Title: Into the Darkness
Author: Some1FoundMe
Rating: T
Summary: Slade has made good on his promise to bring Oliver's world crashing down. Thea and Laurel have been taken but they are only a distraction. Oliver is willing to sacrifice everything for the one person he will not let suffer because of him. Olicity. Spoilers thru 2x09.
A/N: This just sort of popped into my head. I've seen some stories on here where Oliver is forced to choose between Laurel and Felicity but that isn't where my mind wanted to take this...
Into the Darkness
He isn't sure how he missed it. He should've known better. He shouldn't have left her alone. But his mother had called him only hours earlier in a panic because Thea had been taken. She'd been taken and he had known the moment the words were out of his mother's mouth who had taken her. But things had only gotten worse because Lance had contacted Felicity not much later, begging her to contact the vigilante because Laurel, too, had been taken.
Oliver knew what that meant. Slade was luring him in. He was going to use his sister and Laurel against him. He would make him choose between them. It would be different this time. He wouldn't let either of them die. He was no longer alone. Diggle was with him. Felicity's voice was confident in his ear. And when Sarah had shown up ready to fight for her sister, he knew that she understood, too. Slade was punishing him for Shado's death. He blamed Oliver, and Sarah in a way, for letting her die. But he hadn't let her die. He couldn't have saved them both.
They approach the warehouse that Felicity has directed them to without speaking. Oliver's bow is pulled taut, an arrow ready to cut through the first target that it comes into contact with. His body is tense as they enter the darkened space but he is unprepared for what they find there. There are only a handful of guards who are easily taken out and Slade is noticeably absent. Thea and Laurel are both restrained in the center of the space, both unconscious but otherwise unharmed. Sarah goes to his sister and Oliver goes to his. It isn't until he hears the concern in Diggle's voice that he realizes something else is wrong. The other man is calling Felicity's name, repeating it more forcefully each time into the comm. She is not responding and the silence makes his blood run cold. He should've known. He shouldn't have left her alone.
He turns to Diggle, Thea slumped in his arms. His friend takes his sister and cocks his head toward the exit.
"Go, Oliver! Go!"
He doesn't hesitate. He moves as quickly and efficiently as he can as adrenaline races through him. He had brought her into his world, he had put her in danger, and he had vowed to protect her. The thought that he had failed her made his stomach turn.
He enters the foundry and nocks back an arrow. Slade is sitting in Felicity's chair. She is on the floor at his feet, her hands bound behind her back. The sight makes him draw in a sharp breath. There is blood on her face and her glasses are missing. When she sees him, an involuntary whimper leaves her lips. The disgusted smirk on Slade's face makes him feel as if a knife has been twisted in his gut.
There are no words spoken between them because Oliver cannot rein in his fury long enough to speak. The first arrow loosed from his bow is caught before it can hit its intended target but he continues his assault until the quiver at his back is empty. When all of the arrows are gone and Slade is on his feet, he throws his body into the attack. He is reminded of their time on Lien Yu, of the rigorous training that Slade forced on him to make sure that he could survive. He is one of the people responsible for making Oliver into a killer. He is the reason that he knows how to fight.
He loses track of Felicity. His main objective is to keep Slade as far away from her as possible. He will keep her safe. He will give her a chance to escape. Even if it means sacrificing himself because it's Felicity and her life is worth so much more than his.
When Slade's hand is wrapped around his throat and hauling him off of his feet, Oliver knows that pain is going to riddle his body. He braces for it, for the impact that is bound to come, but the agonizing pain that tears through him is more than he can bear. White light bursts in front of his eyes and warmth is suddenly seeping into his clothes. He is vaguely aware that Felicity is screaming his name but he cannot move. He cannot breathe.
He is waiting for Slade to kill him but all that he can think of is her. He can see her face clearly in his mind. He can imagine the terrified expression that mars her beauty. He is suddenly filled with regret. He has worked so hard to distance himself from her and he regrets that he'd made that decision for her. He can only pray that she knows what she means to him. He wishes more than anything that he'd been strong enough to tell her that he loves her because it's true. He loves her and he has never had the courage to tell her.
He hears her again, hears the tremor in her voice as she calls out to him. And then her small, cold hands are on his face and he's opening his eyes. He can hardly focus on the woman in front of him as his world swims. He thinks that he must be in shock because he doesn't feel pain. He doesn't feel the three arrows that have pierced his chest and abdomen.
"Felicity…" his voice is soft, broken, and he sees tears in her eyes.
"It's okay, Oliver, you're going to be okay," she assures him, "John!"
He wants to tell her that he loves her. He wants to tell her that he's sorry for endangering her. But he doesn't have a chance to say either of those things because as she calls his name one last time, the world around him goes black.
