Barry and Cisco breached back into Star Labs. Luckily for them, there didn't seem to be much going on in Central City on that particular evening. He was about to run home to Iris but Cisco spoke before he could.

'Do you think he can do it?' Cisco asked.

'I wouldn't have asked him if I thought he couldn't' Barry replied. 'Anyway, this isn't just to help Kara. Oliver has long believed he's lost to the darkness inside of him. If there's anyone in the multiverse who can convince Oliver that he's a hero, it is Kara Zor-El'.

'A more carefree and brighter Oliver?' Cisco said, whilst shuddering slightly. 'That's just too strange to even imagine. Try and imagine him saying, you have failed this city, in a happy voice'.

Barry and Cisco both were silent for a moment before erupting in laughter. It's just wrong to even think about it. 'Oliver once told me that before he was stranded on that island, he was a billionaire playboy'.

Cisco was sipping on a drink and almost spat it out. He swallowed hard before replying. 'No way! He said that? Playboy?'

'Well not in those exact words but yeah pretty much' Barry laughed.

'I just can't picture it' Cisco said. He was silent for a few moments before his eyes widened. 'Wait a second! I remember something. Didn't Oliver punch a paparazzi bystander?' Barry smiled at him and nodded. 'Wow, that guy somehow became the brooding Emerald Archer. Who would have thought that?'

Barry shook his head in amusement. 'I'm going to head home. See you tomorrow' Barry said before super speeding his way into his and Iris' apartment. Cisco too decided to leave Star Labs and go home, hoping that Gypsy would come over for a visit.


Kara tried to tell herself it was just a coincidence that Oliver came to her Earth the day that she was daydreaming about him. She adjusted her glasses as she sat with him on her couch. They didn't have much in common and the silence stretched. Kara decided to break it as she saw that Oliver had brought a large duffel bag with him.

'What's in the bag?' she asked him. Of course, she could've used her x-ray vision to find out but Kara didn't want to invade his privacy.

'Oh that?' Oliver said in a neutral expression before his mouth formed into a smirk. That smirk. How many people has he made feel this flustered because of that damn smirk, Kara thought. How can I think properly when he's smirking like that? Kara was brought out of her musings as Oliver continued.'If you're anything like Barry and from the time I've spent with you, you very much are, you'll love to have a team up'.

Kara's eyes widened before her face lit up. She jumped up and down on her couch like an excited child. 'This is going to be so much fun! The Girl of Steel and the Emerald Archer teaming up!' she exclaimed with a beaming smile.

Her enthusiasm was infectious and it actually made Oliver excited to work with Kara. Usually, Oliver liked to fight alone. Yes, he had his team but preferably he'd be out in the field as a lone wolf. However, people like Kara and Barry got so excited for team ups, that even Oliver was eager to fight alongside them. Plus, who wouldn't want to team up with a near invincible, badass alien.

'No doubt' Oliver said with a smile. Oliver noticed that her smile was genuine and perhaps he was distracting her from the problems in her life. He was glad that even now, there were things that could make Kara happy because he didn't want her to go down a dark path like he did. 'So, do you want to tell me why you were so…distracted at Barry's wedding?' Oliver said, trying to find the right words.

'Not really' Kara whispered. 'I'm sure Barry already told you'.

'He did but I wanted to hear it from you. It may help to talk to someone else. Someone who might have been through things you've been through' Oliver said.

'I will love to spend time with you whilst you're here, Oliver but no offense you can't possibly imagine what I've been through' Kara said sadly, leaning her head back against the couch.

Oliver let out a frustrated sigh. His eyes closed for a few seconds as he tried to compose himself. Even to this day, Oliver found it hard to talk about his past. No-one truly knew everything that happened in the five years that he was missing but he decided to at least tell Kara some of it to prove that he does understand her.

'Barry told me you were sent to Earth to protect your cousin but you ended up in something called the Phantom Zone?' Oliver said to which Kara nodded.

'I was stuck there for 24 years until I landed on Earth. The cousin I was supposed to protect was already grown up and he took me to my adoptive parents. So, you see Oliver, you can't relate to what I've been through so you can't help me. I'm alone in this' Kara said.

Oliver brought his feet up to her couch and sat with his legs crossed. He had taken off his shoes earlier. He faced her just as she was doing to him. Oliver took one of her hands in his and it got Kara to look up from her lap. She gave him a questioning look, her eyes darting from their joined hands to his face.

'You don't seem the type of person who holds someone's hand whilst comforting them' Kara said with an eyebrow raised.

'No, I'm not' Oliver said sternly. 'But you seem like the type of person who does'.

Kara looked down at her lap again as she tried to hide her smile. 'I am'. When she looked back up, Oliver face had a neutral expression but eventually, a small smile formed.

'I'm not trying to make this a competition because if it was, you would win' Oliver began. 'But, you are not alone in this. I know how it feels to be alone, confused and scared'.

Those were the exact emotions that Kara felt. But how could Oliver possibly understand how I felt. And then it clicked as she remembered what he said earlier in the evening. 'The i-island?' Kara stuttered and asked nervously. She assumed it wasn't something Oliver liked talking about just like she didn't like talking about her past but if he was going to mention hers, Kara wanted to know Oliver's. Plus, I did say I wanted to unravel the mystery that is Oliver Queen. 'Oliver, you seem to know an awful lot about me from Barry but I don't know much about you. If we're going to do this, will you tell me about the island?'

Oliver had a faraway look in his eyes before they focussed back on Kara's green-blue eyes. Oliver nodded to her question. 'The name of the island they found me on is Lian Yu. It's Mandarin for purgatory. I spent five years in hell but each day I had one goal; survive. Survive and one day return home'.

He paused for a bit and looked at Kara's face. There was sadness that was clear to see but also some understanding. Oliver just realised that by saying he understood Kara's pain, she understood his. He had never met anyone except for Sara who could comprehend what emotions he went through on that island but being lost and alone in a strange place is something Kara understood. Damn you Barry, this isn't just about Kara. This is about me too.

'I don't want to compare the severity of our loneliness but understand this Kara, just like you, I know the feeling of being alone'. Kara nodded and squeezed his hand. Oliver hadn't noticed they were still holding hands until now. Both of Kara's soft, small hands were encasing one of Oliver's. 'The island held many dangers. To live, I had to make myself more than what I was; to forge myself into a weapon. I returned home not the billionaire playboy who was shipwrecked but the man who brought justice to those who were poisoning my city. To do that, I had to become someone else, I had to become something else'.

Kara knew that Oliver wouldn't want pity because she didn't want his pity either for her circumstances. But she felt she did need to apologise for one thing. 'I'm sorry. You're right, maybe you do understand me' she said with a sheepish smile.

'So, you're willing to listen to what I have to say? Because I am an all-knowing mentor, well at least to Barry'.

Kara laughed and nodded. Perhaps he really can help me. 'Woah, woah, woah, wait just a second!'

'What?' he asked with a confused look.

'Oliver Queen, you were a lady killer!' Kara giggled. He's blushing! Oh my god! 'Were you one of those frat boys who partied every night?' Kara asked with a laugh.

He looked down at their hands with an ashamed expression. 'I was a bad person before the island, Kara. I was selfish and didn't care about my actions' Oliver began. Kara saw the pain in his eyes for all the people that he hurt. She wished she could make the pain go away but she knew she couldn't. 'I punched a paparazzi, I stole a taxi, I urinated on a police officer'. Kara bit her lip at the last one Oliver said to stop laughing. She knew she shouldn't but it was kind of funny but Oliver's tone was serious. 'I even drove whilst I was drunk. I could've killed someone, Kara'.

'That's who you were. That's not who you are anymore. If you were still the person you described, there's no way you and I would be friends'.

He took a deep breath before speaking again. 'I told you Lian Yu meant purgatory. I deserved to suffer for everything I did. And I continue to suffer for everything I did after I came home'. He gave her a humourless laugh before adding, 'how did we end up talking about me when I'm here to help you?'

'Maybe we can help each other?' Kara asked. Oliver thought about it for a few seconds but gave her a nod. 'And Oliver? You've only told me a small part of your story but you are a strong person to come through the darkness and still be so good, I know it'.

Oliver lips turned upwards slightly at her words. 'Well, you see there's this good friend of mine and she once told me hardships is what makes us stronger'.

Kara chuckled at his words. 'You have a wise friend. Perhaps she's the wisest of us all'. She gave him a smug smile but he had the perfect response to her.

'They do so wisdom comes with age and if we are being technical, you are the oldest of us all'.

Kara mock glared at him but she couldn't keep it up and laughed. 'Who would've thought it, Oliver Queen can be funny. You've been a bag of surprises tonight, Ollie'.

Ollie. He shouldn't be surprised by the nickname as it was what he was called in the past but only his sister still uses it and no-one post-island ever uses it. Ollie…