Chapter Fourteen: From Bad to Worse

Sorry it's a bit later than usual, but here is this week's chapter. A bit of something for everyone - angst, action, Lex triumphant and some hints of Chollie! Thanks for reading - any feedback always appreciated.

"Say your prayers, Green Arrow. It's time to die."

Instinctively Oliver closed his eyes as he waited for what seemed the inevitable. Time seemed to stand still, and all was silent – it felt as if the whole world was holding its breath. He thought for a split second that this was the time when your entire life was meant to flash before your eyes, and felt strangely disappointed that it was not happening to him. Then he thought of Chloe – and again felt surprised that it was her image that flashed into his mind at that most critical of moments.

He heard Lex's finger pull the trigger, and braced himself.

Nothing.

The gun was empty.

Lex removed the gun barrel from Oliver's head and calmly replaced the weapon in his jacket pocket. As he did so he observed with satisfaction his captive's chest heaving up and down. Oliver was hyperventilating as his body involuntarily responded to his latest ordeal, and the duct tape wrapped around his mouth made it doubly difficult for him to regain some control over his breathing.

"You didn't really think it was going to be that easy, did you?" asked Lex, the cold self-discipline once again restored to his voice. "I've spent a long time planning your death, and I intend to enjoy every minute of it."

Lex looked out beyond the fence that surrounded the facility to the bank that bordered the nearby lake. A small amount of light from the compound illuminated the base of the bank, but beyond all was darkness.

"You know, this is the moment when all of your freak friends should ride in to save the day. Funny, but I'm not seeing any cavalry, are you Mr Brown?"

"No cavalry at all, Mr Luthor." Brown's calm demeanour had once again returned, although inwardly he was cursing himself for his loss of control a few minutes before. He hated appearing weak, and that was exactly how he had felt – it was an experience he did not care to repeat.

"And their absence is particularly perplexing, given that I know that at least one member of the Justice League has been watching us since this little reunion began."

Lex's words hit Oliver like a hammer. He turned his head towards his tormentor, but then stopped, torn between his natural urge to know more and his unwillingness to play Lex's perverse little game.

Lex saw Oliver's reaction, and decided to press home his advantage.

"Yes my friend, tonight you are bait in a little trap I've set for one of your gang. Just about now my men should be taking him into custody."

Panic seized Oliver. He looked from side to side, struggling against his bonds and hoping to send some sort of warning out into the darkness. His silent alarm was brought to an abrupt halt by Stadler, who grabbed him at the back of the neck and pushed the barrel of his gun against the rear of his skull.

A cell phone rang.

Lex smiled.

"And this should be my men now."

A Few Minutes Earlier

AC watched from his position at the top of the bank as events unfolded across the grass in the illuminated compound before him. The appearance of Oliver had produced contradictory emotions within him – joy that his friend was alive, but also fear and anger at his current plight. He was torn as to what to do – his communicator stubbornly refused to work, and so he was faced with the dilemma of intervening with the odds heavily stacked against him or waiting to see how the situation developed. He opted for the latter, but felt impotent as he watched Lex circle his helpless team mate.

His heart missed a beat as he saw Lex pull the gun from his jacket pocket and level it at Oliver's skull. In an instant he knew that the moment of decision had arrived, and he did not hesitate – even if it meant death, he had to make an attempt to save his stricken friend.

He stood up from his hiding place, so that his strong frame was silhouetted against the moonlight. He made to move towards the fence, but was instantly brought to a halt by a voice from behind him.

"Don't move!"

AC froze. He did not need to turn around to realise that he had been had – the only question was how many of Lex's men he would now have to do battle with before he could help Oliver.

"Turn around. Real slow." The voice was authoritative, but nervous; probably a rookie, thought AC to himself, already calculating the opportunities for escape.

Slowly the big man turned around to face his foe. He was met by four men in black security uniforms, each pointing a semi-automatic weapon at his head.

"Now lay on the ground. Face down."

The command came from the man in the middle, whose face was etched with concentration.

AC held his arms out to his sides, opening his hands towards his assailants in a gesture of submission. A broad grin formed across his face.

"Hey guys, relax. I know when I'm done, and you dudes have got me fair and square."

"Shut it! Get on the ground!"

The leader of the squad was clearly irritated by AC's studied air of calm, much to the hero's satisfaction. These guys were new to the job – this was going to be easy.

Slowly AC got down on his knees, before lowering his body fully to the ground. He listened as the leader got on his radio.

"Blue leader, this is Red One. Target apprehended in Sector Four, Over"

The reply was instantaneous.

"Received Red One. Proceed with extreme caution."

"Hey, I like the codenames, dudes. You guys are real pros."

AC's intervention was calculated to provoke, and it had the desired effect.

"I told you to shut up!"

"Hey, chill man! Just trying to make conversation."

"Tie him up."

Outwardly AC lay calmly as the men approached him, but inwardly his mind was racing. He knew that this was his chance to take the squad out, and within seconds he had formulated his plan. He knew that Lex would have given instructions to take him alive, and this meant that they were unlikely to fire – this gave him all the opportunity he needed.

Two men were quickly standing over him.

"You sure you wanna do this guys? Last chance."

"Get on with it!" The squad leader's voice betrayed his increasing anger.

The two men bent down to begin binding AC. In a split second he flipped over, taking his captors by surprise. He instantly kicked upwards at the guards faces, putting the full force of his muscles into the attack. The men stood no chance, and were sent flying through the air.

AC leapt to his feet as the third guard ran towards him. The man raised his gun, but before he could shout a warning AC turned 360 degrees and aimed a flying kick at his stomach. He too was sent flying, straight into the squad leader who was also advancing to join the struggle. The two fell in a sprawling mass to the ground, the men's guns being sent flying.

The squad leader pushed his unconscious colleague's body from on top of him, only to find a grinning AC towering over him.

"Dude, I did warn you." And with that a fist to the right side of the man's face sent him to join his three team mates.

"Lex really does need to get better men", said AC, observing the four unconscious figures lying around him.

Suddenly a piercing high pitched sound flooded AC's head. Instinctively the young man clasped his hands to his ears, but nothing could prevent the electronic scream from penetrating every corner of his brain. His face convulsed in agony as the excruciating pain crippled him, forcing him to fall to his knees. He knew what was happening – he was falling victim to some sort of sonic weapon. But knowledge did not help – he was powerless to stop the all pervading torture.

He sensed men around him. New men. He wanted to fight, to resist, but his instincts would not allow him to take his hands from his ears, despite the fact that they were making no difference. He squirmed blindly on the ground, shooting his legs out randomly in a vain attempt to land a blow on one of his attackers.

Then he felt it. The unmistakeable sensation of a needle piercing the skin of his neck.

He felt the drug surging through his body, quickly sending him towards unconsciousness – and captivity.

The last thing AC heard was a voice – the voice of Blue Leader.

"Target neutralised, Mr Luthor. Am bringing him in now."

"Excellent work. Secure our new guest and bring him to the compound."

As Lex snapped his cell shut Oliver's heart sank. The words confirmed his worst fears – one of the guys had been captured. Who was it? Bart? AC? Victor? Whoever it was, it didn't change the reality of the situation – the cards were all stacked in Lex's favour.

"As you may have heard, one of your freak friends wanted to crash our little party. He will be joining us – but perhaps not in the way he anticipated."

Lex smiled at his own humour as he looked down at the figure who knelt before him. The sense of power he was now enjoying was intoxicating, and was made all the more pleasurable by the fact that he had been waiting for the tables to turn like this for so many months.

Lex squatted down next to Oliver.

"You know, I just can't make up my mind about something. Do I make him watch me torture you, or would it be more fun to have you watch me torture him?" Lex's tone was almost playful. "It's a tough one – what do you think?"

Oliver stared down at the ground, motionless.

Lex got to his feet and walked over to Brown.

"This has been fun, Mr Brown. I hope that my little game earlier on didn't upset you, but the opportunity was too good to resist."

Brown smiled weakly.

"So, I'll organise to have the two million ready in twenty-four hours. We'll make the exchange at a different location – I'll let you know. Good doing business with you, Mr Brown."

Lex was brisk and businesslike, offering his hand out to Brown. The other man took it, and the two shook hands – the deal was done.

Brown nodded to Stadler, and both he and Weir proceeded to drag Oliver back to the trunk of the car. Lex watched contentedly, before turning back to Brown.

"I trust I can rely on you to keep my investment secure?"

"Of course, Mr Luthor. I haven't disappointed you yet, have I?"

With that Brown made for his vehicle. He wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible – Lex's antics had made him feel vulnerable, and he wanted to be clear of the compound, before Lex changed his mind about the deal.

In under a minute Lex was watching the car drive up the road away from the compound, its lights gradually fading into the night. He was soon joined by one of his security men.

"You fixed the transmitter to the car?", asked Lex.

"Yes sir."

"Good. A little insurance is always a good idea."

There was a disturbance at the far end of the compound, as a new group of security men entered through the gates. Lex smiled as he saw what two of them dragged between them – the unconscious form of a well built man.

The group eventually reached Lex, with the two men still holding the young man between them. Lex grabbed his blond hair and pulled his head upwards, so he could see clearly the face of his captive.

"Arthur Curry, aka Aquaman," he said with satisfaction. "Richards, take our fishy friend here to the Wallis Facility. I'll warn Dr Thomas of your arrival – he'll know exactly how to make this "dude" feel welcome."

Casually Lex allowed AC's head to fall, and the men began dragging him away to a nearby truck. Lex stood alone for a moment, reflecting on the night's events. A smile once again formed on his lips – it had been a good night, a very good night indeed. The signal disrupter had done its work, preventing Curry from calling for back up. He would soon be safely in Dr Thomas's "care", if "care" was the right word; Lex had little doubt that a few hours with the good doctor and Curry would be whimpering like a child and begging for mercy. And tomorrow he would have the Green Arrow – he would at last have his revenge for all the humiliations, all the hurt. The man would suffer before he died – Lex would see to that.

He looked at his watch.

It was twenty past one.

Chloe peered intently forwards into the pitch black of the night. She did not want to turn on the lights of her car, for fear of alerting those in front that they were being tailed. So all that she had to guide her were the lights of the car she could not afford to lose – the car that held Oliver.

She glanced at her watch – it was approaching half past one. The last twenty minutes had passed in a blur, but she knew that she could not afford to take time to pause. She reflected on what had happened – her arrival at the Wroughton Lake Facility, concealing her car, watching from her hiding place as Lex humiliated Oliver, the feelings of fear, pity and anger she felt as she watched the man she loved so powerless, so alone. She still felt the pain of what she had witnessed, but tried to stay positive. Lex had not got Oliver, and the Green Arrow's identity was still a secret. And she had found him! Surely now it would be alright, wouldn't it?

But where was AC? She hadn't seen him at Wroughton Lake. Had something happened to him? And why was her cell phone not working? She had tried to call Clark, but couldn't get a signal. What was going on?

Whatever the case, Oliver was there, in front of her, being taken who knows where. She had to stay focused, to maintain concentration, for his sake.

But as she drove into the night she was acutely aware that now Oliver's life was in her hands – and her hands alone.