The Best Is Yet to Come
Rating: 'K'
Characters: Oliver Queen, Kara Danvers
Summary: Far in the future, Oliver Queen has left his home solar system to track down Kara Zor-El. On an asteroid lightyears away from planet Earth stands the new Fortress of Solitude, and for the first time in almost 800 years two heroes from The Golden Age are about to come face to face again. (SuperArrow fluff inspired by Batman/Superman: Generations.)
Space, Oliver Queen reasoned as he approached the planetoid, was incredibly big. There was so much of it that trying to give it any form of measurable size was actually impossible. Oliver could live out a hundred lifetimes and still never document a fifth of what was out in it. Everywhere he looked the glittering infinity of stars spanned out, defying comprehension and measure. Realistically, Oliver thought, he was yet to fully get over the existence of magic and aliens, attempting to understand the infinite expanse of the universe was something that could wait for later.
Space was also a lot busier than he had expected. Since leaving Earth he had encountered a plethora of alien races, most of which were now neatly documented in his ship's computer. He never quite got over the awe-inspiring madness that the universe produced, the variety and complexity of the lifeforms he had encountered on his quest had been staggering. He'd spent an awful lot of time reviewing that data, collecting all sorts on alien lifeforms and technology, Oliver could quite safely say that his records were far vaster than those of the D.E.O back on Earth, though, he hadn't been there in an awfully long time, almost 800 or so years.
He's still spoken to J'onn from time to time, it had been helpful to talk to someone who understood the consequences of an almost immortal existence.
A faint bleeping from the computer console snapped Oliver from his thoughts. Looking through the information on the console, Oliver nodded a little satisfaction before looking back to the colossal viewscreen and the planetoid in front of him.
"The signal is getting closer by the second." Oliver narrated, all the audio in the ship's cockpit was recorded and stored, so he liked to keep his records apprised of what was happening beyond that of the ship's hard data. "She's definitely on this planet. It's not a surprise; bleak, inhospitable and as far from civilisation as she could possibly be. Not too unlike the old Fortress on Earth."
Oliver rose to his feet as the ship's automated navigation system took him closer to the source of the signal. Kryptonian's were practically non-existent in the universe, so Kara wasn't all too difficult to track down, not that it had taken him a little under 100 years or anything.
Oliver had simply followed the trail of civilisations with stories about the incredible blonde woman with the red and blue suit, the God who had arrived to save them. If it wasn't for her hero complex Oliver might never have tracked her down. When he'd entered the solar system he now found himself in, one with no recorded life whatsoever, his ship's scanners had immediately picked up a solitary life form, a Kryptonian one.
Feeling the ship land Oliver gripped his bow tightly in his left hand. His Green Arrow suit hadn't changed a great deal since his leaving Earth, apart from the fact that it could now more than likely survive a full-on blow from The Girl of Steel, Oliver really did enjoy the benefits technology brought. His right hand pressed over the centre of his chest, a faint, water-like sound emanating as an invisible protective bubble formed around his head. It wouldn't protect him from the hostile environment outside for much longer than 10 minutes, but Oliver really hated the awkward protective helmets needed for prolonged exploration, plus he was right on top of the signal.
Stepping out onto the surface Oliver took in his surroundings, it really was a barren planet. One thing stood out, a metal platform built into the ground, the only sign that anyone had ever been there, amongst the endless fields of red rock and sand. Oliver hardly had both feet on the platform when it began to descend.
The room it exposed was…well, room didn't do it justice. The structure must have been 9 or 10 times bigger than The Bunker ever had been, and it had grown in size significantly before Oliver had left Earth. It was filled with various mementos, much as Supergirl's Fortress had once been. The lift clicked to a stop and Oliver froze.
There, stood just a few feet away from him, was Kara Zor-El.
She still looked beautiful, even after all that time, that was the first thing that caught his attention. Her hair had started to grey, a few streaks of it highlighted amongst her usual blonde. Other than that, she looked exactly the same, not even a wrinkle on her face. Her suit was almost the same too, the only difference being that the red skirt had been swapped out for blue leggings.
Then, he noticed the look on her face, a mixture of confusion, sadness and outrage. Of course, Oliver realised, Kara had no idea he was…
"You can't be here," Her voice was shaky, a little weak. "Why do you look like Oliver Queen?"
Immortal.
Not that he was, or at least, he wasn't entirely sure. There was a chance he could still be killed by conventional means, but he hardly aged.
"Kara," Oliver began carefully, taking a measured step forward. "It's me. I know it's going to be hard to believe, but it's really me."
Kara had backed away a little as Oliver moved towards her. Even with all her powers she still thought she was seeing a ghost, that must have scared her. Oliver knew he would have to convince her, and his story alone wouldn't be enough.
"No, you can't be." Kara seemed a little more sure of herself when she spoke again.
"You know," Oliver began with a smile. "You always said you could hear my heartbeat in a crowded room, you know every scar on my body. It's me."
She seemed to stop for a moment, as if studying him, a disbelieving look still on her face. It was a safe bet, Oliver thought, that Kara was using her X-Ray vision on him, trying to see if it really was him. Her head tilting a little, Kara took a step forward, her expression mellowing some. He knew, or hoped he did, that Kara would be sure enough, that all those little details about him would still be etched into her memory, that she could use them to prove he really was him.
Oliver really couldn't blame Kara for her scepticism, it was a reflex that had kept him alive long enough. Though, if Felicity or John had come though that entrance behind him, Oliver would've had a tough time believing any story they would tell him.
"It…" Kara's expression had begun to mellow a little, Oliver could practically see the hope in her eyes. "I…How?"
Knowing her well enough, Oliver took a step forward again, feeling a similar wave of hope when Kara didn't continue to back away from him. Tentatively, Oliver reached out his right hand, holding it not a foot away from Kara's own. Meeting her eyes, Oliver watched as her lips lightly tugged at a smile, Kara's hand gently taking his own.
"It's actually a pretty long story."
Nanda Parbat – 2055
"You see, Oliver, The Lazarus Pit is a force of nature. Despite Nyssa's attempts to destroy both them and The League, they continue to exist." Malcom offered an almost sickly grin to the archer as he came to a stop before the pit.
The Pit that sat in the floor of the room looked wholly different to the one Oliver had seen all those years ago. As opposed to the almost water-like substance Ra's al Ghul's Pit had contained, the one before him was filled with a thick, bubbling green goo.
"As you know, The Pit demands a price for its fullest gifts. But, I believe, after all these long years, I have found a way to extract its gifts without paying this toll." Malcom continued his lecture, taking a few steps closer to Oliver.
For the first time since encountering the League of Assassins, Oliver was almost tempted to want to use The Pit. Malcom didn't look a day over 30, but Oliver could feel his 70 years of life pushing against him. Even though Oliver had done his best to stay as in shape as he could, even he couldn't beat time itself. His bones ached, his muscles weakened, soon he wouldn't be able to walk without a cane.
"A single mind, a single soul is not strong enough to withstand the rigors of regeneration without at least temporary madness. However, if two enter The Pit together, the force of their lives will be melded together." Malcom's lips twisted into a sadistic grin. "One will perish, but the other will become immortal."
"So, you're suggesting that I climb into The Pit with you? That I sacrifice my life to give you immortality? The Pit really has driven you mad if you think I'd agree to that Malcom."
Truthfully, Oliver was surprised to have even received Malcom's invitation to Nanda Parbat. He had been hearing for near a decade that the League of Assassins had been reformed, that there was a new Ra's atop Nanda Parbat. It should have been nothing more than whispers in the wind, something Oliver chose to ignore because of the chaos caused by Grant Wilson. Then, he'd finally been forced to give up the hood, to give up being The Green Arrow and pass the mantle to John Diggle Jr. and the summons from Malcom had arrived a few years later.
"To the contrary, Oliver. Two enter The Pit and only one can emerge, but I have no way of guaranteeing which of us it will be. We spent so long as adversary's, and now I offer you the chance to defeat me for good. Will you risk your life against a chance to gain that end, and live forever?"
"Risk death or die like a dog at the hands of your men? I know there's no real choice here, Malcom." Oliver fired back, his hand almost reflexively reaching up to stroke his beard.
He had noticed the armed assassins following his every move, each of them poised to attack at a moment's notice, he knew Malcom had no intention of letting him walk out of there unless Oliver happened to be the one to emerge from The Pit. In his youth, Oliver had struggled to defeat members of The League, now at 70 years old, he stood no chance of fighting his way out.
"Excellent. You are every bit the worthy opponent I remember, Oliver." Malcom continued to smile as he shrugged off his ceremonial garbs.
Oliver followed suit, removing his clothing until he and Malcom stood shirtless, as seemed to be League custom for many occasions. Oliver silently followed Malcom onto the gridded platform that hovered above The Pit, suspended by a hemp rope at each corner. The two men stood face to face, preparing for what was about to come.
"My men will lower us into The Pit but I must warn you, no two men have simultaneously entered before, from what my research has uncovered, the pain may be unbearable."
"You know as well as anyone, Malcom," Oliver began. "Pain and I are no strangers."
Oliver steeled himself as the platform began to move, the thick green ooze quickly coating his boots. The moment the liquid touched his bare flesh Oliver winced, he could feel it burning his flesh, but more than that, there was something internal that he couldn't describe.
"Uh-hh. Do…you feel…it…Oliver? The torment begins…"
"I've felt…ungh…worse than this in a fistfight with Count Vertigo." Oliver grimaced, doing his best not to give away the pain he was feeling.
Before Malcom said anything, Oliver could tell that the other man was feeling it worse than he. Maybe it was Malcom's repeated exposure to The Pit, maybe it was because Oliver was just more accustomed to pain, or maybe it was something else. Regardless, Oliver could see Malcom twitching, his eyes flicking across to the safety of The Pit's edge as they continued to sink into the green liquid.
"No." Malcom suddenly snapped, beginning to push his way through the liquid. "It's too much for a mortal to bear."
Oliver reacted immediately, taking a heavy step towards Malcom and grabbing him firmly by the arms.
"Not so fast, Malcom." Oliver wrenched the assassin around, so they were forced to face each other. "You dealt this hand…now I intend to play it."
The Pit continued to bubble, becoming violent, the green ooze spitting up and onto the floor around them. The last thing Oliver saw before the liquid covered his eyes was the horrified look on Malcom's face.
Present Day
"Somehow, I won, The Lazarus Pit spat me back out. Ever since…I've been practically immortal. As far as I know, I can't die." Oliver finished his story, his eyes flicking back up to meet Kara's.
There was something behind her eyes Oliver couldn't quite place, a sympathy perhaps, underlaid by sadness. Of course, Oliver realised, they know both knew the anguish of the other. Oliver's family had long since died, it had been painfully difficult to witness, he'd known from the moment he'd exited The Lazarus Pit that it would happen but it hadn't prepared him. Kara had never seen that suffering, never returned to Earth after her departure over 800 years ago. Oliver had been to Felicity's funeral, to Alex's, to John's… William… all of them. He'd expected to see Kara, to see her return to say her final farewell to her family, but she never had, and he knew why better than anyone.
J'onn was still alive too, back on Earth. Or, at least he was the last time Oliver had been able to make contact with him 50 or so years prior. He'd chosen to stay, to guide the Earth with a wise hand as it became more and more a piece of the larger universe. The two men were glad for having each other, being immortal was so much more a curse than a blessing.
Then, he knew it, what else he had seen in Kara. It was guilt. Guilt for leaving them all behind, for never returning to say goodbye, for not being there when her family needed her.
"Your hair's turning white." Kara spoke finally, with a wisp of a smile on her lips. "Does that mean The Lazarus Effect is wearing off?"
"No," Oliver smiled at her, he might be beginning to look it, but Oliver didn't feel a day over 35. "But from what I can tell, I'm aging about a year per century. How about you?"
"Kal-El always used to call it inverse geometric progression, the longer I live the slower I age."
The once couple looked at each other in a silence for a moment, both simply wearing a smile at the other's presence. Neither of them needed to say it out aloud, they could practically read it on the other's face. Nothing had changed in all those years, they were still in love.
"Why now?" Kara suddenly asked. "I mean, why did you decide to come and find me now."
"Kara, we're millions of lightyears away from Earth, it took centuries for technology to develop this far and another hundred years for me to track you down." Oliver answered quickly.
"I…What did you do for all that time?"
"When I left The Pit, I became the new Ra's, an opportunity I knew better than to waste. I spent four decades changing The League into a force for good, maybe using some of that influence to try and get myself here a little sooner too." As he had spoken, with a nod of her head Kara had silently told Oliver to follow her, bringing the two into a longue area. Taking a seat beside Kara on a push, red, Earth-like sofa, Oliver continued. "After that, I got bored, I missed the action, missed The Green Arrow. So, I took the mantle back, by that point I was the fourth Green Arrow."
"The fourth?" Kara blurted. "Who else could've…" Trailing off for a moment, the Kryptonian looked down to the floor, avoiding Oliver's eyes. "Did William? Or…did you have kids?"
"William never wanted that life, and…there…there was never anyone else." Oliver answered honestly.
He tried, when he realised he was immortal, to stop himself from having children, from falling in love. There wouldn't have been a point, and outliving their children was a curse Oliver knew no parent should have to bare.
"But I…well I kinda adopted." At Kara's bemused expression, Oliver continued. "Grant Wilson's Uprising. With Sara and The Legends coming back to help we saved the city but…but we lost some people. John, Lyla, others…it was hard on all of us. John's kids, he and Lyla…they wanted me to look after them. John Jr. needed…something to help him handle what happened, so I trained him."
Pausing for a moment, Oliver fidgeted with his bow. John had been an angry child, forced to grow up with the death of his father on his conscience. Oliver had tried so many times to tell the young boy that it hadn't been his fault, that there was nothing he or anyone else could've done to have saved his father. It had been futile after a while, and Oliver had agreed to train him, and his younger sister Sara. They became the next Green Arrow and Black Canary, and had been a force to be feared in Star City.
"Earth has changed a lot over the years, Kara." Oliver spoke. "We started something way back then, me, you, Barry, and Clark. The Golden Age of Heroes they call it now. The people I trained, the metahumans, their descendants, Earth…hell the whole galaxy has turned into a veritable paradise under our watch."
"You mean you've gotten bored?" Kara smirked at him, a knowing look in her eye. "I've noticed it too. Between the Lantern Corps, D.E.O. and all the others, it's been too quiet out here. There's not much to do except fight the occasional megalomaniac."
"And that really does get old after the first hundred or so times." Oliver smiled warmly.
"So that's the reason you dragged yourself all the way out here?" Kara began with a teasing smile. "The natural consequence of immortality, boredom?"
Oliver couldn't help but to smile, even after all the time they had spent apart things seemed to just slip back into their normal routine. If it wasn't for the white highlights in Kara's hair Oliver almost would have believed that it was still 2020, that the two of them were still sharing that apartment in Star City, that they had both just gotten home from a stressful day at the office and teasing each other was par for the course. He could tell Kara felt the same, that nostalgia in her eyes, the longing he was used to seeing every time he looked in the mirror.
"Well, maybe not the only reason." Oliver offered a knowing smile.
From the blush that rose in Kara's cheeks, clearly, he had been more than overt enough.
"It's kinda funny that you'd turn up now," Kara began after the blush had subsided. "I still celebrate the Terran New Year, and last month when the date rolled around to 2916, it got me to thinking about when we first met."
"That mess when Barry accidentally summoned the Dominators to Earth?" Oliver laughed warmly at the memory of his first meeting with Kara, he had still been so distrustful of her, god-like powers and the attitude of an over-excited puppy was something he couldn't accept back then. "I don't think I ever actually forgave him for that, but…it did mean meeting you, so it was worth it."
At the loving look Kara gave him, Oliver rose to his feet with a smile.
"Still, reminiscing about old time isn't why I spent the last century tracking you down." Oliver offered his hand to Kara, pulling her to her feet when she took it. "I had the future in mind, not the past."
Kara smiled, allowing their hands to remain intertwined even after she had stood up. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, we're the last ones, Kar. Everyone else is dead now. We're the only ones who remember how it was when it started. How it was when everything was rough and tumble, and we made our own rules. Before the D.E.O. and the United Earth Government, when the world was crying out for peace and order, and we were the ones who found the way to provide it."
Kara couldn't help how wide her smile grew at Oliver passion, that burning impulse he had to protect those who couldn't protect themselves. The need, the tugging at his core that meant no matter what he would don the hood and grab his bow and ride out to save the way. It was the same need that she felt every single day.
"Well, we did that job a little too successfully apparently." Kara smirked at him.
"Exactly! Me, you, and the others…we made the world a better place, a nearly perfect place, and we made ourselves redundant while doing it. And for us…losing our purpose is like losing our soul."
"That's why I kept running, Ollie." Kara admitted softly. "I'd already left you all, I couldn't bare to face the silence, I had to keep myself busy."
"I know," Oliver squeezed her hand reassuringly. "I never blamed you for leaving. Now though, now we can do something about it, Kara. The universe is a big place. There must be worlds, systems, maybe whole galaxies out there that still need a couple of old war horses like us."
"Old?" Kara exclaimed in mock outrage, slapping Oliver on the arm with her free hand and smiling wildly as she did. "Speak for yourself, Queen."
"What'd you say, Kara?" Oliver asked, though already sure of her answer. "Ready to give the universe, ready to give us one more go?"
"Oliver," Kara began with a loving smile. "You waited eight hundred years for me, tracked me down against all odds. I've never known a greater testimony to true love."
With a smile broader than any he'd felt for a long time, Oliver swooped down and planted a brief kiss to Kara's lips. Before he could go any further, Kara broke them apart with a smile and a hand lightly pressed on his chest. Grinning like a school girl, she grabbed his hand and began tugging him back towards the entrance and towards his ship.
"We can get caught up later." Kara practically radiated pure happiness as she bounded down the halls. "Like you said, it's a big universe. There must be somewhere out there the two of us can get into trouble."