Shades of Dark

Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the television series Arrow and I'm not making any money from this fic

Warning(s): Potentially triggering material (references to drug abuse and addiction); swearing

The mirakuru felt heavy in Oliver's pocket. Too heavy. Slade had just made it clear he wasn't prepared to accept help... that he wanted to go it alone. Maybe he hadn't said that in so many words, but Oliver knew enough to read between the lines.

Diggle cleared his throat and Oliver looked at him. "Are you going to tell me again that he's a loose cannon? That I need to drop him, otherwise he'll drag me down?"

"No." The look of sympathy on Diggle's face was worse than anything else. "Don't get me wrong," he continued. "I trust you, Oliver. But I don't trust him. I don't think I ever will, even if he does seem to keep you alive. But I can see, no matter how I feel about him as a person, his priority is his kid. And I can respect that."

Oliver didn't give real smiles very often now, but he felt the beginnings of one touch at his lips. "So I can count on you to have my back?"

"Of course. But I'm not going to hold hands in a peace circle or anything like that."

"Good to know." Oliver's phone vibrated in his pocket and he removed it, checking the display. It was an unknown number and he frowned, stepping away from Diggle as he activated his voice modulator. "Who is this?"

"Oliver Queen." The voice on the other end was pitched too low to make it easy to tell if the owner was male or female.

"You have me at a disadvantage." Oliver kept his voice cool and calm... although he wondered who was calling him on the Arrow's phone. Not many people knew his identity; thouh the number had grown from what it was. "You think you know who I am... who are you?"

"I'm not going to play games with you. I work with the organisation who now has Joe Slade."

Oliver narrowed his eyes, aware of Diggle coming up beside him... though he didn't turn to look at the other man. "You know I need to have proof he's alive. Patch me to a live video feed."

"So your team can work on my location?" There was silence, then an uttered, "Get the brat," to someone other than Oliver.

The next moment, a small, whimpering voice spoke. "...Hello...?"

"Joe? Are you hurt?" Oliver asked quickly.

"Where's my Dad?"

The note of fear in the boy's voice was obvious... but Oliver couldn't hear any hitches of pain or strain. "I'm a friend of your dad's," he said. "Make sure you do what they say... we're going to rescue you."

"I didn't realise just how much you cared, Oliver."

"What do you want?" Oliver concentrated on what the person was saying... but also on the background noises. If he could recognise any of the sounds, it was possible he'd be able to track where Joe was being held. And even as he was speaking, he was heading back inside... to Felicity, who was perhaps the only person he thought might be able to track the number... or, at the very least, access the recording of the conversation and filter any background noises through.

"You need to carry out a mission."

Oliver had to force himself to continue walking. He'd expected any possibility... but being told he needed to carry out a mission? "What kind of mission makes it necessary for you to kidnap a child?"

"This is your first instruction. Don't ask any questions."

"If I don't ask any questions, how am I going to complete this mission?"

Felicity glanced up as Oliver approached her. Her eyes widened, but she didn't speak. Oliver placed the phone in her hand, though not before putting the speaker on. Placing his finger to his lips (and ignoring her eye roll), he spoke again. "Are you who I'm supposed to be answering to? Or is there someone higher up the food chain?"

"You'll be called with the details at a later time. And Mr. Queen? I would advise you don't tell your... friend about our arrangement."

Out of the corner of his eye, Oliver could see Felicity gesturing wildly. He didn't allow his voice to change as he asked, "Why don't you want Slade to know about our arrangement?"

"You don't listen to instructions very well, do you, Mr. Queen? When we call back, you'd better have learned how to follow them. Or you won't get the boy back unless it's in pieces."

Oliver ground his teeth as the screen showed the call had been disconnected. He looked at Felicity. "Anything?"

"The location is too well-buried. I wouldn't have got close even if you'd kept them talking for an hour." Tapping at the keys, Felicity continued, "But I can run the recording through all the software I have available. If there are any background noises, I'll find them."

But the group would be professionals, considering how easily they'd snatched Joe. While it was possible they could have slipped up... made a mistake... Oliver knew he couldn't count on that.

"Are you going to tell Slade?" Diggle asked, from just behind Oliver.

"No. You heard what they said. I can't risk Joe's safety." Oliver sighed. "I'm going to have to make sure he doesn't find out." If they were on the island, even with Oliver's ability to deceive virtually everyone in his life, he knew he would never be able to keep something of this magnitude from Slade, with his sharp edges... unhaunted by the traces of guilt and failure.

"You can't keep this from him." Diggle's voice dropped lower, as if he thought Slade might return without warning. "He's not going to thank you for this."

"I'm not looking to be thanked." Oliver looked at Felicity. "See if you can get anything in the way of background noise. Text me with even the smallest thing you find."

"Where are you going?" Diggle asked.

"I'm going to see if Slade has learned anything from his contacts." Oliver didn't wait for a response before he was striding back to exit out onto the street.

When Slade opened the door, it was nearly impossible to read the look on his face. Oliver wondered if his lover would send him away... but after a few moments of apparently battling indecision, Slade stepped back from the door.

"Anything?" Oliver asked, stepping into the apartment and nudging the door closed with his foot.

"I'm still waiting to hear back from some. It's a long game of waiting, kid. You have better things to do than play it with me."

Oliver frowned. "I wouldn't be anywhere else. You need my help. Or you're going to get yourself killed. And I know you don't care about your safety for your own sake, but it needs to be a priority. For Joe, if nothing else."

"You're not saying anything I haven't said to myself. Why do you think I'm here, instead of chasing down every possible lead? When all I want to do is hunt down the bastards who took my son and get him back."

Oliver could hear the anguish in Slade's voice... but he didn't know what to do. He didn't know how to help. If he could track down the kidnappers, he could act. When they called him again, he could act.

But Slade was right. The long game of waiting wasn't easy to play.

It didn't immediately occur to Oliver that he was watching Slade... searching for any signs of withdrawal symptoms, or a craving for the mirakuru. He didn't realise; not until he heard Slade sigh and then his lover walked to him, leaning in and kissing his cheek.

The gentleness was so unlike his lover, Oliver was taken aback... rendered momentarily speechless. He could handle rough. He knew how to deal with it. But gentle affection?

"Kid..." Slade's voice was a mere breath against Oliver's ear. "I'm not safe to be around. If you stick with me, I'm just going to drag you down with me."

Oliver took a step back. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying I can't expose you to the danger being close to me is going to bring." Slade closed his eyes, but just for a second. "We can work together, but that's as far as it can go. Whatever this is between us? It has to end."