Chapter 21 –Blood Rage
Cas was limping slightly as he walked down into the arrow cave. He thought it was a marked improvement on his condition a week earlier, but it still wasn't quite ideal.
As he reached the floor, he looked around in shock. Felicity and Diggle were stood together, both looking worried, and Felicity's computer desk had been flipped over, all but destroying her hub.
He limped over to them, pulling Felicity into a one armed hug as he gave Diggle a serious look and asked, "What happened here?"
"Roy," was his simple reply, "He woke up and just went crazy, threw the desk over, attacked me and ran out the door. By the time I got outside, he was gone."
Cas's mouth set in a grim line. He removed his arm from around Felicity, muttering, "Blood rage," under his breath, and headed straight back towards the stairs. Felicity caught up with him, placing a hand on his arm and said, "Where are you going?"
"To find him." He answered immediately.
"In your condition? You're still not fully recovered from your fight with Slade, now you wanna run off after an out of control Roy? Do you have a death wish or something?!" Her voice rose in pitch with each question, until she sounded almost hysterical.
He paused, placing his hands on her arms. He looked her in the eye and said, "I'm sorry, I didn't realise how worried you were," she dropped her gaze, but he gently lifted her chin and continued, "If it worries you that much, we can wait for Oliver and Sara to arrive before doing anything. Is that okay?"
She nodded slowly, "I just…after you went into hospital, I was so worried. Oliver was the same, I think it's because you've lived so long, we both kinda just thought you were invincible. And then you nearly died, and it scared us. Can you believe Sara freaked out even more than we did?" He cocked his head to the side at that, clearly confused, "That's why she didn't come and visit. I don't think she wanted to see you that way."
As she finished speaking, Sara and Oliver came down the stairs into the lair. Cas nodded to Felicity slightly, before stepping away and limping towards them. He stopped, waiting for them to reach him, and smiled in approval as Oliver casual swept past him, giving him a pat on the shoulder. He kept his gaze on the little blonde girl in front of him, trying to look calm and reassuring.
"Hi mei mei." He said softly. Her reaction wasn't what he expected from the feisty assassin. She practically leaped at him, gripping him in a hug. He felt tears begin to soak into his shirt.
"Ah, ah, gently Sara." He winced, and she apologised as she loosened her hold, giggling softly.
"Sorry, I guess I got carried away."
He stroked her hair gently with one hand, while returning her embrace with the other, "It's okay little one, I'm sorry I worried you."
"Are you gonna be okay?" She used nervously, "I saw your wound, it was pretty bad."
"I'll be good as new in no time," he told her confidently, "Besides, it's not the worst injury I've had."
"Yeah Felicity told me about your magic hidden scars." She raised an eyebrow, "Guess you're even more badass than I thought."
He shook his head wryly, but couldn't help his indulgent smile, "I don't know about that, but I have had my arse kicked more times." His face turned serious. "I've almost died so many times over the centuries, I almost forgot that none of you have ever seen me that way. I'll do my best not to do it again."
She nodded, wiping her tears.
They both turned back to the group, waiting patiently for Oliver to begin speaking. He cleared his throat.
"We need to find Roy, fast. Felicity, how quickly can you get your computers back online?"
She swallowed nervously, biting her lip for a moment before saying, "Maybe a few hours? I don't really know, Roy did a pretty big number on them. I can go home and track him from there, but my computer at home isn't anywhere near as powerful as these. Oh!" Her features took on a sudden look of inspiration, "Cas has a really top end computer setup at his place, I can start tracking him from there!"
Oliver looked like he was weighing up his options, "In the short term that sounds okay, but I think you'd be better off fixing the computers down here as quickly as possible. I just wish there was another way to track him."
"There might be," Cas stepped in quietly, "If he's in a mirakuru blood rage, it shouldn't be hard for me to locate his mind, even in a city this big. I just need somewhere high up and relatively central, like a signal tower."
"Well then, Mr CEO," Oliver said sardonically, "Shall we head up to your office?"
Cas smiled slyly and shook his head. "A good thought, but I think just Felicity and I should go. You three get out there and start looking. We can coordinate with you from up there."
Cas's eyes snapped open and he turned to Felicity, who was looking at him expectantly. All he said was, "He's heading to the clock tower. I'm not sure why, but I'm fairly certain that Oliver and Sara can head him off there."
She nodded, relaying the information to the two heroes.
When she glanced back at him, she saw that he was sat in his desk chair gazing out of the window at the city below. On closer inspection, she realised his chair was hovering a few feet off the ground. Before she could question this, he said, "Coffee my dear?"
She realised she was starting to feel a bit weary, and a caffeine pick me up would definitely help. She gave him a grateful nod and stood up, turning towards the coffee maker.
"Don't worry, I will get it." He added casually.
Without warning, the coffee machine seemed to turn itself on. A few minutes later, the coffee pot floated out of its cradle, as two mugs flipped down off of the mug tree Felicity had chosen, as if of their own accord. The coffee then poured itself, as did the milk and sugar for Cas, and a spoon gave them both a stir. Finally the mugs gently lifted off the desk, hovering in front of her until she took one. The other then lazily made its way to Cas, who was still floating in his chair.
"Um, was that all really necessary?" She asked, "If you're trying to show off, it's totally working, but you haven't really done so to that extent before. What gives?"
"More training my love." He answered gently, "If I am to be of any help in the coming war, I must be at my best. To that end, as I mentioned, I am training my abilities almost constantly. This exercise in finding Roy halfway across the city is also just practise for me. Finding someone at a distance is very difficult, unless I know their mind well."
"Could you find me out there?" She blurted out, "If I was lost or something I mean, would you be able to find me with your mind juju?"
He laughed, and she silently cursed her use of the word juju. Her self-deprecation died on her lips as he turned to look at her and said, "Felicity, I think at this point I could find you anywhere in the world."
"Oh."
"Yes, oh." He repeated softly, before turning back to the window and resuming his serious look.
"What's up?" She asked after a moment, coming to stand next to him.
He sighed, seeming to weigh his words, and said, "I don't think all of this will be enough Felicity." Gesturing to the floating things around him, then out into the city. "I need to do something…something drastic, and I think I know what. Will you help me?"
"Of course," she answered immediately. He cocked an eyebrow, "I'll do whatever I can to help you."
"I would advise you let me ask first. You may change your mind when you know what I plan."
She swallowed involuntarily.
"I am going to confront my prisoner," he began slowly, "His interference is what set me back against Slade both times. If I can convince him not to rile against me, or even to help me, I may actually be of use in the days to come."
"That's a good idea," She told him firmly, "So what can I do?"
"Will you come with me. I will need to take you on something of a journey."
"What about Roy, and Oliver and Sara? We can't just leave them."
"It is more of a spiritual journey," he clarified, smiling at her worry for her friends. She really was the most selfless person he had ever met. "Into my head, do you think you are up to it?"
She hesitated only for a second, then nodded confidently. "I'm in. What do I do?"
He gently pulled her onto his lap as his chair touched the floor, "You don't do anything, just close your eyes."
She felt her eyes droop shut, her consciousness drifting…
She came too suddenly, sitting up and looking around. She was back in the meadow where she found Cas, after he disppeared to think. She looked around, spotting the man himself walking slowly towards her. He was wearing jeans, a white tshirt and work boots, which made him the most casually dressed she had ever seen him. She stood up as he got closer and smiled slightly.
"So where are we?" She asked, her eyes still darting around, taking everything in.
"Inside my head, just as I said we would be." He replied openly, "Are you okay?"
"Yep, I'm fine, just getting used to the fact that your brain is a grassy meadow near Starling City." She stopped talking as he started to laugh.
"Felicity my mind is like any other mind, it is an endless stream of data processing and consciousness. I constructed the illusion of this meadow for you, as a frame of reference. Without it I'm not sure you would have coped with the mental link." His face grew serious, "Follow me, there's someone I would like you to meet."
He grasped her hand and headed towards the river. As she began to follow, she noticed a slight shimmer in the air. As they drew closer to the water, the shimmer began to take shape, and she noticed there was a small island in the middle.
When they touched the riverbank, they stopped, and out of the shimmer appeared a tall steel cage. She gasped. Inside the cage was a man. Or at least, something a bit like a man. He was hunched over, with a large hump on his back. He was wearing a white vest and a red cape, and underneath it she could see lean muscle straining against taut skin. His nose bulged out to one side, and he had a lump above his eye ridge. His mouth was strangely round.
As she was taking all of this in Cas spoke.
"Spartan."
"Centurion." The creature practically spat.
"It has been many centuries since I was called that." Cas replied with his crooked half smile.
"And yet you remember it. As well as my name. The name I chose."
"I also remember your true name, Ephialtes," he said smoothly, "You would do well to keep that in mind."
"And what can I do for you, my warden? What is it you seek from me?" The spartan sounded sarcastic, but there was madness in his eyes.
Before Cas could answer, Felicity's eyes widened in surprise and she said, "Oh my god, are you the Ephialtes? As in the spartan citizen who betrayed Leonidas and got his 300 men killed?"
"He rejected me!" Ephialtes roared, "I only wanted to help him fight the invaders, but he wouldn't have me, just because I was different."
"I saw the movie, I know that." Felicity replied calmly, "I didn't agree with his treatment of you, but still, that doesn't justify what you did."
"Oh, she's pious, I can see why you like her Mr Grey." He chuckled darkly. "Now, answer my question."
"I seek an alliance," Cas said calmly, "There is a war coming, and if I have to constantly worry about you, I will almost certainly die."
"Why should I care?" Ephialtes laughed, "You have imprisoned me for over 40 years, do you expect me to mourn your passing?"
"No, I expect you to die with me. I have fortified this shield to the point where if I die, you will as well. Think about that Ephialtes. Over 2000 years on this earth, and you will die, alone, as a prisoner." It was Cas's turn to take on a dark look, "You always feared dying alone."
"You lie!" the Spartan shot back halfheartedly.
"Can you take the risk?" Cas countered smoothly, "And more importantly, I know something you fear to lose as much as you fear death. Her."
As he said the last, he pointed at Felicity.
"Me?" She asked incredulously, "What do you mean? Why me?"
"You see my dear, these past weeks that I have come to know and love you, he has watched, from his prison in the shadows. And in his own way, he loves you as well, as strange as that sounds. I believe he would rather help me than be forced to watch Slade kill you."
"That will never happen!" The caged creature yelled. "I will stop him."
Cas sighed, "You mean how you tried to stop him in the warehouse? Or at the foundry? Your interference nearly cost us our lives Ephialtes! If we want to have any hope of defeating him, we need to work together."
The man in the cage thought for a while, in complete silence. Felicity started to get restless, pacing up and down. Just as she was beginning to think he would never give an answer, he spoke up.
"I want one more thing, if we are to do this." He said quietly, the first non aggressive thing he had said so far. "I want my freedom."
Cas thought for less than a second, and said, "Done." Raising a hand to his temple, the cage vanished.
Ephialtes walked across the water as if it was solid ground. As he reached the shore, he and Cas clasped forearms in what Felicity recognised as a very old handshake, and Cas said, "Let's get to work."
Both of their eyes opened at once. Felicity glanced outside and saw it was nighttime. She immediately checked her phone, one message from Oliver.
'Roy made it to Verdant, still going berserk. He attacked Thea and Sara nearly killed him. I managed to knock him out with the Pit Viper venom, and am keeping him sedated. I'm heading home. Let me know you guys are okay.'
She tapped out a quick reply and turned to Cas, "Roy's sedated, everyone's fine. Guess they didn't need us this time after all."
He seemed to ignore her, staring hard out the of window, and then just said, "Something is very wrong," before throwing a hand out, smashing the window in front of him, and leaping into the night.
Oliver screamed in terror and rage.
"You possess true courage," Slade's soft voice had never sounded more terrifying, "I am sorry. Unfortunately you did not pass this on to your son."
Thea cried out in pain and fear, sobbing as the sword pierced her mother's chest. Oliver just collapsed, numb, his mind gone.
As the body of Moira Queen hit the ground, Slade was already turning to leave.
Moments after he was gone, Cas stepped out of the trees calmly. Moira stepped out behind him and, upon seeing her own dead body, breathed, "What have you done?"
"I think you will find, Moira, that I have just saved your life."
Dun dun duuuuuuun! What on earth did he do? And what's going to happen next? Not sure yet, but we'll see.
Let me know what you thought of the mind sequence, and of course the spartan! Until next time :)