Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or the CW TV shows Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow or any other characters or elements pertaining to the mentioned franchises
"Oliver Queen is alive." The news anchor said on TV. "The Starling City resident, declared dead almost two years ago, was found in China by his longtime friend Thomas Merlyn and Sara Lance, who had gone on the cruise with the Queen's Gambit with Oliver and his father, Robert five years ago…"
Three years ago, Hong Kong
Oliver, wearing a mask put down the bag off the cuffed man on the chair, revealing the face of Tommy Merlyn as he grunted.
"What the hell is going on here?" Tommy breathed out as he came to. "Where am I?" The lights turned on, blinding him as he groaned. "Please, please, don't hurt me, just let me go, please. I promise, I won't tell anybody about this."
"Would a fisherman throw his prized catch back in the sea?" Oliver asked in a deep voice, so that his best friend wouldn't recognize him.
"What are you talking about?" Tommy scoffed. "Look, whoever you are, you don't want to do this. Do you have any idea, who I am? Who my father is?!" He demanded.
"You're Thomas Merlyn. You've been looking for Oliver Queen." Oliver said, still using his deep voice as Tommy froze, surprised.
"How… how do you know that?" Tommy stammered.
"A simple hack of a missing billionaire's email account. I knew somebody would come looking for him. But I thought it would be his… mother." Tommy sat on the chair, frightened. "His sister. But you, the son of the CEO of Merlyn Global. Jackpot. My friend, you are going to make me a very rich man."
Tommy was frozen on place in fear but still, despite how deep the man's voice was, he could swear he sounded like… he needed to know for sure. "So, Oliver isn't… he didn't…" He took a breath, not wanting to believe it. Was his best friend playing him?
Oliver lowered the mask. "Oliver Queen is dead." He said, his voice clearer now. "He's rotting at the bottom of the ocean." Tommy tried to steady his breath, trying to control himself, if this was Oliver's attempt at a joke, it was a very cruel one.
"Oliver, I swear, if this is some kind of a sick joke… please… tell me it's you. I need to know. Stop playing with me."
Oliver froze for a moment but got a hold of himself. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Tommy could swear that the man sounded like Oliver. "Please, Ollie, just look me in the eye and tell me it's you."
Oliver considered for a moment before the sirens blared and Maseo in a disguise of a police officer entered. "Hong Kong Police!"
Tommy panted out as Maseo freed him from his restraints. Tommy got up and looked around. "Where is he?"
"It's OK, you're safe now." Maseo assured him. "You're going home."
Tommy breathed out, looking around. "Where is he?"
"He ran away." Maseo lied.
"It was… it was Oliver." Tommy breathed out.
Maseo tried to dissuade him as he held his shoulder. "Look, mister, I think you're still in shock. Maybe we should…"
"It was Oliver, I just know it." Tommy snapped as he looked around. "If this was supposed to be a joke, it wasn't a very nice one, Ollie!"
"Mr. Merlyn, the medics should check in on you." Maseo pleaded but at that moment, Oliver went out, with his mask off.
"Ollie…" Tommy breathed out as Maseo glared at Oliver, like if he was stupid. "What…"
"Give us a few minutes, Maseo." Oliver said.
Present, Starling City
Moira was about to visit Walter at Queen Consolidated, going for a lunch as her phone rang as she picked it up. "Yes?"
"Miss Queen, it's Tommy." Tommy said over the line. "We found him."
"What?" Moira asked, hopeful. "What are you…"
"We found Oliver, we're taking him home. He's here with me and Sara in the plane right now." Tommy explained as Moira covered her mouth, tears of joy filling her eyes, not being able to believe it. "If you want to talk to…"
"Yes, yes, let me talk to him, please, Tommy." Moira begged, sobbing and a moment later, she heard a voice she never thought she would have ever again.
"Mom?" Oliver asked and Moira could swear that the voice sounded like…
"Oliver? Oliver, is that you?" Moira sobbed out.
"Yes, Mom, it's me. Just, please, don't hang up." Oliver begged.
"No, oh, no, no, no, I won't." Moira assured him. "Oh, my beautiful boy. Is… is… your father a-a-alive?" She stuttered out.
"No. He didn't make it, Mom, I'm sorry." Oliver told her.
"Oh, Oliver, sweetheart, I… I can't imagine what you've been through. Where are you?" Moira sniffed out, tears of joy spilling out.
"I'm… I'm not sure. We're in the plane right now with Sara and Tommy and… I'm coming home." Oliver said. "I'm coming home, Mom."
"I love you! Oh, Oliver, I love you so much!" Moira sobbed out.
Later, Starling General
Dr. Lamb was with Moira in front of Oliver's room, explaining the situation. "Twenty percent of his body is covered in scar tissue. Second-degree burns on his back and arms. X-ray shows at least twelve fractures that never properly healed."
"Has he said anything about what happened?" Moira asked as she watched Oliver, who was looking out from the window.
"No." Lamb said. "Moira, I'd like you to prepare yourself. The Oliver you lost might not be the one they found."
Moira silently entered the room. "Oliver." She said quietly as Oliver turned around with a blank expression.
"Mom." He finally said before they hugged each other as Moira spilled out tears.
"Oh, my beautiful boy." Moira said, crying.
Three years ago, Hong Kong
Tommy stared at his best friend, mix of emotions. Relief and happiness that he was alive and alright and anger that Oliver was deceiving him for the past hour and letting him believe he was in danger.
"Oliver, what the hell is going on?" Tommy demanded.
Oliver sighed. "I'm sorry for putting you through this but you shouldn't have come looking for me."
"Oliver." Tommy gasped. "What do you mean? Where have you been the whole time? Why didn't you…"
Oliver took a breath. "It's a long story and I don't have time to explain everything to you, so I'll try to make it quick. But, first of all, you need to promise me something." Tommy nodded. "Whatever happens, you won't come looking for me, ever again and you're not gonna tell anyone that you found me here. Not until I reach out to you. You'll only be putting yourself in danger. After this is over, you'll walk away and don't come looking for me. Promise me. It's for your own protection." Considering that Tommy believed he was about to die and the serious expression on Oliver's face, he nodded.
"What's going on, Oliver?" Tommy asked, trying to stay calm. "What happened with your father? Sara? The Gambit…"
Oliver took a breath. "During the storm, Dad and I and the captain got on a lifeboat. Sara was sucked out, right when the yacht started to sink, there was nothing I could do. We didn't have enough supplies for everyone, so…" He closed his eyes. "He killed the captain and then shot himself right in front of me and asked me to right his wrongs. He left me with this… list of names."
"What list?" Tommy asked.
"I don't know exactly what does it mean and like I said, I don't have time to explain everything to you." Oliver said quickly. "Then, the lifeboat drifted on an island called Lian Yu and after that, it's just been one danger after another for the following two years." Oliver said. "It was hell and I had to claw and fight every single day, just to stay alive. It was… you have no idea, what did I face back then. I would have gladly traded my places with the guys in "Lost" for it."
Tommy gulped, not wanting to imagine what Oliver must have been through.
"What about Sara, is she…" Tommy paused.
Oliver shook his head. "I… I don't know. I didn't see Sara until a year later. She came with a freighter that had rescued her…"
"And they tried to bring you home too?" Tommy asked.
Oliver shook his head again. "No. That freighter brought a lot more danger with them and Sara and I and some friends of mine got sucked into it. It's complicated but a lot of things went from bad to worse and it was out of the frying pan right into the fire. I tried to use the freighter with Sara to get home but… it didn't go as planned. There was a confrontation and an explosion, Sara got sucked out and the next thing I remember, I woke up here in Hong Kong. These people, Tommy… there's this black ops government agency. They want me to work for them. After what I've been through… they wanted to use my skills." Oliver said.
"Why would they even want you? With our connections, I'm sure your Mom and my Dad can…"
"No, Tommy." Oliver protested. "Whatever happens, you can't try to get me out of here, Waller's threatening the wife and the son of an agent, who's handling me, if I try to escape, she'll have them killed, I can't have something like that on my conscience."
Tommy's blood boiled, threatening an innocent family is just wrong. "How the hell did you get mixed up in this mess?"
"I keep asking myself that all the time." Oliver deadpanned.
"Is Sara dead?" Tommy asked.
Oliver took a breath. "I… I don't know. Maybe she's back on the island but… I'm not sure if she was able to make it this long. It's been… weeks…"
"Where is that island you were on?" Tommy asked. "What was it called…"
"Lian Yu." Oliver repeated as Tommy nodded.
"I'll try to look for her." Tommy promised. "And if I can, I'll bring her home."
Oliver nodded. "Thank you. And you must promise me, no matter what, neither of you is going to come look for me and you're not gonna tell either Mom or Thea or anyone else what's happening with me. Don't come looking for me until I reach out to you first, understand? And don't let anyone else come look for me. Promise me, please. It's for your own safety."
Tommy nodded. "OK. I promise."
"Good." Oliver sighed in relief. "Remember, no matter what happens, you'll always be my brother and I'll always look out for you."
Present, Queen Manor
Oliver entered the manor as Moira accompanied him inside. "Your room is exactly as you left it. I never had the heart to change a thing."
"Oliver, it's damn good to see you." A tall black man with a British accent said upon approaching Oliver, who looked at him confused. "It's Walter. Walter Steele."
"You remember Walter, your father's friend from the company." Moira explained.
Then, an elder maid entered the room as Oliver approached her. "It's good to see you, Raisa."
"Welcome home, Mr. Oliver." She said kindly.
Oliver then heard slamming of a door from upstairs as Oliver went to the stairwell and then to the upper floor. "Hey, sis."
Thea rushed to him, hugging him. "I knew it. I knew you were alive! I missed you so much."
"You were with me the whole time." Oliver assured her.
CNRI
Laurel was at her desk, business as usual before Joanna de la Vega, her best friend, approached her. "Shouldn't you be at Queen's?"
"What do you mean?" Laurel asked as she looked at Joanna confused.
"Oliver. It's all over the news. They found him." Joanna explained as Laurel shot up from the desk, not believing what did she just hear.
"Say that again."
Queen Manor
Oliver, Tommy, Sara, Moira, Walter and Thea were at the dining table.
"So, let's see, what else did you miss?" Tommy asked. "Super Bowl winners Giants, Steelers, Saints, Packers, Giants again. A black president. That's new." He finished.
"What was it like there?" Thea asked as mostly everyone shot her displeased glares at her tactlessness and the room went quiet.
"Cold." Oliver said finally.
"Tomorrow, you and me, we're doing the city." Tommy said. "You've got a lot to catch up on."
"That sounds like a great idea." Moira said.
"Good. Then I was hoping to swing by at the office." Oliver replied as Moira and Walter glanced at each other.
"Well, there's plenty of time for all that." Walter said. "Queen Consolidated isn't going anywhere."
Raisa then entered with a bowl of food before she tripped and Oliver caught the bowl before it would fall. "Oh, I am so sorry, Mr. Oliver."
Oliver said something in Russian, leaving everyone, save for Tommy and Sara, shocked.
"I didn't know you took Russian in college, Oliver." Walter noted.
"I didn't know you wanted to sleep with my mother, Walter." Oliver said bluntly.
"I didn't say anything." Thea said quickly.
"She didn't have to." Oliver assured her.
"Oliver…" Moira held Walter's hand. "Walter and I are married. And I don't want you to think that either one of us did anything to disrespect your father."
"We both believed that Robert, like you, was, uh, well, gone." Walter supplied.
"It's fine." Oliver said. "May I be excused?" He asked as he got up from his seat and Moira nodded before Oliver left the room.
The next day, Starling City
Tommy accompanied Oliver to the limo as there was a muscular Afro-American in suit waiting for them. "John Diggle."
"Oliver." Diggle smiled, hugging Oliver. "It's been a long time, my friend. Where to?"
"CNRI." Oliver said as he, Tommy and Laurel entered the limo.
CNRI
As Laurel turned around, she froze to see Oliver as he smiled at her and a mix of emotions took Laurel over. For a long moment, she stared at him and all she could do was hug him tightly.
Three years ago, Lian Yu
It took a lot of persuasion from Oliver and Maseo to Waller not tohave Tommy killed for finding out that Oliver was alive. However, she left him with a map of Lian Yu as Tommy and a small group of rescuers were on the shore of the island and Oliver warned Tommy that there were landmines all over the place. Hoping that Sara would be able to survive for a few months there, Tommy and the group went into the forest.
With makeshift equipment from bamboo and pieces of junk, Sara was able to hunt some rabbits and make fire to survive but she wouldn't last very long and she used the fuselage of Slade's plane as her hideout as she was sleeping before she heard a familiar voice she never thought she would hear again.
"Sara!"
Sara's eyes opened as she couldn't believe it. She went out to be sure and as she saw a young man with dark hair and she looked into his blue eyes. "Tommy…"
"Sara." Tommy smiled. Sara backed off, not wanting to believe it as Tommy raised his hands. "It's me. It really is me. It's OK, Sara. I came to take you home."
"What… how… how did you find me?" Sara asked. "It's been two years…"
"Ollie told me about this place." Tommy said as Sara widened her eyes.
"Ollie? Is… he's alive? Is he with you?" He suddenly had her full attention.
Tommy shook his head. "I'm sorry but no. It's… it's a little complicated but… he's not coming with us. Not yet."
"What? Why?" Sara demanded. "Tommy, what's going on?"
Tommy took a breath. "It's a long story but Ollie promised me that one day he'd see us again. I'll tell you everything but I need you to come with me. Please." He took her hand. "It's gonna be OK now, I'm taking you home."
Starling City
As the news were full of finding Sara, Tommy was with Sara in the hospital as Quentin and Laurel burst in, hugging Sara tightly.
And after a moment of relief, they went with Tommy outside. "Thank you. Thank you so much, Tommy." Quentin said gratefully.
"How… how did you even find her?" Laurel demanded. "It's been two years."
Tommy took a breath. "One of my contacts told me he had a clue about the Gambit, so I went to investigate myself." He said a half-truth. "I just had to follow the breadcrumbs and I found Sara."
Quentin scoffed. "At least you didn't bring back that bastard Queen, it's his fault that…"
"Dad, enough!" Laurel snapped. "There's no way Oliver could have known that the yacht would sink, so stop that!"
"No, Laurel, if it hadn't been for him, she wouldn't have gotten on that damn boat!" Quentin snapped back.
"Enough!" Tommy snapped. "Stop acting like he caused the storm! We didn't come here to argue!"
Quentin took a breath, yelling at each other wouldn't do any good. "It doesn't matter, what matters is that you brought my baby girl back." He then entered the room as Sara was sitting on the bed before she turned around and they stared at each other for a moment before Quentin neared her and hugged her tightly.
"Daddy…" Sara said, with tears filling her eyes.
"It's OK, honey, it's OK."
Laurel sighed as she looked at Tommy. "I'm sorry about what Dad said. It was unfair."
Tommy nodded. "Honestly, I expected you to be pissed too."
Laurel took a breath. "For what? For Oliver cheating on me? Yes. I am. But… I accepted long ago that what happened with the yacht was an accident. The storm… I shouldn't have to blame him for that." Then, she looked at him. "Look, Tommy, if you found Sara, do you think that there's any chance that… Ollie…"
"If he is… I doubt I'd have as much luck with finding him as I had with Sara. I think all I can do is wait and hope that fate will help him find his way home." Tommy said honestly.
Four months ago
After Oliver killed Konstantin Kovar in Russia, he was at the airport with Anatoly, preparing how would he explain the last five years away before a group of five men in black outfit, holding guns burst in, terrorizing people as they knelt down in fear.
Oliver's instincts turned on as he attacked one of the men and disarmed him, firing at another thug before the remaining four men were shot down by black arrows. Oliver looked at who could have been shooting before he saw a figure in black hood on the opposite rooftop and he climbed on the ladder, chasing the figure as they jumped on wing of a plane and Oliver tackled the person to the ground. "What the hell are you playing at, Talia?"
The person stabbed a knife into Oliver's leg as he hissed. Then, he noticed that the person had female features as both of them got up and Oliver threw a punch but the woman dodged and grabbed Oliver from behind, grabbing him in chokehold as he passed out and everything faded to black.
As Oliver came to, he was chained to a pillar and everything around him was dark as he looked around and to him was approaching a dark-haired woman, who seemed to have resemblance to Talia but it certainly was not her…
"You intervened in my mission. The League of Assassins does not take such insolence lightly, Mr. Queen."
"What…" Oliver whispered. "Who are you?"
"My name is Nyssa. Daughter of the Demon."
Author's Note:
The final year of Oliver's exile will diverge since here, Oliver managed to kill Konstantin Kovar in Russia, so no final showdown on Lian Yu happened, so that you're not confused.
So, what do you guys think about it?
Please review and let me know if you are enjoying this so far.
