Author's note: So, this is my first multi-chapter Arrow story. While I have seen fiction works with a similar story line, I hope that it's different enough to appeal to fans. Constructive criticism is more than welcome - I like to know where I can improve my skills, so leave a review and let me know how I'm going.

Disclaimer: I do not own Arrow. This is just the writing equivalent to doodling and I promise to return all characters relatively unscathed.

Warnings: This is a somewhat violent story. If detailed descriptions of injuries and pain squeak you, this is your heads up. I will include some humor and fluff to balance the darkness but for the most part, the team will be in dangerous situations throughout the majority of the story.

Summary: Set early season 3 - Team Arrow find themselves alone on the shores of Lian Yu with limited supplies and no memory of how they got there. Worse still, the A.R.G.U.S super max prison has been demolished and the local wildlife seems to be affected by a new strain of the Mirikuru drug. With no means of communication and a team member constantly getting into trouble, how can they possibly escape with their lives?

PURGATORY

Chapter One

As Oliver regained consciousness, blinking dazedly at the bright sunlight that invaded his vision, it only took him a few moments to realise something was very wrong. Senses on high alert, he shot upright instantly, his stormy gaze sweeping the immediate area. Dirty sand stuck to his sweat-soaked shirt and his brow furrowed as he listened to the sound of waves breaking on the shore.

No. No, no, no, no, no.

Jumping to his feet, loose sand scattered from his short hair as he whipped his head around, turning on the spot, trying and failing to convince himself that what he was seeing couldn't possibly be real. He recognised the distant shoreline almost immediately, a rugged cliff face plunging into the angry surf below and dense jungle in every direction - he was back on Lian Yu.

Of all the hell's he had been subject to over the course of five years, the memories he had of of this place were the worst. He relived the torture that was inflicted upon him here almost every night - but it wasn't just the physical pain that made his time in purgatory unforgettable, whenever he thought of the island, he thought of his father, of Shado and Slade and Sara - all of whom where lost to him forever.

He clenched his fists at his sides and stomped down the beach, bare feet digging into the hot sand. As furious as he was about being back on this God forsaken island, he was more angry at the fact that for the life of him, he couldn't remember how the hell he got here. He stared out at the ocean, losing himself for several moments; delving into his memories for anything that would explain his presence here when something...not quite right, caught his attention. Just on this edge of his hearing, over the sound of the crashing waves. His name.

He turned on the spot, every line of his body taut as he went into defence mode. It couldn't be possible, and yet - approaching him at a jog across the beach, carrying a dark green pack over one shoulder, was John Diggle. As he drew nearer, Oliver could see the sweat beaded across his brow from the intense heat of the midday sun and he swore angrily, kicking the sand at his feet.

'What the hell, Diggle?' He growled as his best friend dropped the bag at his feet and bent over, resting his palms on his knees.

Panting, Diggle shook his head. 'You tell me, man. I woke up feeling like I drunk my weight in vodka with no idea how I got here. No wallet, no phone - just the pack.'

Oliver swore again and headed back up the slight incline, to where he regained consciousness and found an identical pack, resting against a nearby tree. He tugged it open violently and began to rifle through the contents, when a horrible thought occurred to him, causing his stomach to drop.

The bag slipped from his grasp, spilling its contents as he turned to John, his sudden alarm causing the other man to frown. They met each others gaze; and as though they shared a psychic link, uttered the same name simultaneously.

'Felicity.'

Diggle shrugged his pack off and dumped it next to Oliver's, hands shaking at thought of their IT girl being stuck on this island with the pair of them. They both had the experience and the training for survival - but Felicity had only stepped onto Lian Yu twice, with a guaranteed escape both times.

Oliver cupped his hands over his mouth, took a breath and called her name - the volume of his voice startling birds in a nearby tree. As the flapping of their escape faded into the distance, they listened for a response...and heard nothing.

'Shit.' Diggle muttered, scrubbing a hand over his face. 'You take the right and I'll go back to where I woke up and see if she's anywhere nearby.'

Oliver nodded sharply and took off at a jog down the beach, glancing over his shoulder briefly to see Diggle do the same. Of all the places in the fucking world to dump them - it had to be here. The panic that clenched at his heart at the thought of his girl Wednesday being lost or hurt somewhere on the island urged him on, his eyes scanning the sand for any sign of the blonde. He crested the next dune and stopped short, heart pounding.

'DIG!' He yelled, leaning back as he half ran, half slid down the steep drop off. Wearing a pair of shorts and a sleeveless tank top, Felicity lay sprawled in the sand - her normally pale skin painfully red and shiny with sweat. Crashing to his knees by her prone form, he quickly assessed her for any injuries and pressed his fingers against her throat, relieved to find a pulse - even if it was too rapid for his liking. She had been out here too long; most of the exposed skin was burnt, the blistering across the top of her shoulders and the bridge of her nose being the worst, but Oliver was more concerned about the intense heat radiating beneath his hovering hand. He was about to call for Diggle again, when he appeared suddenly, dropping down next to them and resting a palm against her damp brow.

'She's too hot, man. We need to cool her off, now.'

Giving him a sharp nod, Oliver lifted her easily and cradled her against him as he raced into the surf. Once he was waist deep, he carefully lowered her into the cool water - cupping the back of her head gently so it didn't submerge completely.

'Felicity?' He called gently, brushing a wet hand across her flushed and blistered cheeks. A low moan parted her cracked lips and her lids fluttered slowly, revealing slivers of sky blue.

' 'liver?' She slurred, squinting against the bright sunlight.

'Yeah, it's me. How do you feel?' He asked softly, not even trying to hide his concern as Diggle approached them, clutching a bottle of water that he had pulled from one of the packs. He uncapped it and Oliver lifted her slightly so she could take a couple of mouthfuls.

'Terrible,' she replied with a groan as she clutched her stomach and screwed her eyes up in pain.

'Abdominal cramps,' Diggle supplied with a sigh. 'Probably a nasty bout of heat exhaustion - not to mention sun sickness. We need to get her somewhere cool and shady. Any ideas?'

Oliver nodded, bringing Felicity out of the water and close to his chest. The fuselage was in a dense region of the jungle, covered by a thick canopy that would keep the heat out of the air - but first, he needed to get his bearings so he didn't get them lost. He ran his eyes up and down the beach as they trekked back up the dunes and handed Felicity over to Diggle for a moment so he could shoulder the pack that was close to where he had found her.

'We can enter the forest where I woke up - it's about an hour and half walk inland, but it's fairly easy terrain,' Oliver explained, taking the blonde woman back and adjusting her in his arms so she would be more comfortable. Semi-conscious and not completely lucid, she moaned and tilted her head away from Oliver, throwing up weakly into the sand.

He winced and pressed his lips to the crown of her head as she closed her eyes against the brightness of the sun.

''m so tired...' she murmured sleepily as they backtracked across the sand as quickly as the extra weight allowed and pausing only for a moment so Diggle could collect the remaining bags, they begin their journey inland.

Oliver took point, his gaze always shifting - from the path in front to the dense canopy above and every once in a while, to Felicity. She was barely hanging on to consciousness, but every time his eyes met hers, she gave him a small smile as reassurance - that she was still with him, that this wasn't his fault. Every smile she gave him always said something.

'Rest, Felicity.' He said eventually and she felt the heaviness and concern in his voice through his chest. Lifting the arm slung across her belly, she brushed her long fingers against the stubble on his cheeks. A gentle reminder, that despite everything, she loved him and she would never stop. The simple touch made his breath hitch and a sudden wave of emotion engulfed him. The three of them were put here, against their will and now his girl was sick and confused and he wanted to fucking kill someone.

He must have made one of his angry noises, as Felicity so liked to call them - because her hand was moving to grip his shoulder, calming his fire in a way only she could. 'I don't...even know what's going on...' she said softly, her lids dropping as the darkness of sleep blanketed her mind. 'Whatever it is...we'll figure it out.'

Resting his brow against hers as she passed out, Oliver sighed. She always made him feel like a better man than he thought he was. Felicity has so much faith in him and his crusade that it flipped his heart in a way no woman ever had.

'How she doing, Queen?' Diggle asked, catching them up and taking a small sip of water.

'She just passed out, but I think she'll be okay,' Oliver replied. 'Only a couple more miles to go.'

→ → → ARROW← ← ←

When Felicity woke, it felt like every inch of her was engulfed in flame. She whimpered and opening her eyes, she saw Diggle's concerned face hovering above her.

'Hey girl, how you doing?' He asked softly, tucking an errant curl of windswept blonde behind her ear.

'Too hot...burning.' She gasped, her tears stinging her blistered face.

He gave her a sad smile and gripped her hand. 'That's what happens when you go sunbathing without protection. Hang in there, Oliver will be back soon with something that should help.'

She nodded distractedly, taking in her surroundings with increasing panic. Even in the dim light and without her glasses, she knew where they were. She had only been here once, but the battered interior of the fuselage told her everything she needed to know. They were on the island; Oliver's personal hell for god only knows how long.

Losing herself to panic, it took her a while to notice that Diggle's soft brown eyes had been replaced with Oliver's stormy gray, and distant words telling her...

'Breathe, Felicity. Come on,' he urged, cupping her face gently as she gasped for oxygen. He had only just returned with and armful of aloe vera to see John attempt to pull Felicity out of the throes of a panic attack. He had dropped the plants immediately and rushed to her side, speaking gently as Diggle moved to accommodate him.

'Fel-ic-ity. Look at me,' He said firmly, though not unkindly. He gripped her wrists, rubbing the pads of his thumbs against her pulse and took a slow, deep breath. 'Breathe with me.'

Pressing one of her hands against his heart, he continued the exaggerated breaths as a pattern for her to follow until she slowly calmed.

'Why are we here?' Felicity asked roughly, her throat dry from thirst. 'I can't remember anything!'

'We can't either...we all woke up here with a pack each and no memory of how and why...' Oliver admitted, shuffling over to where he dropped the plants.

'So we're stuck on an Island in the middle of nowhere, that is both the home and prison for a very large and very strong psychopath?' Felicity asked shrilly.

Oliver returned to her side, cracking the thick leaves until its white sap began to ooze from the splits.

'That just about sums it up,' he admitted with a weak smile as he squeezed the aloe over the worst of Felicity's burns. 'Don't worry, Dig and I will keep you safe.'

She rolled her eyes and sat up, ignoring the way the interior of the plane spun around her. It was clear to her that neither men had really considered who had put them there. They were busy on the how and why.

'I really am the brains of this operation...not that I was implying you guys were stupid or anything, I mean you're obviously intelligent men...oh my god...focus Felicity!' She took a breath and counted to three, ignoring the smirk on Oliver's face. 'What I'm trying to say is, how many people know where this island is exactly? It's not like its a trade route or anything - we're in the middle of the North China Sea. So the question isn't how and why we got here, though I would really like to know that...it's who the hell put us here...'

Oliver met Felicity's gaze, eyes widening at her unspoken implication. She was right, this couldn't be revenge - because the name of the island wasn't released to the press when he returned to Starling. Slade was already here, rotting in a maximum security cell...that left one probable answer.

'A.R.G.U.S.' Diggle growled, burying his face in his hands. 'Of course it's them! They needed something and we refused, so they pulled a drug and dump. That's why we can't remember anything - their tranq of choice? Pentobarbital. It causes memory problems and explains why we all felt like we went on a bender last night. Dammit, those bastards!'

Throughout Diggles rant, Felicity eyed Oliver with concern. The lines of his shoulders were tense with anger, his eyes cold with the realisation that they were put here against their will by a government agency. Why was starting to look like a good question now.

'Oliver?' Felicity called gently, reaching out to him and taking his hand. 'We'll figure this out. All we have to do is-'

She trailed off, her eyes squeezing shut as she listed sideways.

'Felicity? Shit - come on, stay with me,' Oliver begged, catching her mid slump and laying her back.

'She's probably feeling a helluva lot worse then we did. They left her out in direct sunlight for god knows how long...she's just fainted - trying to do too much at once. Let her rest, I guarantee she'll be fine in a couple of days.' Diggle assured him with a hand on his shoulder.

Oliver was half paying attention as he continued to treat her burns, anger and concern his dominant emotions. He didn't care why they had been left here. All he knew, was that when they got back to Starling City, and they would, Amanda Waller was going to wish she had never pulled him off the island in the first place.

Well, there's chapter one! I hope you all enjoyed it and stay tuned for more fun times :D