To A
Better Future
Chapter 1
Disclaimer: I've had this idea awhile now and while a version (Another Chance, Another Life in Possibilities) has been done, I wanted to try again as this idea came back to me. Though at first I wondered how I was gonna do it and then I remembered what Stand With Ward and Queen did with a Flash/Arrow story of his called 'The Battle Of Time' and that helped me figure out how I was gonna pull this off. This takes place after the current seasons.
Oliver Queen sat in his cell in Iron Heights' Death Row wing, brooding in the dark as night had passed once again. Brooding over all his failures and feeling yet again that being in this cell was appropriate. As the man had nothing after a tumultous year of betrayal and loss. Sure, things had started out fairly decently, but then Cayden James and his team had formed to cause problems due to James thinking that Oliver had killed his son. When in fact, it had been one of his team members who had done the deed. Other factors like Agent Watson and the team crumbling due to differences of opinion had led to Curtis walking away for good, Felicity dying thanks to Rene's bullet when she tried to save Laurel's life, Rene and his daughter leaving town for good so that things would be less hectic for them, Dig had even lost his arm to amputation in the end and he and his family left town as well. Dinah had died when she tried to kill Laurel, only for Quentin to shoot her several times to prevent his Earth-2 daughter from dying by her hand. Prompting the two to also leave town for good after getting the Meta to take on the Earth-1 identity of Laurel Lance and coming up with a believable lie as to why she had been missing and presumed dead for so long.
He hadn't really been sure what to think of that as it hadn't felt right to him for whatever reason, but life didn't give him long to think about it much. Especially after Thea and and a paralyed Roy had chosen to also leave town with the vow to never come back. Ultimately leaving Oliver on his own with no help and eventually, forcing him to take up old methods to effectively deal with Richard Dragon and his bunch after the man had killed Cayden and taken his spot as the leader of the group. Agent Watson though… She'd been smart and cleverly set up a few things to ensure his actions would be seen. Forcing him to lose custody of William and having no choice but to surrender himself. Making him somewhat resentful that Barry seemingly had it much easier over in Central despite a few of the problems he had had that year in his bright and cheerful looking city. Oliver wasn't even sure how long he'd remain on Death Row until it was time for his execution for all he'd done as the Hood, the Arrow, and finally, the Green Arrow. Not to mention lying under Oath in the past. And after a month of being in his cell, the archer had even found himself wishing Waller was still alive Cause then at least she'd be all too willing to pull him out and force him to work for her.
If only so that he could possibly end up dead while working for her and escape the misery that his life had become. Sure, the Legends and even Barry had offered to help bust him out and get him somewhere where he couldn't be found. But he had told them no due to how he felt about feeling like he deserved to be in that cell. "Jeez, Ollie, your face is gonna end up stuck like that if you don't change it." Declared a voice that shouldn't have been possible.
Making Oliver stare up and look at the figure of one Tommy Merlyn. "Who are you!? And how'd you get in here!?" He asked dangerously as he got to his feet, ready to attack if needed.
"Tommy Merlyn, your best friend and brother in all but blood? I mean… Who else would I be? As for how I got in here? Death really likes me." Tommy replied cheekily.
Earning a growl from the unshaven archer as he did not like being toyed with. Tommy just sighed and spoke up again. "Alright, since you don't believe me… When we were 11, Kelly Delcourt kissed you, leaving you so stunned that she took it as the opportunity she was hopin' for to pants you in front of everybody."
Oliver's eyes widened in shock as practically nobody remembered that embarrassing story! Well, unless Tommy brought it up anyway just to poke fun at him back in the day. "TOMMY!?" Got out the stunned man and then wincing at the high volume of his voice.
Knowing it would bring unwanted attention. "Yep! That's my name! And don't worry about the guards or the other inmates, they can't hear or see what's happening here between us."
"Oh." Well that's handy to have on your side.
The two stared at one another for a moment until Oliver stepped forward and hit his best friend in the jaw, sending him stumbling a bit. Tommy held his face as he looked at his smug looking best friend. "What the Hell was that for!?" Asked the dark haired man as he rubbed on his aching jaw.
Oliver just grunted. "For bringing that horrible moment up when I told you to never do it again or face the consequences."
"Well how else was I supposed to get you to believe me!? Plus, I didn't want to waste time tryin' to convince you and probably experiencing another death! Or… Would I even actually die again if I'm already dead to begin with?" Oh… That was something to ask those on the Otherside!
His best friend stared him down before letting out a sigh. "I suppose you have a point. But you could be from another Earth for all I know."
"Afraid not, Ollie. I'm the real legit Tommy Merlyn of Earth-1. Who was horribly taken far too soon from this Earth and all its beautiful women thanks to his murdering psychotic father." Replied the man but it seemed like Oliver wasn't necessarily inclined to believe him.
Making him heave out a sigh. "Alright, its clear its gonna take more then that story to make you believe me and somethin' tells me that would take too long."
"Probably right, so is this something Barry came to you about in the hopes I'd agree in leaving with you to your Earth?"
"Uhh, no. Plus, I'm dead, past the Mortal Coil and all that. What I am here to offer you though, is a chance."
"A chance for what?" Oliver asked gruffly.
"A chance to go back and change things for the better, man! Cause how things are now? Not even anywhere close to how it actually should be." Damn Time Masters and their meddling!
For even in death, they still had things so badly screwed up to the point that not even the Legends or the Time Bureau even realized it! "I was under the impression that going back in time and changing an event was a bad thing due to the potential ramifications it had." Why he was even humoring this alternate version of his best friend? Oliver didn't know since this version had no real reason to be trying to convince him of using time travel to fix things when he could be trying to convince him to go with him to his Earth instead.
Tommy nodded. "Normally? Yeah. But those from on high on the Otherside are involved since they are wanting to change things for the better."
"Right. So either you are from another Earth, or, the Speed Force Barry's talked about, appearing before me as my best friend. And that's something I really don't care for by the way." Growled Oliver in annoyance.
Tommy hung his head for a moment before looking at his best friend. "Boy, even with all you've seen and done, you are still a hard sell." He told the other man with a hint of frustration to his voice.
"One of the many reasons I'm still alive."
"And in a cell, can't forget that."
A grunt came from the archer. "I couldn't forget if I wanted too. So you might as well go back to where you came from cause I'm staying right here."
"Dude, seriously, I'm givin' you a chance to go back and change things for the better! Your mind would be taken back to a younger body that's not littered in so many scars and injuries. And I know deep down, you want to do this."
Oliver stared at him for what felt like a long time until he sighed and shook his head. "Alright, fine, whatever. If it'll get you to leave me alone, I'll play along with whatever bridge you're trying to sell me." Declared the man as he figured that why not, he'll humor this version of his best friend.
If anything, it'd pass the time a little before he inevitably found himself back in his cell. Tommy however, knew full well his best friend was just humoring him since he didn't want to believe but he didn't care about that. Besides, it wouldn't be long before Ollie did find himself having no choice but to believe. Clapping his hands together with a grin, Tommy came up to his best friend and brother in all but blood. "Dude, you so aren't gonna regret this. But I should warn you, this will probably hurt. A lot."
"Can't be any worse then the pain I've already gone through." Grunted Oliver grimly and making the other man wince at the crap that Ollie had been through!
"Maybe, maybe not."
And before the archer could ask him what he meant by that, the palm of Tommy's hand slapped him hard on the forehead. Pain instantly shot up through out Oliver's body and it was perhaps the worst thing he'd ever felt as he closed his eyes and let out a scream of pain.
Lian Yu, Years In The Past
A loud gasp broke the mostly silent atmosphere of the Fuselage that morning as Oliver sat up in his makeshift bed, breathing heavily as he did so and startling the other two that lived in it with him. "Kid, what the Hell!?" Asked Slade in alarm and perhaps even a little worry.
Since it wasn't often he did that as Shado came to Oliver's side as she knelt down to him in worry. "Are you alright?" Came the gentle question in English.
His head turned quickly to look at her with a wide eyed expression on his face. "Sh-Shado!?" Gasped Oliver in shock as he stared at the face of a woman he had cared so much for and lost in such a horrible way cause of Ivo's cruelty and madness.
His hands cupped her face as he stared at her, drinking her in. "What is it? You look like you are looking at a ghost, Oliver." Shado told him in concern and growing worry.
Worry that even Slade was starting to have as the seconds passed by. But he said nothing as he suddenly stood up and inspected himself, even taking off his shirt and pulling up a pants leg to inspect a leg. "No Shark bite… Hardly any scars… I, I really am in the past..." Mumbled the castaway in shock.
Coming to the realizing that the Tommy who had been in that cell really was his best friend who had somehow returned from the dead with an offer of sending him to the past and placing his mind into his younger self! Shado and Slade watched all this happen in growing concern and worry for their friend, or perhaps lover in Shado's case. "Kid, don't you dare start losin' your head on me now."
Oliver's head snapped towards him and he quickly came to the ASIS soldier and to his complete surprise, hugged him as a laugh escaped him. Making the Australian rather uncomfortable in the process. Thankfully, the hug didn't last long as the Kid pulled back and then hugged Shado with another laugh escaping him. Even kissing her with everything he had and causing a brief spark of jealousy to flare up in Slade. Shado practically melted into the passionate kiss but it didn't stop her from feeling worried and concerned for the man. Moments later saw Oliver pulling back, leaving a breathless Shado with her eyes still closed as he wrapped an arm aroud her and kept her close to him. "Tommy wasn't lying, nor was he from another Earth or whatever. I really am in the past." Oliver said in shock and awe as he looked around at the Fuselage.
Which strongly felt of home and happy memories to him before Ivo came along and ruined everything. "Kid, you're startin' to really worry me."
Slade watched as the Kid's face went from shock and awe to deadly serious. "No need to be, Slade, but we are about to have a problem that you should want to be worried about."
"What do you mean by that?" Asked the gruff man and causing Shado to snap out of her daze.
"What I mean is… In a few hours, we're gonna have some uninvited guests show up on the island." Replied Oliver in a deadly serious tone with an equally serious look on his face.
One that neither Slade or Shado had ever really seen from him before.
Author's Notes: Decent for a beginning start to this story? And once I've taken care of a few other fics, I'll be coming back to this. Even if the reaction to it isn't all that much. R and R!