Note: So here's an alternate end to Bloodsong's Blood for Blood fic (which you really should go read before reading this- link: /s/10642212/1/Blood-for-Blood) This is on its own, and is an AU of my other story Short Change Hero as well.

Warnings: Blood (some, not a whole lot)

Thea didn't react. She couldn't. Thea had done this, she had caused this. To her, it didn't matter that she hadn't known what she was doing. The knife had been in her hand.

Her stomach cramped, and if anything had been in there besides bile, she would have retched again. Under her breath, dry sobs escaped her lips.

From the shadows, Talia stepped out and meandered her way to Thea. "Oh, did he finally die?" she purred as she crouched next to the younger Queen. She brushed some of Thea's hair aside and rested her chin on the bare shoulder. "Tsk, that's too bad. I was hoping he'd suffer a bit longer."

Against her neck, Thea could feel the smile, and in turn, a shudder ran up her spine. There were so many things that she wanted to say to this ice queen, but she found she couldn't get her mouth to cooperate.

The sight of Thea's broken face sent a shiver of thrill though Talia. Emotional wounds could be impossible to heal. It really was too bad Malcolm hadn't lasted longer to see the damage she had wrought.

Strolling past Thea, Talia came to rest in front of the limp Malcolm. Now that she was close she could see the rise and fall of his chest, slowly and less rhythmic. It wasn't her handiwork, per se, that had placed him in this predicament, but she thoroughly enjoyed the sight nonetheless.

She tangled her fingers in his hair and forced his head up. His eyes were open, glassy, and unfocused, but he was still there. A look that screamed defeat was etched into his face, and she scowled that he was actively trying to die faster. That took the fun out of things.

Her thumb pressed deep into his wound, the heat of infection surrounded her digit, and whatever had found a way to congeal and scab peeled away to begin bleeding anew. His eyes went wide, a low moan escaped his lips.

"Now, now," she purred quietly against his face. "Not too soon." She slipped another finger into his wound. His breath caught, and she could tell that he was gritting his teeth in an attempt to stay quiet. "You can do better." She curled one finger and pulled. While he didn't scream, she could tell he was struggling not to. This was what she loved - playing, teasing, and letting her toys believe they stood a chance of defying her. "Maybe if you beg…" she said aloud… "Maybe then I'll let you die quickly." Or maybe not. Talia enjoyed swinging back and forth on such decisions.

When he didn't immediately respond, she leaned in and listened while tightening her hold on his side. Finally, a small whimper escaped the Dark Archer, and Talia couldn't keep the smile from her face.

"Just go away," Thea's voice came from behind. Her voice was also weak and scratchy; she wouldn't live for much longer either.

"Talia," Malcolm whispered, trying to find it in himself to say the words. If he was dead, Thea could go free. There was no guarantee Talia wouldn't move on to the younger girl, but he had to do something. He had to give her this last chance, even if it meant his last piece of dignity. "Please," the word came hardest.

She pulled her hand from his wound and rested one finger on her chin. His blood left a crimson dab on her fair skin. Cocking her head, she asked, "What was that?"

She was enjoying this too much, and he hung his head. "Just kill me, slower, faster… I don't care. Just end this." It wouldn't be long anyway, but if he could convince Talia to end it now, then Thea wouldn't have to watch any longer.

"Beg more," she whispered.

"What do you want from me?" he said, his voice near hysterics. The pain was overwhelming. "Kill me… or let me hang here more… Just let Thea leave." He wasn't about to beg for anyone else's lives; his daughter was his main concern. "I'll scream, beg, whatever you want if you let her go." It wasn't as if he was going to last much longer anyway.

Talia clasped her hands together and roamed back to Thea. Her bloody hands came to rest on the younger girl's shoulders. Thea tried not to shy away in disgust, but it was hard when the smell brought up the memories from days before… of the knife deep in Malcolm's stomach, shredding him and killing him.

"You hear that?" Talia asked. "He's begging for your life. He wants you to live… even after what you did to him." She watched as Thea shied away and tried to tune her out. Oh how easy Malcolm made this, to twist the emotional knife deeper. He had avoided speaking to is daughter to avoid building any sort of bond, but by begging for her life, he had done just the opposite. "What do you think? Should I let you leave?" She paused to let that sink in. "But if you do, I'll take my time and he'll last even longer."

Inside Malcolm was praying for Thea to take the deal, to run; he wouldn't blame her. But as he caught her eye, he saw that she was in such a state of shock that she'd never be able to decide. Her own survival instinct was struggling against her guilt.

Going limp, Malcolm tried to drag the attention back onto himself. Talia's whistling brought Reese from the shadows; he leapt to obey. He bowed his head respectfully and went to check Malcolm. The traitor's head was lolled back, eyes closed, but Talia had seen convincing acts in the past.

Reese reached up to check the pulse when he screamed as an arrow pierced the lower part of his spine. He fell past the traitor and landed face first in the blood puddle that had been accumulating for the past two and a half days.

Talia spun, a barely concealed scowl on her face. It quickly turned into one of shock though when her baby sister stepped from the shadows- bow in hand. Her baby sister dared to betray her and their father? By her sides, she felt blood welling up from underneath her clenched fingers.

"What do you think you are doing?" Talia hissed.

Nyssa showed no fear and no hesitation. "Enough is enough, sister." She barely glanced past to see Malcolm in his chains. "There is no need for all of this."

It didn't need to be said that he was a traitor and deserved even worse. "Oh baby sister, you always did see the good in things." It was why Nyssa never could become a hunter.

"They don't deserve this," she said. Her hand waved at the remaining and still drugged team arrow. "Blood for blood does not allow for this."

Talia sighed and waved an inconsequential hand at Nyssa. "Traitors and acceptable casualties, baby sister." That's all they were to her, and she'd be damned if she allowed someone to try to make her feel depraved about her actions.

Nyssa raised her bow, fingers clenched tight around the drawstring. She couldn't allow her brethren, sister or no, to continue to break the code set down by their father. Steeling her resolve, she raised her bow and notched an arrow. Never before had she had some a difficult time setting her sights.

"Enough Nyssa," a new voice growled from behind. She felt the tip of Viper's arrow against her neck.

A scowl twisted onto Nyssa's face. Her fingers and knuckles turned white from grasping the string, but she didn't lower it. Talia smirked, and that drove Nyssa to let the arrow from her bow loose. Her older sister ducked down, and she spun to use her bow to smack Viper's away. Instead, the hunter leapt back and kept her arrow drawn.

"You would not dare to touch a daughter of Ra's al Ghul," Nyssa threatened. In response, Viper's bow dipped just a fraction. Nyssa didn't hesitate in drawing back another of her own arrows and letting it loose. The hunter saw this coming and stepped back; however, the arrow still struck her hard in the upper right chest.

Cold steel slid rough against Nyssa's neck; every muscle screamed in response. She swallowed her training and casted her glance on the sister that now held her. Talia's maniac grin caught her eye. She realized just how far her sister had willingly fell and just how far she was willing to go to continue this fun.

Snarling, Nyssa slammed her elbow hard into Talia's stomach, the blade catching the few upper layers of skin on her neck as she did so. A small trickle of blood dripped from the wound but otherwise she was unharmed.

Thea clenched at every twang the bows made when an arrow was fired. Her eyes were planted firmly on the floor below Malcolm's feet. She didn't want to look- what if the ice queen won? She didn't want to see that thing come near her again. Movement across the Foundry caught her eye though… Oliver was struggling back to the surface of consciousness.

Talia struck high and Nyssa ducked under. The younger sister was not a trained hunter, but she had been raised beside her older sister nonetheless. In hand to hand, they were evenly matched. However, Nyssa was not trying to defeat Talia, only press her away from the Foundry. Sara was her worry. Her gaze was drawn there multiple times during the fight to see her lover's head lolled, eyes closed, and lips broken. It terrified her to think she might have turned around too late.

"Focus, baby sister," Talia cooed, sword now drawn. Nyssa had to use her bow to block the incoming strike, a lethal blow. Her eyes widened at the sight, and when she looked to Talia, her sister was still smiling, a laugh bubbling from her throat.

Seeing the insanity in her sister's eyes, Nyssa let go of the last reservations holding her back. She leaned back, allowing the blade to come closer before raising her foot and planted it firmly into Talia's sternum. When she stumbled back, Nyssa came in again, swinging her bow high forcing Talia down, but Nyssa didn't relent. She brought her knee up hard into Talia's nose; blood dripped from her fingers when she went to staunch it.

Instead of looking angry, Talia was even more thrilled. The blood slipped past her lips, and her tongue darted out to catch a few of the stray drops. This was an actual fight, and she loved and lived for it. Her father would understand when she had to kill Nyssa. She'd simply blame the dead or dying man behind her in chains. Or perhaps she'd blame Oliver and use that excuse to have a living canvas for her next work.

Moving in, Talia caught Nyssa on the arm with her sword. Nyssa stepped away, working to put distance between them. Talia was a terrible archer in comparison, but she was an expert swordsman. The only way to win the fight was to put this on her terms, so Nyssa kept dancing away. However each time she moved back, Talia would continue in.

The next swing of the sword, Nyssa caught it badly on her bow. It sliced easily into the carbon fiber frame, and she tried to hide her shock at the sight. A firm pull of Talia's blade, and Nyssa's bow was out of her reach. The smile on her older sister's face promised more than a quick and clean death. She refused to show fear though; she planted her feet and raised her fists.

Talia flipped the blade around her hand a few times in a teasing motion. She could see how Nyssa's eyes followed the blade, and she reveled in it. Her father would understand… even if the corpse was a bit bloody and disfigured. Raising it in an arc meant to incapacitate but not kill, Talia went in to strike when she felt an arrow pierce her back.

The sword slipped from her grasp, and she spun with a hiss to see Oliver shaking but free. His body showed the wear from the last few days, but the fire had not dimmed in his gaze. Without breaking eye contact, he put another arrow in her chest. She was certain he would have kept at it had Viper not intervened. The hunter had snatched her bow, and while the pain in her shoulder severely limited her range of motion, she shot Oliver's arrow out of the air when he had tried to kill Talia.

Reese was dead… Kali was out, and both Talia and Viper had injuries that limited their capacity to fight. At least her job was done. Malcolm Merlyn had suffered for his treason, and she loved it. The smell still excited her, and she was almost disappointed he hadn't lived for a few more days in agony. And then, there was his poor daughter… she'd never be the same, and while Talia would have enjoyed carving her up as well, living with what she did would be a far worse fate.

Viper helped to pull Talia to her feet, and with one concealed look of disgust directed towards her sister, the hunters used dual smoke bombs to vanish from the Foundry.

Oliver stumbled, his legs sore from days of disuse, but he stayed upright. Nyssa, on the other hand, rushed past him to Sara and worked to free her. She was still unconscious, but like Oliver, she was fighting back to the surface as the sedatives wore off.

Even with the pins and needles in his legs, Oliver forced his way over to Thea and worked to cut through her bonds. She was free, but Thea didn't notice. Her gaze was unwavering on Malcolm, who was still hanging limply.

"Thea," he whispered, grasping her face between his hands. She didn't respond, only stood, and wandered towards Malcolm.

Oliver waited to see what she would do, but as she collapsed only a few feet away, he rushed to catch her. Sara somehow appeared next to him, a bottle of water in hand, and he tried to convince her to swallow. The water just dribbled past her lips and onto the stained floor.

"She's in shock," Nyssa stated. Oliver tensed at the sound of another Al Ghul, but to this one, he owed his thanks. He just wasn't ready to say it yet.

With Nyssa's help, Sara was able to lower Malcolm without jolting him too much. He was truly unconscious, teetering near death. Felicity and Diggle both remained under the sedative, and for that, Oliver was grateful.

"May I have your knife?" he asked Nyssa, who slowly but did hand it over. Oliver knelt next to Malcolm and placed the tip near his jugular. The least he could do was to end it quickly. There wasn't anything else they could do.

"Please," Thea finally said, the words tumbling from her lips. "Don't… You can't…" She half crawled over to Oliver and Malcolm, and her eyes would have been glistening if she had any tears left to spill.

"It's quicker," he tried to explain. "He could last for hours like this." He wanted to make it as clean as possible, but the look on Thea's face kept him from actually committing the deed. While Thea wasn't speaking, her lips were forming the words 'my fault' over and over.

There was one other choice…

Throwing the knife down, Oliver went across the Foundry, ignoring the smell and sights, to where his case from the island sat. Inside, underneath everything and hidden in a small compartment on the bottom was a small vial and syringe. He grabbed one other thing from where the medicines sat in the Foundry then returned to Nyssa, Sara, and Thea.

"Oliver, you can't," Sara hissed when she saw the vial. "How do you even have that?"

The mirakuru sat in his hand… the one from the island… and one of the last remaining vials to his knowledge. "Saved one from the Amazo," he explained, and that was the end of that. He used one syringe to load a sedative, something weak since there was no way Malcolm would survive being completely put under.

"Oliver, don't…" Sara said again. "Haven't we learned our lesson?" It was the island all over again, except this time it was Malcolm dying not Slade… but in the end, they were both sociopaths with a vendetta.

"She'll blame herself," he whispered, and Thea looked up. His eyes were on Sara though. "It won't matter that it wasn't her fault. She's going to blame herself if he dies. Once you kill someone…" The words were completely reminiscent of a time between the two of them- Sara remembered just as clearly as yesterday of when Oliver had took the gun and pumped Ivo full of bullets.

Sara looked to Thea quickly, and saw the look Oliver was talking about. This would end her if it hadn't already. The two had never been close growing up, but if this were Laurel who was blaming herself… "Do it," she said.

"Sara," Nyssa began, but went silent with one look.

"There's a cure," she said. "We'll reverse this later."

Oliver gently shook Malcolm in an attempt to rouse him. Unlike Slade, they were not going to do this without telling him first. "Malcolm," Oliver said urgently. "I need you to focus, for only a minute." He held up the vial. "This is mirakuru. It could heal you…" Could was the key word. "But you know the side effects." Insanity, hallucinations, rage…

Malcolm's eyes were unfocused, but he found it in himself to shake his head and stop Oliver with his hand. Oliver continued without hesitation. "If you die, Thea will never forgive herself and never forget what happened here." He watched as the older man's head tilted to the side to consider his daughter. Her face was blank, and she didn't look entirely aware of what was going on.

Malcolm allowed his hand to drop to the wayside, and he didn't resist as Oliver looked for a vein. In his mind, he kept the mantra going: remember who your enemies are, don't forget your allies, don't confuse them. He repeated it over and over as both the sedative and the mirakuru were injected into his system.

Don't forget your allies, remember your enemies, do not confuse the two.