He stood, clutching his son in his arms, hiding his face from the wrath forced upon them. A small part of Oliver was glad Lian Yu was being blown up but Oliver was more worried and fearful that his friends and family had not gotten off the island in time. He glanced down to his son William, who would not look up to face the carnage. They stood there on the boat for what seemed like forever, William not leaving Oliver's embrace. Finally Oliver pulled himself together and gently tilts William's chin up to face him. "Wait here I'll be right back, don't look back here okay?" William just nodded slightly and sat on the floor of the ship, leaning against the side, and pulled his knees up to his chest.
Oliver walked over to the body of a man who had ruined his life worse than anyone else had had. He felt as if Adrien Chase didn't deserve the somewhat victorious death he gave himself. He deserved something much much worse. A million thoughts ran through Oliver's head as he grabbed the lifeless body and drug it over the side of the boat into the deep, dark water below. By the time all the recent events had ended it had starting becoming dark, the setting sun casting its rays upon the waters around Lian Yu. Oliver walked over to where William was still sitting, his face hidden between his knees. Oliver was new to this, he was never a father but he knew he needed to be there for his son. He silently sat down beside him and heard low sobs come to a halt. He gently laid an arm around the small boy's shoulder and after an awkward second William leaned into him. Oliver was not at all surprised, from the ongoing trauma the kid was faced with, that tears soon were flowing from his eyes and powerful sobs wracked his body. Oliver said nothing, just pulled the boy in closer and allowed him to let his pain flow. "It was so scary Oliver!" William choked out between sobs. "He took me and my mom, threatened to kill us! Then he separated us…" William ended off and grew quiet, digging deeper into Oliver's embrace."
"He was a horrible man William but he's gone now. I'll never let anyone hurt you again." They sat in silence for a while longer until Oliver suggested that William try and get some sleep, promising not to leave the young boy's side until he awoke.
Oliver kept his promise keeping his a silent vigil, Oliver kept watch over William the entire night.
Early that morning Oliver felt William start to move a bit as the sun started to rise. Oliver didn't even try to sleep that night, going through all the possibilities of how his friends could've survived. William lifted his head up and looked around. He was still wrapped in Oliver's arms from the night before and quickly slipped a bit away, startled.
Oliver gave him an understanding look and smiled. "It's ok, we both had a long day, I didn't mind at all." William seemed more comfortable with that response. He stretched his legs out and sat closer to Oliver, who was still seated on the boat's metal floor.
"So what do we do now?" William asked, a small amount of fear in his voice.
"Well, first off now that the smoke's cleared we need to get to the island and head towards an Argus bunker that's on it. My guess is that's where my team would've ended up."
"Oliver." William paused for a second. "Do you think my mom's alive?" Oliver could tell it took a lot of guts to say that. Though he'd been thinking the same thing. Oliver knelt down in front of William, looking him in the eyes. "I'm sure she's fine and waiting eagerly to see you." Oliver wholeheartedly said, hoping William believed him. "C'mon Buddy." Oliver stood and stretched his numb legs. He extended a hand and helped William up "I'll show you how to sail this thing." William brightened a bit at that, having his mind off of what happened yesterday. Oliver steered it towards the island then let William have a go. Soon they were slowly getting nearer Lian Yu. Oliver stood over William, who was in the captain's seat, checking the controls and making sure they weren't going too fast. "Oliver?" William asked after they were about halfway towards the island. "Yea?" Oliver, who had been deep in thought, thinking about his friends, wondering who lived and who died answered. "Where do we go? I mean after we get everyone?"
"Well assuming it's still intact, there's an Argus ship on the other shore unfortunately the bunker is close to the middle of the island. So no matter where we go we've got a long walk ahead of us." Oliver replied honestly. "William just looked back to the sea in front of him and sighed. About a minute later Oliver took over as they neared the shore. He turned the boat off and quickly turned to William who was about to hop off the boat in search of his mother. :Hey, hey hey, wait!" William yelled at William who then stopped in his tracks, one leg over the boat's side." "We don't know if all the bombs went off." The green arrow side of Oliver showing as he warned William. Unhappily, but wisely William put both feet back onto the boat.
"Now." Oliver said using a less scary arrow voice. "I'm going to go down there and check for bombs and tie the boat down. You wait until I say to come down. "Alright fine…" William agreed.
Oliver leaped off the boat and landed on the soft sand below. Somehow the shore was mostly intact. Alright it's good but be careful!"
Oliver breathed a sigh of relief as Williams feet both landed safely on the ground.
"The bunker's this way. Stay right beside me the whole time ok? Unless I say otherwise. Got it?" William nodded, understanding the dangerous situation. "Then let's go." Oliver said as they set off side by side.
After about ten minutes of walking William couldn't stay quiet any longer. "So this is where you were shipwrecked?" He brought up a rather surprising and sensitive question for Oliver.
Oliver thought for a while and then answered.
"Someone once told me destiny brought me here, that everything happens for a reason. Whether or not I believe that isn't important but in a way this island has changed me for good or for worse."
Satisfied with that answer William seemed to think about other things as they walked through the wreckage of the bombs. A few times Oliver had the help the smaller boy over the larger fallen trees or piled up debris.
As they were walking around a large pile of trees Oliver knew William couldn't get over, a steep decline to their right, Oliver heard a sudden mechanical buzzing noise.
His eyes widened as he turned around and try to grab William who was a few feet behind him "Get down!" he screamed but it was too late. A bomb from under the debris went off twenty feet away from the pair. Oliver was sturdy enough to take the hit but William's small frame and stature sent him to the ground and rolling over the edge of the hill.
William winded and temporarily deaf in one ear from the blast could do nothing but scream as he rolled uncontrollably down the hill, that is until a strong hand grabbed the back of his jacket and held onto him. He looked up to see his father holding onto his jacket with one hand and another on a half broken tree trunk. He focused on Oliver's moving mouth and made out the words hold on. William reached up and grabbed with both hands onto Oliver's strong arm. The next second he was in Oliver's arms. It took a minute but the deafness subsided and he could hear fine.
I think i'm ok." Oliver's face washed over with relief when he told he he heard that.
"Alright then." Oliver looked back up the steep hill then had just rolled down. "We need to get back up there and keep moving." Oliver looked back to his son. "I'll go first. Don't let go of my arm and we'll do this together."
"Ok. I won't let go." William said and they both stood up.
Suddenly he felt a sharp pain go up his leg. William fell back down in alarm.
"Let me see." Oliver was at his side instantly. He lifted his pants leg up to reveal a swollen red ankle.
"It's a sprain." Oliver announced after a few seconds of gentle prodding and pressure. "You'll need to stay off it. Ill carry you" Without even a moment to let William argue Oliver had William draped over one shoulder, much to the boy's displeasure. "I'll make you more comfortable when we get to the top. With that he set off, boy in tow.
"That took longer than expected." Oliver breathed a sigh of relief as he crouched safely on the firm ground, away from the hill.
"Are you sure you can carry me?" William said worriedly.
"I jump from the tops of buildings and I once carried a twenty year old while running from three people." He quickly positioned William to where he was in a piggyback position on his back. "Carrying a ninety pound twelve year old is nothing." Oliver quickly stood up and they were on their way to the Argus bunker.
"You must be getting tired by now." William commented as he shifted around on Oliver's back, causing Oliver to have to push him up a bit so he wouldn't fall off.
"I'll tell you like I told you five minutes ago, i'm perfectly fine. Oliver calmly answered, scanning their surroundings . Suddenly the sound of a bomb filled the air followed with a scream but this was no ordinary scream, it was a cry, a canary cry.
