Disclaimer: I do not own Arrow or the comics the show is (very, very) loosely based on.
A/N: When I originally conceived of the short story, Daughter of the Demon, I quickly found other plot bunnies for specific episodes in later seasons where the writers could've made one different choice and the show would've had the potential to be the Arrow I thought I was going to get when I first watched the pilot. This is a rewrite of 4 x 19 as implied in the summary and like with Daughter of the Demon, I have plans to continue the story into the rest of season 4 and all of season 5 with this change in mind. More notes on this when I finish posting part 9.
Subnote: I am posting the first part to this story at the same time as my season 5 deviation episode. I'm only going to update one story a week, to buy myself time as I work on Wed to the Mask, so which ever story gets the most reviews/requests for more will be the one I update next week.
This chapter is really just a teaser (warning) because of who I kill in place of Laurel.
Part One
It was a bright and sunny day. The first breath of spring had arrived and with it a verdant coat of new life. Even a few early buds had bloomed, adding splashes of yellow, pink, and violet to the green grass and trees. Birds fluttered around, chirping cheerfully in the gentle breeze of the day. Most people sighed, enjoying the pleasant weather.
Yet there were some who wished for clouds and rain; a torrential thunderstorm to match the deluge of feelings they carried. These people were dressed in black as they made their way through a peaceful cemetery. The mourners walked in an uneven line, moving in groups of twos and threes. There was over a dozen of them in total, all somber-faced and red-eyed.
Towards the back of their number trailed John Diggle. Despair was written on his face. His wife, Lyla Michaels, had to lead him forward with a firm grip. Shame and regret bowed John's head and shoulders, yet he had to come. He couldn't not attend this funeral. John blamed himself for what had happened. First, because he'd trust when he shouldn't have. Second, because he hadn't been there when it mattered most. He wasn't the only one struggling with guilt.
Oliver Queen trudged ahead of John and Lyla. He walked with a stoic mien and his head held high, but self-recriminations beat an ugly anthem through his head. He tried so hard to be the hero, to stand in the light, and that decision cost him everything. As if sensing the lashings of his thoughts, his companion touched his arm. Nyssa had chosen to accompany Oliver, for once not making a quip about being his wife. Today, she was here as his friend and comrade. She wished she knew a better way to support him in his grief, but comfort was a kindness that had been bled out of her as a child.
Their somber group reached the casket awaiting them. Behind the dark coffin, there yawned an empty hole, ready to accept its charge. The woman on Quentin Lance's arm sobbed at the sight and collapsed into his embrace as her grief consumed her.
She'd held onto some denial, some hope, as they'd lead the procession to this plot. Now, the cold reality couldn't be denied any longer. Her daughter was dead. Gone. Never to breath or smile or help the world again.
Quentin held Donna Smoak in his arms, knowing there was nothing he could say or do that would comfort her in this moment.
A/N2: Yes, Felicity dies. Any hardcore fans who won't read a story without her, sorry but of the characters I felt Arrow could've/should've put in the grave, it was between Quentin, her, and Diggle. I've already done the Quentin route and Diggle's storyline with Andy wasn't finished so it couldn't be him. If you don't like this choice, please don't read any further and please don't leave any nasty reviews.
Thank you for reading!
