I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners
Chapter Twenty Five
The Bertinelli's House Next Day
"Anthony Venza was arrested last night. The police confiscated a warehouse full of illegal prescription drugs with a street value estimated in the billions. Several unconfirmed witnesses reported seeing the Starling City vigilantes leaving the scene with a fourth vigilante, possibly another woman." The TV reports as Frank Bertinelli glares at the screen before tossing his glass across the room, the sound of it shattering resonating around the room as Helena walks in behind him, a smirk on her face at him losing another person, even though she would have preferred to have the guy killed just to furtherly torture the man who had her fiancé killed!
"Bad year?" She whispers softly as she approaches her father with a fake smile.
"The scotch, I mean." She covers quickly.
"Yeah, sorry." He apologizes as his kisses her hand.
"Another business setback." He explains before turning to face her, surprised at her appearance.
"Wow, you look beautiful." He takes her hands.
"Oliver Queen? Thought he had a girlfriend?" He smirks, pleased for his daughter if she had managed to win him over despite the girl he'd left the island with!
"Slade Wilson. Oliver has a girlfriend." She murmurs happily. He smiles.
"It's nice to see you happy again." He pats her cheek gently.
"It's been too long." He comments as his phone starts to buzz.
Looking away from Helena, he picks it up.
"Yeah?" He mutters into his phone.
"Yeah. Yeah, I heard about Venza." He mutters as Helena slips out of the room.
"Yeah, I know where that leaves us!" He yells as Helena leaves, a genuine smile upon her face for once!
Queen Mansion
"Sorry to rush out." Moira apologizes to Walter as she runs a brush through her blonde curls, sliding a few rings onto her fingers.
"I have this impromptu board of directors meeting." She explains.
"It's with the Starling City Modern Art Museum." She grumbles as unbeknownst to her, Walter has the picture in his hands the mysterious symbol Felicity Smoak has found that he had not been able to stop thinking about all through the day.
"I don't know much about art but I do know how to pay for it." She smirks.
"No worries." Walter assures her as she kisses him.
"Whip em into shape!" He chuckles.
"Yes, sir!" She nods as she heads for the door.
"I'll see you when I get back!" She calls in farewell as Walter waits until she's gone and that he's certain she's gone before sliding open her draws, rummaging through her things, searching through boxes, under tables even under a pottery horse before lifting a picture of him and her.
Should be doing this? He wonders as he looks at them both in the picture, where they were happy, husband and wife.
His curiosity, however, takes over and he continues to search the room until he walks over to the grandfather clock.
He slides open the door and discovers a small box.
Holding the small box in his hands he opens it to reveal a small notebook, the pages are completely bare, except for the back where the symbol lies…
A Restaurant In Starling City
"Well it's only been thirty minutes." Tommy comments as he looks at his watch as Laurel leans into him, sliding her arm around his waist and placing a kiss on his cheek.
"That's, um. That's not bad for an opening." He grins as he rubs her arm gently.
"If they don't seat us soon I'm going to write a horrible review online." Laurel murmurs as he kisses the side of her head.
"Let me see what I can do." He smiles as he leaves her.
"Hey, I am loving the Cavalli. Look I'm Tommy Merlyn. Is there any way that we can go to the head of the class." He gives the woman a dazzling Tommy Merlyn smile.
"Is there?" She smirks as Tommy groans as he remembers his financial crisis!
"Let us know when our tables ready, okay?" He smiles as he moves back over to Laurel.
"Maybe you can eat some of those fancy peanuts from behind the bar…"
"Hey!" Oliver's voice calls as he appears beside Sara, Slade and Helena, who is arm in arm with Slade.
"Hey sis." Laurel smiles as Sara breaks from Oliver to hug her sister.
"Lovely to see you again Laurel." Slade says in greeting.
"You to!"
"Hey Oliver, Sara and someone." Tommy smiles as Laurel discreetly punches him.
"And Slade." He grumbles.
"Tommy, Laurel this is Helena." Oliver introduces them.
"Pleasure." She smiles as she shake hands with Laurel.
"Nice to meet you." Laurel smiles warmly.
"You look lovely Laurel." Sara gives her sister a kind smile.
"Thank you, you do to." Laurel grins.
"Mr. Queen, your table is ready." Someone calls.
"When is our table going to be ready?" Laurel spins around.
"When it is." The girl replies with a fake smile.
"Why don't you both join us?" Helena suggests.
"No, no, no. I am not…" Slade grumbles.
"He is literally my worst enemy." Tommy murmurs.
"Helena those two on the same table..." Is Oliver's response, eying Slade and Tommy.
"We'd love to!" Laurel cuts them all off, all of them glancing at her in what can be described as horror!
"Are you sure? You for remember our conversation from the other day right!" Tommy groans at the prospect of having dinner, that he was supposed to have with his girlfriend with his worst enemy, Tommy has now dubbed Slade as!
"I'm sure I'm hungry." Laurel bats her eyelashes at him prettily.
"Come on what's the worse that could happen?" Helena smiles.
"You have no idea." Sara murmurs under her breath so only Oliver can hear.
"That. That'll be… It'll be great. That sounds great." Oliver replies.
"I'm gonna kill you, kid." Slade growls as Oliver sighs after a while as he and Sara are trying to mend their relationship with Laurel still and this could be nice, even if Slade and Tommy are at each others throats!
The seating arrangement was something Oliver and Sara quickly took control of making sure that Oliver and Helena sat either side of Slade and that Sara sat beside Laurel and Tommy was on the end to hopefully keep everything calm!
"This is nice." Laurel is the first to say something after being served.
"We haven't had many opportunities to have a meal together." Sara smiles at her sister honestly before adding.
"To be honest Oliver and I haven't managed to have a meal together since we got back."
"Well Sara I think I know why that is and I'd be happy to explain…" Tommy is cut of by Laurel squeezing his thigh under the table.
"No it's not like that Tommy! We just haven't had time." Sara gives him an eye roll as Slade glances at him venomously.
"We thought a double date would be nice and it's even better now it's a triple date!" Oliver adds with a smile as he takes Sara's hand.
Tommy almost chokes on his wine.
"Double date? I thought this was a meal between a group of friends?" He questions.
"Nah it's a double date." Sara reaffirms as Tommy's eyes widen as he eyes Helena and Slade.
"Well I was certainly not expecting that!" He laughs to cover up his shock.
How on earth did that guy get a date? Tommy thinks to himself, especially a woman who looks like that! He thinks.
"I'm curious how did you manage that?" He glances at Slade with distaste.
"Tommy!" Laurel, Sara and Oliver growl.
"I could ask the same of you with Laurel." Slade hisses.
"You brainwash her or sommit?" He murmurs.
"Threaten or abduct yours?" Tommy lashes back.
"GUY'S!" Oliver, Laurel and Sara all cry at the same time as both men glare at one another before Oliver launches intro an anecdote to change the subject before they attempt to kill one another!
"I had forgotten that you filled your parents pool with beer!" Oliver laughs at the story as Sara and Laurel laugh with him, the stories managing to distract and keep the peace between Slade and Tommy.
"How many kegs did that take?" Sara giggles.
"Roughly a thousand or so!" Tommy laughs back as Slade gives him an eye roll, directing it at Helena when she starts laughing to.
"His father was so pissed, I thought he was actually going to drown you in it!" Oliver shakes his head in disbelief.
"Yeah, well death by beer. There's worse ways to go, right, Helena?" Tommy takes a sip from his glass before addressing Helena, finding that she is actually quite a nice quiet woman, despite who she's currently with! Tommy thinks as he smiles kindly at her.
"There are no good ways to die." She murmurs dryly before resting her hand over Slade's.
"So, how did you and Tommy meet?" She turns to Laurel.
"Actually we've all know each other since…"
"We've all known each other forever." Sara finishes for her sister.
"You four have a lot of history." Helena smiles.
"Yeah we do. Some good, some bad. Mostly good but there have been a few misunderstandings." Tommy nods.
"I think the word misunderstanding is used lightly Tommy." Laurel mutters before giving Helena a smile.
"But it's all water under the bridge now." Laurel shakes it off before turning to Oliver.
"So how's the nightclub coming along?" She asks kindly.
"Slower than we expected it to. We've um, we've been busy." Oliver replies on behalf of him, Sara and Slade.
"Them two are in charge of it, I told them, I'll help but I just want to bartend to be honest." Sara says with a smile.
"You were good at that." Laurel nods.
"Yeah, a job I actually enjoyed!" Sara chuckles.
"It's harder then we thought." Oliver admits with a tight smile.
"Well then, you three must be happy to have the extra help, then."
"What do you mean?" Oliver furrows his brow in confusion.
"Laurel I'm sure that Oliver doesn't want to talk about work right now." Tommy cuts in.
"You didn't ask them?" She looks at Tommy with sad eyes.
"I told you Laurel. It would be impossible!" Tommy glances at Slade.
"Tell us what?" Oliver whispers with a smirk.
"Tommy wanted. Tommy said that he was going to talk to the three of you about working for the three of you at the nightclub." Laurel reveals as Tommy buries his head in his hands.
"Really?" Oliver all but laughs in disbelief.
"And I'm now fully in charge, no way! I am not working with him." Slade murmurs.
"Slade…" Sara starts.
"Oliver and I are in charge." He reminds her.
"Tommy, to be honest I'm a little surprised here. I didn't think that you wanted any responsibility at all." Oliver questions, trying not to smile.
"Yeah, yeah, who'd believe that." Tommy looks up at his supposed best friend sadly.
"You've always wanted to get into business with Tommy." Laurel frowns.
"I mean, don't you remember when we went to Aspen and you two wanted to open a ski lodge?" Laurel questions.
"Laurel, the only thing that I remember from Aspen was your father being furious that we shared a room with one bed." Oliver laughs.
"Ohh yeah I remember him wanting to shoot you." Sara punches him lightly.
"You two were together?" Helena questions in confusion before adding.
"I just thought that Oliver and Sara had always been together..."
"Yeah. Oliver and I used to date before he cheated on me with my younger sister, got in a boating accident and let us all believe they were dead for five years before being returned to us." Laurel explains, hints of resentment in her voice as the past is dragged up.
"Ohh so that's what you meant by a misunderstanding." Helena winces, having not heard the whole story before.
"Wow you four do have a lot of history!" She says in surprise.
"Yeah we do! Like I said though. Water under the bridge." Laurel gives them all a small smile as Sara puts her hand over her sisters.
"We regret what we did but we are just so fortunate that the universe granted us with a second change to make things right." Sara says on behalf of her and Oliver, who also smiles at Laurel.
"We're all just prime for a reality show, aren't we?" Tommy laughs lightly as he downs his wine, before quickly refilling his glass.
"Tommy, you working for us. That could be fun but I'm doing this with Slade and he's got to be in agreement as well." Oliver says gently.
"And I'm not." Slade grumbles.
"Slade." Oliver sighs before turning back to Tommy.
"And even if that were so, I'm not sure we need three people to run this thing, I mean Sara's decided to be the bartender. I'm sure Slade will cooperate if you want to share that job with Sara?" Oliver suggests.
"I'm fine with that. Maybe Tommy could help you with the design and stuff as Slade, design is like a foreign language to you!" Sara smirks at him, as he gives her a glare.
"So, let me get this straight. You would rather go into business with him then me a man you've known your whole life, your best friend?" Tommy looks at Oliver sadly.
"Tommy it's not like that. Slade actually has some knowledge of how to run a successful business, having done something like that before in Australia before joining the ASIS. I would love more than anything for you to join us but when we came up with that Ski Lodge thing we were young and you've never really had a job before Tommy and to be honest. I kinda need you and Slade to be on the same page as this won't work if you pair can't even stand the sight of one another." Oliver sighs with a sad smile.
"I see. I see. He convince you of that?" He glares at Slade.
"Tommy…"
"Has he got mind control on all of you or something?" He adds.
"Tommy!" Laurel scolds him as Slade glares at him.
"I suppose jealously is expected in this case." Helena murmurs under her breath, yet not quiet enough.
"What the heck do you mean by that? I am far from jealous of that man! I just wished he didn't exist!" Tommy hisses.
"Hey Oliver, I think we're kinda on the same page now! I don't particularly value his existence either." Slade snarls sarcastically.
"You and I. Outside now." Tommy snarls back.
"Ohh now I have been looking forward to this!" Slade growls.
"No!" Oliver growls back as he and Helena rest restraining hands on Slade, much like Sara and Laurel are doing with Tommy.
"Tommy! Back down, he would kill you!" Oliver hisses.
"Ohh I really would." Slade snarls.
"Maybe we should put that to the test, if he's so good at everything!" Tommy mutters as Sara, Oliver, Laurel and even Helena shake their heads all knowing that Tommy would certainly lose the fight and probably die in the process!
"You know once I managed to kill a man by…"
"Slade!" Sara growls, as a small bit of the island threatens to rear its ugly head!
"I think you're a lot of talk! If you hate me the way I hate you, you would have done something about it by now but you haven't and that's because I think you probably know you couldn't win in a fight against me and…"
"Both of you just calm down!" Oliver whispers sharply, cutting Tommy off quickly whilst trying to keep things calm as he had noticed a few people looking in their direction due to the small commotion!
"Maybe you only feel like this about Slade because you feel threatened by him." Helena murmurs as Laurel looks over at him, kinda actually seeing Helena's words as the truth.
"Tommy, I did say the other day…"
"Of for the love of! I am not jealous of anybody." Tommy growls at Laurel before turning away from her.
"It's probably natural. I mean you're Oliver's best friend, you always have been it seems you have so much history and then you lose him for five years, only to have him come back with someone new. Someone that can relate to him more now then you can as you weren't on that island with him Tommy, Slade was and after all the trauma they endured it's only natural Oliver would be closer to the man who went through it to, all they had was each other and Sara so they formed a brotherly bond which I don't think will ever be broken. So honestly, I think if you want your best friend back then you need to start remembering that he isn't the same person as you knew him to be but he came back to you and that he cares about you a lot, I believe but things are different now and I think the road to going back to being Oliver's best friend you've got to accept these changes. I think you really kinda need to accept Slade in a way." Helena adds her insight as Oliver all but face palms the table and Slade raises his eyebrow at her. He himself, never wanting to accept Tommy Merlyn!
"Yeah, you're probably right about some of that. However I don't think that theirs anything in the world that would ever convince me that he is worthy of acceptance in any way." Tommy murmurs after a few minutes of silence.
"I need some air." He adds as he moves quickly toward the door.
"No." Oliver growls at Slade, who looks as if he were going to follow him and actually start that fight that everyone agrees would be no doubtedly the end of Tommy Merlyn's life!
"I better go talk to him. It was lovely to meet you Helena. I'll speak to you all soon yeah?" Laurel nods as she takes off after Tommy, leaving only Slade, Sara, Helena and Oliver alone and actually kinda relieved about it! Oliver groans as he buries his head into his hands.
"And this is why, kid you should listen to me!"
Tommy storms towards the door angrily after the very unpleasant dinner between the six of them! All he had wanted was a quiet meal with Laurel but no he couldn't even get that! No he got a meal with his worst enemy instead!
"Tommy! Why are you so upset?" Laurel calls as she chases after him.
"Why did you have to say something to them about the job." He growls.
"You were supposed to talk to them!" Laurel cries.
"Well I hadn't and from what you witnessed in their I'm sure you can guess why!" He snarls.
"Ok I didn't realize. I was only trying to help…"
"Well you weren't Laurel." He snaps back.
"You agreed with her, with Helena. You think I am somehow jealous of Slade? I told you I am far from it, I hate the man and I don't know why you hold him in such high regards!"
"Tommy I told you! He's a difficult person that's just who he is but he saved my sister, he even saved me once Tommy and he really cares about Sara and Oliver and honestly yeah I think you're jealous of him!" Laurel folds her arms.
"I know it's always been you and Oliver, the best of friends, practically brothers but that's different now, Slade's in the mix and he's not just going to go away Tommy so stop hoping he will and just try and make the best of it!" She cries.
"That man is a psychopath Laurel!" Tommy growls.
"Well Tommy I trust him, I think you should stop seeing him as the enemy here!" She sighs.
"Laurel, he is the enemy!"
"Is he? Because I'm sure he's thinking exactly the same thing about you to!" Laurel snaps as Tommy shakes his head before leaving.
"Tommy!" She calls after him, he doesn't look back.
Starling City Later…
After that fiasco of a meal, Oliver and Sara decided to go and get a well needed drink and had asked Slade and Helena to join them, who had both declined as Slade needed to clear his head and thought a nice walk might just achieve that!
"I'm sorry." Helena murmurs as she leans against him.
"What you sorry for." He murmurs back.
"I should never have offered to let them sit with us." She winces at the memory of the recent dinner.
"I hate that man." Slade growls.
"I think I do to. Laurel was ok." She comments.
"Yes I like Laurel. She's too good for him." Slade mutters as thoughts of Tommy Merlyn return to him, making him want to kill somebody!
"I agree." She nods before smiling.
"Want me to distract you from him?" She grins as he raises an eyebrow at her.
"I can assure you that will not be an easy task." He grumbles.
"Really?" She smiles flirtatiously as she presses a soft kiss to his cheek.
"You're gonna have to try harder then that." He mutters as she kisses him.
"You know, there are some members of the Triad that are having this meeting, associates of my father. We could go, you know gear up and take out our anger on them!" She smiles, kissing his cheek again as Slade frowns.
"Helena?" He looks at her in deep confusion as she takes his hands in hers.
"Ohh come on Slade! Last night. It was fun and all but that wasn't revenge…"
"That's because it wasn't meant to be." He reminds her.
"I know, it was justice but it didn't change a goddam thing Slade, I still hurt and I honestly hurt worse because their bodies were not lying so my feet! They just got locked away! Probably not for life either! And really I don't see how you guys can preach that as you three still take lives, all I want is to stop my father. Just like you guys want to stop those people on that list, you'd kill people to get those ones, right?" She smiles.
"Only if there isn't another choice." He murmurs.
"Oliver and Sara may think like that but you don't. You just follow them, you never stop to think about what you want? You went through more then them, you lost more. You felt more pain, you felt my pain. I knew they'd never want to do this but your different from them Slade! There is more darkness inside of you then them, you know what needs to be done and you'll do it, you don't need to be tied down by them. They have each other and we lost the people we loved so why don't we just work together? I mean the man you call your brother actually fired that arrow into the woman you loved! How can you just see past that?" She looks at Slade in disbelief.
"Helena." He snarls.
"We'd be unstoppable. We could take out my father's whole organization, including the man himself, then we could get revenge on that organization that had your son killed. No matter how long it takes we could take them down if we did it together. We could even take that Tommy Merlyn out! Starling City isn't your home Slade and I don't think it's mine anymore either. So just come with me, come with me and we can start again and destroy everyone who ever wronged us!" She begs him.
"No." Slade mutters.
"No?" Helena folds her arms.
"I fell into the darkness once I will never do it again. I would never abandon my family." He growls menacingly as she stares at him incredulously.
"What family do you have really Slade? They're all dead!" She reminds him.
"My family is Oliver and Sara. I could never lose them." He murmurs.
"They don't understand you Slade."
"They understand me more then anyone in the world does, Helena.." He admits.
"I do know who you are Slade Wilson. You were a man who was destroyed by lost loved ones, you wanted revenge before, why not now!" She cries.
"Because the cost for my revenge would be the only loved ones I have left." He snaps.
"You'd chose them over me?" She whispers, suddenly feeling lost all of a moment.
"I don't want to Helena, I understand what you have said to me because there were moments back then when I was like you, I contemplated exactly what you are now but you don't need revenge, it took me a long time before I realized that about myself and I'm glad I did because it would've destroyed me and I don't want that happening to you." He sighs as silence falls between them both.
"You know what." She says after a couple of moments of silence.
"I'm sorry." She says before he can reply.
"I'm sorry I ever listened to you!" She snaps.
"Helena. I am just trying to stop you from ruining you life." He growls.
"Is that what you think I am doing? By wanting vengeance on the people who killed the man I loved?" She shakes her head in dismay.
"I care about you..." He mutters.
"Not enough it appears! I thought we understood each other!" She cries.
"We do. We do, Helena, which is why I want to help you in any way that I can. I want you to join us..."
"Join you? You, Sara and Oliver on your mission to world peace or something! That won't work Slade and you know it! This is the only way for me. I thought that you of all people would want this to! You know what I've been through Slade, because you've been through hell to and I don't you that I couldn't be hurt again…"
"Helena I am not trying to hurt you." Slade murmurs, his voice softer than before.
"No. No I am done talking." She snarls at him before storming away, allowing the darkness in again and this time vowing to never let it go again.
Laurel Lance's Apartment
At the sound of knocking, Laurel opens her front door to find Tommy, with his head bowed a sad expression upon his face as she folds her arms, waiting for him to say something first.
"I came to apologize." He states, silence passing between the two of them before Laurel sighs and pushes the door open for him to enter, he follows her into her living room.
"I know you were just trying to help." Tommy sighs as she continues to keep her back to him as she closes her eyes.
"I guess I wasn't ready to face reality." He admits.
Laurel keeps walking, still saying nothing.
"This is just so new you and me and I didn't want you to see that I'm scared." He admits, this time she turns to face him.
"I'm almost thirty years old and I've never been given an ounce of responsibility in my life. You, you are driven and intelligent. You're a million times too good for me even before I was broke, and now I have absolutely nothing to bring to whatever this is." He reveals as she moves closer to him.
"Tommy I never cared about the money, and truth be told, billionaire was your least attractive quality. I am so sorry if I pushed you too hard on the job with Oliver and Slade. I just, I just thought you working for Oliver was a good idea because he's your friend and it's ok to ask a friend of help because Oliver loves you Tommy, you will always be his best friend even with Slade being here now and honestly I think all he wants is for you two to accept one another and I know you working for Slade won't be easy after what I saw but just some acceptance on one another could go along way. You won't lose your street cred." Laurel smiles warmly at him as Tommy shakes his head.
"I'm happy to lose my street cred. I just…" He stops for a moment.
"Laurel I just don't want to lose you." He admits as Laurel smiles and pulls him by his dinner jacket closer to her.
"Well, I'm not saying that it's going to be easy." She murmurs as she wraps her arms around his neck as he slides his around her waist.
"But I'm here for you if you need someone to lean on."
"That's what people do when they're together." She grins.
Tommy stifles a surprised gasp, replacing it with a megawatt smile.
"Together, like boyfriend, girlfriend?" He smirks as Laurel laughs softly and tugs him closer.
"Do not ruin this moment. It was going so well for you!" She laughs loudly as she pulls her boyfriend in for a long, happy kiss.
The Foundry
As Diggle enters The Foundry to see if he could find Oliver and Sara and try to talk more sense into them he is surprised and kind of concerned to see Slade sitting in the corner of The Foundry alone and sharpening his many knives and swords.
Despite his actual nervousness of the scene in front of him as Slade sharpening a large amount of swords and knives is actually rather chilling, he speaks up.
"Didn't expect to see you here." He says clearly, all but expecting Slade to turn to him and throw one of his weapons at him.
"Something happen?" He asks, looking around again.
"Where's Oliver and Sara?" He adds.
"Out." Slade mutters sharply, contemplating whether or not to actually kill Diggle, due to Sara and Oliver's absence to stop him!
Except he won't because like it or not Diggle was right about Helena.
John Diggle was right about something and even Slade can't pretend that he wasn't.
"I think you were right." He growls, causing Diggle to nearly stumble at hearing those words from Slade, the admittance from a man who he'd never thought possible to agree with him about anything, ever.
"Ok." He nods as Slade sharpens another sword.
"About which part?" He questions, trying to keep a smile from his face.
"All of it, even what you told Oliver and Sara." He growls, causing Diggle to frown, how exactly did Slade find out about that? He wonders yet decides not to say anything because if Slade did hear about that conversation he probably wants to kill him for it!
"Slade you three said that you wanted to help her change. The thing is she already did change." Diggle states as he takes a few steps towards Slade, deeming him safe enough to approach yet keeps a distance just in case Slade decides to kill him!
"When her father killed her fiancé, she changed into something dark and twisted. You see that now don't you?" Diggle questions.
"It's not that. It's not that we couldn't see it. I didn't want to. I wanted to help her, like Oliver and Sara helped me when I wanted revenge on the person that killed the woman that I loved, when I wanted to destroy this organisation that had my son killed just because he answered a fucking phone call! Oliver and Sara were the only ones keeping me from that darkness. The darkness that has consumed Helena." Slade growls, causing Diggle to glance at him in surprise at his words.
"I looked into her eyes tonight and I can't stop her from going over the edge. She's, she's already past it." Slade admits as Diggle folds his arms, about to say something in response yet is stopped by Sara and Oliver entering The Foundry, both of them stopping instantly in their tracks when they see Diggle standing across from Slade, whom is sitting down sharpening weapons!
"Slade. What's going on?" Oliver looks at his friend worriedly as he moves towards him.
"I was right." Diggle mutters as Sara joins Oliver's side.
"Helena?" Sara whispers, in worry more than anything as she thinks of the possible scenarios, none of them good.
Slade looks up at them both with an almost emotionless expression.
"There's nothing we can do to help her." He murmurs as Oliver kneels down beside him.
"What do you mean? What happened?" He asks gently.
"She's lost, kid. She's lost to the darkness and there is nothing we can do to save her anymore because this time she's lost forever…"
Starling City Docks
A group of men, members of The Triad sit calmly as they play a card game between themselves just as one of their phones ring.
The person moves to grab it, that's when the rest of the groups phones start to buzz and ring loudly, causing them all to frown at one another.
"What!" One of them snaps in Chinese.
"Get out of there!" The man on the phone yells as suddenly the doors burst open and a woman enters, firing a gun rapidly at the group.
The ones who try to stop her she fights back, flipping one to the ground and snapping their neck under her foot.
"When you seek vengeance dig two graves." One survivor murmurs in Chinese as she raises her gun to him.
"One for your enemy and one for yourself." He mutters.
"I don't speak Chinese so I'm just gonna assume you said goodbye!" She snaps before firing at him with two of her handguns.
Turning to leave, she stops at the sound of groaning coming from the floor, smirking she moves toward the injured man.
"Tell your mistress Frank Bertinelli sends his regards."
Queen Consolidated
Nervously, Felicity Smoak enters Walter's office having being summoned once more.
"You wanted to see me Mr. Steele?" She asks softly as he looks up at her.
"Did I mention it's almost Christmas? Many of the suicides this time of year are due to sudden and unexpected joblessness?" She bites her lip nervously as he sighs at her and instead of firing her pushes the small book her found in Moria's room toward her.
"I want you to find out all you can about that notebook." He states.
"Where it was made, how it was purchased and what it could mean." He commands as she moves quickly forward to take it from him.
"Yes sir." She says with a nod.
"Felicity. I asked Josiah Hudson, our head of security, to look into the same subject matter. He died the next day under questionable circumstances." He warns her kindly.
"What I may be asking of you, this mystery, are you sure you want to do this?"
"I hate mysteries." She states as she turns for the door.
"They bug me. They need to be solved."
Starling City Docks
The Man In The Hood, The Woman In Black and The Man In The Mask fall into silence as they walk into the warehouse filled with many dead triad members, dead from bullets and the one snapped neck.
"Ohh my god." The Woman In Black murmurs as The Man In The Mask takes a few steps away from the mass of corpses, closing his eyes.
This is his fault, because he couldn't help her, because he couldn't do a damn thing to stop this from happening.
"This isn't your fault." He feels a hand on his arm as The Man In The Hood approaches him.
"None of us could have anticipated this." The Woman In Black adds as The Man In The Hood pulls out his phone, dialling a number.
"This is Dig." Diggle's voice sounds out.
"What's the situation?" He questions as the the vigilantes look around the room.
"War."
The Bertinelli's House
"Boss, I just got word somebody hit Zhishan. He's dead." One of Frank Bertinelli's workers informs him as he sits at his bar with his phone pressed tightly to his ear.
"Alright." He mutters venomously.
"Now we know what's coming next." He sighs.
"Tell everyone to strap up." He commands as he hangs up the phone unbeknownst to him that outside a war is approaching him, members of the triad.
One of his security guards falls to the ground dead due to his throat being violently slit by China White as she moves in with her army, speaking in impeccable Chinese.
"Leave no one alive."
One by one each member of Bertinelli's security is taken down by China White's small army of Triad members.
"Ricco's not answering his walkie. Check it out!" One of the security guards speaks his last words before finding himself with a fatal slit throat as he pushed away from the door, allowing China White and her small army to enter the home of Frank Bertinelli.
However, just as one moves to race upstairs they are shot down by an arrow as The Man In The Hood, The Woman In Black and The Man In The Mask make themselves known, racing down the stairs as the gunfire begins!
Fumbling with his safe, Frank Bertinelli tries to ignore the battle going on behind him as he yanks out his laptop, placing it into a secure box before grabbing a gun and racing away just as one of his guards is take down behind him.
"Frank Bertinelli." China White snarls as she raises her knife.
"This is for Zhishan!" She snarks just as an arrow knocks the knife from her hand. The Man In The Mask sending a knife of his own into her leg before she can retaliate.
"Run!" The Woman In Black growls at Bertinelli as he looks to see the three vigilantes, who race back into the battle as Bertinelli shoots his way toward the exit, moving quickly and taking out anyone in his way as he moves.
A piercing pain through his leg causes him to fall to the ground and cry out in pain as he looks to see a dart into it, looking up to find the face of his attacker, all expecting it to be The Man In The Hood, freezing in place though when he sees that the attacker is none other than his own daughter, dressed in leather, a crossbow trained on him.
"Helena." He whispers in shock.
"What is this?" He cries as he backs away from her.
"Payback for Michael." She snarls through her tears.
"I know you had him killed. Salvati told me." She informs him.
"I did that to protect the family!" He yells.
"I had to take everything away from you because you took everything away from me." She cries in despair.
"Now you know what it feels like to find out your own blood is responsible for the death of your entire world." She whispers as suddenly her crossbow is knocked from her hand by a flying knife.
Turning around she sees The Man In The Mask. Slade Wilson.
Storming over to him, she aims an attack at him, which he easily deflects, knocking her to the ground, she scrambles to her feet, pulling out her dagger to either stab Slade or her farther just as she is shot in the arm by her father, who had claimed her crossbow.
"No!" Slade growls as he races over to Bertinelli, who fires another dart straight into his side, causing him to collapse.
An arrow, soaring into the shoulder of Bertinelli causes him to drop the weapon as The Man In The Hood and The Woman In Black race over toward them, The Man In The Hood slamming his fist into Bertinelli's face as he races toward his partner.
"Don't worry about me, kid. Helena…" He murmurs through the pain as he looks to where Helena lies, a dart in her shoulder.
He looks back at The Man In The Mask hesitantly before picking her up and carrying her away as the four of them escape into the night, just as the sirens begin to blare.
The three vigilantes are gone when the police arrive, being left only with the unconscious form of Frank Bertinelli…
The Foundry
"Are you ok?" Oliver asks Slade for the umpteenth time as Sara carefully removes the dart from his side.
"Isn't as bad as an arrow through the eye!" He growls as Sara apologies quickly as she ends up ripping or out, Slade muttering in pain, using several choice words as she pats his arm sympathetically as she tends to his wound.
Helena lies on a table across from Oliver, who had treated her wound, she would live, that they all know for sure.
"Easy!" Oliver whispers as she comes to.
"You were lucky." He murmurs as she groans in pain.
"Am I supposed to be grateful?" She growls.
"No. Helena…"
"He's a monster, a criminal. Why would the three of you save him?" She questions as she sits up, glancing over at Slade, who is still growling at Sara.
"We didn't save him." Slade mutters through his pain as Sara apologises again.
"We saved you." He adds.
"You think that because you've killed, you understand what it's like to have blood on your hands. You don't understand the toll that it takes on you, especially when it's your father." Oliver growls at her angrily.
"I'm not going to stop." She mutters stubbornly.
"The police have him in custody. He's going to gaol and then onto prison." Sara explains.
"They don't have any evidence on him!" She cries.
"They do now." Slade mutters.
"The laptop." She turns to face him again.
"He's going away Helena, for the rest of his life. This is justice." Oliver sighs.
"Then I guess you three were right. I'm more interested in revenge." She growls as she turns to head doe the stairs.
"Stay out of my way or I'll make sure your secrets don't stay secret!" She snarls as she climbs the stairs.
"Helena." Slade calls as he tries to move.
"Don't you dare try to get up." Sara growls menacingly so that he doesn't injure himself further as Slade is the most stubborn person she knows!
"What we did, everything that we've done. Everything I have done is because I care about you." He admits.
She glances at him one last time.
"Too bad I can't say the same."
Big Belly Burger
"Oliver!" Diggle calls as he spies him collecting take out.
"Hey Diggle." He murmurs as Diggle folds his arms.
"Where's Slade and Sara?" He questions.
"Is that worry I detect Diggle?" Oliver says with a slight smile.
"Nope it is more worry for the person that crossed him!" He murmurs as Oliver smirks.
"He got hit tonight, Sara's with him. I was tasked with getting food and then rejoining them to try and get his mind of you know." Oliver explains brief.
"He alright?" Diggle mutters.
"He's had much worse." Oliver replies.
"You know I'm no expert at this but I don't think love is about changing or saving a person. I think it's about finding the person who's already the right fit. Like Sara is for you." He smiles at Oliver, before flashing a quick glance over at his sister in law.
"One day he'll find someone." He adds, Oliver raises his eyebrow.
"I honestly hope he does. He's lost so many people he loved..." Oliver trails off.
"A mysterious woman and his son?" He questions.
"The less you know about them the better." Oliver mutters.
"Apparently his son died because of a phone call? Care to embellish?" Diggle pushes Oliver shakes his head.
"He's my brother, Diggle. If he chooses to tell anyone then that's up to him." Oliver shrugs his shoulders.
"Were you there?" He asks carefully.
Oliver doesn't respond, but remembers it as if it were yesterday.
Remembers that night where had just stayed awake and sat with Slade all night long…
"Some positives to this whole thing, you three saved Frank Bertinelli's life." He reminds him.
"He'll be doing time for a while, justice wins out." He adds.
"Helena didn't see it that way." Oliver shakes his head.
"You three opened up to her, he took a risk with his heart. The Slade I met a few months ago would not have been able to do that, none of you would have opened up to her. I don't like Slade, I'm not sure if I'll ever get used to him but this has been the first time I have ever respected him." He admits to Oliver's shock, if only Slade had heard this! He thinks to himself as he collects his take out.
"And when he meets the right person I think he'll be ready for her." He adds.
"I'm just in complete disbelief that your saying nice things about Slade!" Oliver smirks.
"And you and I are going to have problems of our own if you ever tell him a word I said." Diggle mutters with a smirk.
Oliver laughs.
"I don't know it's pretty hard to keep things from Slade!"
Queen Consolidated
Stepping into Walters office for the second time today, Felicity quietly switches off the lights to Walters surprise as he looks up at her.
"What are you doing?" He questions.
"It needs to be dark in here if we're going to do this." She replies wincing at her words.
"If I had more time to think of that sentence, it wouldn't have sounded so dirty." She babbles nervously as she holds the book out.
"Look." She commands as she passes it to him and he flicks through the same empty pages as before, eying the symbol still at the back.
"I don't see anything." He replies.
"I got these from applied sciences." She holds out to him a pair of glasses.
"They're able to pick up the sub visible variations in the UV spectrum." She explains as she points toward the book.
"Now look at the book again."
Walter, complies starting at the pages in shock when this time he sees that the pages are full, filled with names...
Queen Mansion
"Ok, ok we made it!" Oliver cheers as he and Sara help Slade down onto Oliver's bed, both Oliver and Sara wincing slightly as Slade is heavy and having to support him up several flights of stairs was kind of draining!
"Thanks, kid." Slade mutters, having not said much since Helena's departure.
Oliver is about to respond when he hears someone at the door downstairs.
Tommy… He realises as he hears him greet Rasia.
"I'll be right back." Oliver nods, glancing at Sara.
"Keep him here!" He begs as Slade rolls his eye sleepily.
"I'm in too much pain to try and kill someone right now, kid." He assures him, still not convincing Oliver who smirks at them both before heading down to Tommy.
"Hi!" He calls as he moves down the stairs toward his friend.
"Look. I'm sorry about last night." Tommy starts as Oliver shakes his head.
"It's just I let it get too far, sitting at the same table. That was… That was stupid. I know you and Slade hate each other and I get that he doesn't make things easy…"
"No. I was stupid." Tommy cuts Oliver off mid sentence.
"I haven't been entirely honest with you." He admits as Oliver glances at him surprisingly.
"My dad cut me off." Tommy reveals.
"He froze all my funds. I am living on fumes." Tommy shakes his head.
"Really?" Oliver raises his eyebrow in shock.
"Why didn't you say anything?" He cries in disbelief.
"Embarrassment, shame, jealously, probably a few other emotions I'm not used to feeling." He sighs as Oliver holds out his hands.
"Tommy, my trust fund is your trust fund."
"No." Tommy shakes his head.
"That is the easy answer and believe me, I have loved easy answers. What I need is a job. I'm trying to change, not sure into what yet, but I don't want to be what I was anymore and if that means working with Slade Wilson then so be it because I. I am disturbed by his presence because Oliver you and I have been best friends for as long as I can remember and he was there with you for those five years that I wish I could have been there for you through. There were times when I wished it was me who was on that boat with you so you didn't have to go through that five years of hell alone but you didn't you had Sara and you had Slade and you made it home without me, you didn't need me Oliver and when you were…" He stops himself before he can reveal something he hasn't told anyone bar Laurel, something that he did during those five years to try and save his best friend…
"Tommy! You will always be my best friend, that's never going to change. Honestly I just want you and Slade to accept each other because I want both of you in my life because I love you both. You might not think you were Tommy but you were with me on that island every step of the way because I never stopped thinking about returning home to my best friend. Never." Oliver shakes his head before smirking.
"And about your request for a job it just so happiest that I have a general manager position that is available. You're probably the guy for the job." Oliver smirks.
"Will I be getting dental? This smile wasn't cheap!" He murmurs.
"I'll look into that." Oliver assures him.
"Thank you." Tommy sighs as Oliver pulls him into a tight embrace.
"Does Slade know that you've offered me this job?" Tommy pulls away.
Oliver winces and pats Tommy's arm.
"He will do and he's gonna be absolutely fine with it!"
Oliver's Bedroom
"How was Tommy?" Sara asks gently as Oliver re enters the room, holding the bag of take a way as he approaches them, kicking of his shoes as he puts the back down by his bed.
"Great. Just great, I may need to discuss something with you Slade but it can wait until your better." Oliver shakes it off, fighting his urge to add and probably drunk or drugged as well when he tells him what he has offered Tommy!
"I'd discuss it now but I really can't be arsed, kid." Slade mutters grimly as Oliver smiles at him as Sara plonks herself down on the bed beside Slade.
"We've got something else to do anyway." Oliver grins as Slade raises an eyebrow at him.
"You need a distraction." Oliver states plainly.
"We're good with break ups." Sara smiles as Slade rolls his eye at them both.
"Which is why the three of us are going to eat take away and watch loads of action movies all night and we are not going to move from this bed for at least a day!" Oliver sniggers as he switches the tv on before sitting on the other side of Slade dragging the food with him.
"Don't think we'd ever abandon you!" Sara adds as Oliver hands out the food.
"I'm glad I've got you two." Slade murmurs as Oliver and Sara smile at him warmly, wincing as Oliver knocks into his injured side in a grab for the fries.
"Sorry!" Oliver murmurs as Slade nudges him playfully.
"S'alright, kid." He mutters before murmuring.
"I was right about something though." He informs them quietly.
"I'll never find love again."
Authors Note: Thank you all for reading sorry if I haven't updated in like forever I was abroad and the place didn't have wifi which was hell as I couldn't write fanfic or watch anything from the Arrowverse! Hopefully updates will come sooner as I missed writing this story I honestly did! Thanks again for reading, please tell me what you think see you all next update xxxxx