A/N: Disclaimer: The following is a work of fan fiction and IDOM.
Chapter One
Central city. Home to nearly four million people. A broken man sat alone at the end of the bar, nursing his drink. His disheveled appearance enough to keep the other patrons far enough away. Despite all the money from his inheritance, Oliver Queen claimed the alley in back of this local watering hole as his home. If anything, it made the trip to his new so called office that much easier.
His family was gone, his best friend and so many others, Felicity... were just...gone. Slade had seen to that, proving to be a man of his word. Whiskey dulled the pain but it was never...enough. Memories never left and he didn't want them to. They were all he had left, so he let them take him.
He was hanging off a cliff gripping the rope with both hands. Where am I? Is this Lian Yu? Grunting he struggled to reach the top. At the cliff's edge, Slade stepped on the rope causing it to wobble.
"You cannot die until you have known complete despair. And you will, I promise. Five years ago, I made you a promise. I'm here to fulfill it. There is still one person who has to die before this can end. Have a nice flight, Mr. Queen." Slade's knife cut thorough the rope. Oliver fell, grasping violently at empty air as the world spun out of focus.
An archway loomed overhead the spacious foyer. He saw Felicity standing in the entryway. So close, yet so far away.
"Oliver, what are we doing here? The whole city's falling apart!"
He felt himself speak, powerless in his own body. "I know, you need to stay here where it's safe."
"What?! You can't just ask me to sit and do nothing with all that's happening! You need me. I'm not a damsel in distress Oliver."
He sighed. "I'm not asking. I need you to be safe." But you weren't. No one was.
She stared at him, lips parted. "I will come and get you when this is all over." And you would have, my love, if not for my failure.
"No, Felicity, no! Not unless you tell me why."
"Because I need you to be safe." She responded, mind made up.
"Well, I don't want to be safe. I want to be with you. And the others, unsafe! I can't let that happen."
"Oliver, you're not making any sense."
"Slade took Laurel because he wants to kill the woman I love."
"I know, so?"
"So he took the wrong woman."
"Oh I love you."
"Do you understand?"
"Yes."
The world was spinning out of control again. Tiles from the floor rose and spun around him in a circle. Felicity, and everything else around him disappeared to be replaced by darkness. Lightning bolts struck, lighting up the tiles, and he found himself caught in the eye of the storm.
Suddenly he felt his voice change to one not his own. "Do you understand?" He felt himself say and looked on, horrified. He was in Slade's body. "I have the one you love. You're going to meet me where I say. Otherwise, I'm going to kill her.
"No, you do what you have to. I'm done playing your games!" The other Oliver shouted.
"You're done when I say you're done! I was surprised. I thought you had a thing for stronger women, but now that I've met her I can see the appeal. She is quite lovely your Felicity."
The storm was stopping. When the dust settled, he found himself back in his own body, forced to watch the most unbearable moment of his life play itself out.
Slade was holding the sharpened side of the katana to Felicity's neck. The slightest pressure fatal. "Twitch, and I will open your throat." Slade paused, sizing his opponent up. "My first words to you. Do you remember? I do. I remember that exact moment. My blade against your neck. Just like my blade is against the neck of your beloved. If only I'd killed you then, everything would be different. Drop the bow little brother. Do it."
Felicity gasped. Oliver's bow clattered to floor, the sound echoing in abandoned hangar.
Slade smiled, a twisted grin covering his face. "Countless nights dreaming of taking from you all that you took from me."
"By killing the woman I love?"
"Yes."
"Shado would be horrified by what you've done in her name."
"What I have done? What I have done is what you lack the courage to do! To fight for her! So when her body lies at your feet, her blood wet against your skin, then you will know how I feel! To feel nothing!
"I already know how you feel. I know what it's like to hate. To want revenge."
Slade grit his teeth, giving his words a steely edge. "You think you know me brother? Now I can be sure."
"Slade no!" He shouted, powerless as the cold steel bit into Felicity's throat.
Oliver fell to his knees, frozen. Slade began circling him. "Do you understand now brother? Yes, seeing her lifeless corpse, her blood sprayed against my skin, I think you understand. You can't kill me now. There is no point."
Oliver rose to his feet, a myriad of emotions washing over his face. "But there is, vengeance will be mine."
Slade laughed and threw a katana at Oliver's feet. "You can try brother, but we both know the Mirakuru makes me stronger."
"No Slade, it makes you weak." Oliver spat, picking up the katana and launching himself at Slade, who parried.
"You amuse me, brother. Maybe I'll be merciful enough to let you live and see your city burn!" They exchanged a series of blows, grunting from the effort. "We both know there's only one way that this can end. To beat me, brother, you're going to have to kill me. But in the moment of my death, you'll prove one thing, that you are a murderer."
Seeing an opening, Oliver rolled to his left and stabbed upward, his rage giving him focus. The blow sliced through Slade's hand causing the murderer to drop his blade. Oliver landed a vicious kick to Slade's ribs sending the man crashing into a support beam.
"Why did you take her from me?" Oliver screamed, pummeling Slade's face until his own knuckles were bloodied.
"What are you going to do, brother?" Slade taunted, spitting out a tooth. "Stick me with the cure? Kill me? It doesn't matter. I've kept my promise! I've taken away everything and everyone you love! Sara was only the first! She was only the first! Your sister, Laurel, your mother, Felicity! You can kill me or not little brother. Either way, I win."
"No," said Oliver, hate coloring his words,"You die." And plunged the blade that took from him his beloved into a heart as cold as his own.
The madness that danced in Slade's eyes faded along with his life. Soon he was no more. The shroud of darkness had been lifted. Sorrow filled him in waves but no tears came. Feeling like a ghost, he pressed a button on his suit and spoke. Hollow. "Amanda, it's over. Slade's dead, his army's been taken out. Call back the drones."
Not bothering to wait for a reply, he ripped at the green kevlar, shedding the suit. Unable to come to grips with reality, he never looked back. Tempered by grief, rage becomes sorrow. He was broken.
One thing he knew, he was never going back to Starling.
Reality came crashing down. A reminder that the good memories were becoming few and far between.
"We have a problem, a problem I can't tackle on my own. I need you to help me infiltrate Star Labs before it's too late. Doctor Wells captured Iris and I need to get her back. Whatever he's planning, we have to stop him!" Barry said, jostling Oliver from his thoughts.
"Speaking of having a problem, my drink doesn't fill itself." Oliver shot back, sarcasm hanging in the air. He raised an eyebrow seeing a blur behind an oblivious bartender's back. "I didn't mean literally, but thanks. Top shelf?"
"As if you had to ask my friend."
"Friend huh? Have you taken a good look at me? I stood by and did nothing when this city went to hell five years ago. Maybe together we could have stopped Doctor Wells but there are no what ifs. I don't have that luxury. It was Starling all over again."
Barry sighed, shoulders slumped. "Wells' betrayal, discovering he was behind my mother's murder, the drone army, I couldn't have known. We couldn't have known, dammit! He played us all for fools. Through it all, I never once blamed anyone but myself. You are a good man Oliver. Even though somewhere down the line you forgot, I know there is still goodness in you. And where there is goodness, there is hope."
Oliver groaned. "All I ever did was try Barry. I'm not that man. Not anymore." He said throwing back the rest of his drink.
"So you're not perfect," Barry said flinging his hands wide. "I get that, believe me. Though you could be, that man, I mean. Help me save Iris. Find your redemption."
"Fine, but I'm doing it for her, for Iris. Vigilante nonsense was never her cup of tea."
Barry pulled a bow from his pack and set it on the bar top. "In that case, you'll be needing this."
Oliver's hand closed around the heart of the bow gripping tightly. "It'll do."
Barry peered back and forth between Oliver and the bow. "Now that you two are acquainted we'll take my helicopter. It's parked on the roof."
"So that's what that noise was earlier."
"Thank you captain obvious." Barry said with an eye-roll, bolting for the door.
"Shut it zippy."
"Zippy?"
"It suits you."
"Well I think it suits you far better."
"No it doesn't."
"Right, let's get a move on then, shall we?"
"Couldn't agree more."
Moments later they were hauling themselves into the helicopter. Its blades thrummed to life kicking up the surrounding debris. "There's no turning back now!" Barry shouted over the noise.
Oliver clicked the safety harness into place and nodded. "Punch it."
The aircraft lifted up and veered off to Star Labs. The massive tower loomed on the city outskirts. They were nearly there. "Set her down on the east entrance. It's our best chance, thermal imaging shows two guards on that entrance. Unless you have another plan?" Oliver said over comms.
Three fighter jets moved to intercept. "Hold on, we're about to have company. Even with my reflexes we won't last much longer against these fighters!" Barry said taking the helicopter into a dive avoiding a stream of bullets.
Oliver's stomach lurched to his throat. "Great. So much for the element of surprise." Several bullets connected with the tail rotor causing it to explode. Oliver swore under his breath. "We're hit!"
Barry cursed. "I've lost control!" The helicopter spiraled downward picking up speed. "We have to jump!" The side panel slid open, ground fast approaching. Barry grabbed two parachute packs from the weapons rack, slipped on one and tossed the other to Oliver.
Oliver held onto door handle, wind whipping through his hair. "Dammit! On my count. Three, two, one, go!"
Above them the helicopter burst into a fiery death trap, sparks lighting the night sky. During their descent, Oliver sent an arrow into each guard. Their feet touched down on the polished landing pad's surface.
The hangar doors opened inward and Doctor Wells strode out to greet them. Before they could react, a force-field barrier sprung to life forming a circle around them. It was a trap.
"Barry Allen, I've been expecting you," he paused, positioning his gaze to settle on Oliver. "Although I must say I'm surprised he managed to drag you along on this fool's errand Mr. Queen."
Barry lunged at Wells, fury in his eyes. "You will let her go!" The instant his shoulder touched the barrier he was blown back several meters.
Wells chuckled. "Why would I ever do that? You see, with her under my control, you will do exactly as I say. Or else."
Barry lunged again at the barrier with the same result. "You monster!"
More guards filed out of the entrance armed with freeze guns. They were surrounded with no escape in sight. Wells grinned, "So predictable. I hope you enjoy your stay in the detention block. I would accompany you but other more pressing matters require my attention."
"What sort of matters?" Oliver asked.
Wells shook his head. "Oh no, prisoners don't get to ask any questions. Guards! Take them away."
The barrier dissipated and the guard in charge spoke "One false move and I blow your heads off. Got it? Good, now come with us."
Neither protested as they were both prodded and shoved unnecessarily down to the detention block. Once inside their cell, a barrier identical to the one on the landing bay closed the cell entrance.
Oliver looked at Barry and said, "Now what?"
Barry glared.