I don't own Arrow. All rights go to their respective owners.

Chapter Fifty Two

A Bar In Starling City

Slade is sitting calmly at the bar when Leonard finds him.

"Figured you'd be here." Leonard comments as he sits beside him.

"You a'right?" Slade glances at him.

"I've had worse, being attacked and held at dart point by my friends psycho ex girlfriend was a new one, have to admit but not the worst." He smiles wryly at him.

"You did a good job getting out of those handcuffs." Slade murmurs.

"What can I say? I'm resourceful." Leonard smirks as Slade rolls an eye at him.

"What was all that about anyway?" He questions.

"Her father ran one of the main crime organisations here. He also killed her fiancé, she wants her revenge on him." Slade replies.

"And she wanted you to help her?" Leonard frowns.

"I'm resourceful to." Slade retorts.

"She said you killed men like that before. Mind telling me what she meant about that?" He raises an eyebrow at Slade.

"Well I'm ex ASIS. That's probably what she was referring to." Slade shrugs.

"Hm. You know if you need any help in dealing with her. I could back you up." He smirks.

"No. What you need to do is go back to Central City for a few days until this all blows over. She's unstable Leonard and she knows she can use you against me."

"I can handle myself." He folds his arms.

"Lisa. She knows about her." Slade growls as Leonard nods.

"Let me worry about my sister. If your ex comes anywhere near Lisa. You won't find the body." Leonard mutters threateningly.

"I don't want to see either of you getting hurt because of me." He replies. Leonard sighs.

"Alright but I'm only going for my sisters sake. I'll be back." He murmurs as he gets to his feet, smirking to Slade as he goes.

"Anyways you kinda owe my sister a dance."

With a balaclava over his face, Oliver makes his way toward the guards near the missile launchers, pushing Wilson and Sara forward with the butt of his gun.

This is a terrible plan. He thinks to himself.

Sara could get killed! He had protested but Sara thought they should go along with Wilson's plan, whom had assured them both no one was getting hurt except for the soldiers they are going to face.

Then, still unconvinced about Sara's safety, Oliver wondered if he should go and discreetly take them himself out to which Wilson had replied with much sarcasm.

'You? The king of duck and dive' ignoring Oliver's idea instantly and reaffirming that they are doing it his way.

Oliver doesn't trust Wilson one bit when it comes to this plan and Sara's safety! But, with some persuasion from Sara he goes along with it nethertheless.

"Hey!" He calls the attention of the soldiers towards them, who instantly turn to face him, believing him to be one of them of course, due to his stolen uniform.

"I found two intruders whilst I was circling the perimeter." He shouts as he reluctantly pushes Sara and Wilson forward.

"It's Wilson and that bitch Fyers had back at camp." One solider states as all six soldiers approach them.

"You killed a few of my friends you son of a bitch!" One growls at Slade, who straightens up and smirks.

"And I'm gonna kill a few more!" He smirks before, pushing Sara behind him, pulling out two guns and expertly firing upon all the soldiers in the vicinity whilst Oliver cowers behind him and Sara moves quickly to Oliver's side as Slade shoots, no one even getting a chance to fire back.

Once all soldiers are vanquished, Slade turns and simply smirks at them.

CNRI

"I'll talk to one of our lawyers and have them call you right back." Thea smiles as she hangs up, happy to be doing her job as Tommy saunters past, waving his injured hand at her.

"Cut yourself shaving?" Thea smirks as Laurel approaches him.

No more like your brothers 'best friend' broke my freakin wrist! Tommy thinks to himself.

"Hey." She smiles as Tommy smiles back.

"You got a minute?"

"Sure." She nods as they move somewhere more discreet.

"How was Roy's first day?" Thea calls to him.

"Kid never showed." Tommy replies as Thea buries her head in her hands as Tommy moves back toward Laurel.

"Um, I just. I came by to apologise for last night." He murmurs.

"Instead of an apology why don't you try the truth?" She retorts sharply before looking down at his hands.

"You can start with your wrist."

"I. I. I got into a fight with a blender at the club. It was stupid." He laughs it off.

"I thought I asked for the truth." She folds her arms.

I want to tell you honey, it's killing me keeping this from you. He wants to say, especially with the look upon Laurel's face.

"I know something's up. Why won't you tell me what's going on?" She snaps.

Ohh honey I'm so so sorry, Oliver, Sara and Slade are the three vigilantes. Sara's been lying to you this whole time. Your own sister! They've murderers, killers, they've almost gotten you killed before! Their lying to all of us, they wouldn't even have told me but they had to because it was a matter of compete urgency and my father would have died if they hadn't have told me the truth, because I probably would have shot my best friend and your sister. I can't accept it. I don't want to accept this. Wilson did this to them I'm sure of it, he turned them into who knows what on that island and ohh he broke my hand!

"Uh because I can't." Is the true words that come out of his mouth.

"Why not?" She cries.

I want you to be safe.

"I can't tell you that either. I wish that I could, Laurel I'm sorry." Tommy ends up saying, lying to her, just like Oliver is, just like Sara is…

"So am I. I really need you right now Tommy. My mother shows up after three years begging to see my sister, whom doesn't even know she's back yet. My father is furious with me that I'm suggesting they even meet. I don't know who to listen to! I feel like I'm falling apart…"

"Laurel, honey I'm still here for you." Tommy moves to hold her yet she steps out of his grasp in an instant.

"No, you're not. You're a million miles away and the worst part is. I don't even know why! I'm sorry." She snaps before walking away, never once looking back.

The Glades

Knocking rapidly on Roy Harpers door, Thea waits impatiently for him to open it.

"Wow." He rolls his eyes upon seeing her at her his door.

"Stalker much?"

"You didn't show up for the job I got you." She folds her arms.

"Yeah, I had second thoughts about parking your brother and his friends Bentley." He murmurs as Thea frowns at him.

"What, being a valet is beneath you?"

"No, but accepting charity from some rich girl is." He retorts.

"Why are you so obsessed with the fact that I have money? You know money isn't everything." Thea cries.

"Ha. Spoken like someone who's got it. Now uh, if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to my life of crime." Roy gives her a cocky smirk before slamming the door shut.

With a sigh, Thea turns to walk away, heading down into the streets alone only to be stopped by a thug. Thea freezes

"Yo. Can you help me out? I think I'm lost." He smirks at her as she backs away nervously.

"Where's downtown at?"

"I. I don't know." Thea stammers another thug appears behind her.

"Maybe you can give us some directions, or better yet some money." Yet before either thug can do anything to Thea, they are taken down by a guy in a red hoodie.

Roy… Thea thinks to herself as she backs into a wall whilst Roy goes up against the thugs, flipping off the side of the wall before landing perfectly on his feet, punching the crap out of one of the thugs who had harassed Thea, knocking him unconscious before staggering to his feet, breathing heavily as he clutches his bleeding side.

"You ok?" He immediately whispers to Thea.

"You're bleeding!" She cries as she races over to Roy.

"Yeah you know that kinda what happens when you get stabbed!"

Starling City: Night

In the dark of a Starling City night, three motorcycles are parked beside one another. The Man In The Mask on one, The Woman In Black and The Man In The Hood on another, The Huntress on the third.

"Just your father. Anyone else gets hurt and I'll run you through." The Man In The Mask hisses threateningly.

"That's sweet. Now I know how you charmed that pretty woman you were with last night." The Huntress replies with a smile as they all put on their helmets…

As the two trucks take two different roads so does the three motorcycles, keeping behind each van as they drive by, The Man In The Mask launching a knife at one of them causing the doors to open. The three vigilantes stop their bikes to look inside, finding that the van is in fact empty…

Meanwhile, on the other road after the other van, The Huntress zooms along side it, firing a dart at the front of the car causing the front to break off.

Smirking as she does so, The Huntress climbs off her bike before holding her crossbow up high at the closed van doors.

"Give me Frank Bertinelli!" She yells as the van doors burst open to reveal two members of the SCPD, equipped with guns…

Sirens from behind The Huntress as well cause her to freeze in shock.

"Your father's not in the van but he sends his regards!" Quentin Lance snarls from behind her with his gun raised.

"Where are the vigilantes?" He shouts as she turns around with her hands up in surrender as McKenna comes from behind her.

"Helena Bertinelli, you have the right to remain silent…"

Meanwhile, the three vigilantes zoom toward the scene, stopping a road away to witness Helena getting arrested by the SCPD

Both vans had been decoys.

"Dammit!" The Man In The Hood hisses as Helena is taken away.

"What the hell do we do now, kid?" The Man In The Mask growls.

"Get the hell out of here." The Woman In Black replies as the two motorcycles drive away…

SCPD

Helena sits boredly with her hand cuffed to the table in the interrogation room as she waits for something to happen.

"Nick Salvati, Gus Sabatoni. You are quite the hunter, Ms. Bertinelli." Quentin comments as he and McKenna enter the interrogation room, taking seats across from her.

"Well, I guess I should make that Huntress. You've been systematically taking down everyone in your father's criminal organization. When Gus Sabatoni turned up dead, we knew it was just a matter of time before you tried to murder your old man. Do you want to tell us why?" Quentin questions.

"Not particularly." Helena sighs.

"You should reconsider."

"We got you but the three vigilantes got away before ESU could move on them. You know who they are. Who they really are, don't you?" McKenna folds her arms as Quentin laughs.

"Ms. Bertinelli, you're going away for all day. We can't change that." Quentin reveals.

"But things can be better. Or they could be worse. You tell me their names and I will do everything I can to make it better." He bargains.

"Oliver Queen, Sara Lance and Slade Wilson." Helena smiles.

"You're friends with them right?" She turns to McKenna.

"I saw you at the opening of their club last night. Oliver and Sara are together but Slade's free and he's handsome. You know we used to be lovers?" She taunts.

"We want to know about the vigilantes not Slade's Wilson's personal life." McKenna folds her arms.

"Let me let you in on a little secret. Your friendship with them three it will never last. You see Oliver, Sara and Slade are talented. There talented at using people. They used me..."

"You have no right to speak of my daughter." Quentin snarls at her. Helena smiles.

"I would give up on that friendship before they hurt you, just saying…" Quentin slams his hands on the table.

"Last chance. Their names!" He growls as Helena leans forward.

"The three vigilantes…" She is cut off by the lights suddenly flickering out and alarms beginning to ring.

"What the hell is going on?" Quentin gets to his feet.

"I don't know, let's go." McKenna suggests as they exit the interrogation room, leaving Helena behind as everyone else in the SCPD precinct try to escape the approaching smoke from an unknown source as inside the interrogation room The Man In The Mask reveals himself, moving towards Helena and unlocking her restraints before forcibly dragging her toward the door to help her escape.

"Freeze!" Quentin yells from behind the door, his gun outstretched, only to drop it when The Man In The Mask throws a tranquilizer dart into neck, Quentin falling to the floor as The Man In The Mask and The Huntress disappear into the smoke…

Starling City General

"Sounds like quire the daring rescue." The doctor comments as he cleans Roy's stab wound.

"You're very lucky to have a friend like Roy, Thea." He adds as Thea smirks at Roy.

"Ohh don't I know it!"

"We're not friends." Roy retorts.

"Well let me get you stitched up and then you two can decide what you are or aren't." The doctor smirks as he heads toward the table to grab a needle.

"You are such a jerk. Perhaps I should set my brothers friend on you." Thea shakes her head at Roy, who's eyes aren't leaving that needle.

"Roy." Thea pats his shoulder as she sees his white a sheet face.

"What's the matter?" She follows his gaze.

"Nothing I just don't see why I need a shot." He looks away as Thea chuckles.

"Oh, don't tell me a tough gang banger like yourself is afraid of a tiny little needle."

"It doesn't look so tiny." Roy growls.

"Well just think about something else. Besides the needle." She suggests.

"Like what?" He faces her as the doctor returns.

"Ok now this could sting a little." He approaches him with the needle and just as it is about to enter Roy's skin, Thea cups his cheek and kisses him deeply, kissing him twice even.

"Done." The doctor smirks at the two as Thea kisses Roy once more.

"Now, that wasn't so bad was it?"

On A Rooftop In Starling City

"Thanks for the save. Where's the other two?" Helena comments as Slade removes his mask, glaring at her.

"Elsewhere. We couldn't risk you telling the police about us." He mutters.

"Is that the only reason?" She replies before putting her hands on her hips.

"Why can't you just admit that you still have feelings for me to Slade?" She questions as he passes her an envelope.

"What is it?" She glares at him.

"Plane ticket to Rome and a passport. You can start a new life somewhere else." He reveals as she looks away from him.

"Police know you're tracking your father Helena. You won't find him so give up now and get out of the city." He growls as she takes the envelope from him, saying nothing to him as he heads over to his motorcycle and drives away…

Wilson slamming a wooden box down causes Oliver and Sara to look up at him as he moves around one of the missile launchers quickly, ripping open the wooden box.

"Place these around the launcher." He tosses equipment to Oliver and Sara, who do as they're told and move to different places around the missile launcher.

"Do it quickly!" Wilson commands as he too moves to another side of the launcher.

"Their backup will be arriving any second." He growls.

"You're sixty seconds out from the launcher." Soldiers voices come from the radio.

"Guys…" Sara looks to them both worriedly.

"Set the final charges and we'll blow it." He shouts bending down again as Oliver and Sara open two compartments.

"Ollie what are you doing?" Sara frowns as Oliver drags open a drawer.

"I think I have a better idea." He replies, a lightbulb moment hitting him as Wilson sticks his head up to glare at him.

"What are you doing?" He snarls as Oliver fiddles around with the compartment.

"I'm taking the circuit board. Computers won't work without them and neither will this." Oliver holds it out as Sara throws her arms around his neck.

"You're a genius Ollie." She kisses his lips quickly, pulling back as to grab the radio as Slade races over to Oliver grabbing his arms in an almost embrace causing Oliver to be very shocked and even worried at Wilson's reaction!

"Leverage!" Slade smiles at him warmly and proudly before racing away, Oliver and Sara following quickly after…

Oliver, Sara And Slade's Apartment

Candlelight illuminates the living room of the apartment as Oliver and Sara sit on the sofa beside one another, both holding glasses of wine.

"I know we were supposed to go on our first official date…"

"Ollie. Helena's promised to unleash a whole load of fury upon the people we love if she doesn't get to kill her father, has managed to get herself arrested and Slade's gone to break her out of the SCPD where McKenna and my dad are. I think we made the right choice about staying in for the night." Sara replies as she sips her wine.

"Perhaps we should have gone with Slade…" Oliver sighs.

"I know I'm worried about him too, I really am but getting in his way when he told us to stay away, I don't think would be wise recently." She murmurs as Oliver groans.

"I know he can handle himself but he's so unstable right now. He's gonna end up doing something he regrets."

"Already done that." Sara cuts him off, lifting his injured hand gently.

"It bothered him hurting you I could tell." She bites her lip nervously.

"I'm more concerned that he's gonna kill Helena or she's going to hurt someone. If he kills her it's gonna mess with his head and if she hurts someone..." Oliver buries his head in his hands at the very thought of the fallout if Helena dared to hurt someone they cared about.

"As much as I want that bitch dead, Ollie. I don't think it should be him who does it... Ok we need to go after him." Sara moves to get up but Oliver grabs her arm.

"We're overreacting. I was just thinking about him when he was under all that crap back on the island." Oliver sighs.

"When he held that gun to your head?" She raises an eyebrow at him.

"Yep." Oliver murmurs as Sara shakes her head.

"It ain't that bad yet. Diggle shouldn't have brought up all that stuff about her. He was out of line." She rolls her eyes at him.

"I do plan to have words with him about that." Oliver murmurs.

"You and me both." Sara agrees as Oliver closes his eyes tightly.

"What?" She lifts her hand to stroke his face.

"It's. It's just that I feel like I'm letting everyone down. Slade, Tommy. I can't seem to do right by either of them right now. I mean Tommy's just…"

"Ollie. Ollie your being way to hard on yourself. We can deal with Tommy, well you and I can. We better not let Slade anywhere near him for the next few days, weeks and we can help Slade. We did it back then on the island…"

"You did it. I wasn't there remember? I was on that freakin boat!" Oliver groans.

"No we both did. Ollie I told you about what happened whilst you were gone and don't forget when I wasn't there you managed to cure him of that crap! And if we could get him through all of that, we can get him through this." She sighs.

"How?" Oliver whispers.

"Together because together you and I can do anything we set our minds to." Sara smiles as she leans in to kiss him softly, squeezing his free hand lightly, staring into one another's eyes with so much love and adoration…

Dropping the wine glasses, wine going all over the carpet, something Oliver recalls might not be the best thing to happen! They fall into each other's arms, Sara wrapping her arms around Oliver's neck as she kisses him deeply as he chucks her against the sofa, pushing their clothes out of the way as she wraps her legs around his waist…

Queen Consolidated

"Hey. I was multitasking and I managed to intercept a place report. A local sporting goods store just got robbed of one high powered crossbow." Felicity reveals on the phone as she leaves Slade, Oliver and Sara voicemails, neither of the three picking up their phones.

"Now it could be a crazy coincidence or Slade's psycho ex girlfriend… Digg's words. Not mine, is still in town. I'll let the three of you know if I learn anything more. In the meantime please just be careful…" She trails off as she turns in her chair only to face Helena Bertinelli.

"Hi. I don't think we had a chance to be probably introduced this morning." Felicity instantly freezes as she backs away in her chair as Helena approaches her.

"Be a good girl and hack the FBI database for me." Helena commands as Felicity simply touches her glasses nervously as she reaches for her phone, only for Helena to cross the room and knock it from her hand, pushing it away from her.

"Want me to rephrase that request, Felicity?" She hisses as she suddenly wraps her hand around Felicity's throat, choking her, until Felicity throws her legs out and kicks Helena hard away from her, who is startled to say the least at Felicity fighting back and releases her grip on Felicity's throat, who tries to grab something to aid her.

"Not so defenseless!" Felicity whispers as Helena reaches for her dagger out of her boot, yet remembering something Slade had taught her, Felicity ducks and somehow manages to knock the dagger from Helena's hands, who in response, throws back her hand and punching the girl hard in the face, knocking her glasses off and knocking her to the floor at the same time, Felicity groans in pain and tries to scramble to her feet, yet Helena grabs her by her hair and drags her back up to her desk, slamming her face into the surface, making Felicity's nose bleed.

"You got some fight in you. I'm surprised. Slade teach you some of those moves? I bet he did didn't he? He taught me a few." She hisses in Felicity's ear before pointing at the computer.

"FBI database. Hack, now." She growls, placing a hand on the desk as Felicity begins to type with one hand.

"You need to find the address to the safe house." She snaps.

"Slade. Slade taught me something else you know." Felicity whispers whilst typing.

"And what would that be? Because I believe he taught me things you could only dream of." She taunts her as Felicity shakes her head quickly.

"Distractions." Felicity replies before stabbing Helena hard in the hand with the pen concealed in her other hand, who growls in pain, Felicity getting up from the chair and racing toward the door only for Helena to recover fast and drag her back by her hair again, throwing her to her chair and holding her dagger so close against Felicity's throat it breaks the skin ever so slightly.

"You know Slade gave me this dagger, pretty isn't it? Pretty and deadly. Good gift for me." Helena laughs before looking to the computer.

"Now hack. Hack or I'll open your throat…"

Sometime Later…

With a furious expression upon his face, Slade bursts into the IT department of Queen Consolidated as he looks around frantically for Felicity.

"Felicity?" He growls, unable to keep the worry from his voice at the thought of Helena killing Felicity.

"Slade?" He hears her soft voice whisper quietly as looking down at her desk, Slade spies her feet sticking out from the side of it.

"Slade?" She cries again, yet it is more of a whimper this time as he races to the other side of the room to find Felicity on the floor, her feet and wrists bound.

"I'm here." He murmurs as he kneels down to her, cutting her restraints off with a knife he retrieves from his coat pocket.

"Are you a'right?" He growls quickly as she scrambles off the floor, Slade kneeling down beside her, stroking her tear stained face gently as he quickly checks her over for any serious injuries, wiping the blood he finds away from her nose, moving a scarf from her neck he realizes Helena must have gagged her with, freezing when he sees the slight cut on her throat.

"What did she do to you?" He growls.

"I tried. I tried to fight back Slade…" She cries as he checks her bleeding nose.

"It's not broken." He murmurs glancing at the cut on her throat.

"I'm probably gonna need that scarf back." She whimpers.

"I'm gonna kill her." Slade snarls as he helps her carefully to her feet, Felicity wrapping her arms around him tightly before she can fall over.

"It's ok. It's a'right. You're safe now." He mutters as he holds her as Diggle, Sara and Oliver race in.

"What the hell happened we got your call?" Sara asks worriedly.

"Helena." Slade growls as Diggle shakes his head in dismay.

"She's gone too far this time. I'm gonna leave pieces of that woman all over Starling City." Slade hisses venomously with a glance at Felicity still in his arms, whom Helena had harmed.

"Why was she here in the first place?" Diggle questions.

"She wanted the address of the safe house where her father's being kept. She made me hack the FBI's database. I'm so sorry guys." Felicity whispers as Slade shakes his head, trying to move out of Felicity's hold, so far unsuccessfully!

"It's not your fault." He assures her kindly, smirking at her briefly when she eventually releases him, Slade storming toward the door.

"Slade what are you going to do?" Diggle glances to him.

"What I should have done in the first place." He snarls, Oliver and Sara following behind him as he exits the IT department…

The Safe House

Two guards are shot down with four quick darts from The Huntress's crossbow as she marches toward the Safe house. Smiling when they drop to the ground, making her way up the path and to the porch of the house, throwing the door open and putting darts in everyone in the hall before anyone even has a chance to fight her, duck, anything.

With them down she turns her attention to taking out everyone playing cards and drinking in the dining room.

The guards in the living room, the corridors.

No ones a match for The Huntress and her crossbow.

As she approaches the stairs, one of the guards bravely shoots at her, she dodges all the bullets and waits a moment before shooting him to with a dart, racing up the steps and taking one more out.

A man from behind her also decides to fire upon her but the individual is soon taken down by her with another dart as she climbs the rest of the stairs, shooting yet another dart into someone waiting for her on the landing, just as an arrow intercepts her from The Man In The Hood as the three vigilantes appear, just as Helena picks up a shot gun, firing a bullet at the three vigilantes only to make a hole in a door behind The Man In The Hood, only narrowly missing him as the three take cover.

Smirking to herself, Helena shoots a hole through another door, walking through it only to find it empty, a man jumping from the roof.

Her father...

Quickly, Helena follows him, leaping off the roof herself, rolling down the hill after her father, watching as he races away into the distance.

"Helena!" The Man In The Mask snarls as she turns to face the three vigilantes, holding her shotgun out toward them...

Meanwhile…

In her car, McKenna Hall sits with her radio.

"Code three Bertinelli safe house."

"This is Detective Hall, I'm on site." She calls back as someone else replies.

"Wait for backup Detective, that's an order!"

An order McKenna doesn't obey…

Meanwhile…

"You won't kill me Slade." Helena says coyly.

"Neither of you will. You're not murderers remember?" She smirks.

"You are and if we let you go that blood will be on our hands." The Man In The Hood replies.

"I'm sorry but you harmed one of our own." The Man In The Mask murmurs.

"The blonde girl? Felicity is it? You know she surprised me, fighting back the way she did." Helena smirks as without a second thought The Man In The Hood fires an arrow at Helena, which she dodges and catches before it can kill her.

"I practiced that move. I had a feeling I might need it some day. You would have killed me Oliver and Sara, Slade you would have let him. What? So you didn't have to do it yourself? Seems to be a pattern with you Slade, getting Oliver to do the killing for you, just like with her right? Oliver killed her for you and now he's trying to kill me for you? You want to kill me Slade? Do it yourself." She snarls before kicking the bow out of Oliver's hand, stabbing him in the side with his own arrow before Slade and Sara can even move.

"Oliver!" Slade snarls as Oliver falls, Sara grabbing him before he can hit the ground.

"Go! Go now! I'll finish this." Slade hisses advancing on Helena.

"No Slade…" Oliver croaks though the pain.

"Sara get him out of here! Go!" He shouts as he attacks Helena, knocking her to the ground.

"Ooh I stabbed him pretty hard didn't I? Shame if he bled out before Sara got him anywhere. I warned you I'd hurt the people you care about. Who better than Oliver Queen." She smirks as Slade throws her halfway across the field, pulling out his sword, Helena tries to kick it out of his hands, yet almost loses her foot in the process.

"Really gonna kill me are you Slade? Considering Oliver wasn't up for the task. Good luck." She spits as he throws her to the ground again.

"It's over Helena." He hisses as he positions his sword to run her through.

"You can't do it can you?" She taunts him.

"You couldn't do it to her and you can't do it to me now…" He cuts her off by stabbing her in the side, like she'd done to Oliver. She chokes in pain and surprise.

"You hurt Felicity." He rips out his sword.

"You hurt my brother." He snarls, preparing to run her though to finish her off…

"FREEZE! Put the sword down." McKenna approaches them with her gun raised.

"Turn around. Slowly." She moves toward The Man In The Mask, who lowers his sword slightly, as she cocks her gun, the distraction causing Helena to retrieve her weapon and shoot at McKenna, succeeding in doing so before getting to her feet, wrapping her arm around her now bleeding side, biting her lip before racing away despite the pain. Slade moves to chase after her, but cannot when he sees McKenna lying there on the lawn in a pool of her own blood.

He could go after Helena and stop her, kill her even but McKenna's life could be the cost of putting his sword through Helena and if both of them perished then both of their blood will be on Slade's hands.

He chooses to save McKenna's life over revenge.

The Foundry

"Kid? Oliver!" Slade yells the minute he arrives back at The Foundry, racing down the steps to find Oliver sitting up on the table, Sara dressing his wound.

"Are you a'right kid? I am so sorry." He says as Oliver shakes his head and puts his hand on Slade's arm.

"It wasn't that deep. My jacket intercepted most of it." He winces as Sara touches a particularly sore part of the wound.

"Did you kill her?" Sara looks to him.

"No." Slade mutters.

"Really?" Sara's eyes widen in disbelief.

The woman who just stabbed the man he calls his brother Slade hasn't killed? It confuses Sara to say the least.

"I intended to. I stabbed her but before I could finish her off. McKenna intervened and Helena shot her before escaping. If I'd have gone after Helena, McKenna would be dead." He reveals, running a hand though his hair as Oliver looks at him worriedly.

"What? Is she ok?" He cries.

"It was bad, kid. I stayed with her until others managed to get to her but she was in a bad way when I left." He murmurs.

"I should have killed that woman." He hisses.

"Slade if you had killed her, McKenna could have died. You did what me or Ollie would have done." Sara reassures him as Oliver nods.

"You did the right thing."

"Did I now? I let her go and she's not done killing by a long shot."

"You saved McKenna, that's all that matters." Sara cuts him off as Slade glances at her skeptically as she finishes with Oliver's wound, pressing her lips to his forehead.

"You did good tonight." She looks to Slade, who doesn't even look at her.

"Are you two gonna be alright down here? I'm going to the hospital, see how McKenna is. Someone needs to go." Sara looks at them sadly as Oliver nods and kisses her softly as she heads up the stairs, leaving Oliver and Slade.

"Sara ain't wrong. You were a hero tonight Slade, even if we didn't catch Helena." Oliver starts but is cut off by Slade.

"No I should have put her down long before this! I should have destroyed her when she went after Leonard but I didn't and because I didn't she then nearly killed Felicity…"

"Slade."

"She stabbed you kid." Slade cuts Oliver off instantly.

"If I'd have killed her back then none of this would have happened!" He growls as Oliver tightens his grip on his arm.

"And what would that have done to you? You couldn't kill her Slade because you're better then her. You're not a murderer…"

"Oh really?" He mutters.

"If you were a murderer you would gone after Helena and finished her off instead of staying behind and helping our friend, which is what you did." Oliver sighs.

"You were nearly killed tonight kid trying to do what I couldn't. Diggle was right at the time I couldn't kill Helena." He admits.

"Which wasn't your fault. She was the first woman you opened up to since." Oliver stops when Slade looks at him.

"Which is why you couldn't kill her, no matter what she'd done." He sighs.

"I thought I could save Helena, I thought I could teach her our ways and I ignored the consequences. Not the first time I've done that when it comes to a woman." He murmurs as Oliver shakes his head.

"None of us knew that was going to turn out like that. You did everything you possibly could to save her…"

"But I couldn't save her Oliver. I couldn't save Helena either from the darkness."

"I really don't think anything we could have done would have changed the outcome when it comes to either of them." Oliver reminds him.

"I could have let her go. I could have chosen to let her be at peace then poison her and turn her into what she became before you had to put her down. I couldn't even clean up the mess I had made. That fell to you."

"Slade. I took her down because I thought Sara and you were dead. You had an arrow in your eye. It was my decision. I wouldn't have let you kill her yourself." Oliver admits before adding carefully.

"I wouldn't have let you kill Helena either. Sara and I were worried about you as it was earlier after your confrontation with both Diggle and Tommy…"

"Now he was asking for it, both of them were!" Slade mutters indignantly.

"Well it happened to worry me and Sara because it reminded us of back then on the island." Oliver reveals causing Slade to freeze, knowing exactly what Oliver refers to.

"I'm sorry, kid." Is all he can murmurs.

"Don't be. Remember what I told you then? I meant it then and I mean it now. You never have to go through anything alone. I've got your back for life." Oliver smiles at him.

"I always will."

It takes a few moments but eventually Slade gives Oliver a half smile in return.

"As I you kid."

Starling City General

Knocking slowly on McKenna's door to get her attention, Sara smiles at her friend lying in the bed, whom smiles back at her sweetly.

"Hey Sara." She croaks.

"How are you feeling?" Sara moves to her side.

"Uh, numb." She murmurs as she tries to sit up.

"Hey don't move. I saw your doctor, he tells me your lucky to be alive." She smiles.

"Yeah. He also said I have a shattered femur and it's going to take at least a year in rehab. I loved being a cop." She whispers through tears eyes.

"McKenna, you're still a cop. An incredibly brave one at that. You have one more surgery, then you can go home…"

"I'm not going home." McKenna cuts her off as she slides her hand into Sara's.

"I'm moving to Coast City to live with my sister. They have the best physical therapy facility in the country there." She reveals.

"Ollie and I will visit, promise." Sara smiles sweetly.

"Thank you. You two are great friends, I'm really gonna miss you both." She admits.

"So will we." Sara replies as McKenna squeezes her hand in response.

"So call from time to time?" McKenna manages a smile. Sara nods.

"Whatever you need."

SCPD

With a sigh, Quentin boxes up the last of McKenna's things off her desk.

It's never easy, losing a member of the team and he's beyond grateful that despite the loss it wasn't a fatality.

"Cleaning out your desk?" The voice of his ex wife pulls him from his thoughts.

"No, a friends." He mutters.

"Um, you asked to see me." She replies.

"Take a seat." He moves over toward his own desk, Dinah following him before sitting across from him.

"We'll talk to Sara." He mutters reluctantly as Dinah smiles beyond grateful.

"Thank you."

"Yeah well don't thank me yet. Whether Sara wants to meet with you or not it's her choice. I'm leaving this up to Sara now and whatever she wants is what will happen." He grumbles as Dinah nods quickly.

"Sara's choice."

Verdant

"Think it would look suspicious if we stuck a lift in for the basement?" Oliver groans as Slade helps him up the stairs and into the club.

"Not your brightest idea, kid, even though it would be more convenient for the inevitable times when we get wounded." Slade mutters as he helps Oliver sit down on a stool.

"Hey... Ohh my god what happened?" Comes the voice of Tommy as he stops himself from racing over to Oliver.

"Hell of a night. Got stabbed with my own arrow." Oliver tries to smile as Slade rolls his eye at him and glares at Tommy.

Their altercation from earlier far from forgotten.

"Hey, Slade why don't you go back home or something. I'll be fine here with Tommy." He smiles as Slade raises an eyebrow at him but decides to take the opportunity to escape!

"I'll see ya later, kid." He murmurs to Oliver before heading as far away from Tommy as he can get, who glares after him.

"I. I heard about McKenna." Tommy says once Slade's gone.

"Yeah it's awful. Sara's visiting her now actually." Oliver replies.

"Are you ok? I mean besides from the wound." Tommy questions gently. Oliver shrugs.

"Look, I know that I have been a jerk lately. I just couldn't understand how you could keep such a huge secret from me. I'm still blaming Wilson for all of this because honestly Oliver of it had just been you and Sara. Even if you became the vigilantes anyway you would have said something to me if he'd not been there. But I'm not here to rant about Wilson. I'm here because I just wanted to tell you that despite my dismay that you could keep this from me I never considered the toll it must take on you and Sara." Tommy reveals.

"Lying to the people that are closest to us. It's the hardest part that's why we lean on each other so much because no matter what we have each other and that's all that matters considering no one else we love can know the truth about who we are." Oliver replies.

"I get that." Tommy nods.

"We were wrong to think that we could have it both ways. That we could do what we do and still have normal lives with our friends and family." He sighs.

"Except if the three of you are alone in this with no one else then none of you are ever gonna be happy." Tommy states plainly.

"Which is why we have each other." Oliver murmurs.

"That's not what I meant Oliver." Tommy sighs.

"Its what I meant. Us being happy isn't what's important right now. There's no one else we need. We have each other and that's enough. Anything else is impossible for us."

In the dark of the night, back behind the log once more, Oliver, Sara and Slade sit crouched down again beside one another.

"Your plan, your call." Wilson states plainly as he hands the radio over to Oliver, both he and Sara watching Oliver intently to see what happens next.

Kid better not crack under pressure. Slade thinks to himself as Oliver looks down at the radio, moving around nervously.

"Fyers." He calls quietly as Sara takes his free hand in hers in almost reassurance.

"Mr. Queen, I thought I might be hearing from you and your girlfriend sometime soon. How is your Sara anyway?" Fyers replies as Oliver grits his teeth, glancing at Sara's horrified face as memories of her imprisonment with Fyers hit her instantly, shaking as she remembers how he and Wintergreen and his men tortured her, Oliver wraps his free arm around her, even Slade puts his hand on her shoulder to comfort her.

"We have the circuit board." She ends up speaking bravely into the radio. To show Fyers he doesn't intimidate her. He has no power over her anymore. Oliver tugs her closer in response and Slade pats her shoulder.

"You two are making a grave mistake. My men are scouring the island for you and your girlfriend as we speak. When they find you both, they will kill you." Fyers explains as Oliver and Sara glance at Slade anxiously.

"Very slowly I'm afraid." He adds, Oliver deciding to bite back.

"If your men kill us then you'll never find the circuit board and after that we all know that all you'll be left with is a really ugly piece of modern art!" Oliver snaps sarcastically, earning a beaming smirk from Wilson in response, whom if Oliver isn't mistaken looks actually proud at Oliver snapping back at Fyers!

Oliver looks at him smugly.

"Then what do you two propose?" Fyers replies after a moment.

"A trade." Oliver responds.

"And what exactly do the two of you want in exchange?" Fyers grumbles.

Oliver, Sara and Slade all exchanging a glance to one another.

"We want a way off the island."

Authors Note: Thank you all so much for reading this chapter and for reviewing, favoriting and following this story thanks ever so much! I apologize if this chapter came out bad, I worry about this one. Next update should be soon, thanks again for reading.