As always, thank you guys for taking the time to review! I love reading your comments. This is the second to last chapter, so I hope you enjoy it. Lots of things happen. Please read and review!


Chapter 29

As soon as the door shut and locked behind Merlyn, Oliver turned his full attention to Felicity. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you?"

Felicity shook her head at him, both touched and annoyed by his concern. "Oliver, you just fought an evil madman. Your face is all bruised and bloody, and you are hanging by chains. Don't worry about me. I'm more worried about you!" she exclaimed, wishing so badly that she could go to him.

"I've had worse," he said gruffly and yanked at the chains. They were sturdy, unfortunately.

"Was there a Red Room of Pain on the island?" He stared at her, confused, to which she muttered, "Nevermind."

"Felicity, I need to know. Do you have any injuries?" Oliver questioned, serious.

"No. I'm tired, dirty, and I'm sure my hair looks like a hot mess but physically I'm fine. Well, almost," she amended and lifted up her wrists to show the bruises from being tied to the chair hours before. The metal from the chain on her ankle was also digging into her flesh, and it was starting to turn red and swell slightly.

There was a sound of an explosion on screen. They watched the news footage of the chaos that was Starling in horror. Half the people in the streets were running for their lives from the other half that were tearing everything apart. Fires broke out and vandalism and violence ensued. The people who had been injected with the serum were like mindless drones as they carried out whatever orders Cooper had programmed into them. Drones with the strength of ten men put together.

Felicity gasped when she saw a young boy who couldn't be more than ten years old pick up a bench and effortlessly throw it through the window of a restaurant. The so-called experts on the news were just as baffled as the reporters. The only course of action the city could take at the moment was to send out the SCPD in riot gear to try and detain the mob. Even that was proving to be a challenge, since the police were no match against the strength of those that were injected.

Oliver's voice was low, coarse, and full of regret. "I'm so sorry, Felicity. I didn't know. Five years ago...I was a completely different person. I had no idea what was brewing in this city or how my family was involved. I still didn't fully know even after I got back and became The Arrow. I failed it by not stopping the Undertaking, and I vowed to myself that I would never let anything like that happen again."

"Oliver, what's happening is not your fault."

"Yes, it is," Oliver replied, finally meeting her eyes. "You're not supposed to be here. I was supposed to protect you, just like I vowed to protect this city. I've lost far too many people in my life. Wearing the hood...it was meant to honor those people. I was supposed to help others, so they would never have to endure what I did."

"You honor the dead by fighting." Felicity continued forcefully, "And you are not done fighting! Before I came to Starling, I heard all about the terrible people you faced. The Count, the Triad, Bronze Tiger, the Dollmaker...everyone who has tried to hurt this city, you stopped them. It was that selfless honor and bravery that led me straight to you, Oliver. Despite everything-even being chained up in some dark, creepy compound with a mass murderer and my jackass of an ex-boyfriend-I don't regret it. Not for a second. I don't know how we will stop Cooper and Merlyn, but I do know two things. You are not alone." Her eyes bore into his. "And I believe in you."

Oliver was quiet for a moment. Then: "Merlyn said I don't know what I'm fighting for."

"He's crazy, Oliver, which automatically makes him wrong," Felicity declared, leaving no room for argument.

Her certainty brought a small smile to Oliver's face. He shook his head at her, in that way he always did when she amazed him. "I know he's wrong."

"Good."

Oliver watched Felicity for a moment, taking her in. Regardless of the chain around her ankle and her disheveled state, he'd never seen her look more fierce or determined. It was that fire inside of her that ignited his own. He'd been so afraid before to let it burn, thinking it would consume him completely. In a way, it had. But not how Oliver had originally thought. Instead of it going out, it only burned brighter. Oliver had lost all control, and yet he'd never felt stronger.

"I know exactly what I'm fighting for, Felicity. It's why I came here tonight. When I learned that you'd been taken...I nearly lost my mind. I don't know if I've ever been so scared. I know what I'm willing to sacrifice, and it's not you. It will never be you." His words seemed to echo in the room.

"Oliver, what are you saying?" Felicity questioned, just barely above a whisper. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest as the raw emotion reflected back at her in his piercing blue eyes.

"I'm saying that, in my heart, I'm fighting for you. For us. When I first put on the hood, I knew it could lead to my death. I expected it, and I accepted it. I was in darkness, Felicity. But then I met you, and everything changed. With your kindness, your quirkiness, your generosity, your intelligence, your compassion, and your trust, you brought me into the light. You've managed to open my heart in a way that I didn't think would ever be possible," Oliver revealed. He took a deep breath, finally ready to tell her how he felt. "I love you, Felicity. I'm in love with you."

Felicity sat, staring at him in shock. After a few seconds, his words clicked and her heart swelled. She wiped at her eyes, which had started to water. Even though she'd known deep down that Oliver loved her, finally hearing the words lifted the tremendous weight that had been wearing on her heart. It was like the final puzzle piece had slid into place, and she was whole.

"I love you, too," Felicity tenderly replied. "So much. If I wasn't chained to the ground, I would totally be kissing you right now."

Oliver chuckled at that. "I certainly wouldn't stop you."

She huffed and teased, "Did you really have to wait until we were held captive to tell me?"

"Like you said, I'm an idiot."

Felicity shook her head, staring at him in admiration. "No, you're not. You're a hero. You're my hero. I know it probably wasn't the ideal plan, but thank you for trying to rescue me."

Oliver swallowed the lump in his throat at her words. He wanted nothing more than to take Felicity in his arms and tell her that everything was going to be all right. But first he had to break free of his chains. "Don't thank me. I'm not finished yet." He looked at the TV screen. "It's been almost two hours since I fought Merlyn."

"Oliver," Felicity said, watching him carefully, "what do you mean?" She could practically see the wheels in his mind turning. He had that sharp, calculating look that he got in his eyes when strategizing. "Is there something you're not telling me?"

"Let's just say I didn't actually lose to Merlyn. At least not in the way he thinks."

Felicity frowned in confusion. "I don't understand."

"I don't know if I could've taken out Merlyn, but I wasn't fighting to my full capacity, Felicity."

"You wanted to get caught," she realized.

"Yes. As soon as he refused to trade you for me, I knew that he wasn't going to kill me in our fight. Merlyn's ego is so big, he'd want to gloat in his victory-which would include continuing to use you to get to me."

"Oliver, what if you'd been wrong? He could've killed you!" Felicity exclaimed, horrified by the alternate scenario.

"Even if I did kill him, I still wouldn't know where you were. I had to let him beat me, so I would be taken to you. That's all that mattered."

Felicity took in the scratches and bruises on his body, amazed at Oliver's strength. He'd endured all of that so he could find her. Felicity didn't know how it was possible, but she'd fallen in love with Oliver even more. "Is that why Dig didn't come with you? Where is he?" After the last time Oliver faced Merlyn, she couldn't imagine John letting him face that monster without him.

"Merlyn said to come alone," Oliver answered as he glanced at his chains again. He gave them another tug.

"But Dig is nearby, right? He knows where we are?" Felicity questioned. Oliver's lack of response was making her nervous.

"Felicity," Oliver stated in the low voice he often soothed her with. "Trust me."

"Of course I trust you. I just hate being out of the loop. Like, how the heck are we supposed to get out of these chains and then take on a mini army of criminals with a severe case of roid rage?" Oliver didn't answer right away. In fact, he wasn't even looking at her. His eyes were transfixed on his chains. "Oliver. Oliver, what are you doing?"

Felicity watched in fascination as Oliver let out a grunt and hoisted himself up. He was hanging completely upside down and wrapped his feet around the chains. A second later, he started pulling his body up the chains. Her mouth dropped open at the way his muscles rippled and flexed with every tug upward. He kept going higher and higher, making her both anxious and unexpectedly turned on. Just when she thought she'd seen the height of his power and strength, he surprised her yet again.

Finally, Oliver stopped. He paused for a moment, steadying himself, before letting go completely. Felicity gasped loudly as she watched him fall. The speed with which he dropped combined with the force of the impact to the ground made the pipes overhead break. Water spurted out as Oliver landed with a cry on his back on the concrete floor.

"Oliver!" Felicity exclaimed. She tried to crawl toward him, but her chains kept her out of reach. "Oliver, are you okay?"

He didn't stay on the ground long. The door to their cell opened, and the guard came rushing in. He'd obviously heard the big commotion. Oliver was already up and reaching into his boot. He pulled out the smallest tranq arrow she'd ever seen and threw it at the man's neck. Then Oliver used his chains to hit him in the head. The guard went down instantly.

Afterward, Oliver peeked his head out of the door. Satisfied that no one else had heard or was coming, Oliver grabbed the keys off of the guard. He took the chains off and went to Felicity. Her hair and sweater were nearly soaked from the water spurting out of the pipes. Once he'd gotten the chains off of her, she launched herself at him. Oliver flinched slightly as he landed on the floor once more with Felicity on top of him. He didn't dare let go, though.

"That was so hot," she blurted before kissing him. Felicity could feel his smile against her lips as their mouths connected in a passionate frenzy.

When Oliver pulled back briefly to check out her wrists, she examined the cuts on his face. She ran her fingers over them lightly before placing kisses on the tender skin. "I'll kill him myself for doing this to you," she murmured.

Oliver pressed his lips to her wrist and couldn't help but grin at her protectiveness. "I thought you didn't like killing."

"I don't but...Merlyn's dangerous, Oliver. As I said before, if it comes down to you or the bad guy, of course I choose you. You do what you have to," she said, wanting him to know that she was with him no matter what.

"God, I love you," Oliver murmured and stroked her cheek. He went to kiss her but was surprised when she pulled back. She took off her sweater to reveal a white tank top underneath and threw the damp material aside. He quirked an eyebrow at her.

Felicity shrugged. "When I imagined you finally saying that you loved me, it did not involve an ugly Hanukkah sweater. In fact, my outfit was going to be super cute."

Oliver laughed at that and shook his head. "I love you ugly sweater and all," he teased, trying not to think too hard about the way she was straddling his waist right now. Her soft weight on him and the way the water was dampening her white top were having quite the effect on his body. The coast was clear for now, but Oliver couldn't let himself get completely distracted. Their troubles were far from over.

"You're so noble," Felicity kidded back and let him pull her close again. She whispered another "I love you" just as his tongue traced the seam of her lips. She opened her mouth for him and moaned when his tongue started to tease hers.

Oliver felt like he couldn't bring Felicity close enough. Almost losing her had made his need to touch her and make sure that she was real even stronger. His hand stayed on her cheek while the other roamed down her back and up her curves once more. She said she hadn't been hurt, but Oliver still needed to confirm that for himself. Despite his best intentions to not get distracted, they didn't pull apart until a throat cleared.

They whipped their heads to the doorway to find Diggle, Lyla, and a few other people dressed in dark military garb staring at them.

"And here we thought you were in danger," Diggle quipped, smirking. Lyla was also fighting back a smile next to him. The other men kept straight faces. It was impossible to tell what they were thinking, but Oliver was sure they weren't the purest of thoughts. "Guess we rushed for nothing."

"Actually, you're right on time," Oliver replied.

Diggle crossed his arms. "For what exactly?"

Lyla said something to the men, and they filed out of the room.

Felicity got up quickly, blushing furiously, and helped Oliver to his feet. Although he was trying to hide it, his body was sore from his fall. They met them near the doorway, away from the pipe spewing water.

"Are you two okay?" Diggle questioned, taking in Oliver's injuries.

"I'll be fine," Oliver assured him.

"I'm okay," Felicity added.

Diggle handed Oliver his leather jacket and hood, along with a set of arrows. He then pulled out Oliver's compound bow and let it unfold. Felicity didn't know how they'd managed to retrieve it but was glad that it wasn't lost. She'd given it to Oliver as a gift and losing it would've been just another casualty in their war with Merlyn and Cooper. Diggle then reached into his pocket and pulled out Felicity's spare set of glasses.

"Thanks, Dig," she said and put them on, touched by his thoughtfulness.

"You're going to need them if you're going to stop Cooper."

"How did you find us?"

"I take back every joke I made about Oliver sticking a tracking device in his boot," Diggle explained.

Felicity turned to Lyla curiously. "Not that I'm not happy to see you, but why exactly are you here?"

Before she could reply, Diggle said, "Remember how I mentioned that Lyla works for a government agency?"

"Vaguely," Felicity answered. "You made it sound like she sits behind a desk and files paperwork."

"That's part of my job-after I'm finished with top-secret missions that involve national security," Lyla explained. "A population exposed to performance enhancers laced with nanotech easily qualifies."

It was then that Felicity noticed the word A.R.G.U.S. stamped on her uniform. "Cool. Your girlfriend is a badass, Dig."

Diggle chuckled and couldn't help nodding in agreement. Lyla also smiled and shrugged like it was no big deal.

"Is your team all set?" Oliver interjected. As nice as it was that they were all taking a minute, the chaos in the city was only getting worse.

"They're waiting for my order," Lyla responded.

"Good. Give the order. You're with Felicity. Dig is with me."

"Wait," Felicity halted him. "We're splitting up again?"

"We might have to," Oliver said. "While Diggle and I take on Merlyn, Lyla is going to stay with you. Where the hell are we, by the way?"

"We're underneath the warehouse that Merlyn wanted you to meet him at," Diggle answered. "The Bratva created an entire compound underground to hide their illegal activity."

"A.R.G.U.S. had been investigating this place a few years back-before it was raided," Lyla explained. "I was able to access the schematics. Thermal shows that the majority of bodies in this place are grouped in the command center."

"How big is your team to take on Merlyn's mini army?" Felicity questioned. "I've been watching them. They're like zombies, and they won't go down easily."

"We've got enough to ensure the odds are in our favor."

"That's also where you come in," Oliver stated. "Felicity, you have to undo Cooper's commands. If we can at least interrupt the messaging, they should snap out of it. The people in the city, too. The SCPD having the cure isn't going to be enough. It takes some time to kick in."

"Since when is there a cure?" Oliver wasn't kidding when he'd said he had a plan.

"Ray got in touch with me tonight. He'd been working with Applied Sciences on it. I still don't like him, but I'll admit he came through," Oliver conceded.

"Are you going to use it on Merlyn? Even if you give it to him, it won't-"

"I've got it covered, Felicity. Don't worry," Oliver reassured her.

Felicity's mind continued to go a mile a minute. "I can't stop the nanotech unless I have another command to give it. That's going to take some time if I don't have my-"

Lyla held up a USB drive. "Johnny put it on this. He said you'd already figured it out."

Felicity nodded. "Yes. This is exactly what I need."

"Then we're good to go," Lyla declared and proceeded to speak into her comms.

Oliver pulled up his hood, ready to take the lead. Felicity halted him, knowing it would be her last chance to get through to him before he was in full Arrow mode. "Please be careful," she said and kissed him quickly.

"You be careful, too. Stay behind us and with Lyla. Don't engage Cooper by yourself," Oliver advised. He placed his hand on her shoulder and then gently tugged on her ponytail before taking the lead.

"You ready?" Lyla asked her.

Felicity nodded and followed Lyla out into the corridor to meet up with the other A.R.G.U.S. agents. Although she trusted Lyla, Felicity didn't want to be separated from Oliver. Tamping down her unease, Felicity stayed toward the back as they started to make their way to the command center. They had a city to save and not a moment to lose.


"Are you sure you're okay to face Merlyn?" Diggle muttered under his breath as they made their way down a series of corridors. He must've noticed Oliver's labored steps. The only thing keeping the pain at bay from his fall was the adrenaline of chasing down Merlyn.

"Dig, I promise I'm ready. This ends tonight," Oliver declared.

His partner nodded and kept his gun at the ready. The team moved silently behind Oliver. All was quiet, which meant that the rest of the A.R.G.U.S. agents hadn't engaged yet. They had to get to the command center before Merlyn and Cooper were alerted to the breach. When they rounded the corner, they saw two of Merlyn's men standing guard in front of a wide entryway.

Oliver wasted no time loading his bow with the injection arrows and firing. The men were startled by the cuts to their neck. Their grunts must've been heard by Cooper and Merlyn, because a heavy metal door slid shut, blocking the entrance to the command center and setting off an alarm. The guards pulled out the arrows before charging forward. Oliver, Diggle, and the other men met them halfway. Although they were able to subdue the guards, more men showed up.

Lyla helped Felicity navigate her way through the fighting. She faced a couple men of her own, and it took Felicity a minute to realize that one of Lyla's weapons was a tranq gun. She would fire that first before putting down the men. They appeared to be trying not to kill them. Felicity was glad. Even though they were criminals, it wasn't entirely their fault. The nanotech and Cortana were driving their actions at the moment.

"Felicity, can you get the door open?" Oliver called to her.

"I need a couple of minutes." Felicity pulled off the panel next to the door to locate the proper wiring. While she worked, she was vaguely aware of the group positioning themselves between her and the guards that kept coming. Knowing that she was protected allowed Felicity to work more quickly.

"Felicity," Oliver stressed.

"I got it," she shouted. Seconds later, the door started to slide open. Lyla was quick to pull her back so that Oliver and the others could enter first.

They found themselves in yet another large, steel room. In the very center was a semicircle of what looked like panels and a giant switchboard with multiple screens. Felicity's eyes widened at all the high-tech machines and found her fingers itching to touch them. If it wasn't for the immediate danger that they were in-there was a wall of intimidating men separating them from the panel-she would've crossed the room already.

"Impressive escape," Merlyn called to Oliver. "I suppose I should've known you would have something up your sleeve. The guilt of watching your city burn once again because of you is incentive enough."

Almost instantly, Felicity was aware that something was off about Merlyn. Cooper was standing beside him at the panel and for once the younger man actually looked to be in more control. Merlyn had grown paler since earlier, and his voice held a slight tremble. The man looked like he was having trouble standing upright, as well. Felicity's suspicions were confirmed when she glanced at Oliver and noticed the slight tilt to the corner of his mouth.

"You feeling okay? You don't look so good," Oliver commented.

"That wasn't an ordinary tranq arrow, was it?" Merlyn surmised and shuddered.

Cooper stood still in his spot, but his eyes were hyper alert. When he wasn't staring at the screens or them, his eyes were roaming the room. The rat was looking for an escape. She just knew it.

"I told you I might've perfected the recipe. You've got the cure flowing through your veins, courtesy of Queen Consolidated's Applied Sciences division," Oliver proudly declared. "You were right to envy my family's company all these years."

Cooper's head whipped toward Merlyn. Apparently, the evil villain hadn't shared his current condition with his little partner in crime. Cooper's expression dropped, and he took a few steps away from the older man.

Nothing got by Merlyn. "Don't you even think about running, you little shit. We're in this together."

"You said you were unstoppable," Cooper accused. "What good are you going to be against them now?"

"As long as you fulfill your end of the deal and keep them under control, we'll be fine. None of our men have the cure in their veins. They won't be so easy to kill."

Cooper stared at their group before looking at Felicity. She narrowed her eyes at him, letting him know that she was coming for him just like the rest of them. "I didn't sign up for this."

"I'm sick of your whining," Merlyn suddenly shouted. "Now shut up, and do your damn job!"

He pulled out a gun and pointed it at Cooper's head. "Give the order to kill them all and call the others. Now!"

"There are no others," Diggle informed him. "The rest of our team have already taken them out."

Merlyn, despite his deteriorating state, smirked. "Then change of plans. You come one step closer, and I'll have Cooper here give the order for every infected civilian in Starling to kill themselves. The blood of thousands will be on your hands."

Cooper hastily took his seat and started typing away. Felicity anxiously looked to Oliver for guidance. She had to get over there and put a stop to this. She was the only one that could. "Oliver," Felicity murmured.

"The only blood that will spill tonight is yours," Oliver threatened and sprang into action. He and the others started firing off shots with the cure before chaos erupted. They engaged the guards and started fighting their way toward Merlyn.

"Give the order! Do it," Merlyn was yelling.

In between typing, Cooper kept glancing at the battle before him. Oliver and Diggle were getting closer and closer. Suddenly, Cooper stopped and pushed away from the computer. "Fuck this," he cursed and ran for the wall behind them. Felicity saw a keypad. It must open a panel that served as an alternate exit. Cooper had barely managed to push the first button before Merlyn raised the gun and shot him in the head. Felicity screamed as blood splattered on the wall, and Cooper's dead weight dropped to the floor.

That seemed to spur Oliver, who was making a beeline for Merlyn. The older man hurriedly punched at the keypad and disappeared into the dark opening. Felicity saw Oliver pause slightly before continuing on with Diggle right behind him. Felicity wanted so badly to follow them but knew she had her own job to do. She didn't even dare to look at Cooper's limp body. Despite everything he'd put her through, she'd never actually wanted him to die-much less witness the brutal scene firsthand. Even now Felicity was fighting back the freak out and the urge to throw up. All that mattered was getting the city back under control. Felicity positioned herself at the panel-with Lyla standing nearby to fend off any other attackers-and proceeded to upload her own command into the Brother Eye visual. For once, that damn symbol would actually do some good.


Merlyn didn't get far before Oliver and Diggle were upon him. The panel had led to a cache of weapons with various display cases. The walls also held shelves upon shelves of all sorts of traditional weaponry. Oliver let loose an arrow while Diggle fired his gun. Merlyn dove behind one of the floor displays.

With some satisfaction, Oliver saw that Merlyn's movements-though faster than the average person-were more sluggish. Finally, they were on equal footing. Merlyn must've grabbed a bow, because an arrow came shooting through the darkness. Oliver expertly dodged it and continued his pursuit.

"Just because you escaped and Cooper is dead doesn't mean you won. I still managed to level this city for the second time," he taunted.

"You won't get to third time's the charm. You'll be too dead," Diggle retorted.

Merlyn sprang out and grabbed for Diggle's gun. He managed to get it out of his hands and hit him back. Oliver was close behind him and swung out his bow to hit Merlyn across the face. Diggle recovered quickly and the pair fought Merlyn at once. Despite holding his own, Oliver could see the change in Merlyn's approach immediately. His moves were much more measured and deliberate now that he didn't have the excess strength as an advantage. He was most likely fighting with his last burst of energy, since the cure was continuing to weaken him.

Striking out at Oliver, Merlyn was able to punch him onto a display table as he took on Diggle. He then ran behind a set of shelves and grabbed a small arrow. Merlyn threw it between the slits, and Diggle cried out as it pierced the right side of his chest.

"Diggle," Oliver exclaimed and ran to his partner. He was aware of Merlyn escaping through another door, but there was no way he'd go after him if Diggle was seriously hurt.

From his spot on the ground, Diggle warded him off. "Finish this, Oliver. Go!"

"But-"

"I'll live, now go!"

Not needing to be told a third time, Oliver chased after Merlyn. They ended up back on the upper level of the warehouse where they'd fought earlier tonight. Oliver avoided another arrow as he came through the door.

"So tell me, are you finally ready to die?"

"Are you?" Oliver countered and lifted his bow. Merlyn did the same, and it was a shoot-off.

They met in the middle of the room and used their bows like swords. Their weapons of choice clashed together as they each got in their own hits. At one point, Merlyn teetered after a particularly hard blow from Oliver. Oliver shot another arrow that Merlyn caught. Too late his enemy realized that it detonated. The mini explosion caused Merlyn to go flying backward onto the concrete floor. Moving forward swiftly, Oliver landed another blow to Merlyn. The older man scrambled back and stood up, but his form was unsteady. Merlyn got around Oliver and kneed him in the back. Oliver fell but then kicked up at Merlyn's stomach.

While he was disoriented, Oliver ran at Merlyn and propelled himself up. He wrapped his legs around his head and flipped him over onto the ground. Merlyn came at him and Oliver flipped him again but ended up bent backwards in Merlyn's clutches. The older man's arms came up around his neck and squeezed, cutting off Oliver's air supply. Out of the corner of his eye, Oliver was aware of Diggle dragging himself forward on the ground. He must've lost a lot of blood trying to get to him.

Oliver yanked at Merlyn's arms in an effort to get him off. Although he was weaker, Merlyn was still stronger than most other men Oliver had faced. Merlyn started dragging him toward the ground.

"Don't struggle. It's over," he said almost soothingly-like he was trying to lull him into a fitful sleep. "I never really doubted the outcome. Don't worry, your parents will be there to greet you. Maybe even Felicity soon. I have unfinished business with that one."

Survive, Oliver heard his father's last words to him echo in his head. Survive. Oliver was not going to die here. Not like this. For the first time in six years, Oliver actually had something to live for. He was starting to feel lightheaded from the lack of oxygen. Searching frantically, his eyes landed on an arrow on the ground. It was several inches away, and Oliver strained to reach it. He bent forward and got a good grip on it. Seconds later, he was plunging it through his own left shoulder to pierce Merlyn's chest behind him. Oliver yanked it back out, and Merlyn shouted in pain before collapsing.

Oliver coughed as his lungs fought to take in air and stood up on wobbly legs. "Thank you for teaching me what I'm fighting for," he replied, his voice hoarse. "But my father taught me how." He then punched him in the face and grabbed his bow. Loading it with an arrow, Oliver aimed it at Merlyn. The wound he'd inflicted on him moments before was severe but not enough to kill him. Ridding him of this world for good still required one final act.

Oliver looked to Diggle. He was still on the ground, bleeding and covered in sweat. When his friend didn't say anything, he knew that Diggle was okay with whatever Oliver chose to do. Seconds later, they were joined by Lyla and Felicity. They were both out of breath with a frantic look in their eyes. Lyla immediately went to Diggle to help him while Felicity moved further into the room. Her eyes met Oliver's, and he saw the same acceptance that Diggle had granted him moments prior.

"Go ahead. Take your revenge," Merlyn taunted, curled up on the ground in pain with blood spilling from his wound. "But it will never bring your mother and father back."

"You're right. It won't," Oliver said after a moment. He met Felicity's intense stare once more before lowering his bow. While her acceptance meant the world to him, being worthy of her love was worth more than any vendetta. He owed it to her and himself to be better.

Merlyn chuckled and then hissed in pain. "I knew you didn't have the guts to kill me."

"No. I have the strength to let you live." He then delivered a knockout punch that left Merlyn unconscious. Just because he was letting Merlyn live, didn't mean Oliver had to put up with the bastard's incessant, egotistical lecturing.

Lyla came forward and started to bind Merlyn while muttering into her comm. She gave him a kick of her own, no doubt for the pain he'd inflicted on Diggle. It wasn't long before the other A.R.G.U.S. agents arrived to help her cart him away and attend to Diggle.

Oliver turned just in time to catch Felicity. He grunted in pain when she hit his chest wound, and she pulled back immediately. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry," she apologized. Taking in his wound, she gasped. "Oliver, were you shot?"

"Not exactly," he muttered and drew her into his embrace once more.

Felicity was careful not to hit his wound again as she lifted onto her toes and kissed him. "I'm so proud of you," she mumbled against his lips. "Thank you."

He rested his forehead against hers. "What for?"

"For actually having a plan to save me," she teased.

"I had help," he replied. "I'm assuming your reprogramming worked."

"It did. The violence, for the most part, has stopped. Now it's just a matter of getting the cure to everyone, so they can go back to normal."

"And Cooper?"

Some of the light left her eyes, and she shook her head. "No."

"This probably sounds strange, but I'm sorry."

"It's no stranger than I feel," Felicity mumbled. "Cooper put me through hell and made some really bad decisions. What happened is on him. But watching it happen and knowing he's gone...I still feel sorta sorry for him. Is that crazy?"

Oliver shook his head and brushed back a few stray hairs behind her ear. "No. It just means that you're human and a good person. Just one of the many reasons why I love you." His words brought back some of the light in her eyes.

"You've been saying that a lot tonight," she kidded, beaming.

"I should've said it awhile ago. I've got a lot to make up for," he said and tugged on her ponytail.

"Oliver, Felicity," Lyla called to them. "My team is heading out."

"Is Dig okay?" Felicity asked, concerned.

"He'll be fine," Lyla said in a steady voice, also sounding like she needed to reassure herself. "We're taking care of him."

"I'll talk to him later but tell him I said thanks. I wouldn't have been able to do it without either of you."

"It's what friends are for." She handed Oliver a bandage when he declined to return with them to headquarters to get his wound checked out. Felicity quickly promised that she'd take care of him.

"What's going to happen to Merlyn?" Oliver questioned.

"And what about the city?" Felicity added. "It was the actual public that was manipulated into causing violence. They're going to want someone to blame. They'll want justice."

"We've already got it covered," Lyla assured them.

"But-"

"Go home, the both of you. Get some rest. You've earned it. We'll talk soon." Lyla patted Felicity's arm. "I'm really glad you're safe, Felicity." She rejoined her team.

"That makes two of us," Oliver muttered and leaned down to capture Felicity's lips. The relief that she was safe and their troubles with Merlyn and Cooper were finally over was immense.

When they broke apart, Felicity nudged Oliver gently. "Let's go home."

Oliver took Felicity's hand in his and let her lead the way. He didn't need to be told twice.