A/N: I found some fics I had written a while ago, so I'm just going to post them. Enjoy.
Thea looked around, doing her best to ignore her pounding headache. Her legs felt cold from kneeling on the tile floor of Verdant, and her feet were hurting from sitting in such an awkward position in heels. She mentally kicked herself for dressing up today, but there was no way she could have known that the League of Assassins was going to pay a visit.
All her friends were lined up next to her on her left, with numerous assassins circling around them. Starting from the farthest, she could see Oliver, Roy, Laurel, Diggle, and Felicity, all kneeling to the ground with their arms tied behind their backs. The latter was in a dress not unlike her own, shaking uncontrollably next to her. Whether the shivering was from the cold or fear, Thea didn't know. But she knew that Felicity had nothing to be scared about. She knew why the League was here. Sara.
The assassins watched them carefully. Their black robes and gleaming swords made little noise with each stride they took. More had concentrated on the opposite side, where her brother was. That was expected. But what surprised her was how all of a sudden, they uniformly stepped away, creating a path for a woman to walk down.
The woman was dressed in black and red, with a sword at her side and a quiver filled with arrows on her back. She strode over to Oliver, chin held high and exuding confidence in a way that Thea knew she must be the leader. The woman spoke crisply. "Oliver Queen."
Her voice had a familiar accent, and that was when it clicked for Thea. This was the same woman who kidnapped her a few months back as bait for Malcolm. The crazy, psycho bitch was back. She definitely wasn't good news, and Thea knew this was only going to get worse.
"You're supposed to be dead," The woman stated, her voice echoing through the silence of the club. Even Felicity stopped shivering, and Thea couldn't blame her. She felt like a breath out of turn would warrant immediate death.
"Funny," Oliver replied cooly, clearly not intimidated by her. "Yet here I am."
"I will correct that error." The assassin pulled her sword out from its sheath. "Though I do have to admit, it is impressive. No one survives a battle with my father."
Thea bit her lip, trying to remember what she knew about the League. The woman's father, the Demon, was the one in charge. And they hate Malcolm, whom the woman labeled as the Devil, which honestly was not an inaccurate description. In addition, Oliver had taken credit for Sara's murder, leading him to fight against the Demon and survive, which apparently is not the way the League works. So now the daughter was here to fix things. Thea looked over at her brother, and her heart nearly stopped. She couldn't lose him again.
"Go ahead," Oliver said defiantly, not blinking an eye. "Just let everyone else go, Nyssa."
"I will, Mr. Queen," the woman–Nyssa–replied, placing her sword on his neck with precision. "But only if you tell me who killed Sara."
Thea held back a groan. Of course they didn't believe he killed Sara. They're not dumb; they're the League of Assassins. But knowing her brother, he'll refuse to give up.
Oliver scoffed, shaking his head. "I already told you, it was me. She asked me to."
"If you refuse to speak honestly," Nyssa threatened, her voice lowering. Her sword pressed into his neck, enough for Thea to visibly see him leaning away from her. "I will kill everyone here. One last chance."
"I. Did. It." Oliver enunciated, stressing every word. He wasn't backing down. "Just kill me. Kill me!"
Thea could hear the panic in his voice, and knew she needed to act fast. Clearly Nyssa wanted blood, and she wasn't going to stop until she filled her thirst. She couldn't let anyone be punished for her actions.
Nyssa sighed, and pulled back her sword. She turned her attention to the next hostage. "Mr. Harper first, then."
Roy stiffened, fear evident in his eyes. As he stammered out some sort of protest, Thea straightened as much as she could and gathered all the confidence she could scrap up. This had gone on long enough.
"I killed Sara."
Everyone's heads turned to her. A beat passed.
"Thea, shut up!" Oliver ordered, but it was too late. Nyssa was already walking to her, determination in her step. Her friends stared at her, wearing matching shocked expressions. If she wasn't terrified at the moment, Thea would be a little hurt by this. Did they honestly expect her to let them take the fall?
"Why?" Nyssa asked, narrowing her eyes. She used the tip of her blade to lift Thea's chin, and Thea struggled not to flinch. She clenched her jaw and forced herself to meet the assassin's eyes.
"The Devil made me do it," Thea answered, hoping she sounded more confident than she felt. She watched Nyssa look away from her for a moment, thoughtful, before turning back to her. The sharpness of the sword dug into her neck.
"Are you referring to Al Sa-Her?" Nyssa tilted her head. "I was under the understanding he is a great father to you."
Thea swallowed the witty retort she thought of, knowing she was not in the position to be playing here. Holding her stare, she answered truthfully. "He was great. Great for teaching me how to fight." Her gaze wavered for a moment, and then she returned her attention to Nyssa. "But he lost that when he used me as a tool to blackmail my brother."
"And how did that happen?" Nyssa asked, pressing on her blade harder. Thea leaned back to avoid being cut. She hated how she was put in such a submissive position.
"He used these plants that grow in Corto Maltese called 'votura,'" Thea answered, glancing from the assassin to the blade. "It made me compliant to his orders and I couldn't remember any of it."
Nyssa nodded in understanding. "I am familiar with this. The League uses this plant as well."
"Oh," Thea said, caught off guard. Maybe Nyssa would be able to understand their situation and no one had to die today. "Well, he forced me to kill Sara, and he recorded it. That way, Oliver had to take the blame for her death or else he was going to show you guys the video."
Nyssa nodded again, and withdrew her sword from her neck. Thea released a breath she didn't realize she was holding as Nyssa turned in Oliver's direction. "He wanted you to defeat my father so you could release him from his debt to the League."
"Yeah," Oliver answered hesitantly. He looked wary, but Thea already felt relieved. Nyssa understands. She can tell her father what happened and they can go kill Merlyn. Everyone lives happily ever after.
Felicity gave Thea a comforting smile, which she happily returned. Diggle and Oliver exchanged doubtful looks, and Roy simply held his head low. But Laurel looked the most grateful. "Thank you for understanding," Laurel grinned at Nyssa. "The real criminal here is Merlyn, and he will get what's coming to him."
"Yes," Nyssa responded, pensively running a hand down her sword. "He will." She looked over Thea's head and gave an order in Arabic. A second later, her bindings were cut, and she was roughly pulled up. A nearby assassin thrusted his own sword into her hand, which she reflexively grasped. And that's when the shouting began.
Dissent arose from her friends, the most vocal her brother. "Nyssa!" he cried out, attempting to stand, only to be pushed down forcefully. "Don't do this! Fight me!"
"Sara wouldn't want this!" Laurel nearly screamed, her usual poised manner now manic. Her eyes brimmed with tears and a few loose strands of hair were caught in her mouth. "I don't blame Thea, and Sara was my sister! Nyssa, please!"
The assassin merely ignored them, her sole attention resting on Thea. "For your crimes against the League," Nyssa announced, raising her voice so she could be heard, "your punishment is death. However, I am not unreasonable. Due to the circumstances, I am allowing it to be a duel." Nyssa adjusted her grip on her sword and assumed a fighting stance. "Raise your weapon."
Thea blinked in disbelief. Nyssa believed their story and she still wanted to kill her. The League really was as ruthless as they say. Hard to believe Sara was part of it. And on top of that, she hadn't even trained for a year yet, and she was expected to fight with someone who has been wielding a sword since she was a child. Thea swallowed, her throat feeling dry. She spared a quick look at her friends, and immediately regretted it. All of them looked completely distraught, and two assassins were holding Oliver down. She didn't have a choice here.
Thea gripped the bottom of her dress and ripped it, causing more outcry from her friends. She shut them out from her mind, and focused on remembering everything Merlyn taught her. She kicked off her heels and raised her borrowed blade. She was ready.
"You may have the first strike," Nyssa stated. She spoke not with arrogance, but rather respect, as if it were a proper duel. Thea knew she was being generous, and intended on taking full advantage of it.
The words were barely out of her mouth when Thea attacked, swiping at her side. Nyssa hissed and stepped away, and Roy shouted, "Go Thea!" From that point, the two began to circle each other. Thea noticed with pride that she managed to draw blood. She wasn't expecting that. And neither was Nyssa.
"Your lack of hesitation will serve you well," Nyssa commented with a carefully touched the wound. "However, not to me."
Thea quickly advanced towards her, aiming high. Nyssa's blade met hers, and the pair engaged in their duel. For a few moments, the club was only filled with sounds of clashing metal and shortened breaths. However, the battle was over as soon as it began. Thea was good, but she was no match for the more experienced assassin. She found herself on her knees once more, unarmed and defeated.
"Enjoy the afterlife."
Nyssa plunged her sword into Thea's stomach without mercy. Thea immediately felt blinding pain, and she reached out to grip the hilt. The women stared at each other for a few moments before Nyssa pulled the sword out, letting Thea fall to the ground. Another wave of icy pain shot through her, tormenting her, and she turned to her side to cough blood out. She reached for her stomach again, shocked to see blood. Blood on her hands. On her stomach. The floor. Everywhere.
She couldn't hear anything but the blood pounding in her ears. She coughed a few more times, but she felt too weak to continue. Cold enveloped her from all around. For a brief moment, she was thankful her back was to her friends. They don't deserve to see her die. She was going to die.
Thea half expected to see her life flash before her eyes, but simply felt freezing cold. She had just closed her eyes when she was pushed onto her back, her brother's face hovering above hers. His eyes were red and his face was wet, from tears or sweat she couldn't tell. He was also shouting something, but she couldn't make it out. She had a hard time seeing him. But she could feel his hand on her head. And maybe her chest. It was hard to pinpoint where he was. She felt tired. And cold. Empty.
She saved them. She saved her brother. That's what mattered in the end.
She closed her eyes.