouldn’t be in danger. He also had a feeling that Oliver and Felicity wanted someone they trusted, and who knew what was going on, watching Megan tonight.

Tommy drove to the mansion and made up some story about the twins wanting to have a sleepover, even though they could only say a few words and it was a school night, to tell Megan. She didn’t completely buy his story, but didn’t pester him for the truth.

 

The team spent all night patrolling the city and trying to prevent the uneasy tension from reaching its boiling point. There had been no sightings of HIVE, no further assassination attempts on city leaders, but the sense of panic persisted. The entire city still felt tense as the sun was rising and the team returned to the foundry exhausted.

The city spent the next few days on edge. There weren’t any more high-profile deaths, but that did very little to calm the nervous civilians. The team had a few run-ins with HIVE, but they still didn’t have a good picture of what Darhk was planning. There had been unrest, but no outbursts of mass panic. After a few days, people eventually began to calm down slightly. They were no longer afraid to leave their homes or be out in public after dark.

Three days after the DA, mayor and fire chief died, Oliver mentioned an idea he had to Felicity. “I’m gonna run for mayor.”

“What?”

“I’m gonna run for mayor.” He repeated. “The interim mayor is dead, and someone needs to step in. Plenty of people are qualified, but they’re too scared, because of what happened to the last mayor.”

“You should be scared too, you know. We still don’t know how the mayor died.” She said.

“I’m not saying there’s nothing to be scared of, but unlike most of the city’s population, I can protect myself from threats. I want to help my city.”

“You already do. Do you think your actions as the Arrow don’t-?”

“The city needs something beyond what the Arrow can offer them. They need someone who can do things in the light to save it. A leader who isn’t afraid.” He said. “What do you think?”

“It sounds crazy.” She said. “But in the “crazy, but it might work” kinda way.”

He told the team about his plans that night. The reaction that he got was mixed. No one seemed quite sure how to express what they thought of it. Oliver wasn’t exactly “mayoral material” as they all knew.

“You’re not a politician.” Laurel pointed out.

“Maybe that’s the best reason to run. None of the actual politicians wanna run.” He said.

“What platform are you gonna run on?”

“I don’t know, but I’ll figure it out.” He said. “I care about the city, but being the Arrow isn’t enough to help it anymore. I know this is a bit of shock, but I was expecting at least some support here.”

“It’s not that we don’t wanna be supportive.” Thea said. “This just seems sudden and like you might be getting in over your head.”

“Well, you might not be the ideal candidate, but at least you’re not, you know, a psycho kidnapping and injecting people with secret compound as part of a plot to unleash a supersoldier army on the city to destroy it.” Roy said. “At least, I’m pretty sure you’re not.”

“Is being a better option than Sebastian Blood really that much of a compliment?” Digg said.

“What? I was being supportive!”

Oliver announced his candidacy for mayor the next day in a short press conference. It was short, sweet and to the point. He acknowledged that he wasn’t the ideal candidate, but stated he wanted to help his city and wanted to follow in his mother’s footsteps and at least try.

 

Darhk watched the press conference where Oliver announced his candidacy for mayor. He paused the feed on the image of Oliver, Felicity and their daughter standing at the podium, smiling. They looked so happy and Darhk didn’t like that one bit. Oliver Queen probably wouldn’t be a good mayor, from what he knew about the man, but even a bad mayor was a problem for Genesis. Any mayor was a leader and the city needed to be leaderless for Darhk’s plans.

“Well, that’s a problem.” Malcolm Merlyn said.

“Not really. The election isn’t for months. That’s plenty of time for Queen to drop out of the race. And, if he somehow doesn’t, something tells me that he scares easily.” Darhk said.

“He doesn’t.” Malcolm said. “I’ve tried.” He hated to admit it, but he had never been able to scare Oliver into doing, or not doing, anything. It was one of the man’s few strengths, in Malcolm’s eyes.

“You didn’t try hard enough, then.” He said. “Or, you didn’t pick the right angle to pursue. Queen has a family, he has people he cares about. And every person he cares about is an opportunity that can be exploited. If it comes to that.”

“Meaning?” He hated Oliver and Felicity, and didn’t care what happened to them or their daughter, but Thea was a different matter. She might’ve betrayed him, but she was still his blood. She still had use to him.

“My meaning isn’t your concern at the moment.” Damien was a persuasive guy and resourceful. There were plenty of ways to remove Oliver as a threat to Genesis, from threats to bribes and beyond. Genesis had gotten this far already, one ex-billionaire wasn’t going to stand in its way.

Chapter 95

Summary:

Darhk plots for ways to get Oliver out of his way, while Nyssa and Oliver discuss options for getting Darhk out of the picture and Tommy's twins do some exploring.

Chapter Text

Following Oliver’s announcing his candidacy, Darhk wanted to move immediately to get Oliver out of the race. While what he had told Malcolm was true, about the election being months away, he thought it best if he dealt with his “mayor problem” first, so that as Genesis got closer, he could focus on more important things. Oliver Queen as mayor would be an inconvenience, but the Green Arrow and his team had the potential to become bigger problems.

Queen’s candidacy was an idea he needed to nip in the bud. Darhk was a resourceful man, and incredibly persuasive too. He might not even need to threaten Oliver at all. Oliver Queen didn’t strike him as a very smart man. Damien figured he might be able to talk him into dropping out of the race, while also making it seem like it was his own idea.

Unfortunately, other members of HIVE were less calm about Oliver’s announcement. Almost as soon as it happened, it seemed the board went into a panic. Someone called an emergency meeting to discuss the issue, as if an election months away was an immediate threat that needed to be handled before the day was over.

“Someone needs to find out how I can get in touch with Oliver Queen’s campaign.” Darhk told the other HIVE board members at the meeting. Other members had been arguing, but his comment cut all other conversations off. “I think he and I need to have a chat.”

“What’s the point? You got rid of one mayor, just get rid of him too.” One board member said. “I don’t see why you need to talk to him.”

“I like to make someone an offer, before I issue any threats. And I threaten before I act, to avoid unwanted suspicion. As you well know.” He said. The board member had joined HIVE after Darhk had first made him an offer, and then threatened him. “Anyway, Queen is an idiot and I’m good at dealing with idiots and getting them to do what I want.”

“Are you referring to us with that comment?”

He was, but he wasn’t going to admit as much. “Does Oliver Queen really want to be mayor, or does he just think he should run because of his mother? Is he really ready for that kind of commitment? Or is this just another random idea he’s decided to pursue, like that club he opened and no longer runs? Or like being a CEO?” He asked. “I’m persuasive. Given enough time, I could probably convince him that, no, he doesn’t really want to be mayor. Or, if for some reason that doesn’t work, I have other options.”

“Killing him removes the problem very quickly.”

“Two people who saw me threaten the late mayor are still alive. If the only candidate to replace him also dies, right after announcing his campaign, people are gonna start to investigate and we don’t want that.” He said. “Someone find me a way to get in contact with his campaign.”

It took less than an hour for someone from HIVE to find the contact information for Oliver’s campaign. Darhk called the number, stating he was thinking of donating to the campaign, but wanted to meet him first. He was told by the guy who answered the phone that the campaign wasn’t looking for donors, which seemed odd. After asking to be put on the mailing list, the call ended. Darhk decided not to share this information with the board and instead wait for a better time to “meet” Oliver and speak with him. If Oliver became a problem, he’d handle it, but until then, his run for mayor was, at beast, a minor annoyance.

In Oliver’s campaign office, Roy put down the desk phone. Thea had roped him into helping on the campaign. “So, uh, Damien Darhk wants to be a campaign donor. Or so he claimed.” He told Oliver. “I said we’re not looking for donors.”

“That was Darhk on the phone just now?”

“I mean, he didn’t say his name was Damien Darhk, but it was his voice.” He said. “Sure, I’ve only heard him talk once, but he made an impression when he drained some guy of his life force or whatever that was he did.”

“Why would Dahrk wanna donate to my campaign?”

“As a cover to kill you? Or to try and bribe you into being his lackey?”

 

Despite the attacks on city leadership stopping, Oliver was still worried they might start up again and that people close to him would be targeted. Laurel and her father were both high-profile civil servants, Felicity was the CEO of a major company, he was running for mayor and Tommy was a pretty well-known man in town. It didn’t take a lot of arguing or discussion to convince Laurel and Tommy to spend a few more nights at Queen Mansion. Not only was the mansion more secure, but there was more than enough space for everyone.

The story they told everyone, including Megan, was that Tommy and Laurel were doing some heavy renovations on their apartment and didn’t want to live there while the construction was going on.

On the second day Tommy, Laurel and the twins were staying at the mansion, the twins decided to go exploring. With baby gates and other child-proofing, the twins wouldn’t be able to go upstairs without Tommy knowing, so he let them roam around. Robbie and Rebecca were at the age where they wanted to explore and as long as they were safe, he wasn’t going to stop them.

Tiger was resting comfortably on the sofa. She was curled up into a little ball when a loud yell woke her. She startled awake and saw that one of Tommy and Laurel’s twins had noticed her.

“Kitty!” Robbie said, toddling to the sofa. He began making a "pst pst" noise at the kitten, who was now fully awake and alert.

As the toddler got closer with his grasping sticky hands, Tiger backed further away from the edge of the sofa. Just then, Rebecca joined her brother, having noticed the kitten too.

“Kitty!” She screamed in excitement.

Tiger moved to get onto the back of the couch as the toddlers moved closer, making a grabbing motion.

Wolfsbane, having heard the yells, entered the room and saw what was happening. The two human pups wanted to play with the tiny kitten, unaware that they were actually starting to scare her. He could see Tiger standing on back of the sofa. When Robbie started to pull himself onto the sofa, Tiger crouched down low on and got ready to strike. If she moved fast enough, she could run away before the toddlers grabbed her. The wolf jumped onto the sofa and gently put himself between the two children and the kitten.

“Woof! Woof!” The twins exclaimed. They began giggling and shrieking with delight as the wolf began to sniff and lick their faces. Tiger eased up and, after a few moments, relaxed onto the back of the sofa.

The twins were still laughing when Megan and Tommy came into the room.

“Hey guys, what's going on in here?” Tommy asked his kids.

“Kitty! Kitty! Kitty!” The twins exclaimed at the same time. They tried to move around Wolfsbane to reach where Tiger was, but the wolf gently blocked their way.

“They wanna say hello to Tiger, but I think they’re scaring her.” Megan said.

“Okay, then why don’t we show them how to say hi without scaring her?” He asked. He sat down on the sofa and gently picked up Tiger. He waited for the cat to get settled in his lap before he looked at his children. “Robbie, Becca, this is Tiger. She’s really sweet but gets scared easily. Wanna say hi?” The twins moved closer. “You need to be gentle though, okay? Like this.”

He began to gently pet the cat and after a few moments, the twins joined in. They were a little rough at first, but after a few seconds, when the excitement died down, they became more gentle with their pets.

Wolfsbane, seeing that Tiger was no longer scared, relaxed and laid down on the floor. With the twins distracted by the kitten, he could get some sleep without worrying about them climbing all over him.

 

“We need to talk, Oliver.” Nyssa said when she entered the foundry that night. While she perhaps should have greeted everyone first, as that would have been the polite thing to do, the need to speak with Oliver overrode that.

“Does it need to be right now?” He asked. “The Ghosts attacked a tech company last night, one that makes weapons for the government, and we need to check it out and see what evidence we can find.”

“I have to insist.” She said. “I told you that I spoke with my father regarding the information you shared with me. We haven’t had a chance to talk about what my father had to say in response. It seemed an unnecessary distraction with several high-profile government employees dying. Since HIVE has evidently stopped killing civil servants, we now have a chance to talk.”

“Is the League of Assassins on its way here to kill Darhk and start a war with HIVE?”

“No.”

“Then we can talk about it after patrol.” He said. “It’s not that I don’t wanna discuss it, but this latest break-in by HIVE is a lead. Hearing what your father has to say about magical idols really isn’t.”

“The Demon Head was unhappy to hear that I didn’t have answers to the questions he asked when I spoke with him yesterday. He would like an answer now, and I will not disappoint him.’

“You know, Ollie, we’re just going to look at what the Ghosts left behind.” Thea pointed out. “We’re not expecting to run into any big problems.” It was uncomfortable standing there and watching them argue, and she was sure she wasn’t the only person feeling that way.

“Yeah, we can just go check it out.” Laurel said, picking up on Thea’s point. “That way, you and Nyssa can talk, but we’re not ignoring the break-in last night.”

“See?” Nyssa said. “There is no need for us to delay this conversation.”

The others filed out, leaving Oliver, Felicity and Nyssa in the room.

“Fine.” Oliver said. He could’ve come up with another reason why he couldn’t talk to Nyssa right now, but it didn’t seem worth it. As he told her, it wasn’t that he didn’t want to talk, he just prioritized new leads over the thoughts of Ra’s al Ghul, a man he had never met. “What did you father have to say and what did he want to know?”

“He said the idol you described sounds like something Darhk would take great interest in. He’s going to inquire over whether the idol you gave to ARGUS is still in their possession.”

“How would he-? Never mind, I don’t think I wanna know.” Felicity said. She was curious as to how Ra’s would find something like that out, but then she decided not knowing would probably be better. “You were saying?”

“He was curious as to what this idol looked like, as the League has a long memory and may have record of this idol. I couldn’t tell him, since you did not describe the idol itself to me.” Nyssa told Oliver.

“It’s hard to describe, but I’ll try.” He said. While Oliver remembered every inch of the idol from Lian Yu, putting it into words was difficult. The idol resembled a human head, but describing exactly what the face looked like and the extra elements wasn’t easy. “Honestly, it’s one of those things where I’d be able to identify it if I saw it, but can’t describe it very well.”

“As most magical artifacts are, I would presume.” She said. “Knowing Dahrk as he does, my father agrees that, even if Dahrk does not possess the idol from Lian Yu, his idol is dangerous and he must be relieved of it as soon as possible.”

“Relieved meaning what?” Oliver asked. “We steal it and you take it to Nanda Parbat? Because I made my thoughts very clear about how bad of an idea that would be.”

“If the idol is the one you previously encountered, which it may not be. He did not say that he would not destroy the idol, but likely will. My father has a disdain for magic.” Ra’s al Ghul saw magic as a crutch that unskilled warriors needed to use in order to prevail. It was a weapon of cowards, or so he claimed.

“Really? I find that surprising.”

“You haven’t met my father, so I’m curious as to why you’d find that surprising.” She said. “He has a disdain for magic, not solely because of Darhk, and is not in favor of anything that could drive one to madness.”

“So, he’ll want the idol destroyed, but just hasn’t said he wants to destroy it yet?” Felicity asked. “That doesn’t- the team’s at the location that was hit last night.” She turned her attention back to her screens and began to direct the others to where they needed to go, tuning out Oliver and Nyssa.

“Felicity’s comment brings up an important question. One that my father seemed eager to get an answer to.” Nyssa said. “Can the idol even be destroyed? How could that happen?”

“I don’t know.” Oliver admitted. “It’s not indestructible, it can’t be, but I don’t know how to destroy it. Yet.” Nothing was indestructible. Maybe they could smash or shoot it. Maybe they could blow it up. Oliver could talk Cisco and Felicity into building a rocket to fire it into the sun if that’s what it took.

“We should find out how to destroy it.” Nyssa said. “We also need to find out where Darhk is keeping his. Destroying the idol is of lower priority than removing it from his possession.”

“Well, we haven’t been able to locate the Ghosts’ base, so I don’t know what you want me to do on that front.” He said.

“Leave that to me. I will contact my father immediately to tell him what we discussed.”

“This thing just feels like a massive game of telephone.” He was starting to wonder why Nyssa didn’t just call Ra’s while she was standing there with Oliver to avoid her having to be the intermediary.

At the moment, he was just happy that Ra’s al Ghul didn’t seem interested in Darhk’s idol. The last thing he wanted was for something so dangerous to go from one egomaniac’s hands into another’s.

Chapter 96

Summary:

Oliver officially meets someone, and Starling gets an unexpected visitor.

Chapter Text

Following her conversation with Oliver, Nyssa relayed the information he had shared with her father. He would never admit it, but Ra’s al Ghul was very interested in what Oliver had to say and what information the archer may be able to provide.

After hearing Oliver’s rudimentary description of the idol that had been found on Lian Yu, Ra’s spoke for the first time, interrupting Nyssa’s report. “If Oliver Queen is somewhat accurate in describing this idol, it sounds a great deal like the Khushu idol. According to legend, and the records kept by my predecessors, that idol vanished over a thousand years ago. Some say it was destroyed, while others claim it was taken to the ends of the earth and hidden. Where did Queen say this idol was found?”

“On Lian Yu.”

“I am aware of that, but where on Lian Yu?”

“In a secret chamber, in an ancient temple, buried underground. It took months of digging to even reach the temple, let alone find the chamber. According to Oliver, at least.”

“I doubt he would lie or exaggerate such a thing. He has no motive to.” Ra’s said. “Lian Yu may not be the “ends of the earth” but it as close to it as one could travel. Any idol that is hidden in a secret chamber, inside of a temple that is also hidden, on an island few knew existed until recently, is clearly an idol that is incredibly dangerous. I must assume, until proven otherwise, that this idol is the Khushu idol. I have yet to establish that Darhk has taken possession of the Khushu idol, but we must act as if he does, so as to not underestimate the threat he poses. What else did Queen say?”

“He seems concerned that you will want to use the idol for yourself.” Nyssa said. “I told him about your disdain for magic and that you’ll most likely destroy it.”

“Of course I intend to destroy it. Magic is a crutch, used by the weak who wish to take the easy path, rather than fight for what they want to achieve. And I have no desire to be driven mad. Communicate as much to him.”

“I have, but since he hasn’t met you, my words only hold so much weight.” She said. “The best solution, as I’m sure you would agree, is to take the idol from Darhk and destroy it. Oliver doesn’t know how it could be destroyed, but believes it can be.”

“Naturally, it can be destroyed. Anything that bleeds can be killed. Anything that has been created can be destroyed.” Ra’s said. “I must contemplate what you told me. Keep me advised of any and all movements by Darhk and his hive of agents, and of any developments made by Oliver Queen and his allies.”

 

After Darhk’s first attempt at meeting Oliver failed, under the guise of donating to his campaign, he decided to put that task on the back burner for now. The Ghosts had completed a successful mission the night before and he wanted to see what they were able to acquire. He also saw the Green Arrow, and the assorted other vigilantes, as bigger threats to Genesis than one political candidate. His focus needed to be on them, not on Oliver Queen.

The Ghosts had acquired the cluster bombs he had sent them to retrieve, as well as an assortment of weaponry that he hadn’t known Kord Industries had been working on. All in all, the mission had added quite a boost to their arsenal.

“You really think a few extra handguns is gonna be enough to create your new world order?” Malcolm Merlyn asked.

“This haul is more than just “a few extra handguns”, though I doubt you would understand.” He said. “Guns may not be elegant, but they are useful. Sometimes, a handgun is what makes the difference between victory and defeat.”

“Is that how you evaded being killed by Ra’s al Ghul so far? Because you had a gun?”

“No, I’ve evaded being killed by Ra’s, as you say, by knowing him far better than you ever could and remaining one step ahead of him each time he attempts to track me down.” He said. “And considering the situation I rescued you from, you should have a deeper respect for both Ra’s al Ghul’s mercilessness and my own ingenuity at evading him.”

“That’s not-.”

“Were you or were you not imprisoned, in a dungeon, awaiting execution by the League of Assassins?” Darhk asked. “Exactly.” Why was he allowing Merlyn to still live again? The man had shared all of the useful information he had on Ra’s and the League’s plans already. What reason did Darhk have to not kill him?

“Sir!” One Ghost said, entering the room. “The Green Arrow’s team began tracking the duo you sent to-.”

“It’s a big city. How hard is it to avoid a handful of do-gooders in spandex?” Darhk asked. “They know what to do. You should all know what to do by now.” One of two things would happen, either the Ghosts would lose the vigilantes tailing them, or they’d get caught and use their cyanide pills. It was starting to get annoying, how often the Ghosts seemed to panic about being followed.

“I came to inform you that they were captured. The drive was recovered by the vigilantes.” The Ghost said.

“Of course it was.” He said. This conversation was frustrating, but it reminded Darhk why he kept Merlyn around. He might just come in handy as a distraction one day. “Find out where they took it.”

“Drive? What drive?” Merlyn asked.

“It doesn’t concern you.” Darhk said. “You want to be useful? Provide me some kind of insight? Find a way for me to meet Oliver Queen, face-to-face. You’ve known his family for decades, right?”

“He’s holding a campaign event tomorrow. It’s been all over the news. Just go to that, because the chances of you getting him alone are slim to none.” He said. “His security detail isn’t gonna let that happen.”

It wasn’t an awful idea. The event would be public, and Darhk usually wanted to avoid interacting with the public. At the same time, Oliver Queen had to act a certain way in public, to keep up appearances. He couldn’t cause a scene or completely dismiss Darhk with so many people around.

 

The following day, Oliver, Felicity and Megan were anxiously awaiting the start of Oliver’s first campaign event. He had decided to hold a simple rally, to meet the citizen of Starling and see what issues were important to them and try to get his message about bringing the city together out there. With the exception of Laurel, who had to be in court, all of Team Arrow was there. Nyssa and Sara had even stopped by, though something told Oliver that they weren’t there simply for moral support.

The event started out calmly enough. Oliver met some attendees and shook hands. He told them about his potential plans for the city, which he’d decided on the day before, and did his best to leave them with a good impression.

Forty-five minutes into the event, a man walked up to Oliver and shook his hand. “Mr. Queen, it’s great to finally meet you. Damien Darhk.”

Oliver had no idea what else to do, so he simply shook back and responded politely. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Darhk.”

“Oh, no. Please call me Damien.” Darhk said. “I’ll admit, I was surprised when you announced your bid for mayor.”

“As were many people. I may not be the ideal candidate, but I care about this city. it’s my home and I want to see it thrive.” He said.

“I’m sure you have wonderful plans for the city. I also want to see this city live up to its potential. It will be quite a challenge, though.” Darhk’s idea of the city’s potential couldn’t be further from Oliver’s ideas, but in order to draw Queen in, he needed to make him think he cared about the city. “I tried to contact your campaign, about becoming a donor, but the gentleman I spoke to said you were not looking for more donors?”

“That’s correct. At this point in time, I have no donors.” He said.

Darhk was about to ask how Oliver planned to finance a campaign with no donors or campaign funds, but then a noise cut through the chatter. It was a laugh. Oliver turned in the direction of the laughter and he followed suit. A few yards away, Felicity Smoak was standing with a little girl, her daughter, and talking to a woman with a stroller. Suddenly, it clicked. Oliver Queen had no donors because his girlfriend was financing the whole campaign.

“Ollie, you need to-.” Thea said, walking over to her brother. She had seen who he was talking to and decided to end the conversation as fast as she could. “Sorry, I don’t mean to interrupt, but Alex is looking for you. Your speech is scheduled to start soon.”

“It seems I need to get ready for my speech.” Oliver told Darhk. “Thank you for attending.”

“I’ll see you at your next event, then. You and I still have so much to talk about.” Darhk said before Thea and Oliver walked away.

“Thanks for the save, Thea,” Oliver told his sister once they were out of earshot.

“Don’t mention it.”

“You’re aware the man you were talking to was Damien Darhk, correct?” Nyssa said. Both Queens jumped at her voice, startled. “I apologize. I thought you knew I was standing there.”

“I know that was Darhk. He also introduced himself as Damien Darhk.” He said.

“Yet, you shook his hand and conversed with him.”

“We’re in public, I’m running for mayor, and its broad daylight. I can’t just throat punch him in front of a hundred people. And I also don’t want to possibly set him off with hundreds of innocent people here, who could get caught in the crossfire.”

“What did he want?”

“I think he might want to recruit me.” He said. “He seemed very interested in my plans for the city and said that we could “help” each other. And before you say it, I know not to trust him or a word he says.”

“Good. It’s nice to see that you haven’t lost all of your senses.” Nyssa said. She left, presumably to give her father an update.

Oliver made a speech at the end of his event. As he looked out over the crowd, he noticed that Darhk was nowhere to be seen. This wouldn’t be the last he saw of Darhk, as mayoral candidate Oliver Queen, he could feel it.

 

“How did the rally go?” A HIVE board member asked Darhk upon his return to the base.

“It went fine.” He said. “I had little time to speak to Queen, but I did meet him, and I believe I left an impression.”

“Why are you trying to leave an impression anyway?”

“Because I cannot expect my first attempts to persuade him to succeed. I’m a stranger to him, currently. I have to lay the proper foundation, make myself known to him, in order to execute my plans later to get him to drop out of the race. I’ve told him I was surprised at his candidacy, the next time, I’ll point out that campaigning and leading is harder than he might expect. It’s a slow process.”

“And if he doesn’t drop out of the race?”

“If he stays in the race, I can easily pivot my efforts to recruiting him.” He said. “An ally, or in this case a puppet, is easier to deal with than an adversary.”

 

At exactly midnight, a plane landed at an airfield outside of Starling. A dozen men dressed in black disembarked and made their way into the city. Though they didn’t know precisely where they were headed, they found the clues they needed to spot easily enough.

The clues led to a building in the quiet part of town. The leader was approaching the door when it was thrown open. A single figure filled the doorway.

“Are you going to attack me?” The leader asked.

“I was contemplating it, until I saw your face. Father.” Nyssa said. She stepped out of the doorway and allowed Ra’s and the assassins into the building.

“You do not seem surprised to see me.” Ra’s said.

“I suspected you would come to this city eventually. I was unsure of when.” She said.

“I did not expect to arrive so soon, but circumstances have changed and they call for my attention.” He said. “Damien Darhk must be destroyed.”

Chapter 97

Summary:

The League arrives in town and Darhk gets an idea.

Chapter Text

Nyssa hadn’t been expecting Ra’s al Ghul’s arrival in Starling, but she wasn’t surprised that he and the League of Assassins had arrived. The Demon Head wasn’t the type to use phrases like “arch-nemesis” but if he had, he would’ve called Darhk his archenemy. The history between the two men was long and bloody and Ra’s wanted nothing more than to kill his friend turned brother turned enemy.

“What is Damien’s plan, as far as you know?” Ra’s asked her. He and the assassins he’d brought had gotten settled in Nyssa’s hideout and now needed to get the lay of the land.

“I’m not sure, and Oliver Queen’s team seems unsure as well.” She said. “He has had his men rob banks and steal weapons, but neither gives much indication as to what he is attempting to do. Aside from the thefts, the only other thing he and his Ghosts have done is attempt to blow up a train station, though the attempt was thwarted.”

“Ghosts?”

“Darhk’s underlings have a tendency to break into a location, steal what they’ve been sent for, and then disappear before they can be followed. The vigilantes took to referring to them as “ghosts” as a result.”

“I would think a term like “drones” would be more fitting, since Darhk named his operation HIVE.”

“They came up with the name before they knew Darhk was involved or even existed.” She said. “In addition to what his men have been doing, Darhk contacted Oliver Queen as a civilian. I believe in an attempt to either recruit Oliver or remove him as a threat.” She wasn’t sure how much interest Ra’s would have in that fact, but felt the need to share it any way.

“He knows Oliver Queen is the Green Arrow?”

“No. I neglected to mention in our previous conversations, but Oliver is running for mayor. He seems ignorant of the fact that Oliver is fighting him on two fronts.” She said. “This interaction happened today, so he has only made one attempt so far.”

“One attempt could be enough.”

“Not for Oliver Queen. Not when he knows exactly who Darhk is and can guess, at the very least, what he is after.” She said. “When I spoke with Oliver after the interaction, he was completely aware of what Darhk was trying to do. He’s sharper than most give him credit for.”

“I suppose we shall see.” Ra’s said. Nyssa spoke well of Oliver, and Nyssa rarely spoke highly of anyone. He wasn’t ignorant to that fact, but he also needed to interact with Oliver himself before he could form his own opinion of him.

“What happens now?” She asked him. At her father’s blank look, she continued. “Should I inform the vigilantes that you are here or not? Do I need to make introductions?”

“I do not see a need for that at this point.” Ra’s said. “We have only just arrived in the city. We need to get our bearings first, and see the state of things for ourselves. Besides, I anticipate Oliver Queen will be less than enthused by our presence here.”

Nyssa thought he was making a mistake. Not telling Oliver the League was there to hunt Darhk could lead to misunderstandings and confrontations when any of the vigilantes encountered a League member. The Demon Head had spoken, however, so she would wait for Ra’s to give further orders.

 

“How long are Uncle Tommy and Aunt Laurel and Robbie and Becca gonna stay here for?” Megan asked Oliver the next morning.

“I don’t know yet. Until the repairs on their apartment are done.” He said. “I thought you liked having them here?”

“I do, but I know they’re not really here just because Uncle Tommy and Aunt Laurel wanted to change their house.” She said. “Because they could stay with Mr. Lance if that was the case, not all the way out here. Is someone trying to hurt them?”

He sighed. He loved his daughter, but sometimes, Megan being very smart for her age was a problem. She asked a ton of questions, especially when things didn’t make sense, and some of those questions were tricky to answer. “I don’t know. Laurel has an important job as a lawyer for the city, and someone started hurting people who have important jobs in the city. I didn’t want her, or anyone, to get hurt so I offered to let them stay here until the danger passes.”

“How long is that gonna be?”

“I don’t know yet. The people who might wanna hurt them are sneaky and I need to find out what they’re up to first.” He said. “You ready for school?”

Megan grabbed her bookbag and he drove her to school. He always walked her into school and they talked as they walked. He told her to have a good day and said he’d pick her up at 3pm exactly. On his way back to his car, he felt like someone was watching him. He didn’t look around, not wanting to draw attention to himself.

 

“Dad!” Nora Darhk said, getting her father’s attention. “Why are you staring at that guy?”

Damien turned his attention back to his daughter, who was looking at him curiously. They were sitting in his car. “He’s running for mayor and I’ve been wanting to talk to him.” He said. Ruve had enrolled Nora at the best school in Starling, wanting their daughter to only have the best education while Genesis was starting to come together. It hadn’t occurred to him that Oliver Queen’s daughter would be attending the same school. Nora was starting the year late, which her parents blamed on needing to get settled in Starling before sending her to school. “Are you nervous for your first day? Worried about being the new kid?”

“I’m always the new kid, so no.” She said. “Why do you wanna talk to that guy?”

“He might be able to help me with my work.” He said. Damein suddenly got a great idea. “You know what might be nice? Why don’t you try making some friends this time around?” Nora hadn’t made any friends at her last school, something that her parents hadn’t been worried about. In Starling, however, Nora making friends might be helpful, especially if she happened to become friends with Megan Queen.

“I’ll try.” She said. “But it’s hard because as soon as I made friends in Coast City, we had to move again.”

“We’re not gonna be moving any time soon, so you should have plenty of time making friends.” He said. “Have a good day. Your mother’s gonna pick you up after school.”

He waited until Nora had walked into the building before putting his car into gear and driving away. As he drove to HIVE’s headquarters, he began contemplating what his next move would be. There were so many possibilities open to him right now, and no one could stop him from taking advantage of each and every one.

 

Darhk spent his day plotting how to make sure Genesis reached fruition without issue. His “ark” was underway, but he hadn’t found the right “flood” yet. There were a number of people that he needed to get out of his way before Genesis was complete and he had to come up with subtle ways of taking care of those problems.

Oliver spent his day at his campaign office, talking to his campaign manager about the rally he held, his next appearance and discussing what his platform would be. He had events to plan and fundraisers to organize and also needed to figure out what he was going to do about Darhk.

When Oliver picked up Megan from school, she told him that there was a new girl in her class named Nora. She thought the new girl was nice, but kind of quiet. The girl had moved around a lot, according to Megan, because of her father’s work.

When Ruve Adams picked up Nora from school, Nora started talking about her first day. She seemed excited about possibly making friends, and listed off the names of a few of her classmates who she said were nice and sat with her during lunch. Ruve was pleasantly surprised by this, and even more surprised when Nora said Damien had suggested it. She made a mental note to ask him what prompted the suggestion later. Damien hadn’t cared previously, so she wondered about the sudden change.

 

Evening fell and the team gathered in the bunker below Oliver’s campaign office. No one had heard from Nyssa since the day before. While Thea, Roy and Laurel seemed a bit worried that she had gone radio silent, Oliver and Digg weren’t. Sara didn’t seem concerned at all. Nyssa tended to come and go as she pleased and she hadn’t promised to keep them updated on her every move.

“Nyssa isn’t used to working with others.” Sara said. “At most, she’ll have a few subordinates with her on an assignment, not a team of allies. You’re used to know where every teammate you have is at any given time, unless they’ve been abducted. She’ll be in touch when she feels that she needs to contact us.”

“She hasn’t told you where she is either?” Thea asked.

“Nope, but this is just kinda the way she operates.” She said. “She’ll find us when she needs to find us. Besides, if she was in trouble or anything, trust me, we’d know. And she wouldn’t want us to take our focus off of the threat Darhk and HIVE represent.”

“You’re right about that.” Oliver said. “The Ghosts have graduated from stealing cash to stealing weapons. They seem to be operating exclusively in Starling, which narrows things down considerably.”

“Narrows things down how?” Roy asked.

“They’re not robbing other gangs. They’re robbing companies.” Felicity explained. “And there are only a handful of companies in Starling that make weaponry.”

“Please tell me that Queen Consolidated isn’t one of those companies.” Thea said.

“It’s not. QC has been out of the weapons industry since right after the Undertaking. Besides, we have enough problems with a destroyed lab floor and a missing scientist.”

“Dr. Palmer is still missing?” Oliver asked.

“Yup, but we’re getting off-track. The Ghosts broke into AmerTek a few nights ago. It seems too soon for them to go back there, which leaves only two other places they’d want to break into. And one of those places is ARGUS.”

“I doubt they’re suicidal enough to try and break into ARGUS.” Digg said.

“I agree, which is why we need to keep an eye on Kord Industries for the next few days.” She said.

The team wound up staking out Kord Industries, waiting for the Ghosts to arrive. No one approached the building while they were there, leaving the team wondering where the Ghosts were and what they might be up to.

“Guys, three Ghosts were found dead in an alley.” Felicity reported over the comms. “There were signs of a fight, but it seems all three used their cyanide pills.”

“They got into a fight? With who?”

“Someone with a sword, if the one eyewitness is to be believed.”

 

It didn’t take the League assassins long to get a good idea of what was happening in Starling and what the state of Darhk’s organization was. The city wasn’t in as bad of a position as some citizens might believe, but it certainly wasn’t a safe place to be by any means.

“Darhk’s plans appear to be early in their development.” An assassin told Ra’s. “He has accumulated funds and weapons, but little else.”

“And what resistance is he facing?” Ra’s asked.

“He killed a number of civil servants. Aside from Oliver Queen, they appear to have been the only resistance he’s faced so far.” He said. “His tactic seems to be trying to coerce cooperation, and when that fails, he kills them.”

“Queen doesn’t seem to be facing good odds, then.” Another assassin said.

“Not necessarily.” Ra’s said. “Damien is many things, an idiot isn’t one of them. If he kills everyone who gets in his way, he will start to get more attention than he wants. No, he will likely continue to try recruiting Queen. This plan of Damien’s, what is it?” He knew what Darhk’s goal was: to end the world in order to build a better one from the ashes. He had no idea how Darhk intended to achieve that goal, however.

“We have not been able to gather enough information to get a clear picture.” The assassin said. “We would need to abduct one of his underlings to get more information.”

“Then, abduct one of his underlings and bring him to me.” Ra’s said.

The two assassins left to complete their task. Finding a trio of Ghosts was difficult, especially since the League was looking for them. They cornered the three in an alley, and demanded to speak with one of them.

The first Ghost opened fire, but his bullets didn’t pierce the assassins’ armor. One assassin slashed at him while the other turned his attention to his comrades. The other Ghosts also opened fire, but failed to do any serious damage to the assassins.

The assassins restrained one Ghost, and the man immediately used his cyanide pill to commit suicide. They subdued another Ghost, and had the same result. With one Ghost left to question, they knew they needed to act carefully, to avoid giving the man a chance to swallow the cyanide.

“We have no quarrel with you.” One assassin said.

“The feeling isn’t mutual.” The Ghost said.

“What are you doing here? What is Darhk planning?” The other assassin said.

‘There is a flood coming. A terrible flood that’s going to cleanse the Earth. And there’s nothing you can do to stop it.” The Ghost said before biting into his fake tooth and dying.

“The Demon Head will not be pleased by this.” One assassin said.

“No, he certainly will not.”

Chapter 98

Summary:

The team discusses the attack on the Ghosts, and meets a new potential ally.

Chapter Text

The League assassins returned to the hideout and reported what had occurred to Ra’s. In order to avoid detection, they took several detours and arrived shortly before dawn. As one of them had predicted, the Demon Head was not happy to hear that they had failed to capture one of the Ghosts.

“All three men took cyanide?” Ra’s asked.

“Or a similar fast-acting poison.” One assassin said. “Concealed in a false tooth and activated when cornered.”

“A cowardly thing to expect one’s followers to do, but not unexpected.” He said. “Damien has learned from his mistake in Cairo.”

This was not the first time the League of Assassins had found Darhk’s trail and wished to know what he was up to. Several decades ago, the League captured one of Darhk’s men and questioned him. It took a few days to break the man, but break him they did and he spilled everything he knew to the assassins. The information he shared allowed the League to nearly decimate HIVE. Darhk and a handful of loyalists escaped, but the organization took years to recover Clearly, Darhk was determined not to allow history to repeat itself, and trained his followers to die for him, rather than teaching them to resist torture.

“Did the men say anything noteworthy before their deaths?” Nyssa asked. “Anything that stood out to you?”

“The first two said nothing, they ingested the poison and died. The third made a cryptic comment and then took the poison.” The assassin said.

“Which was?” Ra’s asked.

“He claimed that there was a flood coming, a flood that would cleanse the Earth and that there was nothing that could be done to stop it.”

“How Biblical.” He said. “And unoriginal. He has been making that same claim since the day I met him. This flood of his has yet to materialize.”

“The world has changed a lot since then, Father.”

“Indeed it has, and not for the better.” He said. The League of Assassins was old school.Darhk and HIVE were more modern, and that put the League at a slight disadvantage, though one he intended to correct. “Perhaps we should make our presence in the city known.”

 

Damien Darhk was beginning to get agitated with a number of things. The board was still demanding that he “do something” about Oliver Queen, even though the man had been little more than a nuisance so far. Malcolm Merlyn was still trying, and failing, to sneakily discover his plans and gain some power within HIVE for himself. Lastly, he had sent a team of Ghosts out last night with a simple task, and they had not reported back yet.

The Ghosts had been sent to relieve Kord Industries of some of their arms and ammunition stock, but had not returned. The building security was a mild challenge at best, and the group should have returned by now. When morning arrived and the Ghosts were still missing, he sent someone to find out what had happened. It was mid-morning when he finally received his answer.

“The team you sent out last night are all dead.” One of his lackeys said. “They utilized their yellow pills.”

“The SCPD arrested all three of them? I didn’t think they had the manpower for that.” Darhk said.

“The cops found them only after they had been killed.” He said. “It seems they had an….altercation which led to their deaths.”

“If they ran into the vigilantes, you can just say so.”

“I don’t think that they did. According to our source within the SCPD, a homeless man claims to have seen our men engaged in a confrontation with quote, “some guy with a sword”, end quote. The vigilantes do not use swords.” He said. “He was the only witness to what happened.”

“This hobo, where is he?”

“I don’t know. The police are having issues tracking the man down as well.”

“Someone with a sword attacked three of my men, leading them to using their cyanide pills, and the only witness is a homeless man no one can find.” Darhk repeated. “Are you aware of how nonsensical that sounds? Was there even evidence of an altercation?”

“Yes. All three men had-.”

Another member of HIVE burst into the room. “Turn on Channel 52. Anderson and his team are on the news.”

Darhk did as instructed, and made a mental note to discipline the second man later, for bursting into his office without a second thought. On the news, the reporters were discussing three unidentified men, dressed in tactical gear, found dead in an alley overnight. There were signs that the men had been attacked by someone wielding a knife or some other weapon.

“That’s going to be a problem.” He said. “Do we know for a fact that the vigilantes do not use blades?”

 

Oliver and Megan were on their way back from taking Wolfsbane to the vet for a check-up when Felicity called him, saying he needed to get to the foundry as soon as possible. With no other choice, the archer brought the girl and the wolf to the base. He told Megan they’d go home after he had a chance to find out what was going on. Megan’s expression indicated that she didn’t believe him. but she sat down and started working on her homework anyway. When it was clear that Megan was occupied, Felicity addressed the reason why she had called everyone.

News of the three dead Ghosts spread quickly, and the team needed to talk about it. The concern wasn’t because of the Ghosts dying, any Ghost that had been captured so far had used their cyanide pills, but because of the injuries they sustained prior to them taking the pills. A witness saw them being attacked by someone wielding a sword.

“I really hope the witness was just high or something, because the last thing we need is someone psycho running around with a sword right now.” Thea said, as soon as the matter got brought up.

“The crime scene techs confirmed what the witness saw.” Felicity said. “The Ghosts were attacked by one or more individuals with bladed weapons.”

“A bladed weapon isn’t necessarily a sword.” Digg pointed out.

“The wounds are too big to have come from a knife. Which leaves a sword, or maybe an axe, as possible weapons. I don’t wanna think about someone running around with either of them.” She said. “But, it seems like that’s what’s going on.”

“Isn’t this kinda a good thing, though?” Roy asked. “Whoever attacked the Ghosts is not on Darhk’s side. They could be a potential ally, right?”

“We don’t know who these people are. Being against HIVE doesn’t make them better than Darhk.” Oliver said. “We need to find out who was behind what happened.”

 

While the team was talking, Megan was playing with Wolfsbane. All of a sudden, the wolf perked up, as if he sensed something.

“What is it?” Megan asked the wolf.

Wolfsbane turned towards the stairs with his ears raised. After a few moments, the wolf got up and moved to the bottom of the stairs. He stood there, tense and alert, staring up the stairs as if expecting something.

 

“Swords aren’t that common of a weapon.” Digg said. “An axe is more common, but not for this kind of thing. It can’t be that hard to identify the culprits. It might even be someone we know. How many people do we know who use swords?”

“Let’s see, Slade Wilson-.” Thea started to say.

“Imprisoned on Lian Yu.” Felicity said. “I hacked into ARGUS earlier and confirmed he’s still in custody.”

‘Nyssa, then.”

“Nyssa wouldn’t have let herself be seen by a witness.” Sara said. “She’s too skilled to make a mistake like that. And she probably would’ve reached out and told us. But that doesn’t mean it couldn’t have been the League.”

“It wasn’t the League. Nyssa’s the only League member here.” Oliver said.

“Are you sure about that? Because I’m not.” She said. “Ra’s and Darhk have been enemies for over a century. If Ra’s knows Darhk is here, which he does because you’ve said that Nyssa has told him, he’s not going to just sit on that information. He’s going to act on it.”

 

Wolfsbane was still standing at the bottom of the stairs. His hackles were still raised and he hadn’t taken his eyes off of the door at the top of the stairs, even though he could hear the humans talking. He moved up by one step, slightly closer to the door, and began growling.

“What’s wrong, wolfy?” Megan asked again. She had never seen him act this way. He wasn’t howling, or trying to get someone’s attention. He was just standing there, looking up the stairs, as if waiting for a threat to make itself known.

 

“It almost doesn’t matter who killed the Ghosts.” Felicity said, interrupting Oliver and Sara’s argument about the League of Assassins and whether they were in town or not.

“What do you mean, it doesn’t matter?”

“I didn’t say that it doesn’t matter, I said it almost doesn’t matter. The Ghosts are dead, but what I’m more concerned about is what Darhk’s gonna do.” She said. “Three of his underlings are dead. He might retaliate, and he doesn’t care about collateral damage.”

“He also doesn’t care when the Ghosts take their cyanide pills upon getting arrested.” Roy said. “He might do nothing.”

“That’s not quite the same. Ghosts committing suicide to avoid getting questions by the police, that protects HIVE’s interests. Dead men can’t incriminate him. These Ghosts, though, their deaths mean that someone is attacking HIVE, or in the very least, interested in what they are doing. Both of those pose a problem for Darhk.”

“If Darhk was willing to kill the city’s leadership, people who didn’t even know he existed, for not bowing down to his demands, what is he gonna do when a more active threat pops up?” Digg asked.

“I don’t know, but I know we’re not prepared for that.” Oliver said. “We’re outnumbered by HIVE. If we’re gonna stop them, we need-.”

It was then that the team noticed Wolfsbane’s behavior. The wolf had been growling, but it had gotten louder, which caught everyone’s attention. His ears were pinned down to his skull, his teeth were bared and his entire body seemed to be on full alert.

Oliver opened his mouth to ask the wolf what he was growling at, when a voice called down from the top of the stairs.

“I believe I may be of assistance.” An unfamiliar voice said. “Assuming your wolf allows us entry to speak with you.”

Rather than try and make Wolfsbane move, Oliver got to his feet and moved towards the stairs. On his way to the wolf, he grabbed his bow and arrow, just in case the visitor was dangerous.

Standing at the top of the stairs was an older gentleman Oliver had never seen before. His attire reminded Oliver of the League of Assassins, but he wasn’t wearing standard League armor. Whoever he was, this man was someone important. Nyssa was standing behind the man, and looked slightly nervous.

“You did not warn me of the wolf.” The man said, turning to Nyssa.

“I did not expect Wolfsbane to be here, Father.” She replied. “This is-.”

“Ra’s al Ghul, I take it?” Oliver lowered his bow. Nyssa was somewhat of an ally, and from what he had heard about Ra’s al Ghul, if the man wanted to kill him, he’d already be dead.

“Indeed, Mr. Queen.” Ra’s said. He came further down the stairs, with Nyssa and two other assassins following behind him. “As I previously stated, I believe I may be able to be of some assistance.”

Chapter 99

Summary:

Team Arrow makes a new, and unexpected, ally.

Chapter Text

“Ra’s al Ghul, I take it?” Oliver lowered his bow. Nyssa was somewhat of an ally, and from what he had heard about Ra’s al Ghul, if the man wanted to kill him, he’d already be dead.

“Indeed, Mr. Queen.” Ra’s said. He came further down the stairs, with Nyssa and two other assassins following behind him. “As I previously stated, I believe I may be able to be of some assistance.”

“We are only here to talk.” Nyssa said, hoping to diffuse some of the tension in the room.

Wolfsbane continued to growl at the Demon Head. All the wolf's senses alerted him to the fact that this man was a threat. He then noticed that the others weren't getting ready to attack, which meant they didn't view him as a threat. Wolfsbane slowly began to stop growling. He relaxed his stance and sat down, but his eyes never left Ra’s and Ra’s gaze remained locked on the wolf's. Wolfsbane made sure to sit down in a spot where he was standing in between where Ra’s was and where Megan and Felicity were.

“Your wolf does not appear to like me.” Ra’s said.

“He’s a bit protective. And probably sees you as a threat. From what I’ve been told, he’s not paranoid to feel that way.” Oliver said.

“He is not. I am a very dangerous foe to have.” He said. “Then again, so are you, under the right circumstances. I suppose it is beneficial for everyone here that we have come to speak, and not to fight.”

“You’re Nissy's dad.” Megan said, drawing the adults’ attention.

“I am Nyssa’s father, yes.” Ra’s replied, turning to look at her.

She crossed her arms and gave the Demon Head the meanest glare that she could muster. “I don't like you. You tried to take Sara away.”

“That was because she had sworn an oath of loyalty to me and tried to abandon the League of-.” He stopped midsentence, realizing that telling the child in front of him what the League of Assassins was might not go over well with her parents. A simplified explanation would have to suffice. “She made a promise, and then tried to break it. It worked out in the end, however.”

“You also tried to hurt Auntie Laurel when she was having babies.”

"I was not aware of Ms. Lance's pregnancy at the time. If I had known, I would not have tried to harm her.”

“I still think you’re a meanie and I still don’t like you.” She said.

“I will have to try and change your opinion, then.”

“Megan, why don’t you go play with Wolfsbane? We need to talk to Nyssa and her father about some serious stuff.” Oliver said. He was starting to wish that he’d taken the extra ten minutes and driven Megan home before coming to the foundry. Her presence here, while the Demon Head was talking to the team, would probably not have a good outcome. He did not want Megan hearing about how much Ra’s wanted to kill Darhk or how deadly Darhk was. The last thing he or Felicity wanted was for Megan to hear something that would give her nightmares.

The girl didn’t seem to want to leave, but she nudged the wolf and led him over to another part of the foundry. The wolf followed and let the girl try to teach him a new trick she’d seen a dog do on television.

“I find it odd that you do not want her to hear our conversation, yet you brought her down here, in your base, to begin with.” Ra’s said.

“We weren’t exactly expecting the leader of a sect of assassins to just stop by. Why are you here, anyway?” Felicity asked.

“You wish to put a stop to HIVE’s activities. I wish to put an end to Damien Darhk. Our goals align, and I believe there is an old saying about befriending the enemies of one’s enemies.” He said. “Nyssa told you my history with Darhk, did she not?”

“I told Oliver your history, and I assume he told the others.” Nyssa said.

“I gave them a brief overview.” Oliver said. “You and Darhk were trained by the same people. When it was time for the next leader of the League to be chosen, you were picked, he wasn’t. He then fled and started HIVE.”

“Those are the basic facts, yes.” He said. “Though, it would be incorrect to say that Darhk and I were simply students being trained under the same master. He was my friend as well, my brother in many ways. Were I the kind to use such terms, one might even call him my “best friend”. And, when I was chosen to lead the League, I was tasked with executing Damien, but stayed my hand because he was my brother. It was a mistake, not to kill him then. He has vexed me ever since.”

“Okay, so there’s a lot of history between the two of you. He’s your nemesis.” Thea said. “That doesn’t quite explain why you’re here.  In this bunker, with us.”

“I have no desire to be your adversary, and I doubt you want to make an enemy of us. We have similar goals, we may as well share information that we have.” He said. “I will start, as a show of good faith. I sent men to attempt to capture one of Darhk’s men. All three they attempted to apprehend committed suicide with cyanide pills. One mentioned a terrible flood that would soon be unleashed upon the Earth.”

“That tracks with what Nyssa said about Darhk’s overall philosophy. He thinks the world cannot be fixed, and it needs to be ended, and replaced. Or, at least, that’s what I got from what she said.” Oliver said. “I don’t know anything about a terrible flood, but the Ghosts have gone from stealing cash and valuables to breaking into tech and weapons companies. We were expecting them to try and break into Kord Industries last night, but they ran into your men instead.”

“Why Kord Industries?” Nyssa asked. “It seems odd that that you could narrow their potential targets down to one option.”

“They broke into AmerTek several days ago, so it would be too soon for them to return there. Aside from AmerTek, the only two places in Star City they’d want to rob are Kord Industries and ARGUS. Darhk might have magic, but his men don’t and they wouldn’t try to infiltrate ARGUS if they didn’t have to.”

“Or, the other robberies are to acquire the necessary weaponry to attack ARGUS at a later date.” Ra’s said. “According to my sources, there are…..items at ARGUS that Darhk would have a keen interest in, if he could acquire them.” Waller had plenty of measures in place to prevent moles from being planted in ARGUS, but her measures weren’t enough to keep the League of Assassins out. They had been infiltrating organizations for centuries, and Ra’s had a man inside ARGUS for the last few years. He thought it prudent, after Maseo Yamashiro told him of the events in Hong Kong.

“Like the idol Oliver found on Lian Yu?” Digg asked.

“Someone, likely Damien Darhk, has already relieved Waller of that trinket, I am afraid.” Ra’s said. “Though, I was able to confirm that Oliver had, in fact, recovered the Khushu idol, as I suspected. I say the culprit is likely Darhk, due to the method in which it was taken.”

“And what method would that be?”

“The idol was stolen while in transit, after a small group of men ambushed the caravan moving it. The ambush was unnecessary, but Damien has always had a penchant for doing things that are unnecessary, such as freeing Al Saher.” He said. “So far, nothing has come of Al Saher’s escape, other than his continued survival.”

“He’s probably gonna use him as a distraction.” Felicity said. “if Malcolm’s off….doing whatever his next master plan is, we’ll be less focused on Darhk.”

“You may be correct.” Ra’s said. “What did Darhk want to speak to you about, Oliver? I know he approached you in public.”

“He didn’t say much. He made a few veiled comments about making sure the city lives up to its potential. He doesn’t know who I really am.”

“Clearly, or he would have killed you by now.”

“I feel like we’re doing a lot of talking, but not a lot of planning right now.” Oliver said. He knew Darhk wanted the Green Arrow dead. He didn’t like thinking about it, so he wanted to change the subject. “We know what Darhk and HIVE want. We know that they’re in the city. And we agree that they need to be stopped. None of this is getting us closer to stopping them.”

“First, we must separate Darhk from his idol, to eliminate the threat of his powers. Then, we must destroy the idol. Once that has been completed, we will focus on eliminating Darhk himself, as well as HIVE.” Ra’s said. “To achieve the first step in the process, we need to either uncover the location of HIVE’s base of operations or draw Darhk out, away from the idol. I would prefer the latter, for personal reasons.”

Ra’s and the team spoke for a bit longer, exchanging ideas about how to locate HIVE’s base or draw Dahrk out. Ra’s ideas were hindered, somewhat, by the fact that Team Arrow didn’t want innocent civilians getting hurt. The League’s usual tactics to get someone’s attention wouldn’t work under those conditions.

In the end, Ra’s pledged the League’s assistance with fighting the Ghosts, as they encountered them, for now and suggested everyone consider what other options they had.

As the League was preparing to leave, Megan came over to say goodbye to Nyssa. She also had a question she wanted to ask Nyssa’s “friends”. Wolfsbane came with her, and bared his teeth at the group, but didn’t growl.

“Are you trying to stop the same bad guy my parents are trying to stop?” She asked.

“We are.” Ra’s said. “I have been trying to stop him, as you say, for a very long time.”

“I thought my dad said that you used to be his friend.”

“Yes, I was, but that was a very long time ago. We had a very bad fight and are no longer friends.”

“Why don't you just say sorry and make up with him? That's what Mom says to do when you have a falling out with someone, especially a friend.”

"It is not that easy sometimes.” He said softly. “You are young, perhaps too young to understand if I tried to explain it to you.”

“Grown-ups tell me stuff like that all the time. Then, they do explain, and it’s not really that hard to understand.” She said.

“The reason why we are no longer friend is the same reason why he is a “bad guy” and your parents want to stop him.” He said. “If I became his friend again, would that not make me a bad guy too?”

Megan didn’t have a response to that.

“Nyssa or I will be in touch.” Ra’s told the vigilantes before he and the assassins left.

 

Darhk had spent the evening trying to get answers about who had attacked his men. Were the vigilantes changing their tactics? Were local gangs trying to fight back against the Ghosts invading their territory? Or had the attack been one of random chance? It was unlikely that someone was running around the city with a sword, but not impossible. Star City seemed to attract crazy people and crazy people sometimes had breaks from reality.

“Mr. Darhk, the SCPD found their eyewitness to Anderson’s team getting attacked.” A HIVE member said as he entered Darhk’s office.

“And?”

“He claims that the attackers were dressed like ninjas. He used the word ninjas in his description. The police are starting to think that perhaps, the man was intoxicated or had taken something and not truly witnessed what happened. I agree.”

“I don’t. If he saw ninjas, then he saw ninjas. That claim is one of the few things he could have said that would make sense.” Darhk said. “It seems an old friend is in town.”

Chapter 100

Summary:

Darhk gives Malcolm an assignment, Oliver confronts an old ally of his and the team discusses their temporary alliance with the League of Assassins.

Chapter Text

“It seems an old friend is in town.” Darhk said, after hearing one of the Ghosts report what the SCPD had been told about the attack which led to three members of HIVE being killed. The Ghost thought the sole witness was high or drunk, since he said he’d seen ninjas, but Damien was not inclined to agree. His men being cornered, attacked and killed by “ninjas” made sense.

“Old friend?” The Ghost asked.

Darhk gave him an odd look. “I lived quite the interesting life before I started this organization, and realized my vision for a better world. Is it so difficult to believe that I have friends and acquaintances from that time?”

“No, but it’s odd that you call this person a friend when he just killed three of our number.”

“My history with him is complicated. Don’t concern yourself with the specifics of it.” He said. “Go find Merlyn. Tell him I need to see him.”  Ra’s might not be in Star City, but someone from the League of Assassins was, and that was inconvenient for Darhk.

It was time for Malcolm Merlyn to finally be useful to HIVE. He appeared to be under the impression that he was a member of HIVE, that he was already included in Darhk’s plans for Genesis. Inclusion needed to be earned, and Merlyn had not earned his place within HIVE yet. Now, he had a chance to remedy that.

The Ghost left Darhk’s office. A while later, longer than it should have taken, Malcolm Merlyn walked in. Either the Ghost had misinterpreted Darhk’s meaning, unlikely, or Merlyn had decided to make Darhk wait after hearing he wanted to speak with him. Darhk did not appreciate this kind of theatrics, nor did he have patience for them.

“I’m not some grunt you can just summon.” Merlyn said.

“Evidently, you are. I summoned you to my office, and here you are.” Damien said. “I have a task for you. Three of my men were killed last night. You will find out who and why. You have more discretion than most of my men, and you’re more efficient.”

“Discretion and efficiency aren’t why you want me to do this. Why me?”

“Because I’m telling you to and because you owe me a debt.”

“I owe you nothing.”

“You owe me your life. If not for me, you would still be in the dungeon underneath Nanda Parbat. Or dead. Don’t tell me that you believed I acted altruistically. You’re a smart man, Merlyn, you know that wasn’t the case. Even now, I am the only ally you have, and the only person standing between you and being recaptured by Ra’s al Ghul. It’s quite simple. Find the person who killed my men, or you’ll have to leave.”

Malcolm glowered and left. Darhk hid his smirk. He knew Merlyn didn’t like being beholden to anyone, and, as he said, Darhk was the only “friend” he had. Malcolm’s presence would be noticed by the League sooner rather than later, and chasing after him would keep the assassins Ra’s sent distracted, allowing HIVE to work. For all he knew, Merlyn was the reason the League was in town in the first place.

 

As soon as Ra’s, Nyssa and the assassins left, Oliver said he needed to make a call. The vigilantes and the League had done a lot of talking about how to deal with HIVE, ways to stop Darhk and so on, but the whole time, his mind was somewhere else.

“How did you get this number?” Amanda Waller demanded from the other end of the line.

“Why do you ask questions that you know I’m not going to answer?” He replied. “HIVE has the Khushu Idol. Were you ever gonna deign to let me know that it was taken?”

“No. You do not work for ARGUS. What happens to anything in ARGUS’s possession is none of your concern.”

“What happens to that idol is my concern, Amanda, because you haven’t seen what that thing can do. I have. And now, I’m sure you’re thinking of ways to convince me to get it back for you.”

“I’m curious as to how you became aware that it had been taken.”

“And I’d like to know when you got sloppy. Because you had to have gotten sloppy, to let someone steal from ARGUS so blatantly.” He said. “I might not know all of your contingencies, but it was stolen, you didn’t let HIVE get their hands on it.”

“I’m far too busy to keep having this pointless conversation. The idol is property of ARGUS. Call me when you’ve reclaimed it.” She hung up on him.

“What was that about?” Thea asked.

“I needed to make something clear with Amanda Waller.” He said. “Darhk’s had the idol for who knows how long, and she didn’t feel the need to tell anyone about that. Because she expects we’ll stop Darhk, get the idol and then she can show up and demand we hand it over.”

“We’re not gonna do that, right?”

“Absolutely not.” He said. “I let her take it once, and she claimed she’d keep it locked away forever. She failed at that, and now the city’s in danger, maybe even the whole world.” Nyssa said that Darhk wanted to end the world. Ra’s said that’s what his old foe wanted. The idea of causing Armageddon still felt like too big of a plot for Oliver to wrap his head around. HIVE was a threat to thousands of people, if not millions, but he couldn’t quite grasp the idea that they were planning to wipe out everyone.

“The idol isn’t the reason Darhk is so dangerous.” Digg said. “From the sound of things, it was still buried in the ground on Lian Yu when his plans to end the world started to develop. I’m not defending Waller by any means, but-.”

“Darhk’s always been dangerous, but the idol gives him an advantage that he didn’t need in the first place. It makes him more powerful, more deadly and, if it had been destroyed five years ago, I wouldn’t be as worried as I am right now. I should’ve destroyed it, and then radioed Waller about the prisoners.”

“You can’t change the past.”

Oliver, Felicity, Megan and Wolfsbane drove back to the mansion. When they arrived, Oliver sat down with Tommy and Laurel and explained what had happened that night. He doubted either would interact much with the League, or Ra’s specifically, but he didn’t want them to be caught off-guard. Sara already knew Ra’s was in town, so he didn’t feel the need to warn her.

“Are you- I don’t know if it’s a good idea, working with the League.” Laurel said. “It’s the League of Assassins. They aren’t- the only person in the group I trust is Nyssa, and that’s mostly because Sara trusts her.”

“It might be a mistake, I’ll admit that, but Ra’s wants to stop Darhk, for personal reasons. And we want to stop HIVE, because they pose a threat to a lot of people. It might not be a fool-proof idea, but its better than trying to stop this all on our own.”

“It seems like we might be getting roped into one guy’s revenge plot.” Tommy said.

“I can’t see a better option. Darhk has an army, we don’t. We don’t know how he thinks, but Ra’s does. And working with the League, just this once, means we could put an end to whatever Genesis is, long before anyone else gets hurt or dies.”

“I trust your judgement on this, but this gives me a weird feeling.” Laurel said. “I don’t like the idea of us teaming up with a sect of assassins as often as we have.”

“Me neither, but we have to do what we have to do.”

“Where does Malcolm fit into all of this?” Tommy asked.

“I don’t know.”

Ra’s hadn’t made any statements about what would happen to Malcolm after Darhk had been dealt with. No one thought he didn’t want Malcolm dead, but no one wanted to outright ask what his fate would be when the situation had been handled.

 

“What is your will, My Lord?” An assassin asked Ra’s when he and Nyssa returned to the hideout. He had only taken two assassins with him to the foundry, so the others were getting restless and wanted to know what the plan was.

“An alliance has been formed between myself and Oliver Queen, the Green Arrow. HIVE is as much his enemy as it is our own. We need to uncover the location of their base of operations.” He said. “I have given my word not to harm any civilians in this conflict, at least for now, so we must act with discretion.”

“The vigilantes are aware of our presence in this city?”

“They are.” Nyssa said. “So, you do not need to avoid their detection, but I would advise not interfering with their own investigation.” The League was here solely for Darhk, but she knew Oliver and his team wouldn’t ignore other criminal activity in the city. “We will share information with them as needed.”

Ra’s called off the names of two assassins and tasked them with patrolling the streets, looking for a lead on HIVE. He advised them not to engage any Ghosts they encounter in a fight, since the Ghosts carried suicide pills with them.

 

Oliver dropped Megan off at school the next morning. He told her to have a good day, and then went to his campaign office. Megan was playing on the playground outside the school when she spotted the new girl in her class arrive. Excited to see her new friend, she ran over to where the girl and her father were.

“Hi Nora!” Megan said with a big wave.

“Hi!” Nora responded. “Dad, this is my friend Megan.”

“Hi Megan. It’s nice to meet you.” Darhk said. “Nora has told me a lot about you.”

“Really?”

“Yes, she told me about all of the friends she’s already made since she started at this school.” He said. He then turned to Nora. “I have to head to work now. Have a great day. Your mom’s gonna pick you up after school.”

Father and daughter said goodbye and he left. Nora and Megan walked back towards the school building. The morning passed quickly once class started for the day. At lunchtime, they sat together with some of their other friends and ate their food. Lunch was just wrapping up when Nora turned to her new friend.

“Do you wanna hang out after school tomorrow?” Nora asked. Her father had suggested, on the drive to school that morning, that she try to make plans with her friends outside of school. Darhk wanted Nora to get close to Megan, so that he could spend more time around Oliver, and hopefully recruit him to HIVE. Nora had no idea of her father’s real motives, but his suggestion didn’t seem like a bad idea.

“I’d need to ask my mom or my dad.” Megan said. “Would we go to your house?”

“I- I don’t know. We could go to my house or yours. Can you ask your parents and I’ll talk to mine?”

“That sounds good.”

Damien seemed awfully smug when Nora mentioned inviting Megan over the next day, or possibly going to her house, that afternoon. Ruve said she would need to talk to Megan’s parents first, which the girl accepted.

“Tell me you are not using our daughter as a pawn.”

“I’m not. She just happens to be friends with the daughter of someone I want to turn into on of our pawns.” He said.

 

Malcolm hated owing things to people. He had spent most of his adult life trying to avoid being in debt to anyone. He preferred it when people felt that they owed him, rather than the other way around. He was angry, and felt completely stupid, when he realized that not only did he technically owe his life to Darhk, but also that he didn’t have any other allies or friends. Part of him would’ve preferred being completely alone to having an ally like Darhk, one who clearly didn’t like him very much.

He decided he’d play Darhk’s game, for now, and plot a way to gain the upperhand while he waited. This was how Malcolm found himself begrudgingly searching for leads on who killed the three Ghosts Darhk had mentioned.

They had died over a day ago, so the crime scene was far from fresh. The police had been stomping around the alley, leaving him even less evidence to work with. He didn’t expect to find much, but he was annoyed Darhk had waited this long before sending him to look into the matter.

He sensed someone watching him, but ignored the feeling. He had a feeling Darhk wanted him to fail and it wouldn’t surprise him if Darhk had ordered someone to follow him around and observe his investigation.

“Well, well, well. What are the odds?” A voice said from behind him. Sara’s voice. What the hell was she doing here?

Chapter 101

Summary:

Malcolm has a confrontation, while Oliver and Felicity meet Megan's new friend and the mansion gets an unexpected visitor.

Chapter Text

“Well, well, well. What are the odds?” Sara asked as she snuck up behind Malcolm.

He spun around, equally disturbed by her presence and curious about it. “What are you doing here?”

“Let’s not waste our breath, shall we?” She asked. “We both know that, no matter how long you try to stall, this is only gonna end one way.”

“I’ve never met someone as eager for a fight as you are.” He said.

“Well, you did try to kill me.” She said. “That makes me very eager to punch you in the face repeatedly.”

He let out a sigh. “Very well.” Malcolm was unarmed, but he had bested League members unarmed before. He had fought Sara only once before, but she had back-up at that time. He was confident that he could, in the very least, fight her long enough to have a chance to flee. His investigation into the dead Ghosts could wait.

He moved into an attack stance. She rushed towards him. As expected, he did a fair job of fighting her off without a weapon. What he didn’t expect was for someone else to come out of the shadows and attack him from behind. Sara had brought back-up after all. Her back-up was impatient, it seemed, because Malcolm had just realized the person was there when he was already being put into a sleeper hold. Sara then hit him in the face and he lost consciousness.

“I didn’t need your help.” Sara told the assassin who had jumped into the fight after it started.

“No, you didn’t, but I saved you some time.” Sarab said. “Were you going to hand him over to the Demon Head for justice?”

Sara had already turned to leave, so he didn’t receive an answer to his question. With no other option, Sarab dragged Malcolm out of the alley on his own.

 

When Megan asked her parents if her new friend Nora could come over, Oliver and Felicity didn’t have a problem with the suggestion. The next day, during the school drop-off, Felicity waited for Nora and her mother to arrive so that she could talk with Nora’s mother about one of their daughters going to the other’s house. The conversation was brief, but Ruve Adams agreed to let Nora go over to the mansion after school, and said her husband would pick her up a few hours later.

Felicity picked Megan and Nora up after the school day ended and drove them back to the mansion. She was leading the girl into the kitchen for a snack when her phone started ringing. “I need to get back to the office. Let’s find Dad and then-.”

“Everything okay?” Oliver asked, walking over to her. “I thought today was your shorter “in office” days.” She was running the company, but she wanted to still have a life. As a result, she insisted that certain days out of the week, she would leave work early to spend with her family. Today was supposed to be one of those days.

“It was supposed to be, but something’s come up.” Felicity said. “It’s about the accident a few weeks back.” Curtis had called. He had a lead on the strange messages she had been getting from Ray. “I need to deal with it now, and not wait until tomorrow. I should be back in a few hours. Hopefully.”

“I’ll see you then.” He said. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and then went back towards the front door.

“Dad, this is my new friend Nora.” said Megan walking over to her father, followed by another girl.

"Hello Mr. Queen.” Nora said, following Megan. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“It's nice to meet you too, Nora.” said Oliver kindly. She seemed like a nice girl, and he was glad Megan was making new friends. They walked the rest of the way to the kitchen, as Megan told her dad about school and Nora told him a bit about herself.

“Hey, Oliver, we should talk about-.” Tommy said, entering the room with Becca hoisted on his hip and Robbie holding his hand.

“Uncle Tommy!” Megan said. “This is my friend Nora. Nora, this is my uncle Tommy and my cousins Robbie and Becca.”

Robbie let go of Tommy’s hand and toddled over to greet Megan, yelling out her name. Becca, meanwhile, started squirming in Tommy’s grip, wanting to be put down. Oliver saw that Tommy had a worried expression on his face, and wanted to know what his friend was concerned about.

“Why don’t the four of you go off and play?” Oliver asked. “I’m sure you don’t wanna sit around and listen to me and Tommy talk about grown-up stuff.”

The four children went into the other room. Oliver was about to ask where Raisa was, because the twins were a lot to handle and he didn’t want Megan or her friend to be the only ones watching the pair. Just then, Raisa came into the room.

“Mr. Oliver, there's a Mr. Rataako here to see you.” She said.

“Thanks, Raisa.” He said with a frown. He wasn’t expecting any visitors. “Megan has a friend over and the twins went off to play with them. Can you keep an eye on them?”

“Of course.”

Oliver and Tommy walked into the hallway, where Raisa said the visitor was waiting.

“Hello, Mr. Queen.” Ra’s al Ghul said calmly. He seemed aware he’d caught Oliver off-guard, but not terribly troubled by it. He was dressed in an expensive suit, looking more like a potential campaign donor than the leader of the League of Assassins, but Oliver could spot two places where he had weapons hidden on his person. “I would apologize for coming unannounced, but it would defeat the purpose of my visit.”

“Which is what?”

Rather than answer, Ra’s turned his attention to Tommy. “I do not believe we have met. My name is Ra’s al Ghul.”

“You already know who he is.” Oliver said. He had no doubt that Ra’s was familiar with anyone tangentially connected to Malcolm, so he definitely knew who Tommy was.

“Indeed, I do. Though, I did not wish to be rude. And before you ask, I have no machinations towards him, his beloved or his children. I was unaware that he would be here when I came to speak with you. Is there a more private place for us to speak? Thomas is welcome to join, if he wishes.”

“Is this something I need to be included on?” Tommy asked. There were some things Tommy were perfectly happy not to know. At the same time, he knew he couldn’t bury his head in the sand about what was happening.

“While you may not be involved in certain activities, they do have an impact on your life. I will not make you be part of the discussion, but I wanted to extend the invitation.” Ra’s said.

“I’ll stay for a bit, but the twins have to go down for a nap soon.” He wouldn’t admit it, but Ra’s words made him curious.

“Come on.” Oliver said. “We’ll talk in my dad’s old office.” He led them out of the room.

 

Megan showed Nora around the mansion as Raisa walked with them to keep an eye on the twins. Robbie and Becca had gotten very curious since they started walking, and everyone just wanted to be sure that they didn’t get hurt as they were exploring the mansion.

“Kitty!” The twins cried out, noticing Tiger, who was sitting spread out on the sofa. Tiger yawned and began to lick her paw.

“This is my pet cat Tiger.” Megan said, walking over to Tiger and stroking her. Nora walked over to the sofa as well and gently showed Tiger her hand allowing the small cat to smell. Tiger rubbed her face against Nora’s hand, and the girl took that as a sign that she could now pet the cat.

“She’s very pretty.” Nora said. “I don’t have any pets. My mom is allergic to cats my dad doesn’t like dogs.”

“You could get a goldfish.” Megan said. “Or a hamster.”

The twins toddled over to pet Tiger. They were a little rough, but the cat allowed it for a few moments before getting up and jumping to a higher spot on the couch, out of the twins’ reach.

The twins looked around, upset that the cat had run away from them. Robbie was about to start crying, when instead he called out and started making grabby hands. “Woof!”

Raisa, Megan and Nora turned to see Wolfsbane standing in the doorway. The wolf looked at the twins, and then fixed his attention on the newcomer.

“Um, is that your pet dog?” Nora asked nervously. He was a really big animal and she was a little scared.

“No, Wolfy’s not a dog, he’s a wolf. He is my and Dad's friend.” She said, walking over to Wolfsbane and stroking him. Wolfsbane kept his attention on Nora. “Come say hi. He’s friendly, but he needs to get to know you first.”

Wolfsbane watched Megan’s friend. He couldn't say what but there was something "off" about this pup. Something about her made him want to bare his teeth and chase her off. He would have to keep his eye on her.

Cautiously, Nora made her way over to Megan and Wolfsbane. With some hesitation, she held out her hand to him, the wolf leaned forward and began to sniff and lick her hand. He then laid down on the floor so that he could relax a bit.

“That’s how he says hi.” Megan said. “You can pet him if you want.”

Nora began to gently pet Wolfsbane. The wolf still scared her a little bit, but she didn’t know if that was just because she hadn’t seen an animal so big up close before. After a bit, they got tired of petting Wolfsbane and got up from the floor to go play. Tommy came in to get the twins, since it was time for them to nap. Raisa left when Tommy came to get the twins, since Megan and Nora didn’t need to be supervised as heavily, leaving the two girls alone.

“Wanna see my room?” Megan asked.

 

Malcolm Merlyn came to in a dark room. While he had no idea how much time had passed, he sensed that it had been several hours since he encountered Sara in the alley. There were no windows and only one door, so he had no concept of what time it might be, or what stage of the day. The door opened, and three figures stepped into the room.

“You are awake.” Nyssa said. “I suppose it was foolish of me to hope Sarab had given you too much sedative for your body to handle.”

“Nice to see you too, Nyssa.” He said. “I’m surprised I didn’t wake up on a plane to Nanda Parbat.”

“Why would I take you to Nanda Parbat?” She asked. At his confused face, she smirked. “Oh, so you do not know. Your new friend Darhk did not tell you.”

“Tell me what?”

Nyssa and the two assassins left.

 

“Mr. Oliver, Miss Nora's father is here.” Raisa said, coming into Robert’s old office. Oliver and Ra’s had been in there for nearly two hours. Tommy had come in and out, and seemed a bit unsettled by what they were discussing.

“Okay, Raisa. Excuse me.” Oliver said, turning to Ra's, who gave a nod of understanding, as Oliver left. Tommy followed him. “Why are you coming with me?”

“I don’t wanna be alone with that guy. He creeps me out.”

“That’s his goal.” Oliver said, before calling up the stairs. “Nora, your father is here.”

“Coming!” She shouted back. The sound of footsteps filled the air. Seconds later, Wolfsbane came running down the stairs.

Wolfsbane stopped in the doorway to the foyer. Oliver saw the hairs on the back of the wolf's neck stand on end. His ear pressed against his skull. He began to growl and bare his fangs and dropped into an attack stance. Oliver and Tommy got to the doorway and then saw who it was that Wolfsbane was growling at.

Damien Darhk. Wolfsbane was growling at Damien Darhk. Oliver stopped dead. Nora and Megan came into the foyer.

“Daddy!” Nora cried, running over to him. Damien picked up Nora in his arms and hugged her.

“Hi, honey. Did you have a good time?” Darhk asked his daughter.

“Yep, this is Megan's dad.”

“Actually, we've met already.” Darhk said. “At your campaign event. I don’t know if you remember me, Mr. Queen.”

“You know Nora’s dad?” Megan asked Oliver.

“Yes.” He said. “And, I do remember you, Mr. Darhk.”

“As do I.” A voice said from behind Oliver. Tommy and Oliver turned to Ra's standing behind them. “Don't I, old friend?”

Oliver noticed Damien's eyes widen in shock.

Chapter 102

Summary:

Darhk encounters someone he's been avoiding, Felicity learns something upsetting and Malcolm find himself somewhere he'd rather not be.

Chapter Text

“You know Nora’s dad?” Megan asked Oliver after Nora had tried to introduce them, but Damien said they had met.

“Yes.” He said. “And, I do remember you, Mr. Darhk.”

“As do I.” A voice said from behind Oliver. Tommy and Oliver turned to Ra's standing behind them. “Don't I, old friend?”

Oliver noticed Damien's eyes widen in shock. He saw Darhk look between himself, Tommy and Ra’s, likely trying to figure out what Oliver knew and what Ra’s might have told him. He was clearly unnerved that Ra’s was here and that he’d been unaware that Ra’s was in the city.

“Dad, who’s that?” Nora asked.

“Someone I knew a very long time ago.” Darhk said. “And didn’t expect to ever see again.”

“You two know each other? Small world.” Oliver commented. “Ray came by to talk to me about my campaign and vision for the city.” It was the most reasonable explanation he could think of regarding why the Demon Head would be in his house. Oliver didn’t want Darhk digging any deeper into a connection between Ra’s and himself, so he played the role of the naïve political candidate.

“Nora, why don't you and your friend Megan play for a little bit longer, while I talk to Ray here?”

“Okay.” Nora ran off with Megan to play at her father’s suggestion. Wolfsbane took one last distrustful look at the “dark” man before leaving with the two pups. He made sure to let out one last growl before walking away.

Darhk turned back to Ra's, as if ready for a fight. He hadn’t expected an altercation when he came to pick up his daughter, but if Ra’s wanted a fight, Damien would give him one.

“What is happening?” Oliver asked, looking between the two men. “I don’t know what the story between the two of you is, I don’t really care either, but if you’re gonna fight, can you please not do it in my house?”

“We are not going to come to blows, Mr. Queen.” Ra’s said. “Though, I would appreciate a chance to speak with Damien alone, for a few moments. If you would not mind.”

Oliver looked between Ra’s and Damien again. Without a word, he walked off, dragging Tommy with him. Once the sound of their footsteps faded, Ra’s spoke again.

“Has it been so long that you have forgotten our ways, old friend? I would never risk a fight while there are innocents present.” Ra’s said.

Darhk came out of his stance. “What do you want? And who does Queen think you are?”

“Why do you ask questions that you already know the answer to?” Ra’s replied. “And all I told him was that I was interested in his plans for the city.”

“He has no idea who you are then.”

“He’s no more aware of my true nature than he is of yours.” He waited a beat. “Did you think this was some kind of trap, on his part? Luring you here by having his daughter befriend yours?”

Darhk refused to admit that he had suggested Nora befriend Megan for that exact reason. “How did you know I was here?”

“Encountering you here was a happy accident. As for my awareness that you were in this city, well, you are not as subtle as you think yourself to be. It should go without saying that I’m aware of what you are plotting and I cannot allow your plot to succeed.”

“I don’t take kindly to threats.”

“And I do not care. I know my warning will not stop you. I know you will continue your foolish crusade until I am forced to stop you, by ending your life.” He said. “I have given you a warning. I will now take my leave. Oh, and please keep one matter in mind.”

“Which is what?”

“Had I wanted to harm Nora, I had ample time to do so before your arrival. And our host couldn’t have stopped me.” Ra’s left the house on that note.

Damien took a few moments to gather his thoughts. He had expected a confrontation with the League of Assassins soon, but not one with Ra’s al Ghul himself. He found it odd that Ra’s didn’t want to attack him in Queen’s house, and that made him wonder what other use he might have for Oliver Queen. Mostly, he was forced to acknowledge that Ra’s had been right. If he wanted to hurt Nora, he would’ve done that already. The thought did not make him feel any better.

He called Nora’s name and told her that it was time to leave. He needed to get Nora home, but he also needed to plan. Ra’s al Ghul being in town, and being somewhat aware of HIVE’s plans was a problem. He needed to brainstorm ways to keep Ra’s distracted while he let his plan develop.

As Nora and her father left, Nora waved goodbye at her new friend. “Bye Megan, I’ll see you at school tomorrow. It was fun playing with your cat and your wolf and your cousins.”

“Cousins?” Darhk asked. How did Megan have cousins? Felicity was an only child and Thea Queen didn’t have kids.

“Yeah, their dad is her Uncle Tommy.”

“Really? I didn’t know that.” Darhk said. Perhaps he had finally found a way to keep Malcolm Merlyn under control. He wouldn’t want any harm to befall his only grandchildren, after all. As angry as his run-in with Ra’s made him, Nora befriending Megan had given him a unique opportunity.

 

When Felicity received Curtis’s message, she expected she’d only need to head to the office for an hour. She had been getting strange messages, seemingly from Ray Palmer, for the last few days, and had asked Curtis to look into what the cause was.

She hadn’t expected to arrive in Curtis’s lab and find him listening to a loop of Ray Palmer, saying he needed help. She and Curtis had listened to the message over a dozen times by now, and were no closer to figuring out when the audio had been recorded.

“The message got so jumbled when it was transmitted that I can’t determine when he recorded it.” Curtis said. “I have a program running to try and determine the date it was recorded but it’s-this was likely recorded three months ago.”

“Why do you say it was recorded three months ago?”

“The explosion that killed Dr. Palmer happened three months ago.” He said. “Dead people don’t tend to send jumbled audio files after they’re gone.”

“Except a body was never found.” She said. “He was declared dead, but we never found his body. So, for all we know, Ray recorded this message three days ago, when I started having issues with my phone.”

“You saw the damage the accident did to this building. How could Dr. Palmer, how could anyone have survived that?”

“I don’t know. I don’t know how he could’ve survived it, but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t have survived. We have to- he’s out there somewhere.” She said. Oliver and Sara had survived a shipwreck. Tommy had survived being impaled by rebar during the Undertaking. Malcolm had somehow survived multiple attempts to kill him. If they could survive, there was no reason why Ray couldn’t have survived the explosion. “We have to find him.”

“How are we gonna do that?”

“I don’t-.” Her phone began to ring. It was Oliver. “I need to take this. When I get back, I’m gonna get started on a program to run a back-trace on the signal and-. Hi, honey.”

“Are you gonna be getting home soon?” Oliver asked.

“I don’t know. What Curtis found out is kinda more than I expected him to find.” She said. “Is something wrong?”

“There’s a lot I need to tell you about what’s happened in the last few hours. Turns out Nora’s father is Damien Darhk. He came to pick her up, while Ra’s was here to talk to me and-.”

“Felicity, I’m alive and I’m in trouble.” Ray’s message repeated.

“Is that Ray?” Oliver asked.

“Yeah, turns out the strange messages I was getting were really a jumbled call for help from him.” She said. “He’s alive. I don’t know where he is, but he’s alive.”

“How old’s the message? Where was it sent from? Are you sure its him?”

“I don’t know the answer to any of that, which is why I don’t know when I’ll be home.” She said. “We have to find him.”

“We will. Let me know what I can do to help.” He said before ending the call.

“Do you need to head home?” Curtis asked her.

“Not right away. First, I’m gonna hammer out a program to backtrace the message, see where its coming from. The trace will lead us to Ray, which will hopefully tell us what kind of trouble he’s in and why he’s let everyone think he was dead.”

“How bad do you think it is?”

“Bad. If Ray could’ve gotten away, he would have already, which means someone’s keeping him from leaving wherever he is. Which means finding him just became my top priority.”

“This isn’t your fault, you know.”

“Let’s find out what happened to Ray three months ago, before declaring I didn’t do anything wrong. I could’ve stopped him from running the experiment he was running in the first place, if I had paid closer attention to what he was doing and not ignored him to get back at the board.”

It took Felicity another hour to create the program to backtrace the message. The code was going to take a while to compile, so she went home as it was running. As soon as it compiled, she’d get a notification and could use it to find Ray.

 

Malcolm hadn’t received any “visitors” since Nyssa came to see him several hours earlier. He wasn’t sure what was going on, why Nyssa was in town, and it annoyed him that there was something he didn’t seem to know. When Nyssa showed up to taunt him, it was clear there was information he hadn’t been told, something Darhk had kept from him. Malcolm hated not being in the know.

He wasn’t sure how much time had passed since Nyssa had left. He expected a masked League member to walk in at any moment, bringing food. He had not eaten since arriving, and he knew they weren’t planning to starve him. Starvation tactics were reserved for enemies they wanted to break, and the League knew him too well to think it would work.

The door opened, and to his disappointment, the League member did not bring any food into the room where he was being held. The man stopped a few feet from Merlyn and said nothing. The man was unmasked, but didn’t seem familiar to Merlyn. Based on his attire, he was one of Ra’s horsemen, and Malcolm felt uneasy about not knowing someone so high-ranking within the League.

“Can I help you?” Malcolm asked after several moments.

“You are allied with Damien Darhk.”

“You could say that.”

“It was not a question. It was a statement of fact. You allied yourself with Darhk.” Sarab said.

“The alternative was to let Ra’s kill me, and like most people, I have a vested interest in staying alive.” He said.

“Joining Darhk wasn’t unexpected. The Demon Head knew you would do so before you ever made the conscious choice. I’m interested to know in what you gave to Darhk in return.”

“What I gave to Darhk?”

“Everything has a price, Merlyn. You of all people should know that. What did you give Darhk, in return for him “rescuing” you from Nanda Parbat and sparing your life?”

“Nothing. I think he did it to spite Ra’s, to be frank.”

“I find that difficult to believe.”

“I don’t care if you don’t believe it. Ra’s al Ghul tried to kill me, Ra’s al Ghul has spent years trying to kill him. I didn’t have to give him anything, because aiding me meant he got to screw Ra’s over.”

“Or,” a voice said from the doorway, “you are so inept that you are not even aware of the price you paid for your survival. It would not be the first time you made a deal without knowing the price, is it?” Ra’s stepped into the room, after announcing his presence.

“Ra’s.”

“Malcolm. You seem well. Would you care to know who is doing quite well? Your grandchildren. I was pleased to discover that neither look anything like you. The girl resembles her mother and the boy takes after your son, who I suppose takes after his mother’s side. I find it quite amusing, how little of you can be seen in your legacy.”

“I suppose you’re going to kill me now.”

“Why would I do that? I have other uses for you, and I would hate for you to think me predictable.” Ra’s said. “You will die, and it will be by my hand, but not tonight.” He turned to Sarab. “You may go. No one is to enter this room until I leave.”

Chapter 103

Summary:

Malcolm has a confrontation, while Oliver and Felicity bring the others up to speed on what has happened over the last day or so.

Chapter Text

Sarab walked out of Malcolm’s prison, leaving him alone with Ra’s al Ghul. From first glance, Ra’s didn’t appear to be armed, but Malcolm knew better than to assume he wasn’t. Unarmed, Ra’s was dangerous, and he had no proof that the Demon Head did not have a weapon of some kind hidden, so even attempting to break free seemed like a pointless move.

Ra’s said nothing after Sarab left. He simply watched Malcolm for several moments. Merlyn didn’t bother to speak. He had learned during his time in Nanda Parbat that the Demon Head would speak when he was ready to. He also knew that trying to explain himself would get him nowhere. Nothing he could say, no excuse he could give, would change Ra’s mind about wanting to kill him.

“You have aligned yourself with Damien Darhk and HIVE.” Ra’s said, moving closer to the restrained man.

“I have, though only because I didn’t have a better option.”

“Let us not fool ourselves, Malcolm. You may not have sought Darhk out, but you made a choice to become an ally of his.” He said, taking another step towards his former student. “You may view it as your only option, but it was your own actions that put you in the predicament that left Darhk as your only ally.”

“He’s not my only ally. I-.”

“If you are about to make some comment about Oliver Queen being your ally, or perhaps your son convincing him to save you, I am afraid you would be mistaken. Your antics last year killed any potential desire Queen would have had to save you. And your son will let you die if it will keep his beloved or their children safe.” He said, taking yet another step closer. Malcolm now couldn’t avoid looking at Ra’s without making it obvious that he was trying to avoid the man’s gaze. “But I did not have you brought here to discuss your lack of allies.”

“You didn’t bring me here to kill me. And you don’t want to talk about Darhk. Why am I here, then?”

“I wished to see how far you had fallen. A horseman of Ra’s al Ghul, reduced to Darhk’s errand boy. I find it quite tragic, how pathetic you have become.” He said. “I wonder how much further you have to fall.”

“Since I’m not leaving this room alive, I don’t think it matters.”

“I find it amusing, in the very least.” Ra’s said. “And I said nothing about when, or in what state, you would leave this room.”

Ra’s hand shot up and Malcolm felt something press onto his neck. He was pressing down on a pressure point that Malcolm had learned about very late into his League training. As he started to lose consciousness, he was struggling to recall what the pressure point was used for. Was it intended to kill or just to incapacitate?

Ra’s watched with a blank expression as Malcolm fainted. He then called Sarab back into the room. “Inject Merlyn with a sedative and then drop him off somewhere on the other side of the city.”

“You are letting him go.”

“For the moment. He has more use to me alive than dead at the moment. And letting him go gives us the opportunity to surveil him. The moment he ceases being useful, I will have him recaptured and then he will go to meet his fate.” He said. “I do not appreciate my orders being questioned.”

Sarab bowed. “Forgive my impertinence. It was not my intention to question your orders.”

“I know it was not. You do not understand what my plans are, and you do not need to understand. You just need to do as I order you to do.”

Sarab dragged Malcolm out of the room and left the League’s hideout not long after. Ra’s was left in the room to think. Malcolm would awaken at some point, on the other side of the city, and be utterly baffled about why he had been freed, why he had been spared. Leaving Malcolm alive was uncharacteristic of Ra’s, which would disturb him more than Ra’s wanting to kill him in the first place. Merlyn believed he knew the Demon Head, knew how he would react to a given situation, would be able to predict the moves he would make. Above anything else, the Demon Head despised being seen as predictable.

 

Malcolm Merlyn came to on a rooftop. Pieces of concrete were digging into his back and the hard rooftop meant getting up was harder than he was willing to admit it. Merlyn didn’t know how he had gotten here, but as he looked around from the rooftop, he knew he was still in Star City.  He was on the east side of the city, far from the bay, but he recognized the Queen Consolidated building in the skyline.

Where Malcolm was, and how to get back to HIVE, was the least of his problems at the moment, though. Ra’s had let him go. The League of Assassins captured him, and delivered him to Ra’s to be killed, and the Demon Head let him go. He could not think of a reason why. Ra’s did nothing without careful consideration, so letting Malcolm live was a calculated move. He didn’t know what the end goal was, however. How did Malcolm living benefit the League of Assassins?

“Now, it just feels like he’s taunting me.” Malcolm muttered. Ra’s would drag deaths out, but he wasn’t the type to play with his victims, by letting them think they might survive. He was baffled that he had woken up alone on a rooftop, without any limbs missing. Unless, of course, Ra’s had let him go so that he could watch Malcolm squirm and grow paranoid over what his intentions were.

Having no idea what else to do, Malcolm made his way to the stairwell and headed towards the street. Ra’s could play whatever mind games he wanted, and Malcolm would deal with it when he had to. in the meantime, he needed to get word to Darhk, let him know that Ra’s al Ghul himself was in the city. 

 

“Dad?” Megan asked Oliver. They had finished eating dinner. Felicity was still at Queen Consolidated, so Oliver had saved her some leftovers.

“Yes?”

“Is Nora’s dad a bad guy?” Nora and Damien Darhk had left a few hours ago and all of the “excitement” of Ra’s and Darhk’s reunion had died down. “Because I heard him talking to Nyssa’s dad, before Nora came back to play some more and it sounded like- I don’t think Nyssa’s dad liked him very much.”

He was torn about what to do. Megan seemed to really like her new friend Nora, but there was no denying that her father was a terrible person. He didn’t want to tell Megan she couldn’t be friends with Nora, but he also didn’t want Megan to say something to Nora that might anger Darhk.

“Nora’s dad is Ra’s friend from a very long time ago. The one he no longer trusts and wants to help us stop.” He said. It was the only truthful answer he could give her. “This doesn’t mean you can’t be friends with Nora.”

“But her dad is a bad guy.”

“I know, but her dad being a bad guy doesn’t mean she’s not allowed to be your friend. Uncle Tommy’s dad is a bad guy, but I’m still friends with Uncle Tommy, right?”

“Yeah, it’s not the same though.”

“Megan, Nora is your friend. Don’t worry about her dad or Nyssa’s dad, okay?” He said. “It’s my job, as an adult, to worry about them.”

“Okay.” She said.

Oliver still felt uneasy about how things had turned out when he left to head to the foundry. He hoped Tommy could keep Megan’s mind off of the situation for the rest of the night.

 

Felicity wound up leaving Queen Consolidated only after Curtis had declared it was time for him to leave. He had stayed a few hours later than he normally did, and was nearly falling asleep when he decided it was time for him to head home. They had made minimal headway in tracing Ray’s message or determining when it had been recorded.

She felt bad that Curtis had stayed so late, and decided to see his departure as a sign that she should head home as well. She had already missed dinner with her family, and had worked on one of her designated “early sign-off” days.

“I’m going to leave my programs running.” Curtis said. “Maybe the tracking program will compile by the time we get in tomorrow.”

“Yeah, maybe.” She said.

“You seem frustrated.”

“I am, but not with you. If I had my way, we’d know what happened to Ray already and why he’s just making contact now.” She said. “Actually, if I had my way, he wouldn’t have gone missing, and been declared dead, at all.”

“I’m struggling to come up with an explanation for how he could’ve survived the accident. At least, one that doesn’t involve cloning, time-travel or shapeshifters.”

“Me too.” She said. The most obvious explanation was that Ray hadn’t been in the room when the explosion happened, but not being in his lab didn’t explain where he had been for the last three months. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Felicity left the office and went to the foundry. The rest of the team was already there when she arrived and Oliver was in the middle of explaining what had happened with Ra’s and Darhk at the mansion that afternoon.

“Did we know that Darhk’s daughter was Megan’s new friend?” Thea asked.

“Not until this afternoon. Megan didn’t mention a last name and when I talked to Nora’s mother, she introduced herself as Ruve Adams.” Felicity said. “Do we think this was a coincidence?”

“It wouldn’t shock me if Darhk “encouraged” Nora to befriend Megan, once he realized Megan’s our daughter.” Oliver said. “Ra’s showing up to confront Darhk was probably not random, though.”

“It wasn’t.” Sara said. “Ra’s doesn’t leave things up to chance, especially where his archenemy is involved. So, Ra’s confronted Darhk, but a fight didn’t break out?”

“No. I’m sure plenty of threats were made, but no altercation broke out. I’m sure HIVE’s gonna be busy with the League for a bit, which is good for us.”

“Good for us how?”

“Because it gives us time to focus on finding Ray Palmer.” Felicity said. “He’s alive. He’s in trouble. At least, that’s what his message to me said. Assuming he wasn’t killed between sending the message and now. I’m choosing to believe he’s still alive, to avoid freaking out too much.”

“Palmer sent you a message?”

“Yes, it took some time to descramble it from my phone, and I don’t know where it was sent from yet, or when it was recorded, but it says he’s alive and he’s in trouble.”

“He’d have to be, for him to have stayed quiet for so long.” Digg said. “Sorry, I know that probably didn’t help.”

“How did- his lab blew up, and took part of the building with it.” Laurel said.

“I don’t know how he’s still alive, but he is.” Felicity said. “Once we find out where his message came from, we can figure out how he survived the blast. An employee at QC is helping me try to track the transmission, but we’ve had no luck so far. Ray bounced his message off of about a zillion cell towers, so it might take some time.”

“What can we do?” Oliver asked.

“My assumption is that Ray is somewhere within the city, but in a location he’s unable to leave. If we search the city, we might find him faster than if we have to wait to trace the message.”

“That’s a lot of buildings to check.” Roy said.

“I know, but it’s the only tangible thing we can do at the moment.”

“At the very least, we’ll rule out a few spots.” Oliver said. He walked over and grabbed his bow. “Let’s start looking.”

Chapter 104

Summary:

The team searches for a missing friend and Malcolm has a confrontation he wasn't expecting.

Chapter Text

The team spent that night searching different empty and abandoned buildings in the city, looking for Ray Palmer. As Roy had pointed out, there were a lot of buildings to check and their first night wasn’t successful. Felicity continued to wait for her program to compile to backtrace the message, but that code was taking quite some time to finish.

“Do you know what Ray was working on when he disappeared?” Oliver asked her when the team returned.

“No. I kinda- I more or less let Palmer work on whatever projects he wanted to work on, and didn’t ask him to keep me updated on the progress he made. Why?”

“I was just wondering.” He said. “Because what he was working on might be why he’s missing, and been missing for months.”

“What do you mean?” Thea asked.

“There are limited options as to what happened the night of the explosion at QC, but they boil down to two things: he was either in the lab or he wasn’t. If he was in the lab, the explosion happened, he somehow survived and was found by whoever is keeping him captive. If he wasn’t in the lab, it means someone abducted him and used the explosion to cover their tracks. The only reason why I can think they’d do that is if he was working on something potentially dangerous.”

“Ray was seen entering the building, but not leaving it.” Felicity pointed out.

“Not leaving it from what you saw. There are holes in QC’s security system and there are ways to get someone out of that building without being noticed.” He said. “If we can find out what Ray was working on, it might help us find him because it might tell us why someone would abduct him.”

“I’ll see what Curtis and I can find out.”

 

Malcolm knew that Ra’s had let him go for a reason. The Demon Head didn’t do anything without a plan and several back-up plans. He was suspicious when he awoke on a random roof, and wondered what angle Ra’s was playing at.

Because of his caution, and the feeling that he was being followed, it took an incredibly scenic route from where he woke up to HIVE’s headquarters. In his mind, it was better to send assassins on a wild goose chase than to lead them straight to the one ally that he had. As a result, the sun was setting when he finally reached the HIVE base he was looking for.

“Where have you been?” Darhk asked him. “I was expecting you back yesterday with answers about my dead men.”

“I got waylaid. By the League of Assassins.” He watched Darhk’s face for surprise, but saw none. “You already knew they were here.”

“Yes, I knew days ago.”

“And you didn’t think to mention that, why? Better yet, why send me to investigate the deaths of our soldiers when you knew the likely culprits?”

“Just because it was probably the League of Assassins, doesn’t mean it definitely was. I wanted to be sure.”

“So, you used me as bait.”

“I don’t see what you have to complain about. You’re still alive.”

“I’m still alive because your old buddy, Ra’s al Ghul, is toying with me. He’s in town as well, if you weren’t aware.”

“I’ve been made aware. Before you showed up tonight, but after I gave you the assignment to find out who killed my men.”

“Well, what are we going to do about it?” Malcolm asked. He was tempted to yell the question, but showing his frustration felt like the wrong move here.

“You shouldn’t concern yourself with Ra’s al Ghul for the moment. He let you live. And you’re not his main focus. You may be a thorn in his side, but I’m his true enemy. He doesn’t care what you might be up to, because he’s more interested in trying to kill me. Enjoy the peace while it lasts.”

“And what happens when he works out that we’re working together?” Ra’s knew Malcolm was allied with Darhk, but Darhk possibly didn’t know that Ra’s knew. Merlyn had always been an opportunist, and keeping that piece of information from Darhk could be the one bit of leverage that he had. As long as Darhk stayed unaware that Ra’s already knew.

“If he finds out, we’ll take the appropriate steps to make sure it doesn’t derail Genesis. Now, I have a meeting with the board, an exciting new technology has fallen into our hands.”

“What technology?”

“If I haven’t told the board, men and women I’ve been allied with for years, yet, why would I tell you?” He asked. “You’ll hear about it when you need to hear about it.”

Darhk walked away from an angry Malcolm. Damien decided that something would need to be done about Merlyn sooner or later. He was getting far too bold and needed to be brought in line.

 

While Felicity was looking through Ray’s files to see what he was working on, Curtis was able to fully unscramble Ray’s message. It allowed both of them to not only hear Ray’s voice, but also see him. His message was a bit longer than she thought it was, since he outlined exactly how he had gotten into his current predicament.

“Ray is so smart that he’s actually stupid sometimes.” Felicity said when she called Oliver.

“What makes you say that?”

“He built a robotic exosuit based off an old QC schematic. I don’t know why he made it. Maybe in case another Slade situation happened? His fiancé was killed by Mirakuru soldiers.” She said. “Anyway, he must’ve been working on it when something went wrong and the explosion happened.”

“How does that-?”

“You can question me later. Please, just get everyone to the bunker, because this search just got a lot harder.”

When she got to the bunker, the first thing Felicity did was show the complete video message Ray managed to send out again, this time to everyone. Ray had survived the explosion due to his suit. He mentioned that he’d been working with nanites in the video, she guessed he wanted to see if they could shrink the suit. The explosion must’ve happened when he was shrunken and he was flung out of the building. Someone found him in his shrunken form and took him prisoner. He needed help with two things: getting away from the people holding him and getting back to his normal size. He had schematics to build a device to resize him, but someone had to build it.

The next day, Felicity went into Palmer Tech and spent the whole day with Curtis, one of her employees, trying to build a machine to resize Ray. They couldn’t get very far, due to the fact they needed a quantum manifold that Kord Industries had patented to complete the device.

The next few days went pretty much the same. One day, they got another message from Ray. While he was transmitting it, his captor noticed and appeared in the background. It was Damian Darhk. The team broke into Kord Industries that night  and stole the manifold. She and Curtis finished building the resizing device. Now, all they needed to do was find Ray.

After running for several hours, Felicity’s program finally managed to track down where Ray’s message had come from. The signal had bounced off nearly every cell tower in Starling, but with time and effort, he wasn’t that hard to find. The only problem was that Ray was in a secure building that was next to impossible to break into and heavily guarded by HIVE. It took the team the better part of an hour to come up with a plan about what to do about Ray and how to get him out of HIVE’s hands. Darhk wanted the tech from Ray’s suit for a reason, and given who Darhk was, the reason definitely wasn’t good.

It was decided that John would disguise himself as a HIVE member, ‘capture’ Oliver and while Darhk was focused on him, he’d disable the security system so that Roy, Laurel, Sara, and Thea could break into the building. Curtis and Felicity would be parachuting in so that they could resize Ray in the field and have another person on their side when trying to break out.

The first part of the plan worked perfectly. John captured Oliver and left him tied up for Darhk. He then turned off the security system so that the others could enter and engage the guards inside. Sara, Laurel, Roy and Thea fought off most of the guards while Felicity and Curtis searched the building for Ray after sneaking in with Digg’s help while the Ghosts were busy with the vigilantes.

Darhk was about to take Oliver’s mask off when the archer broke free of his restraints and attacked him. He fired a few arrows at the man, but he knocked them off course before using his magic to wrap two chains around Oliver’s neck choking him. He then began telling Oliver how unfortunate it was that he wouldn’t live to see Darhk fulfill his master plan. Oliver threw a smoke bomb at Darhk before he could finish his speech and used the distraction to escape.

Digg led the pair to where HIVE was holding Ray captive. They couldn’t see Ray inside the cube he was being held in, but HIVE had a camera set up to watch him. They could see him on the video screen.

“Ray!” She called out.

“Hey, Felicity. I’m- I’m sorry about this.”

Curtis, meanwhile, was trying to do his job so they could leave. “How do you open this?”

“Yeah, my best guess is it needs an asymmetric cypher. You could open it with five years and an NSA grade computer.” Ray explained.

“What if we enlarged him now, and then use his size to break the cube?” She asked.

“The quantum field won’t be able to penetrate this polymer.”

“They put these mini cams in here with me and those cameras-.”

“Need to draw power from somewhere. Ray, you are a genius!” Felicity said.

“Well, I don’t know about that. I got myself into this situation after all, but I’ve siphoned off enough juice to power up my exo-suit.”

“Dr. Palmer doohickey is ready, if you don’t mind my use of the term ‘doohickey’.” Curtis informed them.

“Do it!”

John and Felicity stepped out of the way and he fired the machine at Ray. He immediately returned to his normal size. “I’m not dead.”

Digg told the others that they had Ray and could leave now. John, Felicity, Curtis and Ray were turning to leave when a Ghost approached them with his weapon drawn. John was about to open fire when the man fell to the ground. Oliver stepped around his unconscious body.

“We have to move.” Oliver told them. he paused as he walked past Ray. “Good to see you Ray.”

“Nice suit.”

They rushed out of the building, not wanting to tempt fate. They had found Ray. They had rescued him from HIVE. Trying to do anything further seemed like a bad idea. No one wanted their luck to run out.

Chapter 105

Summary:

The team discusses what to do next, and Ra's al Ghul makes a move against Darhk.

Chapter Text

After Ray Palmer had been rescued from Damien Darhk’s clutches, the team took him back to the bunker. Curtis Holt went home, and thankfully didn’t ask too many questions about how his boss knew the Green Arrow and his team. She was a bit too tired by the time Ray was safe to come up with a believable excuse, but she knew he’d have plenty of questions the next day.

Since Ray didn’t know about Oliver’s little green secret, Felicity first had to break that news to him and then they had to bring him up to date on Darhk, HIVE, the League and everything else he didn’t know about. Ray took the news well, all things considered.

Once in the bunker, Ray explained how he wound up in HIVE’s clutches. He had built his robotic exosuit from an old schematic. The suit worked fine, but he wanted to make some improvements. While he was making adjustments and testing things out, something went wrong, causing the explosion several weeks earlier. He was flung out of the building and wound up inside a dingy warehouse. HIVE found him before his message could reach Felicity.

“Why were you three inches tall, though?” Roy asked. “There was an explosion? Okay. HIVE captured you? Fine, I can believe that. I don’t understand how you shrunk down to that size in the first place.”

“Before the explosion, I had been doing some research involving nano-technology. I was testing to see if it was possible to overcome-.”

“It involves a lot of molecular physics.” Felicity said, cutting Ray off before he got too technical and lost the team’s attention. “But the short version is that Ray shrunk himself down by making the space inside the atoms in his body smaller. There’s a lot of empty space inside atoms.”

“It was a good thing I did that, because it’s the only thing that kept those guys from taking a look at how my suit worked.” Ray said. “Do you know why this Darhk guy wants the tech in my suit?”

“No, but it wasn’t for anything good. I can guarantee that.” Oliver said.

“Yeah, Damien Darhk sounds like the name of a very bad guy.” He said, and then looked guiltily at Felicity. “He heard my message to you, though, and that means-.”

“I’m a possible target. I figured.” She said. “It’s not my first time being threatened by a supervillain.”

“It’s not just you that he could go after. Your daughter-.”

“Sadly, it’s not her first time being threatened either.” She said. “She’s already a target because Darhk wants to manipulate Oliver Queen, mayoral candidate. I’m not happy about it, but I’m not mad at you for this.”

“I’m still sorry.”

 

Megan knew there was something going on, something her parents weren’t telling her. Her mom had been busier than usual the last few days, but she didn’t think it was for a work project. Her father also seemed preoccupied by something, but she couldn’t figure out what it was. She tried to prod Tommy for information, but he claimed that there was nothing going on for her to worry about. She decided that meant he didn’t know what was happening. None of the adults in Megan’s life lied to her about serious things. They seemed to realize that she would figure out something was wrong anyway, and that it was better to tell her a sanitized version, if needed, than for her to want to find out what was happening on her own.

Megan went to bed that night, trying to think of an explanation for why her parents were acting so weird. Had Nora’s dad done something bad? Were they trying to stop him? Were they having an issue with Nyssa and her father? Did another bad guy show up?

She was still awake when her parents came home. She pretended to be asleep when her parents walked into her room to say goodnight, but spoke up as they started to walk away.

“What’s going on?” She whispered.

“You’re supposed to be asleep. It’s the middle of the night.” Oliver said.

“I can’t sleep. Because I know there’s something you and Mom aren’t telling me. You’ve both been weird for the last few days. What’s happening?”

“Can we tell you in the morning?” Felicity asked. “It’s a lot to explain and you need to get some sleep, missy.”

“Tell me the basics now.” Megan insisted.

“Do you remember Dr. Palmer from my office?” She asked.

“Uh-huh.”

“He was in trouble and he needed our help. He’s safe now, but we were acting weird because we were trying to help him as soon as we could.” She said. “I’ll tell you the rest in the morning.”

“Was someone trying to hurt him? Was it Nora’s dad?”

“We’ll talk in the morning. Go to sleep.” Felicity said. She and Oliver left the room, and closed the door behind them. “Sometimes, having a kid that’s too smart for her age is a problem.”

“But most of the time, it’s not.”

“No, most of the time, it’s not.” She agreed.

Over breakfast the next morning, Felicity and Oliver told Megan a very watered-down version of what had happened to Ray and why he needed their help. She asked a ton of questions, some of which they didn’t have an answer to. They didn’t know why someone wants Ray’s suit or what they planned to do with it.

After Oliver dropped Megan off at school, she hung around on the playground until it was time to head in for the day. When Nora arrived, she ran over to greet her friend. Darhk was following after his daughter, a few steps behind.

Even though they had seen one another the day before, the two girls had a lot to talk about and catch up on. As Megan was finishing up a story about something funny Tiger did, Damien cleared his throat.

“Nora, wasn’t there something you wanted to ask Megan?” He prompted.

“Oh, yeah.” Nora said. “Do you wanna come over to my house for a sleepover?”

Megan thought about it. Nora was her friend, but her dad was a bad man, a dangerous man, though her parents wouldn’t say why. She didn’t know what she was supposed to do. She didn’t want to lose her friend, but she also didn’t want something bad to happen. “I need to ask my mom and dad.” She said. “I’ll talk to them tonight and let you know tomorrow.”

“Okay.” Nora said.

“Nora mentioned how much fun she had at your house, and she wanted to return the favor.” Her father said. He then turned to his daughter. “Your mother will be picking you up later. Have a good day at school.”

Darhk left just as a teacher called for the students to head inside to their classrooms. He got into his car and drove off. He might’ve encouraged Nora to befriend Oliver Queen’s daughter, but he hadn’t expected the girls to become such close friends so quickly. He didn’t need to nudge Nora at all to become Megan’s friend, and his plan was working out even better than he had hoped.

 

While his plot to get to Oliver Queen onto his side, through his daughter, was going better than anticipated, Darhk’s other plans had reached a few snags. The League of Assassins being in town was a big problem and it was concerning to him that Ra’s had yet to make an outright move against him. It wasn’t a question of if the League would attack, but when. Waiting for an attack was always the most nerve-wracking part. He knew nothing of the League’s numbers, so HIVE attacking first was out of the question.

Ray Palmer had escaped HIVE’s clutches before his suit could be resize or analyzed by HIVE’s scientists. Some of the scientists claimed they could do something with the readings they got from the suit, when it was miniaturized, but he was skeptical. How much data could they possibly get from something so difficult to see?

He tried to follow along with the HIVE scientist as he explained the tests he wants to run.

“Dr. Palmer’s molecular realignment was premised on a power draw from our system, which resulted in-.” The scientist said.

“Just because I understand the science doesn’t mean I’m not incredibly bored by it.” Darhk said, cutting him off. “Bottom line it for me.”

“We may be able to recover some residue from Dr. Palmer’s alloy, and fashion it into a power source.” The scientist said.

“I don’t like hearing “maybe”. You know that.”

“Do I approval to run the test? Because I can’t gauge how possible it is, until we start testing things out.”

“Run the test, but if this turns out to be a waste of time, someone is going to be “let go” from this organization.” Darhk said.

The other man gulped and practically ran out of the room. Darhk turned his attention back to his last problem.

Malcolm Merlyn was beginning to become less of an asset and more of a liability. His encounter with Ra’s al Ghul had unsettled him, and he seemed less willing to go along with Darhk’s plans. He had certainly taken to questioning his orders much more.

Darhk didn’t need to be challenged, to be questioned. The Ghosts were brainwashed and given suicide pills for a reason. He needed men who followed him without question, who would die rather than allow themselves to be interrogated. Malcolm being a free-thinker would be useful, but keeping the man loyal to him would be a struggle.

He suddenly remembered Nora mentioning Megan’s “cousins”. Tommy Merlyn’s two toddlers. How close was Malcolm to his son? To his grandchildren? He began to devise a plan. He wouldn’t make a move just yet, he didn’t have to, but there was no harm in being prepared in case Malcolm needed to be kept in line.

He called for one of his Ghosts. “I have a job for you. Forget everything else you’re working on. This takes priority.”

 

Ra’s listened to the reports of his assassins. He had had men following Malcolm Merlyn for a few days.  Every move the man made, Ra’s was being told about. By the assassins’ accounts, Merlyn did not yet realize the extent to which he was being watched.

“You truly believe he is ignorant that he is being followed?” Ra’s questioned one of his men.

“He took great pains in trying to evade Sarab and when he believed he succeeded in doing so, he became much less cautious in his movements.” The assassin said. “He has led us to several hideouts being used by our enemy.”

“Then, attack.” HIVE had several hideouts throughout the city for the Ghosts to use. It aided them in disappearing so quickly after a heist. The consequence of this was that picking off one hideout would be far easier to manage than attacking HIVE’s forces as a whole. The Demon Head did not want to take out HIVE completely just yet.

“Which location should we attack?”

“All of them.” The Demon Head said. “I wish to see how our enemy responds.”

The League knew the location of four hideouts, and attacked all four. News slowly reached HIVE’s main base, one after another, of the attacks. By sunset, all four hideouts were compromised, the Ghosts hiding there had been eliminated. More importantly, a message had been sent to Darhk.

The war had begun and the League of Assassins was currently winning.

Chapter 106

Summary:

Darhk reacts to the attacks on HIVE, while the team learns of a few interesting developments.

Chapter Text

Oliver noticed that Megan seemed worried about something when he picked her up from school at the end of the day. There was a hunch to her shoulders that he’d come to realize was a sign of her being tense. She also was fidgeting more than she normally did. She got into the car when she spotted him and he asked her about her day.

“How was school?”

“I think I got 100% on my math test.” She said.

“That’s good.” He said. “Is something wrong? You seem upset about something.”

“Not really.”

“Not really isn’t the same thing as nothing being wrong. Did something happen?”

“Nora asked if I could have a sleepover at her house. I said I had to talk to you and Mom, but I know you’re not gonna say yes, because Nora’s dad is a bad man. But, if I say no, it’ll hurt Nora’s feelings and she’s my friend.  I don’t want her to stop being my friend.”

“I don’t think you should sleep over at Nora’s house, but I also don’t think Nora will stop being your friend because your Mom and I say you can’t go.” He said. Letting Megan go to Darhk’s house was a bad idea on principle. However, Megan had the excuse of not having her parents’ permission to spend the night. He doubted Nora would hold Megan’s parents’ answer against her. He and Felicity would make something up if Darhk or his wife wanted to push. “You can just tell her that you asked and your parents said no.”

“What if she asks why?”

“Tell her that we didn’t say why. We just said you can’t go.” He said with a shrug. “We don’t always tell you why we say ‘no’ to things, do we?”

“Mom does. Most of the time.”

“Well, you can pretend like this is one of those times that she doesn't explain.” He said.

 

Damien Darhk sat in his office reading through reports about the development of a crucial part of Genesis when one of his soldiers rushed in without knocking.

“Whatever news you’ve come in here to tell me had better be important.” He said, without looking up.

“Our base on Waters Street has been compromised.”

“Compromised how?”

“One of our men sent a distress signal, saying they were under attack. When a team went to provide back-up, they found everyone there dead. Killed in some kind of attacked.”

“Killed with what?” He finally looked up from the report he was reading.

“Sir?”

“What weapons were used? Were they shot? Stabbed? Did they have arrows sticking out of them? Did they get set on fire?” Darhk asked. “How did they die?”

“Most appear to have stab wounds.”

“Did our surveillance catch anything?”

“The cameras were taken off-line before the attack. No footage was recorded.”

“Get out.” Darhk said.

Twenty minutes later, another Ghost arrived and told Darhk of a different attack on a different hideout. Twenty minutes after that, he was told of a third attack. After another twenty minutes, another Ghost arrived.

“Let me guess. One of our locations has been attacked. All soldiers on site are dead.” He said, before the Ghost could even open his mouth. “And our security system didn’t record any of the attack.”

“Yes, sir.” The Ghost said. “Someone already told you of the incident?”

“Not exactly.” He said. “Which location was it?”

“The building on Adams Boulevard.”

One attack, Darhk could’ve written off, but not four. Four attacks in the same day couldn’t be dismissed as separate incidents. It indicated a degree of planning and coordination. It suggested someone was trying to send a message. Darhk and HIVE had plenty of enemies, but only one enemy had the resources and manpower to coordinate and execute this kind of attack. His old friend Ra’s al Ghul had sent a message, and he clearly didn’t want it to be misinterpreted. The League of Assassins had declared war on HIVE.

“Send word to all the unit commanders.” Since Darhk couldn’t oversee the operations of every single Ghost at the same time, the Ghosts were organized into teams and those teams were further divided into units. The unit leaders answered directly to Darhk. “I need to speak with them. If they’re not here, tell them to be here in fifteen minutes. Anyone not here in fifteen minutes will have their role terminated. It doesn’t matter what task they’re currently working on, they need to drop it immediately. This takes precedence.”

The Ghost stood there.

“If I’m not being clear, let me be clear. You need to pass along that order now. That fifteen-minute clock is already ticking. And I’d hate to have to terminate half of my men because you don’t move fast enough.” The implied threat was enough to get the Ghost moving.

All the men Darhk had sent for arrived within the fifteen-minute time period he had given them. His instructions to the Ghosts were short, sweet and to the point. HIVE had been attacked. They needed to retaliate before any other moves could be made. The Green Arrow and his team could wait to be dealt with until today’s attacks had been answered.

“Um, sir, are we sure the Green Arrow isn’t involved in this?” One Ghost asked.

“Did you see any arrows sticking out of the men we lost?” He asked. “Were any of them green?”

“There were arrows, but they were all black.”

“There you go. No green arrows found, no Green Arrow involvement.” He said. He held a hand up and drained the Ghost who had asked the question of his life force. Once the Ghost was dead, Darhk looked at the others. “Anyone else wanna ask a stupid question?”

No one spoke. The Ghosts filed out of the room and went to pass along Darhk’s orders to their respective men.

 

Team Arrow learned of the attack on several HIVE locations and the deaths of all of the Ghosts at those locations not long after the fourth attack was over. Felicity had noticed an uptick in League sightings in certain spots around the city. The assassins would stay at a location for about ten minutes before dispersing. Then, there would be another League sighting some distance away, the assassins would be at that location for a period of time before leaving, and then there would be another sighting. When reports of yelling or gunfire started to trickle in from the location where the League had been, it didn’t take long for Oliver to work out what was going on.

“Did we know Ra’s was going to do this?” Roy asked. “I know that I didn’t, but I’m not sure Ra’s even knows my name so-.”

“Of course my father knows your name, Roy Harper.” Nyssa said, stepping out of the shadows. “He knows all your names. Why would he not?”

“The leader of an ancient army of assassins knows me by name. That’s terrifying to think about. I might never sleep again.” He said. “Back to my question, did we know this was going to happen?”

“No, we didn’t.” Oliver said, giving Nyssa an annoyed look. “Ra’s didn’t see fit to tell us he was planning something like this.”

“You seem to be operating under the misconception that my father needs to inform you of his plans.” Nyssa said.

“I’m not demanding he tells me what he plans to do, but since we’re supposed to be allies, it would have been nice to know this was going to happen. Not only because Darhk is going to retaliate, but also because this is our city. When this is over, however it ends, the League is going to leave and we’re the ones that are gonna have to deal with the aftermath.”

“It was an opportunity we could not afford to ignore.” She said. “With the four locations compromised, and the soldiers eliminated, we have reduced HIVE’s numbers.”

“Are all the Ghosts dead, then? Because if not, your father just started a fight when he didn’t need to.” Digg said. “But what’s done is done. We can’t change the past.”

“We kinda can.” Felicity said. “I mean, I can put a call into the Flash and-.”

“Let’s not bring him into this.” Oliver said. Barry could change the past, but that didn’t mean he should and Oliver didn’t want to ask him to for this situation.“Several Ghosts are dead. Do we know how many? Do we know how many Darhk has left?”

“There were roughly a dozen men at each of the four locations we infiltrated today.”

“So, let’s say fifty Ghosts are dead. How many Ghosts does that leave?”

“I don’t know. We’ve not been able to ascertain the number of followers Darhk currently has.”

“So, you took out a chunk of HIVE, but you don’t know how big of a chunk.” Laurel said. “I’m sure your father is a brilliant strategist, but why did he order an attack if he didn’t know how big of an impact it would have?”

“To send a message. And because he wanted to take advantage of the intelligence he had before it was outdated.” She said.

“Well, I think Darhk got the message.” Felicity said. “Question now is how he’s gonna retaliate.”

“He will focus his retribution on the League of Assassins. You have nothing to fear from him in the current moment.”

“And what about anyone that gets caught in the middle?” Oliver asked. “Am I supposed to just pretend like there’s zero chance of an innocent bystander getting hurt?”

“No, but I would hope that, given our past interactions, past instances where we’ve successfully fought the same foe, you would have a little faith in me and trust I’m attempting to keep this fight away from civilians.”

“All right. What do you need from us in the meantime?” Thea asked.

“We still do not know what “flood” Darhk intends to use to achieve Genesis. We also need to uncover HIVE’s main base of operations. That is a likely location of Darhk’s idol and we will need to acquire and destroy it sooner, rather than later.” Nyssa said before leaving the bunker.

“So, this “flood” HIVE wants-.”

“There’s only one kind of flood that will definitely give Darhk what he wants, but his chances aren’t great.” Felicity said. “People don’t just leave nuclear weapons lying around.”

“You think he’s looking for nukes?” Roy asked.

“I think a nuclear Armageddon is the only way to make sure the world ends on your schedule. Anything else that could end the world, you can’t predict, you can’t plan for. It would also be the easiest for HIVE to survive.” She said. “Sure, they’d be stuck in a bunker for years, maybe decades, but they would survive.”

“How about we stop Darhk and HIVE before they figure out how to get a nuke? I think that’s a much better plan. And it doesn’t fill me with dread.” Thea said.

“Imagine how I feel thinking about it.”

 

It was nearly impossible for Malcolm not to learn about the attack on the four HIVE locations. It was all anyone at HIVE’s main base was talking about. They wondered who was behind the attacks, why the Ghosts hadn’t fought back better, and what this would mean for Genesis.

Malcolm knew the answer to the first two easily enough. The League of Assassins were the only ones bold enough to make such moves. Oliver would never risk it and he would’ve tried to arrest the Ghosts, rather than kill them. The Ghosts didn’t fight back because they had never faced the League before and had been outmatched. As for what the attacks meant for Genesis, Malcolm had no idea since wasn’t aware of what Genesis entailed yet.

While Malcolm knew of the attacks early on, he didn’t know where they had happened until a few hours later. The four locations that were attacked were the four he had been to, after Ra’s al Ghul released him. If one occurrence was an incident, two was a coincidence and three was a pattern, what did that make a fourth occurrence? Confirmation, he supposed.

He hadn’t shaken the assassin trailing him like he thought he had. Malcolm had led the League straight to HIVE. If Darhk found out, he would kill him.

Chapter 107

Summary:

Malcolm makes a decision, the League has a confrontation, and Darhk makes an unexpected move.

Chapter Text

After the attacks on HIVE, Malcolm decided that he should lie low for a bit. He wasn’t aware if Damien Darhk was aware that the four compromised locations had been the four Malcolm went to after Ra’s al Ghul released him, but he decided it was best to get some distance from HIVE at the moment. Darhk was going to be furious and he’d rather not be on the receiving end of that fury.

Malcolm had a hideout in the city, one that he was relatively confident no one else knew about. He’d spend a day or two there, let Darhk make whatever moves against the League of Assassins that he was going to make, and then resurface. Darhk didn’t seem to have much use for Malcolm at the moment, so he doubted his presence would be missed.

His burner phone rang, but he ignored the call. It was probably Darhk. “Best to let him wait. Give him a chance to calm down.” He told himself as he snuck away from HIVE. They could talk in a few days.

 

Nyssa returned to the League’s hideout after her brief meeting with Team Arrow. When Ra’s asked her for a rundown of what happened when she spoke with Oliver, she first focused on the matters Team Arrow was focusing on.

“Since we will be engaging with HIVE directly, they have decided to focus on determining how Darhk intends to unleash Genesis and how to prevent it.” She told him. “As well as trying to identify HIVE’s main base of operations, since no Ghost we capture stays alive long enough to be questioned.”

“You believe they will be able to find the base and that we cannot?” Ra’s asked. “Our methods have proven fruitful for centuries.”

“It’s not that I believe they can and we cannot. I believe that, since HIVE uses modern technology and methods, Oliver Queen and his allies will merely be able to locate them faster. Or, in the alternative, will be able to eliminate certain locations, narrowing the area we will need to search.”

“What reaction did Oliver Queen have to our assault against HIVE earlier today?”

“He seemed annoyed that they were not told. They stated they would have liked to know in advance, since we are allies and they expressed concern for the cost our actions will have on the civilian population.” She said. “When Darhk retaliates, we may not be the ones most impacted.”

“This conflict with Darhk has existed since long before any of them were born. What right do they have to interfere or pass judgement on the actions I take?”

“They don’t seem interested in doing either. They are aware that “their fight” and “our fight” are not the same. They know we will kill HIVE members and they seem to know that attempting to stop us from doing so would prove fruitless. However, Oliver Queen is consistently worried about the impact any activity in this city has on the bystanders who live here.”

“He need not concern himself. Damien will retaliate tonight, because I intend to have us draw his attention quite easily. His men will be so focused on us that the civilians will never be in danger.” Ra’s said. He didn’t elaborate and Nyssa knew that attempting to ask would be pointless. The Demon Head shared information when, and only when, he felt like it.

 

With no other idea of what exactly to do since the attacks on HIVE, the team went out on patrol that night. Felicity dedicated one computer to running search programs to try and located HIVE’s base but was mostly focused on running the comms and keeping an eye on the movements and sightings of Ghosts.

“Black Canary and Arsenal, I show you’re at Waters and 12th streets?” Felicity asked over the comms.

“We are. Why?” Roy asked.

“You need to get out of there.” She said. “I have sightings of League members at Waters and 14th, and a group that looks an awful lot like Ghosts heading towards them, and the two of you are right in the middle.”

“I thought the League and the Ghosts were duking it out down by the docks, near Green Arrow.” Laurel said.

“They were. They still are. This is a different group.” She said. “You need to move.”

“I don’t fully get what’s happening here.” Thea admitted.

“The League knows that Darhk wants to strike back, to retaliate for what happened today.” Oliver said. “The League is letting HIVE find groups of them on purpose, to draw them into a fight.”

“That doesn’t sound like a great plan.” Felicity said.

“It’s not the best long-term, but so far, it’s keeping the fighting away from everyday people. And we seem to be the only ones who have noticed what’s happening. Not sure how long this will last or what Ra’s hopes to achieve by doing this, but it is what it is.”

“Okay, but what are we supposed to do? Jump in and help the League? Do we stay out of it?” Thea asked.

“HIVE’s focus is on the League. We can, and we should, stay out of it. With the Ghosts distracted, we can focus on other things.” Oliver said. “Finding HIVE’s base, figuring out what they wanted with Ray, and so on.”

The team steered clear of the confrontations between HIVE and the League that night as much as they could. They spent the time searching the building where Ray had been held captive for clues as to what HIVE wanted with his exosuit. They searched abandoned buildings near past encounters with HIVE, to see if they were being used by the group. By the end of the night, they had some intel about experiments HIVE had been running and a list of locations to check out later.

 

The League of Assassins faced off against HIVE multiple times that night. A group of assassins would allow themselves to be spotted and wait for HIVE to arrive. The two groups would battle for a span of time before the League retreated, courtesy of some smoke bombs and repeated the action elsewhere in the city.

Allowing the League to be “found” so easily gave the Ghosts in the field the illusion of progress. It allowed them to believe they could take the League by surprise and gave them the false hope that they could somehow find and eliminate the League’s hideouts.

Ra’s true intention was two-fold. Any battle between the League and HIVE presented the opportunity to whittle down HIVE’s numbers further. A few assassins might die, but Ra’s was willing to make that sacrifice if HIVE also lost men. The second reason was more personal and vindictive. Ra’s wanted Dahrk to know that his men were outmatched. He wanted Darhk’s allies to know that they had been bested. He wanted all of HIVE to see and know and be shamed by the Ghosts’ failure to avenge their own brethren.

 

Damien Darhk was angry for a few different reasons when the Ghosts he’d sent to strike back against the League returned. None of the Ghosts units had managed to locate the League’s hideout for one thing. HIVE had gotten hit on their own territory, and he wanted to return the favor. He knew from the reports he’d been getting that HIVE only managed to kill a handful of League assassins in the skirmishes they’d had that night.

“You’d think it wouldn’t be hard for a bunch of guys with machine guns to kill people armed only with swords and bows.” He muttered to himself. “I see my “old friend” isn’t as antiquated as he once was. They must’ve upgraded their armor.”

While he had anticipated the League adapting their armor to be somewhat resistant to bullets, he hadn’t expected them to adapt the armor as much as they had. He had hoped the armor would crumble when faced with machine gun fire. Were they weaving Kevlar into the fabric of the traditional armor now? Had Ra’s found another way to stop a bullet?

“How many did we lose?” He asked when the unit commanders had all returned.

“We don’t have a final count yet, sir.” One said.

“And how many did we kill?”

“Three in total.” Another commander said.

“We don’t know how many we lost, but we know we killed three of them.” He said. “Did we lose more than three men? Are more than three of our men dead?”

“Yes, we’ve lost more than three.”

“Then, tonight was a total and complete failure.” He said. “Get out.” The Ghosts turned to leave. “Except you.” He pointed to someone in the middle of the line. “I have more questions for you.”

The one Ghost stayed. None of his compatriots looked back towards him as they filed out. The one remaining soldier stood at attention and waited for Darhk to speak.

“I tasked you to bring me Malcolm Merlyn.” He wanted a word with Malcolm, wanted to be sure that Merlyn hadn’t revealed anything to the League during his brief encounter with them.

“We haven’t been able to locate him yet, sir.” The Ghost said. “He appears to have gone to ground.”

Malcolm was in hiding. He wasn’t responding to Darhk’s other attempts to get in touch with him. To Darhk, it seemed there was a chance Merlyn had changed sides. He couldn’t allow that, he refused to even consider allowing that to happen. Merlyn would be loyal to HIVE, even if he had to force that loyalty.

“Merlyn wishes to hide? So be it.” Darhk said. “I have another task for you. One that should be impossible to screw up.”

Malcolm wanting to hide was understandable, if Darhk’s suspicions were correct. He was a fool to go into hiding without his family, however.

After getting his new orders from Darhk, the Ghost selected two of his underlings and told them of their new assignment. They drove out of the city and waited for the right moment to strike. The sun was just beginning to rise. They settled into their hiding spot, knowing they might be there for a few hours.

 

Tommy was standing in the mansion’s kitchen, making a snack for his children. It was mid-morning. He could hear the twins laughing from a few rooms away. When he’d left them, they were chasing each other around the living room. Now that they were walking, it was impossible for them to sit still.

He heard something break and the laughing stop. He and Laurel, with help from Felicity and Oliver, had toddler-proofed the mansion, so he wondered what the twins could’ve possibly knocked over. A vase maybe? A drinking glass he’d left on a table? He was sure that, whatever it was, it wasn’t important.

He was about to turn back to what he was doing when he heard Bobby start to cry, loudly. Then, he heard Becca yell “No!” just as loudly. Something was wrong. Someone must’ve gotten hurt. He dropped what he was doing and ran back into the living room, only to find it empty.

The patio door off of the living room was open and one of the panes of glass had been broken. Two men in fatigues were running away from the house. He could see Becca squirming in one of the men’s grasps.

Not thinking, Tommy rushed off after them as they ran out of the backyard and towards the front of the house. He came around the side of the house as a van he hadn’t seen before sped away.

Tommy’s keys were inside the house. He couldn’t chase down the van on foot. With every second, the van, and his children, were getting further away.

“They have my kids.” He said. “They took my kids. They-.”

He knew standing there, repeating that someone had kidnapped his children, wouldn’t help him get them back. He pulled out his phone and made a call. “The twins are gone.” He said. “He took them.”

“Who took them?” Oliver asked.

“Darhk. HIVE. Two Ghosts broke into the mansion and took Bobby and Becca while I was out of the room. I saw- I don’t- I can’t- I need to tell Laurel and-.”

“Felicity and I will be right there.” He said. “We’re going to get them back.”

Chapter 108

Summary:

Following an abduction, Team Arrow and its allies spring into action.

Chapter Text

Felicity was elbows-deep in a bunch of boring paperwork when her phone rang. It was buried under another file, so she picked it up to see that Oliver was calling just as it stopped ringing. She decided that she would finish reading the page she was reading and then call him back. The phone started ringing again, and it was Oliver. The only instances where he called her twice in a row, with no break in between, was when something serious or terrible was happening.

“What happened? What is it?” Felicity asked as she answered the call.

“You need to come to the mansion.” Oliver said. “I’ll explain when-.”

“Tell me what it is. Don’t make me wait. Please, don’t do that to me.”

“Two Ghosts broke into the mansion and took Bobby and Becca while Tommy was in another room.”

“Oh frak. I’m leaving now.” She started grabbing her things and getting ready to leave. “I’ll be there as soon as I can. Do we- is Megan still at school?”

“Yes, I- I dropped her off at school. I was heading to my campaign office, when Tommy called me.” He said. “Should I go get her? I don’t know what to do here.”

“Let’s let her stay at school. We know where she is, and explaining this to her is- I think it’s better for everyone if she stays at school today.” She hung up the phone and walked out of her office. “Gerry, I need you to cancel any meetings I have today. If anyone calls, I’m out of the office dealing with a personal matter.”

“You don’t have any meetings today. Is everything okay?”

“No. It’s not.” She stepped into the elevator to leave the building.

 

Darhk received word from his men that they had successfully kidnapped Robert and Rebecca Merlyn as soon as the van had left Queen Mansion. They didn’t tell him what, if anything, they’d had to do to Tommy Merlyn to achieve their mission, and he found that he didn’t care. The twins were on their way to HIVE and he had the leverage that he needed.

Damien dialed Malcolm Merlyn’s phone number again. In the past few days, as he had been trying to locate Malcolm, he hadn’t left messages when his calls went unanswered. He saw no point. Now that HIVE had the twins, he decided it was time to deliver his message.

“I have something of yours. Two somethings in fact.” Darhk said. “Rebecca and Robert are very cute children. It would be a shame if something happened to them. Call me as soon as you get this, and we can chat more about them, their safety and their futures.”

A few minutes later, Bobby and Becca were carried into Darhk’s office. Both children were crying as loudly as they could. After a minute, the noise was starting to give him a headache.

“Get them out of here. I don’t want to listen to their crying any longer.” He said. “Take them to a safehouse and have someone look after them.” One of the Ghosts picked up Bobby and turned to go. “Wait. I want to be very clear about something. I don’t want these two harmed in any way. I need them for something and they need to be in a healthy state in order for them to be useful. Is that clear?”

“Yes, sir.”

 

Oliver got off the phone with Felicity as he was pulling up in front of the mansion. Tommy was collapsed on the ground by the front door. He was just staring straight ahead of him. It wouldn’t surprise Oliver if he had been there since the Ghosts drove away. He turned off the car, took a moment to collect himself, and stepped out of the vehicle.

“Felicity’s on her way.” He said. “Have you called Laurel or-?”

“I called her. She was-. I also called Sara so that Laurel wouldn’t get into an accident driving here.”

“Okay. I’m gonna go look at where they broke in, and call Digg, Roy and Thea. Lance too.” He said. “Felicity put up a surveillance system, so there might be video of the Ghosts, or the vehicle, which might help us-.”

“My kids are missing, Ollie. How can you be so calm and logical and-?”

“Because Becca and Bobby don’t need their Uncle Ollie right now. They need the Green Arrow.” Compartmentalizing was the only way he could think of deal with this situation. “I’m pushing down everything I feel because I need to focus on finding them, and letting myself feel how I feel is going to distract from that.”

“I’m not capable of doing that.” Tommy said. “I watched them get taken, I-.”

“No one expects you to.” He said. “I’m gonna call the others, and I’m gonna look at where they broke in. Will you be okay out here?” Tommy nodded. “Okay.” He started to walk away.

“You don’t need to call Lance.” Tommy said after a moment. “Sara said she would.”

Oliver didn’t see any signs of a break-in on the front side of the house, so he went into the backyard. As he told Tommy, he called the others as he walked. He spotted some impression in the landscaping, footprints, and was careful not to mess them up. He found one of the sliding glass doors on the patio shattered. He guessed one of the Ghosts used the butt of his gun to shattered the glass. Tommy said the Ghosts had grabbed the twins when he was out of the room. Had they waited for Tommy to leave before acting? If they did, it meant they would’ve had to watch the mansion. There were only so many places they could do that from undetected.

Oliver scanned the yard, trying to decide where he would hide if he wanted to watch the house undetected. He then heard sirens. It sounded like several police cars were headed their way. He ran around to the front yard and saw two cop cars pull into the driveway. Sara and Laurel standing by the front door with Tommy. Laurel was audibly sobbing. Captain Lance stepped out of one of the cruisers. He said a few words to the other police officers and walked over to his daughters. One of the officers followed him. The other two stood back, giving them a moment.

“What happened?” Lance asked Tommy.

“This is all my fault. I shouldn’t hav- I only-.”

“Just tell us what happened.” Sara said.

“The twins were playing in the living room by the patio. I went into the kitchen to fix them a snack. I had been gone for a few minutes when I heard glass break. Then, Bobby started crying and Becca shouted and I realized something was wrong. When I got back to the living room, one of the glass doors was shattered, the room was empty and I saw two men in army fatigues running away from the house. I saw Becca trying to wiggle free from the guy holding her.” Tommy said. “I chase after them. I didn’t know what else to do. As I rounded around to the driveway, I saw the second man get into a black van and then it drove off. My keys were inside, so I couldn’t-.” As he spoke, the uniformed officer was writing down everything Tommy said.

“I can show you where they broke in.” Oliver said. “It’s around back.”

“You were here when it happened?” Lance asked.

“No, I wasn’t. I’m sorry.” He said. “I came home as soon as I got Tommy’s call.”

“Sykes, Hill, Mr. Queen is going to show you where the- the abduction occurred.” Lance said, addressing the officers behind him. “Tell me that no one touched anything.” It was more for appearance than anything else. He knew Oliver wouldn’t contaminate the scene, not in a situation like this.

“I didn’t touch or move anything. I just looked.” He said.

“Good. Morano, you need to call this in. I want everyone in the city looking for them.”

One cop walked back over to his cruiser. Oliver led the other two around to the back of the house and showed them where the door had been smashed in. Once they had seen the area, they told him that they could take it from here. He went back to the front of the house where Digg had joined the group, as well as more police officers.

“I don’t know why Darhk would do this.” Oliver said. “Not in the sense that I can’t believe he’d do it. I just don’t understand the reason.”

“Evil doesn’t need a reason.” Sara said. “Maybe he just wanted to.”

“I find that-.”

“Can you stop talking about my kids’ abduction like it’s just another bank robbery?” Tommy asked. “I get that both of you are trying to focus on finding them, and not let your emotions get in the way but-. If you’re gonna talk about it like that, can you do it somewhere else? They’re so little and they must be so scared. And Becca’s not gonna be able to sleep without her teddy bear. And Bobby’s-.”

“Ollie, you’re going to get them back.” Laurel said. “Tell me- I need you to tell me, I need to hear you say that you’ll get them back.”

“Laurel, we’re going to get them back. I promise that we will find Bobby and Becca and bring them home.” Oliver said.

“And kill the people responsible.” Sara said. “Dad, pretend you didn’t hear that.”

“Hear what?” Lance asked.

Felicity drove onto the property. One of the cops looked to Lance, to see if he should stop her, but Lance indicated to let her through. She parked and got out of the car.

“Sorry I’m late.” She said. “I made a stop at the bunker to get some search programs running to ID Bobby and Becca if they are spotted on any traffic cams or other surveillance feeds. I don’t know if we want to get Flash involved, but I told him to stay on standby. Has anyone looked at the security camera footage yet?”

“Not yet. We’ve been- none of us have gone into the house.”

“Are we allowed to go into the house?” She asked. “The hard drive where the footage is saved is set up in Robert Queen’s old office. I can go get it, but I don’t want to get in someone’s way.”

Felicity and an officer went into the house to take a look at the security footage. There were cameras set up all over the property, so there was a lot of footage to look through. Thankfully, Tommy knew exactly when the van drove off, so there was a short window of time they needed to look at. They were able to get a few different angles of the van on video. She made a copy of the footage to give to the police, and made a copy for herself to feed into her programs. After the officer had left the room with his copy, Felicity got a search program running to try and track the black van after it left the mansion grounds.

She walked back outside. She had done everything she could at the moment, and needed to wait for the programs to work their magic. There wasn’t anything else for her to do right now, other than go support Tommy and Laurel who were barely holding it together.

She walked outside. Sara was on the phone pacing, probably talking to Nyssa. Tommy and Laurel were both staring into space. Digg and Oliver were talking amongst themselves. Quentin was discussing something with one of the cops.

“How did you do this?” Tommy asked Felicity when he noticed her.

“What?”

“Megan’s been abducted more than once. How did you survive it? Right now, I feel like I can’t breathe. I don’t- I don’t know how to do this.”

“You didn’t see much of me between when she was taken and when we got her back. I was a complete mess.” Felicity didn’t point out the huge difference between those situations and this one. Both times Megan had been abducted, one of her parents had also been taken. Oliver had been with Megan when mercenaries abducted him to ask about the Gambit. Felicity had been with her when Isabel kidnapped them. “You’re not supposed to keep it together when something happens to your baby.”

“I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. What am I supposed to do?”

She didn’t have any answers for him.

A car that no one recognized drove onto the property and parked. After a moment, Malcolm Merlyn got out of the vehicle and started looking around. He could see people milling about, but was too far away to see who they were or what they were doing. A few people noticed him and started to move in his direction.

“Was this because of you? Did you do this?” Laurel shouted, rushing towards him.

Her anger could only mean one thing: Darhk’s voicemail was telling the truth. HIVE had taken the twins, and it appeared that he was the reason they’d done that. He had driven to the mansion to confirm if the claims were true, and it seemed that they were.

He turned around, not wanting to be the target of Laurel’s anger. His plan was to get back in the car and drive away, only for him to see Sara Lance standing next to the car, toying with something in her hand.

“I hope you weren’t planning on going anywhere.” She said. He saw that she was holding a knife. “Though, with three slashed tires, you wouldn’t get very far anyway.”

“You work fast.”

“Thank you.” She said. “Are you gonna answer Laurel’s question?”

 

Chapter 109

Summary:

Malcolm has some explaining to do, the team gets some answers and Nyssa shares the news with her father.

Chapter Text

“Was this because of you? Did you do this?” Laurel shouted, rushing towards Malcolm.

Her anger could only mean one thing: Darhk’s voicemail was telling the truth. HIVE had taken the twins, and it appeared that he was the reason they’d done that. He had driven to the mansion to confirm if the claims were true, and it seemed that they were.

He turned around, not wanting to be the target of Laurel’s anger. His plan was to get back in the car and drive away, only for him to see Sara Lance standing next to the car, toying with something in her hand.

“I hope you weren’t planning on going anywhere.” She said. He saw that she was holding a knife. “Though, with three slashed tires, you wouldn’t get very far anyway.”

“You work fast.” He looked at the tires just to confirm, and at least two of them had in fact been slashed and were starting to lose air. He couldn’t see the other side of the vehicle, but he assumed she hadn’t been lying about a third one being slashed.

“Thank you.” She said. “Are you gonna answer Laurel’s question?”

“I don’t know what-.”

“I’m talking about? You’re really bad at playing dumb. Do you wanna know why that is? Your ego. You can’t stand the idea of someone thinking, even for a second, that you might not be the smartest, the most methodical person in the room.” She said, stepping closer to him. “If you had no idea what was going on, telling me that I “work fast” wouldn’t be the first thing out of your mouth. And saying “I don’t know what you’re talking about” pretty much proves to me that you do.”

By now, Laurel had reached where Sara and Malcolm were standing. The others had also noticed his presence and were making their way over to where they stood.

“Where are they?” Laurel asked him.

“Where’s who? Your sister hasn’t- ugh.” Malcolm said, clutching his nose. Laurel had punched him in the face.

“That was a nice right hook.” Sara told her sister.

“Thanks.” She turned her attention back to Malcolm. “Don’t you dare try to lie to me. Where are my children?”

“I don’t know.” He said. “I don’t know where Robert or Rebecca are.”

“But you expected that they wouldn’t be here.” Oliver said. Aside from the SCPD officers, the rest of the group was now within earshot of where Malcolm was and had heard him say he didn’t know where the Merlyn-Lance twins were. “How did you know?”

“Damien Darhk left me a message.” He said. It was clear that no one would believe him if he tried to lie to them, so he elected to tell the truth. They would be pissed at him either way, he knew, but the truth would cause less pain to him in the current moment, and possibly long-term. “He didn’t outright say that he had taken the twins, but he implied that he had. I came here to see if he was telling the truth.”

“Why did he take them? What does he want?”

“I don’t know. He told me to call him, and I haven’t yet.”

“You’re gonna call him. Right now.” Tommy said. “You’re gonna find out what he wants. You’re gonna do whatever he tells you to do.”

“Tommy, I-.”

“No. I don’t care what he wants from you. I don’t care if it kills you. He took my children.” He said. “You were a crappy father, but I’m not. I don’t care what it takes to get Bobby and Becca back, but we’re gonna get them back.” He took a step closer to his father. “If I have to force you to call Darhk, I will. I’m tired of my family being in danger because of you.”

Malcolm doubted Tommy had the guts to force him to call Damien Darhk with a gun to his head, or some other threat. He couldn’t say the same about the others. Some of them would threaten to harm him, while others actually would. Sara looked one wrong move away from taking that knife in her hand and using it on him.

“Seeing as how you’ve giving me very little choice in this matter, it seems I can’t refuse.” He said.

“You’re right. You can’t.”

“Let’s head inside.” Felicity said. “We shouldn’t have this conversation out on the front yard.”

She turned and walked back towards the house. As the group began to move, Malcolm noticed that Sara, Digg, Oliver and Roy were staying close to him. They couldn’t stop him from trying to run off, but they were making it clear that he wouldn’t get very far if he made a break for it.

 

Nyssa took a few moments to collect herself after her phone call with Sara before she sought out her father in the hideout the League of Assassins was using. The news Sara had shared with her was troubling to say the least.

“Father, I’ve been told some rather upsetting news.” She said when she found her father observing some assassins sparring in a large, empty space. “HIVE abducted Robert and Rebecca Merlyn from Queen Mansion.”

“And their parents?” Ra’s asked.

“Their mother was at work. Their father was in the house, but a few rooms away. He tried to chase after the van HIVE used as an escape vehicle on foot, but did not get very far.”

“An admirable, if not foolish, thing to do.” He said. “Have they received any missives from HIVE? A ransom demand or something of that sort?”

“Sara indicated that they had not. Thomas Merlyn identified the men as HIVE. The police are currently at the scene of the abduction and I’ve been told Felicity Smoak is attempting to locate the van using surveillance cameras and computer programs, but they’ve had no luck yet.”

“HIVE’s foot soldiers have earned the name “Ghosts” as much as I loathe admitting it.” He said. “What of Malcolm Merlyn? What involvement does he have in this?”

“I am unsure. Sara didn’t mention him,” She said. “Do you think he is involved?”

“It’s likely that this abduction has more to do with who Robert and Rebecca’s grandfather is than who their mother or father is.” Ra’s said. “Ms. Lance is an assistant district attorney, but HIVE has no cause to currently target someone in such a role. And Thomas Merlyn is a local celebrity, but he has no power or authority that Darhk would find useful.”

“Malcolm Merlyn allied himself with Darhk. Why would Darhk target his own ally?”

“Perhaps he hopes to keep Merlyn in line. Perhaps Merlyn asked this of him, for his own reasons. Perhaps their alliance has come to an end and he seeks to punish Merlyn. I knew Damien Darhk, at one time, but if he has succumbed to madness, I cannot hope to understand his reasoning.” He said. “What did Taer Al-Safher ask of us when she contacted you?”

“Nothing. She was just informing me of what happened.” Sara hadn’t asked the League to help look for the twins, or even if Nyssa had any information about the abduction. She hadn’t even asked Nyssa to tell her father about it.

“Very well. I suppose I will have to speak to Oliver Queen myself, to find out what he wants from us, in this circumstance.” He said. “I have no doubt they would benefit from our help, but may be too overwhelmed by the situation, or too proud to ask. Or they fear what the cost of such a request might be.”

“What would the cost be?”

“More direct involvement as our war with HIVE continues. I would not demand more from them. Our alliance may be tenuous, but it is still an alliance. And, if my suspicions are correct and Malcom Merlyn is the reason the children were abducted, then we must act.”

 

Malcolm, Tommy, Laurel and the rest of the team gathered in Robert Queen’s old office for Malcolm to call Darhk back. Felicity was rigging up a device that would allow the team to hear the conversation Malcolm was going to have, without the man needing to put the call on speaker.

“All of you listening in really isn’t necessary.” Malcolm said after Felicity said she was almost done.

“Yes, it is. You’re the reason this happened.” Laurel said.

“And we don’t trust you.” Sara added. “Now, call up the maniac and find out what he wants.”

He made sure to glare at everyone in the room before he picked up his phone and called Damien Darhk. It rang once. It rang again. It occurred to Malcolm that Darhk might just let the phone ring out of spite, and he was about to mention as much when the call was picked up.

“Merlyn, I take it that you got my message.”

“I did. You certainly found a…unique way to get my attention.”

“Well, my other attempts didn’t seem to have an effect.” Darhk said. “And it seems you forgot how we became acquainted and the agreement we came to shortly after we met.”

“I haven’t forgotten either.”

“You act as if you have. Robert and Rebecca are safe, in a safe location, currently. I send you proof of such later today.” He said. “And they will stay that way, as long as you do what I want and remain loyal to me.”

“And when will they be returned to their parents?” Malcolm asked. “I haven’t heard from my son yet, but it’s only a matter of time.”

“I’ll let them go when I decide I no longer need to use them as leverage.” Darhk said. “I’ll be in touch.” He ended the call.

“Satisfied?” Malcolm asked.

“I’ll be satisfied when my kids are safe.” Tommy said. “Felicity, any luck?”

“Darhk was calling from the west side of the city.” Felicity said. She hadn’t told Malcolm, but she had set up the tech to try and trace the call, as well as listen in on it. “The call wasn’t long enough for me to narrow it down beyond that.”

“He said the twins were in a different location.” Malcolm pointed out. “Even if you know where he called from-.”

“He said a “safe location”. It could mean they’re somewhere else, it could mean they were in the next room.” Oliver said.

Malcolm stood up. “Well, I should-.”

“You’re not going anywhere until he sends that proof he was talking about.” Sara said. “He didn’t tell you to come see him, so you won’t be leaving just yet.”

 

When Oliver picked Megan up from school that day, she could sense there was something wrong as soon as she got into the car. There was something about the way he was acting that told her that things weren’t okay.

“Something happened, didn’t it?” She asked.

“Yeah. We’ll talk when we get home.”

“No, tell me now. I don’t wanna wait. I don’t like waiting for bad news.”

Oliver took a deep breath. “While you were at school today, some men broke into the mansion. They took Bobby and Becca and ran off. Uncle Tommy tried to chase after them and stop them, but they got away.”

“Bobby and Becca got kidnapped?”

“Yes.”

“Was it Nora’s dad?”

“It was people who work for Nora’s dad.” He admitted.

“Why would he do that? They’re so little. Why would he take them? That’s not- he’s not just a bad guy. He’s evil. Worse that Uncle Tommy’s dad or that guy with one eye.”

“I don’t know. I don’t know why he’d do that. I wish that I did.” He said. “Right now, we’re all trying to find them, but we don’t know where they are yet.”

“Do you think they’re scared?”

“Yeah. They’re probably really scared and want to go home.”

“I don’t like that. I don’t like that they’re scared.”

“Me neither.”

 

Chapter 110

Summary:

The team reacts in various ways to Darhk's warnings regarding the Bobby and Becca.

Chapter Text

Malcolm was getting tired of the glares being sent his way. He wasn’t the most morally upstanding person, he’d be the first to admit it. The Undertaking, his interference in Moira’s trial and his attempt to kill Sara were proof of that. Yet, he didn’t feel like he should be taking the brunt of everyone’s anger over Bobby and Becca’s kidnapping. He hadn’t orchestrated it.

“This isn’t my fault, you know.” He said when he met Thea’s eyes and saw the hatred she had for him.

“Yes, it is. Darhk took them because of you.” Tommy said. “Your alliance or whatever it is with Darhk caused this. He took them to get to you.”

“I’m not the one who left them alone and gave the Ghosts a chance to take them.”

Tommy lunged at him, and got one good hit in before Digg and Roy pulled him away. “We need him. For now.” Digg said. “After we get the twins back, you can beat him to death for all I care.”

“Please, he doesn’t have it in him.” Malcolm scoffed.

“Maybe he doesn’t, but I do.” Thea said. “You saw to that. So does Sara, and he doesn’t want to admit it, but Ollie does too.”

“I’m getting tired of being threatened.”

“And I’m more than tired of everyone I love being in jeopardy because Mom picked the wrong husband.” Tommy said. “If she’d picked anyone else, if she’d realized who you really are and married anyone else, we- she’d be so disgusted with you and everything you’ve done.”

“Her death-.”

“I’m not talking about her death. I’m talking about her life. She was a good person. She wanted to help people. It’s why I named my daughter after her. Right now, my kids, your grandkids, her grandchildren are being threatened by some maniac, because of you.” He said. “But none of that matters to you, does it? Because Malcolm Merlyn getting what he wants, and not being inconvenienced by anyone else, is the most important thing. This kidnapping is an inconvenience to you. Just like Mom’s death was just your excuse for the Undertaking.”

Malcolm opened his mouth to respond, but his phone dinged, indicating a message, before he could say anything. The message came from a blocked number and consisted of a link. The link took him to an unknown website and showed the twins sitting in what looked like a guest bedroom. Behind them, projected onto the wall, was a clock showing the time in Star City.

“Hate me all you want, but Mr. Diggle is right. You do need me.” He said before showing Tommy the phone. “This is a live feed.”

Tommy snatched the phone from his hand and ran out of the room. No doubt, he was taking it to Felicity in the hopes that she could use some trick or another to get the twins location from the video footage.

 

Felicity and Laurel had left Robert’s old study, not wanting to be around Malcolm after Darhk’s call, and moved to a sitting room. Felicity pulled up the searches she’d been running, hoping that she’d find something while Laurel sat there, staring at the wall.

Felicity let out a groan as she had finally located the van Robert and Rebecca had been abducted in. It had been parked in a lot outside of a strip mall and had been there for just over two hours. The Ghosts had abandoned it, and because of where it was parked relative to the security camera, she couldn’t see which vehicle the Ghosts moved into after parking the van.

“What? What is it? Did you find them?”

“I found the van, but it’s been parked in the same lot for a few hours. They ditched it.” She said. “I’ll track the incoming and outgoing traffic around when it got to the lot, but-.”

“You don’t think you can find them that way.”

“Not quickly.” It could take hours, or possibly days, to track every vehicle that came and went in the tome period she was talking about, and there was no way of knowing how many cars would be dead ends or unrelated people until she explored each and every one.  “I’m sorry.”

“Will you do it anyway? Just in case?”

“Of course.” She planned to get another program running, to track those vehicles. For one thing, it gave her something tangible to do. For another, there was a chance that, while it wouldn’t be a fast process, it could lead the team to the twins whereabouts. She turned back to her tablet and started typing.

“I don’t know what to do. I’ve got no idea how I’m supposed to- I can’t just go back to the office and act like everything’s fine. I’ll fall apart. But just sitting here-.”

“Go upstairs and try to take a nap.” Sara said from the doorway.

“Taking a nap won’t-.”

“It won’t help us find Bobby and Becca any faster, I know. You need to get whatever rest you can, so that when we find them, when we’ve got a chance to act, you’re not exhausted.”

Laurel stood up to head upstairs and take her sister’s advice when Tommy came rushing into the room. “Can you do something with this?” He all but threw the phone at Felicity.

“This is what Darhk sent Malcolm?” She asked, looking at it.

“Yes. Can you do something with it?”

“Definitely.” She said, taking the phone from him. She started typing something into her tablet and then handed it to Laurel. “Here.”

The attorney took the device with a confused expression. “What am I-?”

“It’s a live feed. You can see that the twins are unharmed.” She stood up, still holding Malcolm’s phone. “My set-up at the foundry is stronger than what I have here. I’m going to head over there, pull up the feed, and get my searches started.”

She started to head out of the mansion.

 

Darhk leaned back in his chair as another HIVE member ranted about the breaking news segment that had just aired. Every local channel had interrupted whatever they were broadcasting to announce the search for Robert and Rebecca Merlyn-Lance. The board member had worked out that HIVE was responsible for the kidnapping, even if the news mentioned “unknown assailants”.

“Now, the entire city is searching for those two and our ability to act undetected is-.” The board member said.

“Unchanged. Their mother is an assistant district attorney. Their grandfather is a police captain. Both have enemies and the police will be more focused on those leads.” Darhk said. “I doubt either of their parents know of our existence.” He’d bet all of HIVE’s resources that Malcolm hadn’t spoken to Tommy in months, much less told him about his alliance with Darhk.

“Didn’t you tell us that your daughter has met the twins because she’s friendly with Oliver Queen’s daughter? What if they explore this connection?”

“They won’t. As far as the police are concerned, there’d be no reason to worry about the father of Robert and Rebecca’s father’s best friend’s daughter’s friend.”

“Even so, it was perhaps short-sighted not to demand that Malcolm Merlyn not involve the police.” Another board member said.

“I doubt he did. Tommy Merlyn tried to chase after the van. It makes sense that as soon as the van got away, he’d call the cops. That’s the logical next step. If he hadn’t, then it would be odd behavior, and I’d think he was in league with his father.”

“Still, it’s going to be difficult to keep the twins hidden with the extra scrutiny.”

“We’re hiding an entire army within the city. Two toddlers will be easy.”

 

Oliver brought Megan home from school and she immediately went to her room. On the drive home, she’d asked if there was anything she could do to help her parents find Bobby and Becca, but he told her that the adults were handling it. Since she didn’t want to be in anyone’s way, she went to her room and started doing her homework.

Oliver was heading towards his father’s study, to see if there were any updates or if they’d gotten the proof Darhk had promised, when his phone rang. It was Nyssa’s burner phone, or at least the burner phone she’d used to contact the team in the past.

He stopped walking to answer the call. “Nyssa, now’s not really a very good-.”

“Sara told me what transpired earlier today. I’m aware of Robert and Rebecca’s predicament.” Nyssa said. “My father is going to contact you soon, regarding the matter.”

“We already know that HIVE took them. I can’t think of anything your father could tell me that Darhk hasn’t already told Malcolm, when he taunted him over the matter.” He said. “And, his war with HIVE doesn’t matter to me. Getting those kids back does.”

“I know. I’ll be blunt because I know you have other concerns right now. My father is going to ask for you to become more involved in our war against HIVE, in exchange for the League’s aid in finding Laurel’s children.” She said. “I’ve asked a small number of assassins, those I trust immensely, to “keep an eye out” as it were for the twins, regardless of what answer you give the Demon Head.”

“Thank you.”

“Do not thank me. War has casualties, but children should not be among them. Please let me know anything you find out, so that I can tell the people I have sent looking.”

The call ended. He took another few steps and then the phone rang again, and he answered it. “Hello?”

“I have been informed that Robert and Rebecca Merlyn-Lance were abducted this morning.” Ra’s al Ghul said. “As we are allies against Darhk, you have my aid at your disposal, should you want it.”

“Of course we want it. The more people who are looking for them, the faster we find them.” He said. “But what’s it going to cost us?”

“It’s unlikely that we will defeat Darhk when we recover the twins. It may happen, but he might keep his distance from their location. Currently, your team is operating independently of my men when we confront HIVE. In exchange for my aid, I ask that, in future skirmishes, we act in concert. At minimum, for the ones we initiate.”

“So, you help us find the twins, and we show up the next time you want to attack HIVE? You know we don’t kill, right?”

“I’m aware. Having more numbers in an altercation is typically a boon, even with your reticence to kill.” Ra’s said. “What is your answer?”

“Fine. Is that all you needed?”

“Yes. I will dispatch more men, aside from the ones Nyssa sent without consulting me, to search the city.”

With that, the call ended. Oliver walked past the sitting room where he saw Tommy, Laurel, Quentin and Sara crowded around a tablet. Laurel and Tommy were both crying while Quentin looked about to.

“What is it? What happened?” He asked, fearing the worst.

“Darhk sent Malcolm his proof that the twins are safe.” Sara said. “It’s a live feed.”

He moved closer and spotted the twins sitting in a room. Becca had clearly been crying, but they looked unharmed. “Did you show Felicity?”

“You just missed her. She went to the foundry to use her set-up there to see if she could track the location from the feed.”

“Ra’s offered the League’s help in finding the twins. I accepted it.” He said.

“What’s it going to cost?” Tommy asked. “I doubt he-.”

“It doesn’t matter. Getting the twins back safe is what matters.”

 

After Tommy ran off with his phone, Malcolm had no reason to stay at Queen Mansion. He left the grounds and headed to his hideout. Darhk wouldn’t be in contact again so soon. All he could do was wait.

As he sat in his hideout, Malcolm took a moment to reflect on what Tommy had said. Normally, his son’s jabs had no effect, but he also normally didn’t mention Rebecca when confronting his father. He had loved his late wife, even if she wouldn’t understand the things he’d done since her death, his actions because of her death. Outside of anything else, his own plots and morals, Rebecca’s grandchildren were being threatened. He couldn’t let that stand.