Summary: After waking up in Hong Kong after the fight with Slade on the island, Oliver meets Amanda Waller. Who is she, exactly, and what does she want with him? He is about to find out.
Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended. All characters owned by CW/WB. I have taken some dialogue straight from the episodes, and the spoilers, but otherwise I have also expanded on these ideas for my own creation. I began this before Comic-con so I know some of my ideas might very well be AU as well, once the new season begins.
Oliver watched in horror as Sara disappeared from his sight into the raging waters again. It was almost exactly the same way she had disappeared from the yacht that terrible night two years ago. He barely had time for further reflection before Slade landed several well-placed punches on his already bruised and battered body.
"Poor Sara. How many times are you going to watch her die?"
The two men continued to fight, as it was indeed a fight to the death. At least it was for Slade. All Oliver wanted was to have the fighting stop. Exchanging blows, each man attempted to gain the upper hand. Slade finally managed to kick Oliver's leg out from underneath him. He then grabbed Oliver by the throat and held him up in the air, his legs kicking uselessly. Oliver grabbed frantically at Slade, trying to get out of his grasp but only was able to tear the mask off of Slade's face. Slade then threw him across the hull into the opposite wall.
Suddenly, an explosion ripped through the air and metallic pieces from the freighter fell around the two fighters. Oliver was knocked backwards into the dirty water. 'Anatoli must have fired the missile like I asked him to,' he thought. Oliver struggled to his feet, and saw that Slade was now pinned to the ground by several large pieces of the ship, despite his mirakuru-given strength.
Wading towards Slade, Oliver reached him and debated between the cure and the arrow. Now that Slade was incapacitated, he would be able to inject him with the cure. And save his friend. However, Slade's next remark changed his mind.
"What are you going to do, kid, stick me the cure? It doesn't matter. I'll keep my promise. I will take away everything and everyone you love. Sara was only the first. Your sister, Laurel, your mother…."
A sudden rage tore through Oliver. He swung his arm back, then thrust the arrow into Slade's eye with all his strength. Slade's head fell back into the water, seemingly in death. Oliver stepped back, stunned, staring in horror of what he just did. Before he could verify whether Slade was indeed dead, another explosion knocked him backwards into the water. The world became dark.
Consciousness returned and found Oliver waking up in a queen-sized bed. It seemed he was in a hotel room somewhere, with simple furnishings. It was small, but comfortable. Confused, he barely registered all of these details moments before several men burst into the room and grabbed him by the arms. They half-carried, half-walked him outside to a stretch limousine. Oliver was thrown into the back of the limousine, with one of the men following him into the limo.
Oliver sneered at the man beside him, who just met his look with a blank one of his own. Oliver straightened up in the car seat, and noticed a young woman sitting across from him. Jet black hair pulled back tightly into a bun, a stylish but formal suit, with a skirt that revealed very shapely legs. He was unnerved by the chill he saw in her eyes as she smiled a tight-lipped smile.
"Hello, Mr. Queen. Welcome to Hong Kong," she said in an indistinguishable accent that provided him with no clue as to her area of origin.
Oliver did not recognize her. As the limousine pulled away from the curb. Oliver looked out the window and watched as the unfamiliar buildings passed by. Why was he in Hong Kong? He then returned his gaze to the woman.
"Who are you?"
"My name is Amanda Waller. I run a little organization which could benefit from your assistance."
Oliver scoffed. "Excuse me? You've just rescued me from a deserted island that I've been on for two years, and you want me to do something for you? I just want to go home. I have no idea who you are, or why you think I would help you, or how you knew I was on the island in the first place, but….."
"Because you would be better off working for me than rotting in a cold prison cell. In a foreign land. While everyone you know and love thinks you are dead."
"Why would I go to prison?" Oliver asked, not believing this conversation.
"Because I know what you did on that island."
Oliver took a breath, was about to say something, then exhaled. He tried again. "I only did what I did to survive. What laws did I break doing that?"
"Oh, there are quite a few. Murder, for one. By my count, you killed three of Fyers' men, as a start." Amanda sat back further into the seat and fixed a cold stare directly in Oliver's eyes.
Oliver stared at Amanda in shock. A cold chill ran down his spine. "How do you know about Fyers?"
"Because I was the one who hired him."
Oliver saw red, and without thinking, flew across the seat in order to grab this woman by the throat. Images of Yao Fe and Shado dying, now seemingly unnecessarily, crossed his mind. Before he could reach the insane woman, however, the soldier next to him pulled Oliver back into the seat and pinned him down.
The moment passed, and Oliver relaxed his body in defeat. Amanda nodded to the bodyguard/soldier, who released Oliver and sat back down on his side of the seat. Oliver straightened up in the seat as well, keeping his eyes on the woman across from him.
"I am sorry for what happened to your friends. Frankly, I was surprised that you even survived, much less being able to kill Fyers himself. I was also impressed. Even then you showed some promise. Not to mention a large amount of beginner's luck."
"Promise? I had to fight for my life every single day, and you left me there? I could have been home months ago. Not only that, but you….you were behind the plan to ruin China's economy?"
"That is classified, but I will tell you that it was a matter of American national security. I was not happy with your interference with our plan, but I do understand why you took it upon yourself to interfere."
Oliver said with as much sarcasm as possible, "I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your…understanding."
"Our methods may be, shall I say, a little unorthodox, or unethical even, but they are what is necessary to keep our nation safe in today's world."
Oliver ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "Why would you want me to work for you? I do not have any experience in….any James Bond thing you want me for. I am just a spoiled rich kid from Starling who just wants to get home. See my family. Sleep in an actual bed. Take my favorite girl on a date."
"Let's just say that I never pass up an opportunity when it is presented to me. Besides, I feel you owe me for that 'interference' in the Fyers' incident."
"I would think that the money my family could pay you upon my safe return would make up for any inconvenience I might have caused."
"Good point, but….we need your unique set of skills more than we need cash at the moment."
Oliver shook his head in exasperation. "What is that, exactly? And you still have not told me why I should cooperate with you."
"Despite your failing out of three universities, I feel you are somewhat intelligent. I figure you would rather help us, in the long run, than suffer any more of the same indignities that Fyers and Ivo have put you through over these past two years."
"I did not know the U.S. government threatened torture."
Amanda scoffed. "It would not be the U.S. government that would harm you in any way, Oliver." She paused for effect. "This country's government, however, gets awfully suspicious of Americans who do not have passports. Or been on an island with known mercenaries. You have a very good chance of being arrested upon suspicion of being a spy. And Hong Kong authorities do not look kindly upon spies."
Oliver glared at her. He could not believe how this could be happening to him. First the island, with Fyers and Ivo and Slade, and now this? When will he be able to stop living some sick adventure tale and just go home?
"You do not want to cross me, Mr. Queen. However, if you work with me, you will not regret it." The woman smiled at Oliver again in a tight-lipped way that Oliver was afraid he was going to see quite a bit of over the near future.
"Somehow, I doubt it," Oliver muttered.
AN: This is not quite as polished as I would like. However, I do want to post it before we find out any more spoilers or see the episode, and summer is going by fast. Any constructive criticism would be appreciated, as well as any ideas for further chapters. Thanks bunches!
