The following story is my take on what I think the next episode of CW's Arrow should or could be.
I have done all I can to not let spoilers and speculation influence my writing.
I named the episode the same as the actual title.
It is my first attempt at fanfiction in nearly 10 years.
It is not perfect (Especially the grammer and writing style.)
It is meant for you to read and visualize in a way that it flows like a television show but without the boring writing styles of a script.
I describe some things, but expect you, the reader, to fill in the rest.
It is truly theater of the mind.
Finally, this is a birthday gift to my own sister.
A pro fanfiction writer.
To her I say: MAYDAY!
And enjoy:

Arrow: Left Behind

Right now, there is a man laying crushed and broken on the edge of a cliff.

All around him lays a desolate world of darkness and cold. Bitter cold, and swirling snow. He feels nothing, he knows nothing. Well, no, he knows one thing: bitter, crushing, endless darkness.
Moments ago...
You can see him now, lifelessly falling inch by bloody inch to his final resting place.
The crash of his lifeless body disrupts the peaceful and pure snow that was destined to lie untouched by sinful man for eternity, until this moment where it was stained with the blood of an innocent man.
Put to death defending his own flesh and blood.
CRASH.
He lands.
NOW.
Oliver Queen, breathes his last breath.
In the distace, we can see another soul. This one alive, bright, healthy.
The snow and dark blocks out any ability to recognize this person. Yet, we see it is a person.
This person is struggling to stand in this bitter wind and cold. Yet, he, or even she, has locked on to their target: the lifeless body of the innocent man.
The man, seemingly left behind by justice. Is he alive? That is the concern of this person trying with all their might to reach him.
This person is dressed head to toe in thick black material. We see this person is wearing a hood, and some kind of necklace or amulet. It flickers a faint green.
Not too far now! The wind whips this figure's clothes and we see boots. Black as darkest night.
Just a little bit further, yet they feel the urgency in every passing second. The individual under the dark hood has a fleeting wish, an urgent desire to have the speed of light so he or she can get to the fallen man in a flash, or blink of an eye. Yet, the wind, cold, snow, pushes back.
Every step like the journey of a thousand miles... But... Finally... The person makes it.
Bending over, he or she removes a glove off their left hand and places their bare, white, palm over the fallen man's neck, seeking a pulse.
Suddenly, this person wraps their hands around the object hanging from their neck. It is a vial of some kind, shimmering (slightly) green in color.
The person in black unscrews the top with one hand while brushing the fast accumlating snow off the chest of the fallen man, and pours the shimering liquid (is it liquid? Who can tell?) onto the crimson wound that would end his life.
Then, this person in black quickly, in one smooth motion, gets their hands beneath Oliver's body and flips him over thier back.
It was hard enough pushing against the wind to get to the fallen man, let alone now carry him into the dark. Where will they go? Only One knows.
Now begins the one step at a time journey to... well, time will tell.

-ARROW-

Location: Starling City.
Just before sundown.
It is an unseasonably warm day at the close of the year.
Laurel Lance finds herself once again at the SCPD headquarters. She is visiting her father, Quintin.
She wants to talk to him about something.
Something devestating. Yet she can't. Why? He isn't well. He is too fragile, she thinks. Yet... Yet every day she doesn't tell him is another missed opportunity. And that isn't fair.
Actually, she just wanted to pay him a visit and say hi.
That sick feeling fills her again, the one that keeps her awake at night.
He sees her, and she immediately places an empty smile on her face. He hasn't ever questioned that smile, thankfully.
He returns a smile, and asks, "any idea what a 'Yellow Blur' is?"
This catches her mind off guard and she flinches.
Quintin laughs, "Don't worry about it, it's my problem. Are you okay?"
"Um, yeah. I was in the area and thought I'd see how you are? Are you busy?"
"Yes. But for you, I can change that."
She feels some relief that once again, she doesn't have to tell him.
"Let's do dinner?"
"Sure, but tomorrow? I'm not kidding when I say that our department is litterally on the lookout for a Yellow Blur..."
"Well, I don't know what that is, but yes, tomorrow... Dad? I just wanted to say... I'm thinking of you."
He hugs her, says, "Thanks. I'll see you tomorrow?"
She nods, he moves on.
Then the guilt hits again...
Why do I do this to myself? She wonders.
She takes the fastest route out of the building she knows of: the same one she remembers from as far back as a little girl.
The back door.
The one that should have an alarm if you open it but it kinda doesn't because it is super old.
It is the same one that leads to the back ally.
The same one that can lead to trouble.
Like it always does.
Like it does tonight.
Like it does right now.
The chill in the air turns her breath to white.
Suddenly, Laurel doesn't feel alone.
All around her, figures appear.
One. Two. Three? No, four AND five.
Stay calm, she thinks as she sets her back foot and plants her front...
The figure in front of her holds its hand up, signally to the others to stand down.
Then the same hand grabs the hood to reveal the familiar face of Nyssa Raatko. Or, Nyssa al Ghul... or Laurel's sister's beloved.
Laurel: "Are you trying to scare me to death? What is this about?"
Nyssa is holding something, a few somethings. She motions to the person to her left, and he pulls down his hood. It is Maseo, now known as Sarab.
Sarab says: "We come with news reguarding Ta-er al-Sahfer."
Laurel: "What news?"
Laurel knows that it is regaurding her sister's murderer. But how could this happen behind her back?
"What about Sara?"
Nyssa: "Her murderer was delivered to us and he was brought to justice. By my father. It is custom that we return the belongings of those who are brought to justice to the ones who loved them."
Laurel wonders how she would be involved in this. How is it she would be any help to the League in this situation?
Nyssa sees this, says, "You don't know?"
Laurel: "Know what?"
Maseo, now known as Sarab, says, "Oliver Queen is dead."
Laurel steps back, "Nyssa? What is this?"
"Oliver murdered your sister."
"No! Of course he didn't!"
Nyssa cuts her off, "He confessed to my father. I am sorry. He asked for 'Trial by Combat'. He lost. The League no longer will have any dealings with Starling City. Please, take these belongings of Mr. Queen's and lay them to rest..."
Nyssa hands the bundle to Laurel then turns, as if to hide her emotions.
Laurel is overwhelmed and takes the bundle, in her hands it weighs so much more than it really does.
"I... No... Please..." Laurel says, tears filling her eyes.
The figures around her raise their hoods and begin their retreat.
Laurel looks down at what is in her hands and can't bear the news, she falls to her knees sobbing.
*2*
Felicity Smoak nervously scans news articles, not even sure what she is looking for. Maybe just a distraction.
Star Labs attacked.
"Anything?"
Roy Harper. More nuisence than friend right now.
"No!"
"Sorry..."
John Diggle enters the scene, more a voice of reason than anything.
"Let's not assume no news is bad news, okay? It"
"I know, it's just... hard... not knowing."
Diggle is trying to be the one that is composed here. Trying, yet seeing the faces of those around him.
Faces that cry of defeat. Fear. Dread.
"Listen," he says, firm, "we need to trust Oliver, and trust that he..."
He trails off because someone unexpected enters the stairway of the headquarters of Team Arrow.
It is Laurel Lance.
Not so unexpected except the look on her face.
And the objects in her hand.
Felicity sees it first and connect the dots.
They are Oliver's clothes, and bag... The one's he had with him when he told her he...
"No... No... please..."
Diggle and Roy are spared the truth for a few more moments, yet are shaken by the sight of Flecity break down.
Laurel can't hold back any longer, tears stream down her face, yet maybe for another reason.
"One of you better explain to me why Oliver is dead! And why he has died as my sister's murderer?"
Roy grabs Felicity, who cannot now hold her own weight.
Diggle heads toward Laurel.
Laurel drops Oliver's belongings.
"Laurel... Don't believe it for a second," he starts.
Laurel looks into his eyes and says, "I don't. I know he loved her and would never harm her. I deserve... No, my family! Deserves! To know the truth."
Roy has now taken Felicity out of the room, it is just Diggle and Laurel.
Diggle takes her hand and says, "Yes, you do deserve the truth. Oliver turned himself in, as the murderer of your sister. But it wasn't true. It was to protect someone else. Someone he loved..."
"John, Oliver is dead. Who would he die to protect?"
Diggle is caught off guard. Not by the question, but by the fact that Oliver is dead.
"John?"
Diggle refocuses his thought: "Oliver didn't kill your sister. It was Thea."
Silence.
Laurel: "She... no she. She couldn't-"
"Laurel, listen to me: Oliver learned that Thea was drugged by Malcolm Merlyn. It's a special drug."
Laurel is beginning to lose focus due to anger.
"It is true. Oliver saw the evidence. Merlyn owed a blood debt to Ra's al Ghul. If you give me more time I can explain this to you better-"
"No!"
"Laurel! Listen!" Diggle takes her hand, "Merlyn knew that if he used Thea to blackmail Oliver, Oliver would do whatever it takes to protect his sister. Even as far as taking the blame for your sister's death."
She rips her hand forcefully from his.
"You're telling me," she says, "that you knew who was truly responsible for my sister's death, and let Oliver go and die in his place?"
"It's not that simple."
"Yes it is! Why would you let him do this? There had to be another way."
"There wasn't."
Laurel couldn't, at that moment, contain herself anymore, and she became something else. She shoves Diggle and he crashes hard into a side table. He yells in agony as she pushes forcibly by him and toward the exit.
She says, "don't get in my way."
*3*
The snow is almost too much, piling on in great drifts along the cliffside.
You see two figures, one carrying the other. Step after step...
The carrier stumbles and falls, dropping the lifeless body to the ground. The person in black groans, a deep groan that reveals itself to belong to a man.
He get's up, keeping his hood tight to keep the snow off his face as he picks Oliver back up and over the shoulder.
*4*
Diggle limps back into the main room, holding his side a bit, trying to catch his breath.
Roy is coming down the stairs, head hanging low. Tired.
"Felicity okay?" Diggle asks.
Roy looks up, rubs the back of his neck.
"No, but she will be. She's resting in the lounge. Can you take her home?"
"Sure. But what about you?"
"I'm going to tell Thea."
"Tell her what?" Diggle begins to frown.
"She needs to know her brother died, Dig. It's not right to keep her in the dark."
"And what are you going to tell her? That he died in a motorcyle accident? He fell off a cliff? He blew up in buidling? She's going to want all the details and not to mention closure."
"I plan on telling her the truth."
"You're going to tell her that she murdered someone while drugged-"
"No, not yet. I'm going to tell her that... That..."
"Oliver wouldn't want her to know like that."
"Fine. But she needs to know he is gone."
Diggle looks away, he knows he is right. They part without further words.

-Break-

Thea Queen is in her apartment, it is night.
She is delicately removing the breakable ornaments off the Christmas tree and into their crates.
She pauses over the matching snowman ornaments, one that says THEA the other that says OLIVER. She smiles, and just as she removes them from their stems there is a knock on the door.
She peeks through the peephole in the door.
When she sees who it is, she sighs.
She swings the door open and it is Roy.
"I have no idea why you're here right now. Unless you're looking for my brother-"
She notices the look on his face and that he isn't there to joke around.
"Can I come in? It's important."
"Um. Okay. What is it?"
As he walks in, he motions for the couch and says, "You need to sit down."
"Now you're kind of freaking me out," she replies. In the background through the tall windows out side, niether of them notice a black silky strand, almost like a drape, fall gracefully and flow in the wind.
Roy touches Thea's shoulder, tries to look her in the eye.
"It's about your brother," Roy says.
Suddenly behind them, in one liquid and graceful swoop a dark figure glides down on the drape.
An arm extends and places a small round device onto the window.
Roy quickly puts his body in front of Thea, anticipating an explosion.
What happens next, almost makes him wish it was.
An unspeakably loud, piercing, blinding squeel so high, all the windows in Thea's apartment shatter.
Roy, disorientated by the sound, falls to his knees next to Thea, who also is down.
The figure enters apartment.
It is a woman, dressed all in black. Blonde hair pass her shoulders. A black mask covering most of her face.
She pulls out a dagger.
Roy tries to shake off the ringing in his ears. He can see that Thea is still in agony.
They can barely hear the woman as she speaks loudly (through a voice modifier) "I am here for Thea Queen."
"Yea? Well you'll have to take me too."
Roy lunges forward.
The woman moves to the left and Roy easily misses her, and when he is in front of her she quickly draws out two small weapon batons.
She elbows Roy in the throat, winding him, and strikes him in the back of the neck with one of the batons.
Roy is out cold.
The sound ends.
By now, Thea has regained some control of herself.
She stands watching.
The woman in the mask turns toward her. In her digitized scrambled voice she says to Thea, "Do what I say and this will be easy for you."
Thea considers using some of the moves her father taught her. But knowing they may do her no good in this situation, she hangs her head signalling submission.
*5*
John Diggle.
He just dropped Felicity off at her apartment.
He walked her up. She didn't say a word. She closed the door on him. Didn't say a word.
On his way down the stairs, passing a sharp looking dark haired man.
No words exchanged.
Now he sits in silence as he drives through Starling City.
For the first time he feels he can let go.
And he cries.
He sobs.
His phone rings.
He won't answer it until the fifth ring.
"Yea, Roy?"
"Diggle I lost her."
"What?"
"Thea. Someone broke in, took me out and when I woke up she was gone."
Diggle slams the breaks.
"I'm on my way to get you."
"Diggle. You won't believe who it was."
"The kidnapper? You get a look at him?"
"Her. It was The Canary."
*6*
Thea agreed to be blindfolded and hands bound.
After they climbed a series of stairs, they finally got to level ground.
Canary removes Thea's blindfold and motions her to sit in a chair on rollers in the middle of a room.
"Who are you?"
Canary doesn't answer. She keeps her face in the dark.
Using the voice scrambler, she says, "Thea, I don't plan on harming you. This is about someone else."
"Who?"
"Your father."
"My father is dead."
"No. Merlyn."
Thea stays quiet. She is surprised this person knows who her real father is. The instinct to cover for him kicks in heavy.
"Malcolm Merlyn? How should I know?"
"Because you're covering for him. Reguardless of he is to you, he is a murderer. He killed hundreds of innocent people."
"I told you... My father is dead."
"You and I both know that is a lie. Stop protecting him. He will take everything from you. You have no idea what he is capable of, do you? You are completely brainwashed!"
"Who the hell do you think you are?"
"Malcolm Merlyn added another to his death toll. Oliver Queen..."
Thea's heart drops.
*7*
Diggle opens the door to Oliver and Thea's apartment.
"Roy?"
Roy comes out of the shadows, holding the round device that shattered the windows (and his eardrums), "look familiar?"
"Sara is dead, Roy. And her tools are locked up."
"I'm guesses that locker is empty. This has to be Laurel."
Diggle shakes his head yes, "I knew she was going to do something stupid, but I didn't think this."
"We need to figure out what to do."
"Roy, Laurel has known Thea for years. She won't hurt her."
"Like hell she won't. Do you see what she did to this place? She trashed it. Her target was Thea and she wiped the floor with me."
Diggle: "Come on, let's head back."
*8*
"My brother is fine," Thea.
"Is he? Do you know where he is?"
No answer.
"And do you know where your father is?" Canary.
"I told you, my father is-"
"A MURDERER!"
Canary takes out the dagger and puts it near Thea's eyes.
*9*
Felicity Smoak lays limp on her couch.
She can't stop a series of flashbacks of her own.
The first time she saw him.
The first time she touched him.
The first time he said I love you-
There is a knock on her door.
And another.
"Felicity?" It's Ray Palmer.
Felicity whispers to herself "please go away."
Ray gives up rather quickly.
He straightens his tie.
But he knows something is wrong.
And he will get to the bottom of it.
*10*
Back at Team Arrow headquarters, Roy and Diggle start brainstorming.
"Where could she have taken her?" Diggle.
"Do you know how to run this face recognizing thing?"
Diggle settles in behind Felicity's computer.
"I can probably figure it out. Maybe. But Laurel is trying to hide out she's gonna hide out-"
His phone rings.
He looks at the screen.
It says "Laurel Lance."
He answers on speaker phone.
"Laurel? Please tell me you're not doing what I think you're doing."
"Cat's out of the bag I guess. Come get her. She's behind Verdant."
Laurel hangs up.
Roy heads toward the door.
*11*
-THE GLADES-
A plain white cargo van slowly rolls down a service road behind a cluster of abandoned buildings.
The driver, an unsupecting man in his thirties, puts the shift in park.
He is alone.
No he isn't.
The back doors of the van slowly open and two more men step out into the dark.
One is carrying a duffel bag, it doesn't seem too heavy.
We get a closer look at the man not carrying anything.
He seems young, but weathered. Short buzz cut, dark hair.
Solid. Imposing.
He is wearing dark clothes with a long trench coat. He seems to be the one in charge, based on the way he carries himself and the way the others seem to be holding him at a distance. As if they're afraid of him.
"Sir, Jay's ready," says the driver after looking over the one carrying the duffel bag.
Jay has shaggy hair under a hat. He seems thing yet his clothes are much too large.
Almost padded in a laughable way.
The Leader comes over and places a hand on Jay's cheek, standing eye to eye.
"You're doing a brave thing, young man. For the Glades. But for this city especially. You're mother would be proud."
Jay nods, not saying anything.
The Leader reaches into the van and pulls out a small medium sized wooden crate.
He reaches in, and pulls out two plain red building bricks (one in each hand.)
He begins slowly loading Jay's duffel bag with bricks.
*12*
Roy finds Thea behind the club, she is wearing a hood and her hands are tied behind her back.
She is kneeling.
Roy fills with anger. How could Laurel do this?
"Thea," he takes the hood off her.
Tears are streaming down her cheeks, her eyes are distant.
She seems to not even notice he is there.
Roy slowly peels the tape away from Thea's mouth.
"Thea? Are you ok?"
"Is she telling the truth? Ollie?"
Roy looks down shaking his head.
Thea sobs.
He holds her tight.
*13*
Felicity wakes from a dream.
She is on her couch and she looks over and see that her phone is lit up.
2 missed calls, a number of text messages.
She gives in to the temptation and listens to the one voicemail that was left.
"Hey, Felicity, it's Ray. I don't know what's going on but I hope you're ok and if you need some time off that's fine. I was just wondering if you were ok if you would like to go to a benefit breakfast tomorrow morning with me, in the Glades? It is for a dear friend of mine, District Attorney-"
She hits 7 and deletes the rest of the message, turns over in the couch and tries to go to sleep.
*14*
Roy took Thea back to his place, exchanging little words in the process.
She didn't ask any of the hard questions (how? Where?) yet he knew that would come soon.
She laid on his couch, and he took his old red hoody and laid it on her.
She turned to face away from her wordlessly.
His phone rings, it's Diggle."
"Roy, I found her." Referring to Laurel.
"I'm on my way."
He quietly heads for the door when Thea speaks up, and he stops.
"If everything you say is true... And Malcolm is responsible for this... I'll be the one that kills him."
*15*
Laurel is driving in her car, on the outskirts of the Glades, not far from where Roy is getting on his motorcyle.
She is heading to a very specific location, and despite the few months of training, she is shaking slightly.
And she is angry.
She should of been allowed to kill Merlyn months ago.
But Oliver wouldn't allow it.
Just then, a headlight appears in her rearview.
Doesn't take her long to figure out it is Roy and he is coming up fast behind her.
She floors the gas.
She nearly sideswipes a telephone pole making a quick turn.
Roy doesn't miss a beat.
He pulls up next to her and opens the visor of his helmet (he is in plain clothes).
"Laurel pull over! Don't make me wreck your car!"
"Stay out of this!"
"You need to let us handle this."
"You failed the last time."
"Pull over!"
She decides she will ram her car into him, and then catches herself.
This isn't who she is.
This is something else.
She hit the break and the car comes to a stop on the side of the road.
Roy stops some yard ahead.
Roy: "Where are you going?"
Laurel: "Thea told me where her father is staying in the city. I'm going there to get some answers."
Roy: "Fine. But I'm going with you. First, we need to make a stop. Get on."
*16*
Felicity get's up, it takes everything she can to not fall back. But she is thirsty.
She heads to the kitchen for water.
She notices by her door that the bundle of Oliver's things were carefully lain next to her shoes.
Diggle must of left it for her.
Or maybe she just doesn't remember bringing it up.
Either way she picks up the light hoody that Oliver was wearing before the fight.
She takes it with her to the couch and hugs it.
She let's some time pass.
In silence.
Trying to feel some kind of warmth from the garment. Some kind of hint he isn't really gone.
She feels something kind of sharp poking in the seam of the left sleeve.
She sits up, feeling for it again.
"What?"
She brings it to the kitchen and grabs a pair of scissors.
She starts ripping and she finds: a flashdrive.
*17*
Roy and Laurel made a quick stop at headquarters.
To pick up a helmet for Laurel, and for Roy to get into his uniform.
Thea told Laurel where her father was staying in the city.
It is a run down private residence, possible abandoned.
It is one of maybe a dozen similar homes all across the street from a little league field and series of playgrounds.
Aresenal takes the front, while Canary glides quietly to take the back.
They both get the feeling this is way too easy, and if Oliver has taught him anything, nothing is easy about Malcolm Merlyn.
He steps forward, drawing his bow and aiming an explosive arrow at the front window.
He lets it fly and it hits it's target, blowing away a large portion of the window frame.
From behind, Canary waits for her que and when she hears the explosion she enters through an already open door that leads to a kitchen.
She takes out Canary Call device and lets it squeel.
The room is filled with the same paralyzing squeel that filled Thea's apartment.
Arsenal, wearing ear plugs, is checking each room but there is no sign of life.
Once the squeel ends, he turns to Canary: "Nobody here. Told you-"
A devestating explosion rocks from below in the basement, sending flames up the stairway and through the air ducts.
They both scramble and lose sight of each other, not knowing if the other is even alive.
*18*
It is now morning, just after eight.
Bright and sunny.
Ray Palmer has just arrived at his friend's fundrasier.
District Attorney Joe Harvey was actually more than just a friend.
He was childhood friends.
Harvey is new to the scene, and his personality (not much unlike Ray's) is capturing everyone's attention.
There is a line forming just outside, each person waiting to shake Mr. Harvey's hand and then be seated for the breakfast.
Something Ray doesn't know about is, there is a man about fourteen places up from him.
A young man in rather overpadded clothing.
A young man named Jay.
Jay is carrying a duffel bag.
Palmer instantly realizes something is not right.
He looks around and none of the security detail seem to be concerned.
Or even notice.
"Security!" Palmer shouts, just as Jay reaches out his hand to shake DA Harvey's hand.
And suddenly everything goes up in flames.
A fireball emits from Jay's body and screams and shouts over the sound of a large explosion.
Palmer hits the ground and his head, and everything goes dark.
*19*
Jay's friend, the one that loaded a dozen of more bricks that became deadly projectiles, answers his ringing phone.
"Mr. Brick, the target has been eliminated."
Daniel Brickwell, known to his men as "The Brick", smiles and says "good work. May Jay's soul rest in peace."
He hands up and heads for his car.
*20*
The snow is even heavier, and so is the body of Oliver Queen, yet at long last the man carrying him has reached their destination.
It is a cave.
A deep one, one that doesn't obsorb the wind. It is almost perfect for living in.
And noticably warmer.
He places Oliver's lifeless body down, and steps back to begin lighting a fire.
It is obvious this man has been here, perhaps waiting for this moment, because a fire was all ready to be lit.
He lights a fire and it starts filling the cave with warmth and light.
The man removes a folded parchment from inside his clothing.
He unfolds it and aims it toward the light.
We see that it is a map.
The man tries brushing the hood out of his eyes, we see the bottom of his chin breifly.
It's not enough, the hood keeps falling covering his line of sight.
We see the map again and this time we can make out the words "PIT".
Fed up, the man grabs the hood and whips it off.
It is a man we have seen before.
It is Malcolm Merlyn.
-END-