"Hi William!" Oliver Queen of all people was on William's laptop greeting him with a friendly smile. To say William was confused would be a gross understatement. His mother had pulled him out of school without so much as a word of explanation only to sit him down in front of a computer with the instructions to watch first and ask questions later.
"I hope you're well- and I hope you're safe." Safe? Why wouldn't he be safe? Then again, the last time William had seen Oliver Queen he had just been kidnapped, so the comment kinda made sense in retrospect. This must have been recorded right after those events transpired, judging by Oliver's young appearance.
"There's something that I-I want to tell you." William furrowed his brow.
"I wanted to tell you before but-" he paused and took a deep breath, "but this is better." Another short pause and then, "I'm your father."
With three words William's reality was shattered. He had often wondered about his father. He could remember watching movies with the perfect families where the mom was always happy and the dad was always there for a pep talk, and feeling like he was missing out. He loved his mother to be sure, but he could never get past the feeling of abandonment. The kids at school used to make fun of him for being a mommy's boy and call him a bastard. Which technically was true and stung because it was. He used to imagine what his father might be like, kind and smart with blue eyes like his. When he was being particularly bitter, he imagined his father was locked up in some sort of prison or more likely a deadbeat wasting his life away on drugs and alcohol. He never imagined his father was a billionaire.
"Biologically that is. As far as really being your father goes." Oliver shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "I haven't earned that yet." William glared at the man who had stayed away from him for so much of his life. Yeah no kidding. "A father should be there for his child every day, no matter what. To make sure that they feel loved. That they feel safe. And a child should be able to rely on their father and go to him for- for guidance and reassurance. I have failed to do that for you." William gaze softened and he looked down at his lap, he could never put into words what he felt like he was missing in his life and to hear it so blatantly said was… painful.
"And now I'm-I'm gonna tell you why." He didn't know it at the time, but years later, he would come back to this moment as the moment his life would never be the same again. "I'm the Green Arrow-" William's eyes snapped back up to those of his father. "and my life is very dangerous. Which is why-" He paused with another heavy breath. "we decided to keep you out of it for all these years." The Green Arrow his dad was the freaking Green Arrow. His dad was a superhero. William's mind was moving a mile a minute. The Green Arrow was his hero. The other kids loved Superman, Green Lantern and the Flash for their superpowers, but for William it was the Green Arrow. It was always the Green Arrow, ever since he saved him that night. William had idolized him, and now to know that it was his father the whole time… well Will didn't know what to think.
"What happened to you in Star City," Oliver voice got hoarser and he was visibly holding back tears. "that was my fault. And I can't allow anything like that to ever happen again." His voice cracked on the last word. "And that's why I've asked your mother to move you far away, and to not tell anyone where she's taking you. Including me." Will knew he should be questioning how it was Oliver's fault that he was kidnapped, but all he could think was that his father had wanted him. Somehow that one simple fact made years of hardship and bullying fade away. He wasn't abandoned because he wasn't wanted, he was being protected. Suddenly, William found himself with tears in his eyes.
"That's also why I asked her to wait to show you this message until after your eighteenth birthday. I wanted to give you a real childhood. I wanted to give you that gift." Oliver's lip trembled and William reached up to brush away his own tears.
"Goodbye, son. I sure hope it's not forever." The screen went black and William looked up at his mother. They stared at each other for a moment, neither knowing what to say, how to start what was sure to be a very difficult conversation.
"Why show me this now?" William finally asked. "I turned 18 months ago, so why now." Samantha took a shaky breath.
"I was afraid that if I showed you, you would go looking for him." Well she wasn't wrong. That was exactly what Will was planning on doing.
"Were you ever going to tell me?"
"Of course I was! But you have to understand-"
"Understand what? That you kept me from my own father, who actually wants to get to know me, because you were too selfish to let me go?!" The more he thought about it the more angry he got. How dare she keep him from his father! His dad. Would he ever get to call Oliver that?
"It's not like that Will! I just wanted a few more months with you that's all. I was going to show you after you graduated. That way you could make your own decision, when you would have time to visit him."
"But you didn't wait. So I'll ask again, why now?" William's voice was hard and cold. Samantha could see so much of his father in him in that moment that she couldn't help but shed a tear.
"Mom?" Something was wrong. His anger faded as he started connecting the dots in his head. Being pulled from school, his father's "extra-curricular activities", his mother's tears. Everything added up to an answer William prayed was wrong. He couldn't lose his dad before he even met him. He just couldn't.
"Oliver. Your father. He- he was in an accident. They wouldn't tell me the specifics."
"Is he-" Will couldn't bring himself to say the word.
"No." William breathed a sigh of relief. "But hun, it's not good. They- don't think he's gonna make it. I wanted you to hear it from me." William nodded his head, composed himself, and stood up. "Where are you going?"
"Star City."
"William."
"No. If this is my only chance I'm taking it."
"What about school."
"Tell them I'm sick, that I'm out of town. I don't really care." Samantha gave him an imploring look and William met her gaze boldly. "There is nothing you can say that will change my mind."
To his surprise she simply nodded and said, "I know. You have your father's stubbornness." Will allowed himself a slight smile at that before leaving the room.
Star City had come a long way since William had last seen it. The last decade under the protection of superheroes had been good for it. There was a happiness in the citizens that hadn't been there before. The whole city had this vibe that felt more like something William remembered from Central. It felt like a place he could call home.
The first place William went was the newly built Smoak Technologies building to find one Felicity Smoak-Queen. If there was one person who might know where to find Oliver, it would be his wife. Oliver's injuries weren't exactly public knowledge, so he wasn't in a hospital. As best William could tell he must have some greener version of the batcave with less robins and more arrows. There was no way that Oliver was able to keep his 'night-life' a secret from his wife, so Felicity was his best bet for finding it.
What William didn't account for was the massive amount of security he had to go through to get anywhere near Mrs. Smoak-Queen. To anyone else it might seem like overkill, but 10 years of fighting the world's worse villains meant hundreds of bad guys who, upon discovering Oliver's identity, would love nothing more than to get to the Green Arrow though his wife. Not to mention all of the people who would kidnap her for ransom for being Oliver Queen's wife.
This would have been his life, he realized as he observed the well managed chaos. Bodyguards at his side 24 hours a day and reporters hounding him for his picture at every important milestone. Never a minute alone. Will was starting to understand why his father wouldn't want him to be a part of this life. He shook those thoughts away. It wouldn't have been an easy childhood, but at least he would have had his dad.
After going through a metal detector and a bag check, William finally made it to the receptionist desk.
"Hello miss-" He looks down at the plaque, "Williams." He puts on his most charming smile. "I am looking for Felicity Smoak-Queen. Could you please tell me where to find her?" The woman barely looks up before asking in a tone that suggested it's the thousandth time that day,
"Do you have an appointment?" Right, appointment. Usually need one of those to talk to important people who have their own companies.
"Uh-I don't actually. I was really hoping just to talk to her for a minute. It's really very important and I'm sure if you could just let me see her-" The woman cuts him off with a sharp tone.
"If you don't have an appointment there is nothing I can do. I can get you in next Thursday if you'd like, but for now-"
"Please could you just tell her I'm here?" He dropped the façade, hoping that his tone might stir her sympathy. "Tell her William Clayton is here. Please." The woman looks at the desperation on his face and sighs.
"Fine." She picks up her phone and dials a number. "Hello Ms. Smoak? There is a young man here who insists he sees you." She pauses nodding her head, "Yes I told him but-" she pauses again. "William Clayton." She is silent for a moment before furrowing her brow. "Ms. Smoak? Are you still there?" After another moment she puts the phone back down. "Sorry kid."
William was dejected, he was sure that would work. Well not sure, but he had hoped his father might have mentioned him. Oh well, he would just have to figure out another way to see her. Maybe if he could cause some sort of distraction he could sneak past the guards and-
"Wow." As he was thinking he didn't notice a woman get out of the elevators and walk up beside him. "You look just like him." He turned towards the voice to see none other than Felicity Smoak-Queen herself standing mouth agape and staring at him like he was a puzzle to be solved. She cleared her throat, schooled her expression, and held out her hand with a smile. "Felicity Smoak-Queen, it's wonderful to finally meet you William." He hesitated for a moment as he shook off her abrupt entrance before he took her hand and responded,
"Likewise."
"I'm assuming you've seen the message Oliver left for you?" Will nodded dumbly. Straight to the point wasn't she. "And you are here because of the information I shared with your mother this morning?" He nodded again. "Right." She sighed and ran a hand through her hair, a few strands escaping from her ponytail in the process.
She suddenly looked years older, as the weight of her husband's situation began to show on her face. He could only imagine how much stress she must have to deal with on a regular basis, always wondering whether Oliver would be coming home. Every super villain he went up against was another chance for him to die. Will wondered how many times she had been in this position before, her husband fighting for his life while she had to go on with hers and pretend everything was okay.
He watched as she straightened herself up, wiped the invisible dust off her skirt, and smiled at him again with her bright pink lips. Just like that the moment was over. "Come with me. We can talk more somewhere more private." She glanced over to where the receptionist was openly staring. His eyes followed and when the receptionist looked his way, he gave a cheeky grin and a wink before trailing after Felicity towards the elevators.
When they entered the elevator, Felicity held down the close doors button and simultaneously hit the buttons for levels 4, 1, and 5 in that order. The doors closed and the elevator started moving down. Which wouldn't have been weird if they weren't already on the bottom floor. William shifted awkwardly from foot to foot.
"How is he?" He finally asked.
"I won't lie, it isn't pretty." She admitted. "He's hooked up to a lot of equipment. Looks more machine than man right now." He grimaced.
"Is he gonna die?" Her face turned ashen.
"I don't know." She whispered after a moments pause. Not the answer he wanted, but at least she was honest.
The doors opened and much to Will's surprise, they were in the Arrow's fortress. When William was imagining the Green Arrow's base, he pictured some old warehouse with ominous lighting and an arsenal of deadly weapons for kicking major bad guy ass. Well there were plenty of weapons lining the walls, but it was altogether a lot more high-tech then he was expecting. There was a very expensive looking computer setup in the center of the room, sufficiently bright lighting, a full gym, and display cases with all of the previous and current variants of the arrow costumes along with this associates costumes.
"Welcome to the Arrow Cave." Felicity said, smiling once more. "It's not the homiest place in the world, but we do have a fern," she said pointing to a very well cared for plant that looked quite out of place among the computers and the weaponry, "and a couple spare rooms in the back. Which you are more than welcome to use if you need to tonight by the way. Or anytime really."
He shook his head in awe at the place. "Why do I get the feeling you built this building from the ground up just to make this room perfect."
"Well it definitely makes it easier to balance my two jobs when they are both in the same building." Probably made it easier to slip away in an emergency too. Plus, no one would know she was gone since she never walked out the doors. Smart.
"This place is amazing and I would love to get you to give me a full tour later, but for now…"
"You want to know about your dad." It was weird hearing that word from someone else in reference to him. Good weird.
"Is he here?"
"Yeah, he's in the back, with John I think. This way." She led him though a hallway past many non-descript doors to a separate room. As they approached, Will could hear the sound of the steady beeping of a heart monitor and found himself growing anxious. He was going to meet his father. Even if he wasn't awake, he knew just being in the same room as him would change everything. From this point forward there was no going back. He opened the door.
It was a stereotypical sterile white hospital room. There were three people standing around the room, but William only looked at his father. He looked terrible. He was hooked up to an IV and a heart monitor and had a breathing tube down his throat. Every inch of his visible skin seemed to be covered in cuts and bruises no doubt delivered to him by the same monster that put him in this situation in the first place. The worst of it though was his left arm, or lack thereof. His arm was completely missing from the elbow down and the rest was extensively wrapped with bandages.
William couldn't hold back his gasp. He didn't notice the room go silent as he entered, nor did he notice the others quietly leave as he walked slowly towards his father's bedside. He was so pale. Would this be the only way he would ever see his father?
"Why won't he wake up?" He asked quietly, expecting Felicity to still be there. She walked to the other side of the bed and gently stroked a lock of hair away from Oliver's face.
"He was pushed off the side of a building by the same man who took his arm. Hit his head pretty badly. That on top of the blood loss… Well we don't know if he will ever wake up."
"How long ago..."
"A week. We had a doctor we trust patch him up as best she could and give him blood, but at this point it is really up to him. His vitals are stable, but he has slipped into a coma. We don't have the proper equipment to scan his brain for any abnormalities, and we can't risk taking him to a hospital. We can only hope if- when he wakes, he will still be himself."
"You really think he has a chance?" He whispered, eyes never straying from the battered man who had dedicated his life to the protection of so many people.
"If there is one thing I have learned from the years I have worked with Oliver, there is always hope. And as long as Oliver is breathing, I will never give up on him." He finally looked up and met Felicities eyes. They were shining with unshed tears, but were strong and determined all the same. They say behind every man is an even stronger woman. Felicity was the living proof that statement was true.
"Can I- have a minute alone with him?" Her face softened.
"Of course. If you need anything, I will be right outside okay?" He nodded and watched as she left the room. Will sat down in the chair that had been left at Oliver's bedside. He could faintly hear voices outside the room, no doubt discussing his sudden appearance. Felicity probably contacted him without telling anyone he realized. Actually she must have spent a lot of time tracking them down if what Oliver said was true. William felt a wave of gratitude wash over him for the woman. It takes a very special woman to go to such lengths to track down the bastard son of her husband. He would have to thank her later.
For now, William focuses his attention back on the man in the hospital bed. He doesn't quite know what to say.
"Hey dad. I um- I got your message. I hope it's okay if I call you that. Father seems a bit too formal and Oliver… well it just isn't enough anymore. It doesn't seem right." He paused and took a deep breath. "Look, I understand why you wanted to keep me away from you, I really do. You wanted to protect me, and you did. I'm here and I'm safe. But you have to know, I spent my whole life wondering about you. I thought you didn't want me." His voice wavered. "I used to wonder if there was something wrong with me that made you leave. My mom always tried her best to be enough, and she is an amazing mother, but I still needed a dad. How could you ever think I would rather have a safe childhood, then a childhood with you? I needed you. I still do." A few tears ran silently down his cheeks. "Please don't leave me." His voice cracked and his throat felt thick from holding back his sobs. William reached out and gently took his father's hand. "I don't know if you can hear me, but I am not ready to lose you. I just found you! I want to get to know you. As my dad, not as Oliver Queen the billionaire or Green Arrow the superhero. Please don't let those be my only memories of you. If you can hear me, please wake up."
He stared at his father's beaten face, desperate to see even a twitch, some acknowledgment that he understood and was trying to wake up for him. But nothing. William sighed and squeezed his father's hand moving their joined hands to rest against his forehead in a silent goodbye. Just as he was about to release their hands the unthinkable happened. He flat-lined.
"No." Will whispered, disbelief preventing him from finding his voice. "No! Please!" He stood up panicking and yelled for help. "Felicity! Felicity!" He cried out, still holding Oliver's hand, and not knowing what else to do. He was supposed to be stable, this shouldn't have happened. In an instant Felicity came running into the room followed closely by Spartan, Red Arrow, and Speedy all unmasked with equal expressions of terror on their faces. Felicity immediately began shouting orders and the others followed her lead with a practiced ease. Her words swam through his ears and he was lost in a fog. They were all moving so quickly around him and that along with the steady beep of the heart monitor was enough to cloud his mind. After what must have been mere moments later, but felt much longer, he felt gentle hands wrap around his shoulders and slowly pry him away from Oliver. "-have to get clear." They were saying. He let go of his father's hand reluctantly and allowed himself to be led away from the bedside.
It was like witnessing a car accident. It was so horrible he wanted to stop watching, but he couldn't look away.
"Clear." Felicity called as she pressed the defibrillator pads to Oliver's Chest. His chest pulsed and arched off the table, but the monitor remained flat-lined. She tried again. "C'mon Oliver!"
"Clear." Once more his chest pulsed. Once more his heart did not restart. Spartan was doing chest compressions between each pulse.
"Please, please, please." William whispered under his breath. One last time.
"Clear." He arched up again before falling back down. For a moment nothing changed and William was sure that was it. His father was dead. Suddenly with a sharp gasp Oliver jerked awake. His eyes opened and he looked around wildly his chest heaving as he greedily took in oxygen. The heart monitor started beeping rapidly and all around breathed a sigh of relief.
"Felicity?" He rasped out. His call muffled through the oxygen mask.
"Yeah. Yeah it's me." She whispered tearfully. She cradled his cheek in her hand and rested her forehead against his. "I'm here. You're okay. Everything's gonna be okay." His breathing slowed and he closed his eyes, clearly calmed by her presence.
William stood quietly in the corner as he watched Oliver's team reunite with him. As he watched them talk and laugh and cry as if it were the most natural thing in the world, he couldn't help but feel left out. This could have been his family. Instead he was standing awkwardly off to the side, a perfect stranger. At last Oliver took notice of him. His head snapped up in alarm, his eyes narrowed, and brow furrowed in a perfect combination of confusion and distrust. Of course he didn't recognize him, how could he. Saving him the trouble of speaking, William stepped forward.
"Hi dad." Oliver's eyes widened.
"William?" He whispered, his mask long since discarded. William nodded his head.
"Yeah, it's me." Oliver continued to look at him in disbelief.
"H-how are you here?" He finally stuttered out. William glanced at Felicity and Oliver, seeing the exchange, tore his eyes away from his son reluctantly. "Felicity?"
"Yeah… I sort-of tracked him down. Not as difficult as you might think by the way. Oh and before you get mad, you should know that we didn't know if you were going to wake up at all so-" Oliver stopped her rambling with a pointed look.
"I'm not mad. Just surprised." He turned back to William. "I just- can't believe it's really you." He smiled welcomingly and held out a hand. "Come 'ere" Will walked over to the bed and sat down in the chair he had previously resided. They just kinda looked at each other for a moment, why was it so much harder to talk to him now that he was awake? "You're so grown up." Oliver finally says.
"That happens when you miss 10 years of your child's life." He tries to say it jokingly, but can't help the bitterness that slips through. Oliver winces.
"William, I'm sorry-"
"Please don't do that." Will cuts him off. "I get it. You had to make a decision and you chose what you thought was best at the time. So don't apologize. I can't be mad at you for wanting to protect me." Oliver lets out a breath in relief. "That said, I am an adult now, who can make my own decisions… and I'd like to stay and get to know you. If you'll have me."
"Yes." Oliver immediately agrees and William can't help smiling at that. "Of course you can stay I-I never wanted you to stay away forever." With that simple statement of acceptance William broke down. The day's events suddenly became too much to handle and all of the emotion he had bottled up inside came bubbling to the surface. He buried his face in his hands and ducked his head down in a futile attempt to hide his tears, but he could not conceal the shaking of his body as he quietly sobbed. "William?"
"I'm sorry." William gasped out, his words muffled by his hands. "I just- I didn't think I would ever get the chance to talk to you. I thought you were dead and I- there is so much to say and I-I don't even know where to start." He continued to sob quietly for a moment before he felt a warm hand come to rest on the top of his head. He lifted his head up to see Oliver looking at him with a warmth he doubted many had seen. Oliver moved his hand to rest on Will's cheek where he used the pad of his thumb to wipe away some of his tears.
"Hey- It's okay. I'm here now. Everything's going to be okay." William laughed slightly through his tears for no reason at all and launched himself at Oliver. Oliver winced slightly at the sudden pressure on his injuries, but was soon using his good arm to hug back just as tightly. As father and son embraced for the first time, they knew that for now, everything was okay.
And it was. By some miracle they both managed to survive for 10 years together making up for lost time. William spent his days working for his step-mother at Smoak Technologies and his nights fighting side by side with his father as the archer Apollo. They got in their very first argument over that one, but eventually Oliver decided that if Will was going to fight crime regardless, he might as well have the proper training. After the incident, Felicity worked with their friends at Star Labs to build Oliver a prosthetic arm functional enough for archery. Oh yeah, and William got to meet the Flash, that was pretty cool.
After so many years of fighting crime, Oliver decided it was time to put away the hood and pass the threshold of the Green Arrow on to his son. Looking at his reflection as he wore his father's suit for the first time William couldn't help but think back to the first moment he found out his father was the Green Arrow. Everything in his life had changed after that moment and he had a feeling everything was about to change again.
Hey everyone! Thank you so much for reading my story, I hope you enjoyed it! I started working on this right after the last episode with the goal of finishing it before the next. Lucky me there was a month hiatus! It was definitely a challenge to write William. I tried to give him some aspects of Oliver's personality while still making him his own person. In reference to William's superhero name, I chose Apollo as a nod to Artemis from Young Justice. In Greek mythology Artemis and Apollo are twin archer gods. I actually made quite a few references, let me know if you spot them! (hint: elevator)
Thanks again!
-Cady