Note prior to fic: After Bloodsong's excellent job on "Blood for Blood", I was sort of inspired me to put this out early. This is the scene between the hunters and Malcolm while the rest of the team is unconscious. This is currently on its own, but it will be added eventually to a one-shot series corresponding with Short Change Hero, so it will be eventually removed from Short Change Hero and go into its own place. YOU DO NOT NEED to READ this if you don't want. It's just an extra scene, mostly because Bloodsong requested it done, so voila. Thank you for AUing my fic first ;)

Warning: Violence, blood

Missing Scene from Chapter 51

Reese and Kali worked silently, chairs scrapping across the pavement. Never once did the two subordinate hunters glance up from their job, and they worked efficiently together. Rope was already coiled on a nearby table, and the entirety of team Arrow laid sprawled across the floor in different physical states.

Some had been more difficult to subdue then Talia would have liked. She had purposefully targeted Oliver first knowing he was highly trained and in different ways then the hunters really had worked with before. When she had arrived in the Foundry, her first order of business had to be certain that he would be out of combat. Once he was down, the others had been more compliant. It had taken both Kali and Reese, though, to force Malcolm down, and even then, he had almost broken Kali's arm in the struggle. For that, Talia hadn't held back in a swift kick to the traitor's head.

Viper, on the other side of the Foundry, worked just a quietly and quickly to hang the chains from the salmon ladder. She had scaled the bars to the top and was securing the chains tightly; every League member was trained to escape situations such as these. The last thing they wanted was for their prey to escape… again. The archer was still frustrated that the first time she had captured Malcolm by using Thea as bait had failed, and in the end, she had needed the rest of the hunters to help.

The Al Ghul grinned at that thought and licked her lower lip sensually. It wasn't often Viper failed, and the elder daughter had to revel in that for a moment. She thoroughly enjoyed watching the archer hard at work for her.

Silently, Viper flipped down from the salmon ladder, and landed in a crouch on the floor below. Glancing up at her work, she concluded it would take a great deal of acrobatic work for anyone, even one of the hunters, to escape those chains. When she looked to Talia, she saw a nod of approval, and she felt a shudder of disgust run up her spine. The last thing she ever wanted to do was have Talia's attention on her.

"If you would," Talia called out, gesturing to Malcolm. He was unconscious on his side, eyes closed and breathing even.

Drawing a knife, Viper approached and gently nudged the elder Merlyn. There was no response, and he rolled without resistance onto his back. She wouldn't be able to hold any sort of weapon if she drug his dead weight over to the ladder, but she wasn't about to ask for Reese or Kali's help. They looked too joyful in restraining Oliver and his team.

A few times the other hunters had drawn knives and teased them against the unconscious vigilante's face, murmuring and laughing as they did so. Talia looked pleased with the scene as well, so Viper ignored them all and went about her task. Sheathing the blade, she grabbed Malcolm's arm, used her legs, and started to drag him to the ladder.

One second too late, she realized her mistake. His arm muscles had tensed when she had grabbed him, but before she could adjust and grab a weapon, Malcolm's eyes had opened. He pulled hard on her hand, sending her forward. Her curse grabbed her teammates' attentions, but they otherwise didn't move from their tasks.

Righting herself, Viper used the momentum to lean forward on her hands and kick Malcolm hard in the face. Standing, she turned to see Malcolm had risen to his feet and was wiping the blood from his lip. His expression was simply put livid, and she had to give him credit for not stinking of fear. When she went to attack again, Talia whistled and called her off.

"Help Kali and Reese," she ordered, her eyes flashing dangerously as she considered the elder Merlyn. "I'm sure that they," she continued referring to Oliver and the others, "will wake soon without some assistance."

Understanding that Talia wanted her to chemically restrain them, Viper nodded and stepped back. She glared at Malcolm, one that promised retribution for catching her off-guard, but she followed Talia's order without further delay.

"Hello again Malcolm," Talia greeted with a smile. "It's been some years has it not?"

The archer didn't answer, only scowled, and tried to glance around inconspicuously to find where his bow had gone. He had strength on Talia, but she always had a trick up her sleeve. Unlike him, Talia stood relaxed with her arms crossed in front of her. She tilted her head and considered her opponent.

"Hang yourself up," she said referring to the chains behind him. Before that, he hadn't seen them, but not that he had, it was hard to hide the fact that his breath caught. There was only one reason to tie everyone else up in chairs but not him. He wanted to say that he should have left with Thea weeks ago, but he'd be lying if he hadn't felt something for leaving Oliver to deal with the remaining hunters and Slade. "Make it easy on yourself," she continued.

Malcolm snarled; he would never simply give up without a fight. Which was exactly what Talia was hoping for; she didn't hesitate a moment longer in closing the distance between them. She purposefully let her body scream her first attack, a high right rook. When he ducked back, it forced him to put a lot of weight on his back feet, and Talia leaped to plant both of her feet into his chest. He went back, hard, while she landed with a small 'oomph' on her hands and knees.

Rolling forward, she came back to rest on the soles of her feet, and when she turned, she saw Malcolm rubbing his chest but otherwise up. He had kept his balance better than she thought he would have; he had obviously kept up with his training seriously after leaving the League.

This time Malcolm tried to go on the offensive, but Talia kept dancing out of range of anything he tried. She wasn't even trying to defend herself; she just kept the distance between them. The entire time her eyes never left his, and the smirk never faded from her face.

When he finally got his hands on her, he could tell it was because she wanted him to. He had one wrist trapped between their bodies, and the other was blocking his attempt to get at her throat. All she did was laugh and whisper, "Do you want to hear what I'm going to do to your daughter? Lovely skin, pretty eyes, a tongue she does like to use a lot… So many places to start."

He growled and tried to use his superior strength to break her hold, but she suddenly ducked under and spun out to the side. He was thrown forward, and while he still had a grip on her wrist, she turned it on him. With a twist, his arm was now behind his back followed by a hard kick straight to his spine.

"I expected more," Talia said as he worked to get back to his hands and knees. "Too bad." She waved Viper over, who had spent the entirety of her time watching the fight. "Get him up and in chains," she hissed. The archer nodded and seized Malcolm by the back of the neck.

When he went to take a swing at her, Viper pressed a blade firmly against the bottom side of his neck. "The more you struggle, the more she will do to Thea," Viper snarled quietly. "I suggest you consider that Mr. Merlyn." When he ceased his efforts, she pointed to the chains hanging from the salmon ladder, and he sighed deeply and relaxed.

Viper didn't expect his to actually be willing to chain himself up, so his sudden subordinate behavior was odd. Nonetheless, she waited for his body to ease a bit more before thrusting a small syringe into his neck. The moment the needle pierced the skin, he went to fight again, but it was too late. The drug, a simple, relaxer made him lax in his grip.

Without even asking for help, Reese had finally moved over to help now that the rest had been restrained. He helped Viper to heave Malcolm over to the salmon ladder, and by the time they had gotten him there even, he was already clawing his way past the drug. It was a small dose, so considering his body size, Viper was surprised it had last this long.

However before Malcolm could fully function again, they had both of his wrists chained to the ladder. His feet hung just a mere few inches from the floor. The strain on his shoulder would be uncomfortable, but Viper doubted that would be the only thing causing him pain soon. Talia had already gone to fetch her bag, and now in her hand, she held a small curved, serrated blade.

Viper stood solidly on her toes and check each manacle again, and while she was there, she whispered into Malcolm's ear, for only him to hear, "I suggest you please her. If she bores with you, she will move to your daughter. Blood for blood."

As if nothing had passed between them, Viper removed herself from Malcolm's presence and took up a guard position next to a nearby column. She leaned against it and shot the prisoners only one more look before closing her eyes and focusing on the sounds in the room. If they were interrupted, it would be from someone skilled, and the only way to be certain they had arrived was to know what the Foundry normally sounded like.

"Malcolm Merlyn," Talia purred, standing close to her captive, knife between them. "How far the mighty have fallen." She teased the blade slowly against his shirt buttons, but he focused on her face and glared. He hadn't decided if he wanted to curse the Al Ghul or spit in her face; either way, he was certain it would cost him his tongue. "Father always had a thing for archers," she continued, her eyes barely sliding over to Viper before returning to him. "You were missed when you left."

The blade cut through a few of his lower buttons, but he continued to cling to his resolve. He remembered once when he had thought he had Oliver fully contained, and the boy had escaped within a few hours. They each had been in worse situations, but Malcolm wasn't sure how long Talia planned to drag this out. She wouldn't hesitate in maiming him or any of the others to prevent escape then continue this for days.

Licking his lips nervously, Malcolm finally addressed the assassin, "Talia. I request to be returned to your father for punishment." It would be a better death, and he had that right. He might have turned down Viper's offer, but Talia had to give him the same choice.

Seizing his chin, Talia met his gaze, fire in her eyes. He felt the tip of the knife pierce his side, but it didn't go more than a few centimeters deep. She pulled it from his side to his front. It wasn't deep enough for internal bleeding or for her to have nicked anything, but blood started to run freely down his side.

"You have no such privilege," she hissed, her usual calm demeanor vanishing. She ran the knife gently up until it touched his sternum from under his shirt, and she pressed it into the bone. Malcolm bit hard into the side of his mouth and tried not to give her any satisfaction of him in pain.

Talia's anger dissipated as she watched Malcolm struggle to not scream, and she turned the knife to his third lowest right rib. She loved her father, but she had captured Malcolm. He was hers to punish; he had sent her here for just this. When Malcolm was sent back to Nanda Parbet, it would be in pieces.

Pressing the knife past the rib, she went deep enough to hit muscle but not enough to catch any organ. When he went to lurch forward to try and force her to catch his lung, she twisted the knife and stuck it firmly into the rib with serrated edge. She used her other hand to press against his side wound and force his back firmly against the ladder. Blood trickled down her fingers, and from his few small struggles, she had gotten some droplets on her face.

"I've just started," she said gleefully. "And you're adding unwanted details to my work." She could see the hooded look in his eyes as he worked to steady himself as they were all taught. "How did that business meeting go by the way? That one in China all those years ago?" When he didn't answer quickly enough, she pulled on the knife, cutting across the bone. He slammed his own head against the metal, whether to quiet himself or knock himself unconscious, Talia wasn't certain. Neither worked particularly well, so he was forced to meet her gaze.

"I closed it," he hissed. He remembered Viper's words; he had to keep Talia entertained or she might go after his daughter. He needed to dull his reactions enough to pique her interest but not hang like a limp ragdoll either. "What were you doing in China anyway?"

"Hunting of course," she sighed as she released the knife. She ran a finger across the hilt, but it stayed firmly lodged in Malcolm's rib. "Foolish girl thought she could run from her duties in the League."

"Do you always go after the runners?" he asked as he gulped down a batch of fresh air.

"They broke League code," she shrugged. "The severity of their crime is of no consequence to me." She reached up, fingertips quenched his blood, and ran them across his cheek, smearing his own blood as she did so. "Though I do regret that one. My sister had traveled with me. One of the few times she did." As she spoke her eyes trailed to where Sara sat tied up, and she narrowed her gaze on the blonde. "And that was when we found that one," she hissed referring to Sara.

Malcolm forced his gaze over to the unconscious Sara; he hadn't realized how close they all had come to running into each other. In China, he had also brought his son that week too. If he had seen Ms. Lance on his trip, so much of her life could have been different.

"And you know Nyssa, she can't leave a drowning bird alone," Talia sighed. "If it wasn't for her, I'm certain I could have convince my sister to join us and this." She snatched the knife again and pulled it out abruptly. He panted and tried to focus past the pain running through his body.

"I've met her when I had her tied up," he growled, knowing full well this wasn't the best time for this. "I could have hurt her, and if I had…"

Talia hooked the knife into the side of Malcolm's mouth, and he stopped abruptly. Talia's face had steeled, and she looked less than amused. Nyssa was still her baby sister, and to think this piece of trash had captured her set her veins on fire. There wasn't enough blood in his system to calm her raging heart. However if she killed him or damaged him too much, it wouldn't be as much amusement when they brought his daughter in to suffer the same fate. It had been some time since she had drawn out a death like she wanted to drag his out, so she needed a bit of practice first.

Standing on her toes, she planted a soft kiss to Malcolm's cheek, the side away from the knife, and once she had stepped back, she had centered herself again. Wiping the knife on her thigh, she returned it to her bag and lightly ran her fingers across the whip she had in there for special occasions. In her periphery, she watched as Malcolm tensed up, but instead of grabbing it as she was half-tempted to do, she turned back with a syringe in hand again.

"This one should keep you out until the others are awake," she purred as she grabbed the back of his hair and forced him to bare his neck. "I've always been one to put on a show." She emptied the plunger into his jugular. It would work quickly, and within seconds, he was hanging limply.

"You shouldn't empty too many different drugs into his system," Viper said coming forward and considering Talia's handiwork. It could have been much worse. "His heart will give out."

"Will this kill him?" she asked, holding up the syringe in her hand. Viper leaned in and considered it before shaking her head no.

"Just avoid more tranquilizers unless you want his blood pressure to plummet," she explained. She wasn't doing this to make it better for Mr. Merlyn; if anything by explaining how her different concoctions worked, it could make it worse. However the longer Talia was amused with the elder archer, the less she would care about anyone else and be less likely to create a massive body count while here.

"Do you have anything that targets nerve endings?" she asked with a frown. Viper knew what she wanted: something to keep the traitor in a constant state of pain.

"I do," the archer said. "But I'd team that one with a sedative of some sort. Constant pain can also cause the heart to give up."

"Knives are so much easier," she smiled as she looked back on the blood dripping away from Malcolm. The smell of rich red substance now coating the floor set her mind on fire; there was so much else she wanted to do now. Her imagination was running wild, and she had so much inspiration she wanted to test out on a less than willing subject.

"Perhaps, but I'll mix them up for you if you want." Viper watched as Talia nodded her consent, and the hunter moved away. She planned to add a bit of viper venom to one of the batches. This could go on for days, and the quicker it ended, the better for everyone. She'd have to hide it in one of the latter vials, but when Talia would finally use it, the toxin would cause his heart to give out. Just as Viper explained it could happen.

She didn't want to end Malcolm's suffering too early, but she didn't want half the city to get destroyed in Talia's wake either. Sometimes a mercy to one could be a mercy to everyone…

Note: So I sort of tied something else in this chapter (extra chapter), but I won't say what because I know some of you are staying away from spoilers. It isn't an explicit spoiler I suppose since we know from the end of season 2 where Oliver was… but I'm not going to say anymore.

And yes I manipulated how Sara and Nyssa met, but I thought 'eh, looks good here'
This will probably be the only really "bloody" chapter, but here's a missing scene. I'll get to work on the next chapter now :P.