A reminder, the Arabic words aren't arranged properly in sentences, and AO3 won't let me correct it = (Even the freaking question marks wont move!)... Also Felicity's pronunciation of Ra's Al Ghul's name is the same as Nyssa's from Arrow in this story (You would have noticed she called him Rejh Al Ghul and Ra's Al Ghul)
'Traffic,' Felicity thought as she rushed beside her sister in an attempt to get to her friends…her family as soon as possible, 'is going to be the death of me.'
Having ditched her car not two blocks from her townhouse seeing the state of traffic, the girls decided to indulge in their once favorite past time to get to the soon-to-be war zone rooftop, parkour.
Easily keeping up with her sister came as a surprise to her as she had not done this in years, 'maybe it's a genetic thing,' Felicity thought wryly. Landing on a roof top beside her sister and adjacent to the one her two warring families stood at, Felicity watched from the shadows as a scene straight from her nightmares unfolded in front of her crouched form.
Oliver in his hood, Sara in the Canary get up, Roy in his red mask and hood and Diggle, who shouldn't have been there, stood in a circle with their backs to each other facing an army of assassins. Their weapons out, arrows nocked, guns cocked, bo staff out, they stood ready to fight.
In the front of the group, right in Oliver's eye line stood the Demon himself. Her father, in all his League of Assassins glory stood facing the man she loved with a sword in his hands and a smug grin on his face. His tall and imposing stature appearing to dwarf The Arrow and the assembly of vigilantes and assassins collectively.
She shook her head trying to dispel her childhood view of her larger than life father. She reasoned to herself that Ra's Al Ghul, was ultimately human, no matter how unbeatable he may have proven himself to be.
Just as she prepared to jump in to stop the impending battle her father spoke, "I am not here to fight…all I want is what you have of mine and I will leave this city."
"I don't have anything of yours. You are not welcome in this city Ra's Al Ghul, it would be in your best interest if you left."
Her father laughed at the Arrow's warning and exclaimed, "And you are going to stop me?! With what army? I have more men than you and your merry band of vigilantes can take. Give me my daughter back and I'll leave."
"I don't know what you're talking about! But if you want your daughter back why didn't you just go to her. Don't tell me…Nyssa finally come to her senses about you and won't see you." Oliver taunted.
This was not going well. Her father's face twisted in silent anger. She watched as he took two menacing steps forward and said in his most threatening tone, "You are not in the position to act coy boy." Turning around and taking his previous position he stated, "And anyways, I was on my way to my daughter when your friends interrupted the progress of my congregation. And of course, like the hero that you are, you swooped in to save them."
Turning to Sara, he stated, "الكناريالعزيزبلدي(My dear Canary) I thought you understood the terms of your reinstatement in our midst. Do you really think you will win against me? You can't fight me or have you forgotten what happened the last time you fought against an Al Ghul?"
Sara remained quiet, but as a show of compliance lowered her bo staff and hung her head, stepping out of her fighting stance.
"جيدةفتاة (Good girl), now I don't have time for this. It's time for me to take your leave my friends" he looked to her new family and smirked, "قتلهم(Kill them)" he ordered.
Her heart raced and without anymore hesitation she used the silk length of black cloth secured under her jacket to twist and jump on to the rooftop, bending her knees to take the brunt of the impact, landing gracefully in front of Oliver in protection just as her father turned to make his way down and the assassins started their charge.
"وقف(Stop)!" Her commanding voice echoed bringing a standstill to the commencing battle. Getting out of the crouch, Felicity stood tall, her light black leather coat bellowing about her showing off the cerise pink lining, the Elizabethan high collar giving the illusion of broad shoulders.
Assuming her fighting stance and pulling on the persona of her father's given name, Felicity pulled a cylindrical device in her right hand from the weapons belt tied over her low waist secured beside her left thigh. Two other belts, one fastened over her left thigh like a garter and the other around her waist, it's pouch resting over the outer side of her right thigh, knives and oval batarangs glittering in the moonlight from within them, stood out against the dark grey of her pants.
Black heeled boots and two belt closures on her waist adding to the look her father designed for her. A black vintage Arabian style twisted turban with cerise pink piping covered her hair, while the black sheer veil style fabric flowing from under it on both sides of her face covered the most distinguishing features of her face, her mouth, ears and nose, leaving only her eyes to show.
Pumping her fist once to unravel the cylinder into a bo staff of her own, she faced her father, who having heard her voice had whirled around and was now looking at her with pride.
Coming to stand in front of her, he held his daughters face in his palms. The tenderness of her father's touch softening her eyes, but not breaking her stance. With love and affection in his eyes, the hardened leader of the League of Assassins placed a kiss on his daughters niqab covered cheek, and whispered, "تالياالجميلةبلدي... أصغر،ياأراكأنالجيدمنأنه(It's good to see you, my youngest...my beautiful Talia).
2 days earlier…
A silky voice with a French accent whispered sweetly in her ear, feeding her insecurities, fanning her fears that her family had abandoned her. They won't be coming for her. Tears spilled from her blindfolded eyes, the fabric tied around her head getting soaked; still the tears spilled some making their way down her cheeks. She tried to ignore him, tell him they loved her, they won't let anything happen to her. Her pathetic attempts were met with sniggering.
"Oh you poor little girl," the man mocked her. "Tell me why would they want such a pitiful, weak creature like you?"
"They love me, they'll come for me…" her 12 year old self insisted. Again she was met with laughter which was soon followed by the sound of a blade slicing through flesh.
Felicity shot up in her bed, panting. The remnants of her dream plaguing the back of her eyelids. The French man in Ray Palmer's office had brought forth memories of a forgotten time. She didn't understand why.
'It couldn't be the same man could it,' she wondered. 'No,' she concluded, 'father had killed him to save me; to bring me back home…it's nothing but a coincidence. Yes…just a man with an accent, nothing to worry about. That's all.' She berated her subconscious for getting worked up over nothing.
Getting out of bed, she slipped her feet in her fuzzy slippers to ward off the chill of the night. Finding her way around the darkened hallway Felicity made her way out to the kitchen. Filling a glass of water for herself, she tried to calm her racing heart. Hearing movement behind her, she turned around to find her sister's inquisitive gaze trained on her. She had forgotten for a moment that Nyssa had stayed the night taking residence in her spare bedroom.
" ؟شقيقة،بخيرأنتهل(Are you alright, sister?)," concern reflecting in the older woman's eyes.
"أنا،نعم(Yes, I am)…تقلقلا(Don't worry)."
"؟والحق،شيءأيليتقولأنيمكنأنكأعلمكنت (You know you can tell me anything, right?)"
"أفعل،نعم (Yes, I do)" Felicity replied looking away for a moment.
"عزيزييا،معييتحدثثم (Then talk to me, dear)."
Sighing, Felicity averted her gaze once again trying to make up her mind. Decision made, she looked up into her sister's eyes and asked, "Do you remember when I first came to live with you and father?"
"نعم(Yes)," Nyssa replied curious as to where this was going.
"The man that took me, who kidnapped…" Felicity choked, her voice sounding gravelly. Clearing her throat she continued, "Who was he? I never asked but I always wondered…and how did father find us…where was I taken and why?" Felicity rushed on for fear she would lose her nerve and not ask the questions plaguing her mind like she had done numerous times before tonight.
"؟المفاجئالاهتماملماذا،شقيقة(Sister, why the sudden interest?)"
"It's not sudden. I told you I have always wanted to know but never asked. When father asked me to never mention it again I took it to heart. But I want to know."
"All you need to know is that that man is gone and isn't coming back ever. أنمنمتأكداالأجعل (Father made sure of that)"
"Are you sure about that?"
"Yes, why would you ask that?
"Nothing, sorry…it was silly of me…I shouldn't have ever brought this up. Go to sleep, Nyssa. I'll see you in the morning."
"Are you sure? I could sit with you."
"No. I'm ok. Just you know…my normal level of silliness."
"سخيفةولكنشيءأيكنتشقيقة؟،تسمعنيهل،سخيفاتكنلم(You are not silly, do you hear me, sister? You are anything but silly)."
Her sister's words brought a smile to her face. Wiping the onset of sleep from her eyes, Felicity enveloped her older sister in her arms, sighing at the feeling of protection that encircled her.
"أفعل(I do)." Felicity continued with a cheeky smirk, an attempt on her part to lighten the mood. "I am a genius after all."
I am making Felicity's costume my profile picture as I don't really have a tumblr, polyvore or pinterest...i know i know...the blasphemy = 0 ! Proportions are a little off in my drawing but I am also studying for finals and didn't have time to redo it in time to post it with this chapter…so mediocre work it is : [ …
I have never read the comics, but I am getting most of my comic related information from ' '. Talia's mother in the comics is known to be of Chinese and Arab descent but for the sake of this story obviously that's not happening. Also Talia's famously known as one of Batman's lovers and the mother of his son Damian Wayne. But she has been known to not agree with her father's deeds and I am of course using that to my advantage for Felicity's character. It was Nyssa Raatko (comic version of Nyssa Al Ghul) who never knew Ra's and after the death of her mother tracked him down. Impressed that she could find him, Ra's offered Nyssa a place in the LOA
My version Ra's Al ghul is loosely based on Liam Neeson's The Dark Knight series character. We will soon get to her mother's story (no she isn't dead) and how Felicity came to live with the Al Ghul's…this story is now not going to stick to my originally planned 5 chapters (more than five but definitely less than 10)….until the next chapter…tata for now =)