AN:I looked up how fast it would be for a jet to fly from California to NY (As Gotham is approximately located in the NY NJ area) and apparently the record in 1990 in SR Blackbird flying from LA to Virginia. So I would imagine it would be around the same to fly from Starling to Gotham.

Just so no one yells "Slade got there too fast."

Thanks so much for everyone who stuck with the story even with the break I took in the middle. I had the worst case of writer's block, but I finally got my grooze back. Also I promise I will try to work on updating Shadows and Souls soon.


Bruce waited a few minutes until he was sure Felicity was gone before sneaking the tablet he'd hidden under his bed out. He knew she'd be mad that he wasn't resting, but he needed to know if there had been any changes on Slade that Team Arrow hadn't shared with him. He hacked the Arrow lair, marveling at Felicity's security and the various searches she had running on the computers. Oliver had set up a new system, but it was lacking: probably because Felicity herself hadn't gone over it. He rolled his eyes. The good news about this exceptionally weak system was that he could use it to run a few searches. Putting Slade's likeness through a facial recognition software, all the while, checking for updates on the antidote.

He'd been working on the tablet for about an hour when Alfred walked in. He started, half shoving the tablet under the blanket before he recognized the old butler. Relaxing, he pulled the tablet out. Alfred looked at him in amusement.

"What?" Bruce growled.

"Nothing." Alfred smiled. "Just that I don't believe Mrs. Wayne would approve of you not resting..." He went to open the windows. "And that you know that as well."

Bruce grunted and was about to retort when an alert beeped on his tablet. He frowned as he opened the facial recognition software. "Oh no." He murmured, trying to get out of bed.

"No, Master Bruce." Alfred said, putting his hand on Bruce's shoulder. "You cannot risk going out there and injuring yourself."

Bruce grit his teeth. "Well that's going to be a problem." He motioned to the tablet. "Because Slade Wilson just got on a private plane and I have a pretty good idea of where he's headed."

"You think he's coming to Gotham?"

"Worse." Bruce stood, walking towards the door of the room. "I'm willing to bet that he's coming here, to Wayne Manor." He wrenched the door open and began walking towards his father's study.

"How do you know?" Alfred said.

"It's what I'd do." Bruce explained. "He knows Felicity is my wife, he knows the Batman operates in Gotham and that the last time he saw Felicity she was being rescued by Batman. He wants Felicity, he wants revenge and now Batman's on his list. Coming to Wayne Manor would be the most obvious place to start looking." He grimaced. "That is, if he hasn't figured out that I'm Batman yet." It was possible; his connection to Felicity was a complication. He'd never had such a tangible link to another person. This could seriously compromise his identity.

He opened the clock, stepping inside and going to the Batcave. "Contact Team Arrow." He said to Alfred before pulling out his phone. She wasn't picking up. He tried again.

"I'm driving, you're on speaker." She said.

"Is Harper with you?" He asked.

"Yeah. He-"

"Slade just left Starling." Bruce cut her off. "I think he's headed here. The second you get back here go straight to the Batcave and under no circumstances come out. Tell Harper..." He sighed heavily. On the one hand, he didn't have a read on Harper's trustworthiness. On the other, he couldn't take Slade down on his own...even with his experimental suit. He needed help ad if Felicity trusted him then he should put some trust in her. "Tell him I need him to be ready to help me."

"Got it." She said.

Bruce hung up. Alfred frowned. "Master Bruce." He said, watching as Bruce walked over to the Bat exo suit.

"It's not ideal." Bruce said. "But we built it for moments like this one." He opened the suit. "As soon as Felicity gets back, we lock down the manor." He looked at Dr. Thompkins and Lucius Fox. "I'm going to need the two of you to keep working on this antidote."

He sat at the computers, running a trace on Felicity's phone. She was still far...way too far for his comfort. It would take her almost an hour to get to the manor from Gotham Airport. "Please hurry." He murmured, ignoring the way Lee, Lucius, and Alfred shared a look.


Felicity bit her lip, fidgeting in her seat as she pushed the acceptable speed limit in order to get back to the Manor. Roy shot her worried looks. "You okay?" He said.

"This Slade thing..." She shivered. "I just...I don't want him near me." She looked over at him. "He's actually insane."

Roy nodded. "I feel that." He looked at his hands. "So Batman might really be able to cure me?"

Felicity smiled. "He thinks so."

"I don't know him." He said. "For all I know he might just think I'm a crazy danger...but I do know you; if you think I can trust him, it's good enough for me."

Felicity was touched by Roy's trust in her. She focused her eyes on the road, thinking of her answer to Roy's question. Yes, she trusted him. In fact, even though Slade was coming for them, she felt safer than she'd felt in months.

"I guess that grin answers my question." Roy mumbled. "Does he know how hopelessly in love with him you are?"

"I am not." Felicity glared at him. "Bruce is...he's..." She sighed.

"Uh huh." Roy smirked. "Is that why you can't string a complete sentence together?" He nudged her. "Just one thing. You have what I can't have with Thea, right now. He knows about every part of your life and you know about his." He grimaced. "You don't know how lucky you are."

Felicity bit her lip. "I don't if I love him." She admitted. "But...I can definitely say that I..." She turned the car onto the road that would lead them through the woods to Wayne Manor. Suddenly she heard something.

"That you..." Roy prompted. Felicity shushed.

"Listen." She hissed.

There was a humming noise. It made her skin crawl. Flooring the accelerator she shouted over to Roy. "Call Bruce, tell him to open the gate. NOW." A glance in the rear-view mirror told her that she'd been right. There was a jet flying overhead and it was going in the direction of the Manor.

The gate was coming up. It was opening slowly. Felicity grit her teeth. "Hold on." She said, turning the wheel. The tires screeched and dust turned as she urged the car forward. The gate wasn't wide enough and the side mirrors were clipped as it went through the gates.

"Felicity, do you know how much this car is worth?" Roy said.

"The kind of number I don't want to think about?" Felicity replied. Screeching to a halt in front of the manor just as a jet began it's descent. She jumped out of the car and rushed to the door, Roy hot on her heels.

"MS SMOAK." Slade roared. There was a shot. Roy grabbed Felicity and shielded her with his body, the bullet bouncing harmlessly off of him.

"Get in." He shouted. "Get in."

Felicity wrenched open the door and ran in, Roy followed. She locked the door, before running to the stairs.

"Do you seriously think that's going to stop them?" Roy asked.

"Well better safe than sorry." She said, looking at him, checking for signs of blood. He shook his head.

"Mirakuru makes me pretty bullet proof." He said. Felicity skidded to a stop in front of the study. Opening the door, she went directly for the clock.


The second Felicity entered the Batcave Bruce let out a sigh of relief. He looked her over.

"Slade?" She asked.

"Hasn't gotten into the manor." He said, jerking his head over to the computers. "The door may look like oak, but it's actually oak covered reinforced steel." He looked at Roy. "You, give Dr. Thompkins a blood sample then meet me upstairs." He looked down on Felicity. "You. Stay in the Batcave and run the coms. The manor security system is controlled through here. Alfred's going to need your help.

"Meet you upstairs..." Felicity said. "Bruce, you're not seriously thinking of fighting him."

Bruce walked past her towards the exosuit.

"Bruce."

"There's no time to argue, Felicity." He said. She came up behind him, watching him, concern evident on her brow. He was just about to put the helmet on when she put her hand on his arm, stopping him. She took the helmet and looked at it before looking back at him. Pulling his face down, she kissed him. It was desperate, hungry. She gripped his hair, bumping against the exosuit. He pulled away, his forehead pressed against hers.

"If you die, I will never forgive you." She whispered. "You got that, Mr. Wayne?"

"Crystal clear, Mrs. Wayne."

He swore he saw a slight smile tease her lips before she gave him another peck on cheek. Holding out the helmet, she put it over his head, securing it. He looked over at where Alfred, Lee, and Lucius were deliberately trying to look away. He shook his head at them.

"Get working on the cure." He growled.


Felicity sat in front of the computers, looking nervously at the security cameras. So far, Slade had broken into the downstairs library. Bruce was waiting for them on the stairs. Roy was hiding in the corner, ready to ambush him.

"He called Team Arrow." Alfred murmured. "They should be trying to get transportation." He was trying to reassure her, but Felicity knew as well as he did that, absent some type of miracle, they wouldn't make it on time.

"Any suggestions?" She asked. Alfred typed in a code. Gas flooded the entire 1st floor.

"Normally that would knock out anyone who inhaled it..." He grimaced as Slade became visible, striding through the gas as though nothing had happened. Felicity gulped as she caught sight of the woman with him.

"That's Isabel Rochev." She whispered, covering her mouth. "Bruce." She said over the coms. "Slade's not alone. He's got Isabel Rochev with him and I'm pretty sure she's been enhanced as well."


Bruce grit his teeth. "Acknowledged."

"Pretty interesting security system, Wayne." Slade's voice came through the clearing gas. "State of the art, military grade I'd bet. Now what would a billionaire playboy need with such a security system." He was standing on the bottom of the stairs and a mad smile broke over his features as he took in Batman. "Ah. I suspected this might be the case."

So he knew. "Leave. Now." Bruce ordered.

"Not until I have what I came for." Slade said. "I need Ms. Smoak and the boy."

"Mrs. Wayne." Bruce corrected. "Is none of your concern. As for Harper, I don't think he wants to go."

Slade drew his sword. "We're not so different you and I." He said. "I too know what it's like to come second in a woman's heart to Oliver Queen."

Bruce snorted. Was he serious? "Tell Ms. Rochev that there's no need to sneak in. I know she's here."

Slade was furious. "She needs to be protected from Queen."

Bruce glanced around. "I don't see Queen here, do you?"

"He needs to suffer." Isabel had stepped forward. "And Ms. Smoak can help us do that."

Bruce's eyes narrowed. While Slade's motives, at least in his own twisted imagination, were to protect Felicity, Isabel appeared to have a more blood thirsty inclination. He looked at the two of them. Just one more step and they'd be exactly where he needed them to be.

"Well this has been fascinating." Bruce said. "But you've wasted a trip. Felicity's not going anywhere with you." Slade and Isabel both took angry steps forward.

"Now." Bruce growled. An electric force field materialized and both Slade and Isabel slammed into it. The electricity seemed to be holding them off. At least temporarily.

"It's working." Felicity's voice whispered in his ear.

"Cut it off." Bruce said.

The electricity stopped and both slid unconscious to the ground. Bruce tagged Isabel with a small chip that would intermittently send out electrical pulses, immobilizing her. He turned to Slade.

"Look out." Roy shouted, rushing Slade. The man was recovering much faster than Isabel. Slade grabbed Roy by the throat.

"You're weak." He growled. "The Mirakuru used to make you was diluted, less powerful than the original; a copy." He threw him like a rag doll. Roy struck the wall with such force that he left a dent. He slid to the ground, unconscious. Slade looked up at Bruce. "Looks like it's just me and you."

Bruce grit his teeth. "Looks like."