Dead silence. A cold chill running through the thin air hitting everything in its path. Barely lit up rooms giving almost no indication of any life in the atmosphere.
His best friends in the entire world. His comfort zone. His home now. A home that he has called his home for the past few months. Long months. Dreadful months. Unforgettable months.
Months filled with so much pain. Months filled with so much internal torment. Months filled with so much death.
Death of his loved ones. Death of his sense of justice. Death to even himself deep down leaving only a shell of a man behind.
A lone figure that sits silently staring down at a picture while a glass of whisky sits nearby with the stench of hours of drinking fills the air.
A picture that has meant so much to him. Even if others could never understand. A picture that he has always keep on himself for years.
His most prized possession. A possession that always reminded him what he had waiting for him back home. A small picture that would always give him the strength to go on even when he didn't think he could do so.
A small picture of his lost love. A picture that had been given to him from what felt like another lifetime ago. A picture that has always stayed with him reminding him what he was fighting for.
What he was living for. But now? Now it only serves as a reminder. Only serves as a way to remember her face. Remember her smiling face. Remember the good times before the darkness had taken over.
All starting on that one fateful night. A night that he would remember forever. Remember as he had to watch helplessly as his most deadly advisory to date drove an arrow down into his love's chest.
Remember how he had ran as fast as he could with her dying in his chest hoping to get some help. Remembering hearing her last words that pulled hard on his heart strings. Remembering what her lips tasted like before the life left her eyes changing his life forever.
Changing him forever into something else. Something vengeful. Something bloodthirsty. Something that would not be stopped. Could not be stopped. Would not be allowed to be controlled by others. Not allowed to be reasoned with.
A new identity that had been quickly revealed to his enemies. Been revealed with countless nights of killing all those that chose to side with his enemy. Including members of his enemy's own family.
A moment that he couldn't quite explain why it felt so good. Maybe it was because he felt some sort of justice had been delivered? Maybe it was because he wanted his enemy to know what it felt like to love the ones that he cared about the most.
That he would never know. All he knew was it would only be the beginning. The beginning to a war that had met its end a short time ago. Met with him looking down towards his fallen enemy.
But it did not come with casualties. A causality that he did not see coming. Did not think he would ever see again.
His remaining family member losing her life. Losing her life for him. A sacrifice that would often haunt his dreams along with many others. A sacrifice that would never be known to the public but he would always remember.
He would always remember the moment his baby sister had sealed the passageway separating her from him as countless minions had closed upon them. Never forget how she was always there for him these past couple of months.
Moments that he could no longer share with her anymore. Instead all that he had left of her was his memories.
Memories that he would relive over and over again while sitting down in once was known as The Lair all alone heavily drinking just hoping that his time would come soon. Just hope that his days were numbered to remain here on this Earth.
Former allies scattered. Some even proven to not be what they seemed but instead to be enemies. Some that still have their presence known all around him from their own contributions to this once base of operations.
But now? It wasn't a base of operations. Now it was only a shell of its former glory along with its owner. An owner that has looked like he has aged drastically in a short period of time. But his most noticable difference wasn't his appearance. No it was his eyes.
Haunting eyes that showed nothing but pain. Showed nothing but suffering. Showed no hope.
Downing yet another glass of whisky in front of him slowly refilling his glass slamming the half empty bottle down onto the table looking back down towards his most prized possession keeping his eyes focused down at the smiling face looking up towards him feeling his eyes stinging once again reaching down gently tracing her lips with his fingers feeling his emotions getting the best of him forcing his eyes closed bowing his head down Oliver takes a deep breathe as he tries to suppress the tears that are threatening to fall.
Instantly hearing the sound of some kind of alarm sounding off snapping open his eyes looking up towards the command center finding the main computer coming to life bringing up countless lines of codes across the screen unable to keep a look of interest from coming across his face keeping a tight hold of the glass in his hand rising up from his chair shaking away the sudden dizziness from his sudden movement staggering forward slowly Oliver makes his way up the steps of the command center and over towards the main computer.
Glancing away from the screen that continues to work on it's own and down towards the keyboard in front of him reaching out with his free hand raised up in a sudden move smashing a fist down repeatedly onto the keyboard causing pieces of the board to smash off looking back up seeing the stream of codes stopping nodding his head in approval rearing back just as he takes a small sip of the whisky in his hands seeing a highlighted file lighting up in the corner of the screen letting out a sigh reaching out for the computer's mouse slowly Oliver clicks down on the file instantly causing a couple of feeds to come up along with another stream of codes.
Keeping his eyes focused on the screen seeing words such as metahumans and life force coming across the screen ignoring the feeds that are starting to come through raising up as he closes his eyes and presses his lips to his glass suddenly hearing the sound of a familaur scream echoing from off of the screen snapping his eyes up instantly feeling his eyes going wide loosening his hold on his glass without taking his eyes away from one of the feeds the glass in his hand falls down to the ground shattering into pieces.
Why am i here? Why did i agree to come here?
Keeping her face masked of any emotions strolling across the empty floor over towards a nearby window overlooking the city pressing her hand gently against the glass glancing around the outside world seeing so many countless buildings staring back at her for as far as her eyes can see letting out a sigh Siren takes a quick glance at her reflection before she looks back around with a grin threatening to break across her face.
" I don't think i've taken down so many buildings at once."
" Maybe you're not as powerful as you think."
Snapping her eyes away from the glass with her facial features hardening drastically glancing around her surroundings not seeing anyone in sight moving away from the glass with only the sound of her coattails swishing through the wind keeping her eyes constantly moving slowly stalking her way forward Siren glides through the open floor looking for even the slightest of movement before as she sees a pair of familaur beings standing before her at the other end of the floor staring at her through an unfinished window coming to an halt keeping her emotions in check Siren glances back and forth between the two.
Two beings that she knew couldn't be standing before her. Knew for a fact that they had perished along with others. So who were they?
An answer that she knew but wanted to hear from the beings standing before her. Hear as they begged for mercy. Hear as they pleaded for their lives before they were taken away. But for now she would just sit back and have some fun along the way.
" I thought you two were dead?"
Keeping her face blank of any sort of emotion stalking her way forward keeping her eyes focused on them at all times slowly Siren watches as the two beings that she knew to be this world's doppelgangers of her world's beings emerge out of their hiding spots and over towards her.
" Zoom thinks that too and we would like to keep it that way."
Not for long.
Suppressing the urge to smirk bringing her hands down to her sides glancing back and forth between the two doppelgangers letting out a chuckle Siren shakes her head.
" You two think you can pull one over on Zoom? Well enjoy being dead."
Keeping her eyes focused on the doppelganger that she knew was trying his hardest to impersonate the being that she knew as Reverb from her world seeing a small bead of sweat dripping down his forehead and trickling upon his glasses feeling her lips curling upright slowly stalking her way forward Siren turns her attention away from his blank emotionless face that is clearly starting to betray his emotions and over towards his companion to see her back peddling slightly.
" You two are truly pathetic. Did you think for one second that i would fall for something like this? Give me one reason right now why i shouldn't just kill you now before Zoom gets the chance?
In fact this little display is just outright insulting and for that i'm not even going to give Zoom the chance. Do any of you have any last words to…."
" Laurel?"
Instantly coming to a drastic halt not believing what she is hearing turning on her heels slightly looking down towards the far end of the floor suddenly as she sees a figure standing before her looking at her unable to speak a single word Siren's eyes go as wide as saucers at what she sees.
It can't be? It just can't be.
Standing perfectly still as though she was a statue keeping her eyes focused in one the man slowly approaching her feeling her eyes starting to sting looking away from the slowly approaching being and down towards the cold concrete shaking her head slightly turning to look back up with a slightly tilted head Siren watches as the being moves closer and closer to her through the darkness displaying his face even better for her to see.
Feeling as though his legs are about to give in on him with every single step that he takes keeping his eyes focused in on her own unable to hold them back feeling tears trickling down his cheeks coming to a stop just a few feet away from her reaching out Oliver extends his hand out towards Siren's cheek.
Blinking her eyes a few times as she feels his hand gently resting down on her cheek glancing down towards the ground shaking her head slowly Siren looks back up towards Oliver's face.
It's not him. It's not my Oliver. Damn this world for….wait? His eyes! Why do his eyes look so familiar? Why do they feel so familiar to me?
Unable to look away staring deep into his teary eyes instantly Siren's eyes widen as she feels her eyes starting to sting even further.
Those eyes. I know those eyes. Those are….which means he's my….
Leaning into his touch closing her eyes taking a deep breathe slowly Siren opens her eyes to look back into Oliver's own seeing the very same thing she had just seen just seconds ago before without giving him a chance to react lunging forward Siren crashes her lips to his own.
Wrapping her arms around the back of his neck grabbing a fistful of his hair bringing his head down closer to her own as she feels his hands wrapping around her waist breaking off the kiss with her facial features hardening Siren stares at Oliver deep in the eyes.
" If you ever leave me again, I will hunt you down and kill you myself."
Without giving him a chance to react leaning back forward gently Siren presses her lips back to Oliver's own unaware that from behind her the two other occupants inside of the room slowly make a hasty retreat with their eyes constantly watching them with mixture of emotions across their faces.
Author's Notes: Hey everyone. I just wanted to let everyone that is interested in reading this latest Arrow story to let you know that it won't be as long as my previous others. This one will only be 5 chapters long. It was an idea that i had the other night and just rolled along with. I hope that you enjoy.
Pootamis