Ashes To Ashes
Disclaimer: Something Arlyss said on Twitter got me to thinking about this idea where Ra's Al Ghul from season 3 was behind all the troubles of seasons 5 and 6. Takes place at the end of season 6.
The word 'failure' rang through out Oliver Queen's mind as he stared at what had once been his beloved city, Star City. Which was now nothing more then ash and a few burnt remains of a few buildings after an unexpected attack on the city that no one had been prepared for. Not even him most of all. The enormity of this and the cold hard fact he was the only resident of Star City even alive now aside from perhaps his sister and Roy as they were off with Nyssa, had made the man end up on his knees. Unable to handle the weight of the whole damned thing. "I warned you, did I not, Boy?" Came a voice that shouldn't have been possible whatsoever.
"I warned you that I would come again and again until your end of days or that your city had perished. And perished it has." Continued the cold voice that sent chills down Oliver's back as that voice and its owner just shouldn't be possible.
And he hadn't even needed to move as the man he'd killed several years ago came to stand in front of him. Allowing Oliver to look up and see the cold visage of the man once known as Ra's Al Ghul. "How… How are you alive?"
Or was this perhaps the Red Death in his system preying upon his mind once more for his failure in being unable to save the city and everyone with in it. Most of all, his own son, William. Whom he'd never get to see graduate from high school, go to college, teach how to use a bow, and or even get to potentially embarrass him in front of any girlfriends. His little boy had been all he had had left by the time the threat of Diaz and his bunch had been finally stopped for good. And now that was gone, forever. Ra's stared at him for what felt like an eternity, almost as if he were judging the man. "I suppose it would not hurt to tell you before I send you to your grave, Al Sah-Him. For you see, it was thanks to my most loyalist of followers in the League, along with that of my daughter, Talia, that I am here before you on this eve." Began the man and Oliver had to close his eyes at the mention of Talia.
Whom it seemed was getting her last laugh in once and for all against him. "And so, from there, Al Sah-Him, I stayed within the shadows, planning and implementing what came about of those plans, and watched them from the shadows as they occurred. All thanks yet again to Talia, those most loyal to me, and the generous effects of a Lazarus Pit not affected by my old friend Damien Darhk's tampering."
Oliver's eyes had shot open in pure shock at what he'd been told. "You… You're behind Chase? And every other problem?"
"That is correct, Boy. Though I had nothing to do with those Aliens or those Nazis from another Earth of course. As not even I could have known of them." Not that he would have made use of those foul Nazi fools except to ensure their deaths.
For their brand of evil was not meant to live on as they stood against what he and the League stood for. "So, what now? Gonna kill me too?" Asked Oliver tiredly and hoping that if the case, that the man would just get on with it.
Ra's did nothing but nod and before Oliver knew it, a sword had found its way through his throat. Blood bubbled its way to his mouth as he tried to breathe but couldn't as he stared at the long lived man and his impassive face. The sword soon found another home in his body as it went through his heart and out through his back. "May whatever Afterlife you believe in be far more merciful to you then what this life had been for you, Al Sah-Him."
Oliver could say nothing, even as the blade was pulled out of him and with nothing to support him, he fell to the ground face first and bled out on the ground. Ra's would even recite the prayer he'd given to the boy several years before. Using the boy's shirt, Ra's wiped the blood from his blade on it and re-sheathed it and turned to look at the remnants of Star City. "I had expected better of my former student, to be honest." Declared Talia as she came up to her father's side and stared at the body of Oliver Queen with a detached look on her face.
With her was Adrian Chase and Evelyn Sharpe, who'd both been given quite the honor of being restored to life through a pure Lazarus Pit. "Shows he's nothing more then a weak man." Sneered Evelyn as Adrian chuckled.
"Perhaps he is and perhaps he isn't. But regardless, we shall take our leave from this place."
The trio nodded at Ra's' words and together, the group made their leave as Emergency Services began to arrive on the scene with out a single clue to their presence having even been there moments before.
Author's Notes: And that as they say, is that. And no, I have no intentions of doing a follow up of any kind as this is meant to be a one-shot only.
