A/N- A special thanks to Lyco, and The_Canari from the Lauriver Discord, along with Ray_Writes for helping conceive this idea, and Ray for beta reading this fic. Any mistakes are mine though.
Oliver leaned over Laurel's still warm body and gave her a small kiss on her forehead. He still couldn't shake her dying confession was that she still loved him, even if it was unrequited. He still couldn't believe it, the woman that he had loved more than half of his life was taken from him.
"You are the love of my life, Ollie. You hold my heart, even if I no longer hold yours."
He couldn't believe that Laurel was gone. He would never hear her argue passionately against injustice or see her warm smile, feel her soft hand cup his jaw gently. She was ripped away from her friends and family, ripped away from him way before her time.
Laurel would never be able to advance in her career, have a family, to live her life. Why was someone who was the paragon of justice and compassion so violently torn away from the world, when people like Malcolm, or him could live?
Before the medical staff and the rest of the team including Thea, and Quentin could enter Laurel's room, the door slammed shut with a loud thud.
Oliver jumped out of his seat, to protect Laurel's body. He would die before someone tried to desecrate her. She didn't deserve that. Only, instead of seeing a person, he saw a blinding white light, followed by some sort of Ancient Egyptian symbol, that somewhat resembled a cross, the blinding light slowly took on a warm golden hue.
A deep metallic voice emanated from the cross-like symbol that grew to the size of a man. "Oliver Queen, I come to you on the eve of darkness."
Oliver took a step to put himself between Laurel and the glowing symbol. "Show yourself. Who are you?"
A strange man wearing a golden helmet, white glowing eyes, emerged out of the cross and hovered just above the floor. "You cast a long shadow, Oliver Queen."
Despite everything, that was true. Oliver inspired people to take up the good fight. Barry, Roy, Ray, Sara, Thea, and Laurel. And now, Roy was on the run, and Laurel was killed. "I had every intention of doing this alone. To protect people." He then looked over his shoulder to see Laurel's pale skin, he looked back at the strange helmeted man with a cloak. "Who are you?"
"You speak with an agent of The Lords of Order. Doctor Fate." His glowing white eyes moved from Oliver to Laurel's form. " Dinah Laurel Lance was killed by the machinations of time travelers, speedsters and longeval sorcerers who utilize dark magic, and mystical restorative waters."
Fate moved his hands in the air and conjured a blue orb with the glowing ankh. "Dinah Laurel Lance, and you, Oliver Queen are predestined to be partners. She and yourself will be the founders of a group of remarkable people."
"If we are predestined to be side by side, why did you allow these people to mess with the timeline, why did you allow her to die?"
Instead of answering, the blue-white sphere grew to Oliver's height. "If you wish to save Dinah Laurel Lance, I suggest that you enter the sphere, and I will grant you what you desire, to save the Black Canary from her murder."
Oliver looked behind the strange man and saw Thea drying to break into the door, likely with Digg trying to ram the door open, calling for him to open the door. If he did he would never forgive himself if he threw away the chance to save Laurel.
He had told her that he hasn't always been the best friend or boyfriend to her in the past, nor recently. But perhaps him saving her was the stepping stone he needed to show that she was important to him.
His mind was made up, and so he took a deep breath and entered the magical sphere.
Oliver looked around and saw Laurel handing him her photograph before he got on the ship with Sara. The cute smile that she gave him.
Him standing in his suit in front of Laurel in her dark apartment in darkness. Telling her that like her, she would do anything to ensure that an innocent is protected.
He then saw another scene, something that he wasn't proud of; him holding a gun to his head and seeing Laurel, or a hallucination of her begging him not to kill himself, that he was important to her, to his mother, to Thea, and to Tommy.
Oliver certainly could understand what Doctor Fate meant by the fact that he and Laurel were preordained to be working side by side. They had been doing that even before his time on the island. But it was during his time in hell and afterwards that their partnership, even when the other wasn't present, was solidified. Together they were a force to be reckoned with.
:-: :-: :-: :-:
Oliver exhaled deeply, as he blinked his eyes a few times. He looked around to see that he was in The Bunker, he moved towards the closest table, to collect himself. He then looked up at the clock on the wall to see that it was a few hours until Laurel was going to be murdered.
He couldn't let her die, and the easiest way to do that was to convince Laurel not to go back into the field as Black Canary. He had almost convinced her in the original timeline to put aside her vigilantism in favor of being the District Attorney, maybe he could just give her the final push to refrain from putting on her suit?
"Hey, you alright?" Asked the person that he never thought he would see breath again, to hear her voice.
There was so much he wanted to say to her, to tell her about her future. But he didn't know the rules. If he told Laurel what was going to happen to her, would it become a self-fulfilling prophecy? Would she consciously try to take down Darhk before he could kill her?
He couldn't take the risk that she would be stubborn enough to go on the attack first.
"John and I had a difference in opinion. I confronted Andy and John walked in." Laurel hummed in understanding. She was always the compassionate one out of all of them. His heart ached thinking about her dying in the hospital bed, thanks to Darhk. "I probably should have heeded your advice, District Attorney Lance."
Her small smile made his heart flutter. "I'm still just an ADA, Ollie." She then looked down at the table, before meeting his eyes. "I'm turning down the promotion."
"Because it's being offered by Ruvé Darhk?"
Almost without missing a beat, he heard Laurel answer, and he knew that he would have to convince her that she was needed more as a public official than as a hero. "No. If I take this job, it means that I have to forfeit my place here, with you and the team."
He closed his eyes. Even if the team managed to reform after Laurel's murder, it was not a team without Laurel. She was there from the beginning, she had been unofficially a member of this team since the first year, in the first few months even. "The team's falling apart, Laurel. John's furious at me. Thea is consumed with rage with Malcolm. And… Felicity has been gone for a few weeks now." He noticed, that she was taking his words to her heart. "You have worked to become the District Attorney for the better part of three years, Laurel."
"Once, but that was a lifetime ago."
"Sara's lifetime." He looked at her poignantly. "You channeled your grief, and became the Black Canary, you saved a lot of people between when you first put on that mask, and now. But, Sara's not dead."
But Laurel was, until this strange man wearing a golden helmet that kind of resembled the helmets of Ancient Greece.
"Maybe you owe it to yourself to pursue the path that you were originally on."
Her eyes lost a glimmer of hope they had just held, she looked hurt, almost betrayed. "You're serious?"
"I'm not saying that you can't run comms, or that we will lock you out of The Bunker. Your dad has been with us, and he hasn't worn a mask. Maybe the world needs Laurel Lance more than it does the Black Canary? And it's not as if we can't get by with the number of heroes with masks on." He couldn't escape the look of hurt in those eyes that he could get lost in. "With Ruvé as mayor, we need a hero that the public can look up to and aspire to be. And that is the same woman that I have admired since I met her when we were just kids."
It wasn't long before Thea called them over to join her at the command center. "What's happened?' Oliver asked as he noticed Laurel playing with her mask in her hands.
He listened as Thea informed them about the insurrection in Iron Heights. Darhk was out of his cell and was the ring leader of the crisis. "Gear up."
"Ollie, I can't prosecute him without getting him back into custody." She then brought her mask up closer to her face. One last time." She whispered.
Oliver gently grabbed her wrists and brought them back down. He couldn't let her go to the prison, and if he commanded her, Laurel's Lance genes would force her to be impulsive and suit up and come after they had left. "Laurel, we need someone on comms. Trust me, there is no such thing as the perfect swan song. Let the Black Canary fly into obscurity, while you take up the position as Star's Beacon of Hope."
Laurel bit her lip for a second before she nodded reluctantly. He sighed in relief, he had saved Laurel with the help of Doctor Fate with relative ease. "Ok, Ollie. I'll be on the comms. Stay safe." She said as she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him, Oliver allowed himself to enjoy her warm embrace.
Before Oliver could respond, or completely return the hug, he found himself in a strange place covered blue-white lights. It was then that he heard the deep metallic voice belonging to the entity that was determined to save Laurel.
"You miss understood me, Oliver Queen. Laurel Lance and Oliver Queen, Black Canary and Green Arrow are partners. Equals. Dinah Laurel Lance was always supposed to be the Black Canary. Not anyone else, not Sara Lance nor anyone else."
"My life was always headed to that mask." Laurel's voice echoed.
Oliver curled his hand into a fist. "I can't save her from the Idol's magic! The only way I can save her is by keeping Laurel away from vigilantism."
"Your solution is to push Dinah Laurel Lance away from yourself? When has that ever worked for you? How many times has she saved you or yours?" The metallic voice asked.
The blue-white light around Oliver started pulsing before he saw small snippets of Laurel helping him and his family. The first one was him looking at her photograph, followed by her hallucination preventing him from committing suicide.
He then saw Laurel walking into Iron Heights to speak to his mother, telling her that she didn't care if she could be disbarred, that she was looking after their family. Why did she or his mother ever speak of Laurel willing to throw her life away for his family?
Her telling him that she knew him in her bones, that she knew him like her own name. Laurel had once again prevented him from giving up his life, and now it was his turn to stop Laurel from dying.
The final scene broke his heart, it must have been not long after he had left, no, abandoned his sister and Starling to go with Felicity to travel the world, before settling down in Ivy Town. Laurel stayed up all night, with her arm wrapped around Speedy in her living room watching old movies. All the while, Thea sobbed into Laurel's shoulder.
"Why didn't she tell me that she had done these things?" Oliver asked, hoping that Doctor Fate would find pity for him, and answer him.
"You know Dinah Laurel Lance better than anyone. When did you ever consider Laurel a braggart? Or someone to boast about helping others? Especially, people, she considered her family?"
"Never," Oliver mumbled.
Before he blinked to see himself standing by one of the tables in The Bunker. He just didn't know how to save her. Laurel had always been there for him, and his family even when they didn't deserve it, or no one would fault her for leaving them to their own devices.
She was his family. She was more to him than a best friend or his oldest friend. She was the love of his life, and he had been trying to convince himself that he was never worthy of her love, or affection. Maybe it was never his call to make that decision for Laurel?
Before she died she had confessed to him that he was the love of her life, that he still held her heart in his hands, only now did he realize that it wasn't Felicity, McKenna, Helena, nor Sara that ever held his heart, but Laurel. It was always Laurel.
"You and her, always and forever."
"You chose laurel. always her. Everybody else be damned."
She had saved his life countless times, and now it was his turn to show her that he valued her as much as she did him.
"Hey, you alright?" Laurel asked as she slowly moved towards him, he noticed the concerned look in her eyes.
Oliver sighed, "John and I had a difference in opinion. I confronted his brother, and Digg walked in." Laurel hummed in understanding. "I probably should have heeded your advice, District Attorney Lance."
Laurel was predestined to be The Black Canary, before others like presumably; The Reverse-Flash, Zoom, Darhk and maybe even Vandal Savage had messed up the timeline. Oliver idly wondered what the world would have been like if the timeline was never altered would he and Laurel be married now, and have been building a family? How much have these men changed? Why was Laurel getting the short end of the stick? Ultimately, it didn't matter, what mattered was what he did now, today. He could still save Laurel, his guide seemed convinced that he was the only person who could save her.
They were partners. Friends, and the love of each other's lives.
Her small smile made his heart flutter. "I'm still just an ADA, Ollie." She then looked down at the table, before meeting his eyes. "I'm turning down the promotion."
"Because it's being offered by Ruvé Darhk?"
Almost without missing a beat, he heard Laurel answer, and he knew that he would have to convince her that she was needed as both The DA and as a hero. "No. If I take this job, it means that I have to forfeit my place here, with you and the team."
She didn't want to leave the people she loved in the lurch. Him, and Thea. How could he not have noticed that the first time around?
"The team's falling apart, Laurel. John's furious at me. Thea is consumed with rage with Malcolm.."
"Felicity is gone, but Ollie, it's not about how you end up on the mat, it's about whether you get back up. You and John can patch things up, and we can work through Thea's rage as a family."
Oliver swallowed, down the bile that rose into his throat, he was about to take a leap of faith and encourage Laurel to take both paths in her life. After all, hadn't he been planning on being both Green Arrow and Mayor of Star City? If he could do that, why couldn't Laurel do the same?
"Laurel." He said, cupping her jaw like she had done to him countless times. Her beautiful green eyes looked in his earnestly. " I think that Star City needs both the Black Canary and DA Lance. I was planning on being both Mayor and Green Arrow, and I don't see why you can't do both either. You are one of the most resilient and determined people I have ever met. If anyone can juggle these two lives, it's you."
Laurel leaned in and gave him a small chaste kiss on his cheek. "Thank you." She whispered. Before she walked towards the command center upon hearing Thea calling them over. Darhk had escaped, and now it was time to try to save Laurel.
:-: :-: :-: :-:
Green Arrow, Speedy, Spartan, and Black Canary dropped down from the rafters, and into the prison. Oliver looked over his shoulder to see Andy Diggle. Oliver gritted his teeth, this man was just as culpable in Laurel's death as Darhk was. He had given the man the idol.
Oliver cursed under his breath, he should have remembered that John would bring his brother along. For all of Diggle's sanctimonious speeches about Oliver having a blindspot for his mother, sister, and Laurel, the man certainly had one of his own. For a man had knowingly abandoned his small child and wife for a life of being an international criminal, leaving his brother, John to try to keep the boy safe.
It was way too late to try to get Diggle to send the man back home, it would only cause further rifts, and Diggle forcefully protecting his brother. Perhaps, if this time didn't work, he would reveal everything to the team to prevent this sort of thing from happening.
"Darhk has the hostages in the mess hall. Fan out and flank them from all sides." He then watched John and the traitor walk down one hallway, and quickly grabbed Laurel and Thea's wrists before they could leave down another hallway. "Look out for each other, and if anything happens that shouldn't, I want you two to get out of here. Star City still needs its heroes."
Thea's throat bobbed as she nodded. "Alright."
Laurel, though stilled, as if she noticed something that he hadn't said. "What's going to happen?"
This was no place to tell her, it would only serve to cloud her mind. Laurel and Thea needed their minds on the here and now. Oliver just shook his head, "Nothing, I just… I feel something in my gut that doesn't feel right."
Laurel didn't look like she believed, him, but gave a small nod of acceptance anyway, "Ok, I'll look after Speedy, you stay safe and keep your head on a swivel too."
He watched his sister and Laurel dart down the hallway and took a left before he headed down his own hallway.
:-: :-: :-: :-:
Oliver moved down the corridor, just enough to see and hear Darhk give the order to kill the hostages, he pulled an arrow from his quiver and shot it at one of the inmates. It wasn't long before a fight ensued, Laurel in one corner fighting several inmates larger than herself. He marveled at just how much she had grown and learned in such a small time. Perhaps, Fate was right. Laurel was always destined to be the Black Canary, she had a natural affinity for fighting, even if she didn't relish the part where she hurt people. It was the part of the job that she didn't enjoy, the part that she loved was where she saved people from injustice.
After Oliver dispatched the inmates nearby, Oliver froze as he noticed that Darhk had retrieved the pistol from the ground during the skirmish.
The former Horseman had a handgun aimed at Andrew Diggle. It was a charade, and yet, he couldn't risk it. Darhk would have no hesitation in killing John's brother. And if he was in the course of it, it would completely annihilate any remnants of friendship he currently shared with John.
He should have told the team about the time loop.
Oliver lowered his bow, and returned the arrow back to the quiver, and was quickly restrained by several men. He watched as Andy gave the last piece of stone of the idol to Darhk.
Oliver's heart started to race, he couldn't watch Laurel die again. He couldn't even hear Andy brag about how he had been watching them for months. He only had his eyes on Darhk. His mouth became dry as Darhk inserted the final piece.
All of a sudden, Speedy's two arrows hit Darhk right on schedule, Oliver started fighting his way towards Laurel. He needed to be closer to her if he had any chance of saving her now. He dodged a hit, only to pick the man up, and toss him into the cement wall.
By the time he was shoulder to shoulder with Laurel, Darhk had used his magic to suspend them. They were completely frozen, and yet his heart kept thumping against his chest wall.
Darhk informed him once again bout his connection to Diggle, and from there he deduced who Speedy and The Black Canary were. He then used his magic to toss Thea and John across the room, and against the wall.
"Miss Lance. Nine months ago, I made your daddy a promise. I told him what I would do if he betrayed me…"
Oliver felt every muscle in his body tense, his side became red hot, as he managed to grab his bow, and fire an arrow. Only he was swiftly back in his invisible restraints and watching history play out again.
He looked over at Laurel, who was staring down their foe, not showing an ounce of fear. She was the true hero out of the two of them. He was wrong when he said Laurel wasn't a hero the year before, she was out of his league. She was in the same class as Barry or Ray. He was an idiot for not seeing it.
"Impressive," Darhk said, as his ice-blue eyes moved from laurel to him. "Now where was I?" He then snapped his fingers, "Right. I want you to give your father a message from me."
As Darhk reared his arm back to impale Laurel with the arrow, his side warmed up again, into a searing heat that made it feel as if his ribs were on fire. He wasn't going to see Laurel die again, he couldn't.
Oliver jumped in front of Laurel, just as the arrow was coming towards her, Oliver felt the sharp missile penetrate his suit and felt the familiar feeling of a weapon impaling his abdomen. Everything started to go fuzzy, he faintly heard a high pitched scream, before he felt Laurel clutching his wound.
"Ollie? Don't leave me. Please. Please. Please."
He opened his eyes to see Laurel crouching next to him, his body leaning against her chest. "I couldn't let you die, Laurel." He said tucking her hair behind her ear, a small gesture that he used to do to her when they were together. "You are the love of my life, Pretty Bird. I'm sorry it took me this long to come home. Just know that I'm moving mountains to ensure that you are safe and happy."
"Mountains?" Laurel repeated softly as she maintained pressure on his wound.
"I told you a few years ago, that you are more important to me than anyone, I'm trying to prove that to you."
"Ollie…" Laurel sobbed, resting her head against his.
The last thing he heard was Laurel sobbing over his body before he was brought back to the blue-white dimension that Fate brought him back to when he had failed the last time.
"You may have saved her life, Oliver Queen." Fate's voice echoed around him. "Instead of both of you prospering and saving your city together, you would have doomed her to the same trials you are finding yourself in now.
"She would be able to solve this problem faster than I would." He mumbled but felt guilty as he said it. While he had no doubt that Laurel would move mountains to save a loved one, just as she had with Sara, he never wanted her to endure this kind of torture, of reliving an event that leads to the death of the person you love.
Instead of Doctor Fate answering, Oliver started to feel like he was being pulled back into the time loop.
He watched as he entered Laurel's apartment with ice cream, he watched as her face lightened up as she showed her the small tub, how she enjoyed the dessert while conversing and just listening to him talk about the issues he had with his mother trying to strong-arm him into joining Queen Consolidated.
He watched as Laurel and Thea walked into their home in Ivy Town asking him to don on his emerald hood. Seeing Laurel there was a reminder that the city needed him, she always had a way of just reminding him about what was important without saying anything.
:-: :-: :-: :-:
Oliver blinked awake, and went through the motions, he convinced Laurel to once again not give up on her being a hero. When she looked at him with confusion, as if she hadn't expected him to say something like that, off the bat, he added; "Laurel, you are Star's hero in a way that I never could be, you are more like Barry in that way."
As the pair followed Thea's voice, he heard Laurel tell him that he was too hard on himself.
Oliver idly wondered if that was one of the things that Fate was trying to teach him by having him repeat this time loop?
Before Laurel and Thea could move towards the change rooms, Oliver stopped them, "Hang on a sec."
Both women stopped, looking at him, waiting for him to continue. "Ollie?" Thea asked.
"I need to tell you both something, and you both will think that I've gone mad, but I need you two to trust me?"
Laurel nodded first, quickly followed by his sister. "We trust you, Ollie."
Oliver exhaled, "I'm in a time loop."
Thea's brow quirked, "Isn't that Ray and Sara's job, or even Barry's?"
Oliver looked at Laurel before he continued. "It's magical in nature. It seems par for the course considering dealing with magic this year that has been our reality instead of just dealing with dangerous people. But… Something bad happened, and a warlock or something has given me a chance to prevent it from happening."
"A warlock like Constantine?" Thea asked, sounding quite shocked.
"Kinda."
"Wait," Laurel said. "What happened that made this magic user send you back in time to solve the issue?"
Oliver squeezed his eyes shut, before looking into Laurel's eyes and gently holding her small hands in his. Her green eyes darted down to look at their joined hands, before looking back up at him. "Darhk kills you, Laurel." both women let out a shuddered breath. "I was given this chance to spare you from this fate. I could never let someone hurt you, Laurel. I love you, and nothing will ever take that away, and I know that I have said in the past, that I was praying that I wasn't too late, but this time I hope that still holds true."
"Ollie…I" Laurel stammered, as her mind started reeling from his heartfelt confession. She didn't know what to say, Oliver for the past few years had kept her at an arms distance at the best of times. He hated that he had caused this kind of bewilderment for Laurel.
"You don't need to say anything." He assured her. "I just need you to know that."
Laurel was silent for a brief moment, searching his eyes, and seemed to find that he was being sincere, she pressed her lips against his. "You're never too late, Ollie. But what about…"
He gave her a loving smile, trusting Laurel to put him or others well being over herself. "Felicity left me and the team, Laurel. And in the past few days, and especially during this time loop, I've come to realize that there is no Oliver Queen or Green Arrow without Laurel Lance or the Black Canary. We are two sides of the same coin. Partners."
Thea gave them both a small hug, Oliver was unsure if it was to congratulate them or to ground them in reality. "What about Diggle?" She asked.
Oliver looked at Laurel. "I need you to stop Andy from getting to Iron Heights. John cannot know. He has the final piece of the idol."
Laurel gave a small nod, before cupping his jaw, "You two stay safe." She then walked off to get changed.
Oliver sighed as he watched her leave, hoping that this was the last loop. "I hope that you aren't leading her on, Ollie," Thea said with a shocked expression. Though her eyes also held a warning, Laurel had been closer to her as a sibling than he had in the past year or so.
"I've had an epiphany, Speedy. I have realized just how much she means to me, how much Laurel has always meant to me."
Out of the corner of his eye, Oliver could see his sister's shocked, almost protective look morph into a proud smirk, before she patted him on the shoulder. "I always thought that you two bring out the best in each other, Mom thought so as well. She would be proud of what you are enduring for the woman that she saw as her future daughter-in-law."
Thea was right, his Mom had even said something similar to him in the past, the one of the only times that wasn't true was when he had told Laurel to get wasted in just outside her apartment. He could have lost her there, it was one of the many things that he and Laurel would have to work through after this time travel business was done. If she wanted to start again with him.
:-: :-: :-: :-:
Green Arrow, Speedy, Spartan, dropped down from the rafters, and into the prison. John turned to face him, as Thea scouted ahead slightly. " Have you seen Andy?" He asked in a low register to avoid being heard by any enemies.
Oliver gave a small shake of his head, he hadn't seen Andy, but he knew what was happening, he had no doubt that Laurel could deal with Andrew Diggle, she had fought The League and survived. "I haven't seen him."
"Where is Laurel?"
"She had to deal with something else," Oliver replied curtly. Even if Diggle hadn't been the one to give Andy the rock, or hand the rock over to Darhk, he had been in part, no matter how small, playing a role in Laurel's death.
"I hope she comes sooner rather than later, God knows that we need all hands on deck with anything concerning Darhk."
:-: :-: :-: :-:
As Darhk aimed the gun at Thea, Darhk looked towards Oliver, "I wonder, did The Green Arrow's birdie fly away just like his blonde It specialist?"
He then cocked the gun and aimed it at Oliver. "Where is Miss Lance?"
Oliver looked towards Thea, who was snarling at Darhk, as she glared at the man who lived beyond a normal life, the man who had been terrorizing her home and family. "She's out of your reach, Darhk, you can't hurt her." He gritted out.
"Don't be so sure, Oliver." Malcolm sneered as he dragged Laurel out with a sword to her throat. He could already see her lip that was busted, and a bruise forming around her neck.
"And just where was our absentee birdie?"
"She had knocked out John Diggle's brother and tied him up beneath Verdant."
Oliver felt his side burning, where Constantine had given him the tattoo. It seemed to burn every time he tried to save Laurel's life. Maybe it was connected to love or hope? Regardless, Oliver managed to let loose an arrow that hit Darhk in the chest. The man keeled over, and wheezed, before ripping the missile from his chest.
"Did you bring it?"
Malcolm tossed the piece of the Khushu idol to him, and they all watched as Darhk placed the piece into the idol haphazardly, before turning to Laurel and shooting her in the chest.
Laurel's eyes went wide and fell to her knees, Malcolm quickly but gently caught her, before laying her on the ground, before he tried to stop Darhk from advancing on her, only to be launched across the room thanks to Darhk's magic.
Oliver felt his chest heave as his heart thrashed against his chest as he watched Darhk touch her leg and watched her skin turn a sickly grey.
Oliver slowly returned to Fate's dimension and fell to his knees. No matter what he did, he kept failing.
"You failed again, Oliver Queen." The metallic voice said unrepetandly.
Oliver looked around but couldn't see the owner of that metallic voice. "Show yourself!" He snapped.
As soon as the strange magic-user appeared, Oliver grabbed him by the throat and held him against an invisible wall. "Why are you making me live through this torture? Can't you let Laurel just rest in peace? If anyone deserves it, it is her!"
Oliver glared into the man's glowing white eyes as Fate spoke. "Order requires it." He then phased through Oliver and stood beside him. "The Age of Heroes is upon us, Earth One will be put through many trials, You and Dinah Laurel Lance are destined to be an integral part of that, as will your kin after you."
Oliver rose to his feet, "How do I stop Darhk from killing her?"
"That is your problem, Oliver Queen. Dinah Laurel Lance is your equal, your partner. Think like a team, not an individual. Not everything or everyone is as they seem. If you were to glance at Bartholomew Henry Allen or Ra's Al Ghul would you know what they are? You know her better than anyone else that not everything is ats it seems. It is time to demonstrate it."
Oliver watched as his past self lay on the bed, as Laurel jumped on top of him, telling him that she was busted by his mother. Things were so much simpler then, he just wished that he could remove the parts that he had betrayed her, by sleeping around with other women, including later on with Sara.
Laurel never deserved that. And there were other ways to show that things were moving way more quickly than he liked than cheating on her, especially cheating on her sister. Laurel had a good heart to be able to forgive, and still love him after all he had done to her.
:-: :-: :-: :-:
As soon as he realized he was in The Bunker he pulled out his phone, and watched as Laurel noticed, and silently moved back towards Thea. He hated that she likely thought he was calling Felicity, hopefully, he could stop that line of thought as soon as Barry arrived.
The phone rang a few times before it answered. "Hello?"
"Barry," Oliver said, relieved that he had caught his friend. "I need your help, You remember how you asked me for help with Savage, I want to cash in my favor."
There was silence on the other end of the phone for a good few seconds. "You haven't heard? I gave up my powers to save Wally. Joe's son, and Iris' brother."
Oliver's hand clenched around his phone and heard his knuckles crack from the pressure. "Oh, I just… I hope that you get your speed back soon. Central City needs its Guardian, Angel."
"Maybe I can help you with Darhk without my powers?" His friend added.
"No, you rest up and do whatever you need to do. We can handle Darhk." He then hung up, and silently swore.
What was the point of Doctor Fate's riddle, if Barry couldn't help? It just meant that he was going to watch Laurel die again.
:-: :-: :-: :-:
Oliver blinked awake and blew out the air from his lungs. Maybe what Doctor Fate was getting at was that not everything was what it seemed, maybe it took more cunning to save Laurel? Darhk is expecting a normal arrow, but what if he used something different?
Oliver listened to Thea tell them about the prison and called Diggle, and headed into the prison, everything happened, beat for beat, as it did the original time.
Darhk informed him once again about his connection to Diggle, and from there he deduced who Speedy and The Black Canary were. He then used his magic to toss Thea and John across the room, and against the wall.
"Miss Lance. Nine months ago, I made your daddy a promise. I told him what I would do if he betrayed me…"
Oliver felt every muscle in his body tense, his side had the familiar searing heat, he managed to grab his bow, and fire the arrow. Dahrk, as predicted, caught the arrow.
Oliver looked over at Laurel, who was once again staring down their foe, giving no quarter to the former assassin. She was most certainly one of the bravest and most stubborn people he ever knew, and it was one of the things that he admired and loved her for. The fact that she could stare down their foe regardless of the odds because she knew it was the right thing to do.
"Impressive," Darhk said, as his ice-blue eyes moved from laurel to him. "Now where was I?" Before he could finish, Darhk was knocked back, as he shielded his eyes, as the flashbang arrow exploded. Oliver watched out of the corner of his eye as Laurel tried to blink several times to try to be able to see. The blast had disorientated everyone in the room.
"Cute, Oliver. You tried something different for once. You're learning, too bad it wasn't enough to save your precious Laurel." Darhk said as he held his hand to Laurel's chest. Oliver could only watch as she was taken from him again.
:-: :-: :-: :-:
Oliver blinked awake and immediately moved towards one of the computers on the side of The Bunker. He pulled up images and new articles about Central City's Particle Accelerator Explosion.
Maybe there was another hero that he, nor Barry had discovered? Someone who could save Laurel? Was that what Doctor Fate meant?
He was searching so hard, that he was startled by the small hand on his shoulder. "Ollie, why are you looking up about the explosion in Central City? We know that Harrison Wells caused it."
"I'm just working on a hunch." He said, not removing his eyes from the screen.
"It was pretty scary watching that light come towards me at that fast pace," Laurel revealed softly.
Oliver swiveled in his chair to look at Laurel. "Why didn't you tell me that you were there? Or tell Thea or your Dad?"
"I was there for work, I had a seminar there." Laurel crossed her arms. "I didn't tell anyone about the explosion, because I wasn't hurt, and then there wasn't time to talk about it with everything that happened with The League."
"You know you can tell me anything, right?" He asked her, only to see Laurel bite her lip, before nodding. Though her eyes avoided his, "I know, like I said, Ollie. We didn't have the time after Sara was killed."
Oliver's mind was so preoccupied with Laurel's new revelation, that he had forgotten to prepare for the fight against Darhk, and had to watch Laurel being stabbed again. He would have thought, that the pain of seeing Laurel die each time would hurt less, but it didn't, each time it felt like Darhk was tearing his heart from his chest."
:-: :-: :-: :-:
Oliver exhaled deeply, as he blinked his eyes a few times. He looked around to see that he was in The Bunker, he moved towards the table, to collect himself. He looked up at the clock on the wall to see that it was a few hours until Laurel was going to be murdered. He had some time to try to get Laurel's powers to emerge.
Oliver tried to remember if he had seen Laurel exhibit any traits of a metahuman, and come up empty. The only thing that could make sense, was what if that high pitched scream he had heard back in one of the early time loops was Laurel's powers awakening?
She used it after she knew that he was hurt, maybe he could get her to release it beforehand, so they would know for certain? Fate had said that he had to work as a team with Laurel. Just maybe, between her cry, and one of his trick arrows, they could save Laurel's life and stop Darhk.
"Hey, You alright?" Laurel asked as she walked up next to him.
Oliver hummed, "Yeah, can we talk outside for a few minutes?"
Laurel smiled slightly and followed him out to the side alley. "Ollie?"
Oliver turned to face her, her face was covered with worry and curiosity. Oliver closed the gap between them and kissed her. He pulled back, slightly. "I love you, Laurel. And I know that I don't deserve your love, but I just need you to know that."
Laurel wrapped her arms around his neck and returned with a passionate kiss. Before pulling back looking somewhat abashed. "What about Felicity?"
"She left. Laurel, I know this is going to sound crazy, but I have been living a groundhog day time loop, and it has reminded me that you have been by mind side, and never left. You saved me on The island, more than you will ever know, and you have worked alongside me before anyone else did." He then waited for a beat, "Am I too late?"
"You're never too late, Ollie"
Oliver smiled as he held her tight, and kissed her again, relishing her touch and the smell of her perfume. It felt like a balm for his soul after having to agonizingly watch her die over and over again.
He hated that he now had to manipulate her, but he knew that Laurel would forgive him once she knew what was happening. "Darhk is going to break out of prison in a few minutes, I'm going to stop him."
"No Ollie, you will die!"
He nodded, and walked down the alley, only for Laurel to shout at him several times to stop, and to come back, only after he had a small distance between them, did her final scream turn out to be her real canary cry.
SCREEEEEEEEEE
The sheer force sent him rolling down the pavement. Despite the bruises he was surely going to get later, he couldn't help but smile. Laurel, herself, was the key to saving her.
"Oh, my god! Ollie!" Laurel ran towards him. "I'm sorry, I didn't… Oh, god…"
Oliver groaned as he rolled over to see her teary remorseful eyes. "I think we know how to beat Darhk, something that he never would suspect." As she looked over at him, he grabbed her hand and lovingly placed it on his heart. "I'm fine," he assured her.
Thea poked her head out of the door. "Did you guys, hear that?"
Laurel nodded, looking stunned herself, her hand reaching to cover her mouth slightly. "Yeah, Speedy. That was me. I'm- Apparently I'm a metahuman." Laurel breathed, looking between Oliver and Thea with a look of both shock and amazement.
Thea's eyes opened wide in astonishment. "We really need to talk about this later, Laurel, as much as I wish I could help you with this new power thing, Darhk has caused a riot at Iron Heights, we need to get ready," Thea said, as she ducked back into letting Laurel and Oliver talk for a few moments alone before they had to suit up.
:-: :-: :-: :-:
Green Arrow, Speedy, Spartan, and Black Canary dropped down from the rafters, and into the prison. Oliver looked over his shoulder to see Andy Diggle. Oliver's jaw clenched he prayed that this was the final loop, that he had finally learned what Fate was trying to teach him, and that he didn't have to relive seeing the love of his life die in his arms again.
If everything went to plan, they will be able to deal with Andy after The Idol was destroyed, and Darhk is out of action.
He felt Laurel gently squeeze his gloved hand before she and his sister started moving silently down one of the corridors to flank Darhk and his men. That small gesture gave him the strength to walk into the fire, he would follow Laurel to the gates of hell. He basically was. Every time he heard Thea call him and Laurel over to the command center, and every time he saw and entered this facility his stomach would churn.
Oliver slowly advanced down the hallway, just enough to witness Darhk give the order to kill the hostages.
Oliver pulled an arrow from his quiver and shot it at one of the inmates. It wasn't long before a fight ensued, Laurel in one corner, was fending off several inmates larger than herself. During the entire fight, he kept one eye on Laurel, to ensure that she didn't get stabbed or killed by one of the larger men, even if the past loops have proven how formidable she was in her own right without her canary cry. Her powers would just add to the legend of Star City's Black Canary. If the criminal underworld wasn't afraid of her now, they soon would be.
The Director of HIVE a pistol aimed at Andrew Diggle. It was enough to stop everyone but him from fighting, but he needed to continue with the charade. It was vital in the plan to defeat Darhk, he couldn't be allowed to think that something was going to happen, that Laurel was their ace up their sleeve.
Oliver lowered his bow, and returned the arrow back to the quiver, and was quickly restrained by several men. He watched as Andy gave the last piece of stone of the idol to Darhk.
His heart started to race, he couldn't watch Laurel die again. He couldn't even hear Andy brag about how he had been watching them for months. He only had his eyes on Darhk. His mouth became dry as Darhk inserted the final piece.
Then two of his sister's red arrows hit Darhk right on time as it had in every other loop, Oliver started fighting his way towards Laurel. By the time he was fighting in tandem alongside Laurel, Darhk had used his magic to suspend them. They were completely frozen, and yet his heart kept thumping against his chest wall.
He closed his eyes, begging Fate, or anyone to please make this the final loop he had to endure. He wouldn't be able to suffer through seeing Laurel die in his arms again.
Darhk informed him once again bout his connection to Diggle, and from there he deduced who Speedy and The Black Canary were. He then used his magic to launch Thea and John across the room, and against the wall, knocking them out.
"Miss Lance. Nine months ago, I made your daddy a promise. I told him what I would do if he betrayed me…"
Oliver felt his side sear into him once again, this searing heat from the tattoo that Constantine gave him on Lian Yu was a welcome pain, it would herald him being able to break out of the spell, or incantation the Idol gave Darhk.
Oliver brought his bow up, and let loose the trick arrow, and history repeated itself in his favor. Darhk caught the flash-bang arrow, only for it to explode in his face, incapacitating him.
"Now, Canary!"
He watched as Laurel slumped to her knees from the magic waning and took a deep breath before unleashing the sonic cry on the idol.
SCREEEEEEEEE
Laurel and Oliver watched in awe as the idol disintegrated into dust.
Oliver moved over to Damien Darhk and delivered a hard blow to the man's head. He then swiftly moved towards Laurel to envelop her in his arms, before kissing her.
By the time he looked up, Thea and Digg had apprehended Andy, and some of the remaining prisoners, taking Andy and Darhk to deliver to ARGUS, and the rest were cable tied to the bars and steel tables.
The entire time from the moment they had left the prison, he was waiting for Fate to restart the loop, only it never came. He was finally freed from his prison, his torture and was rewarded with and coming to the realization that Laurel was his other half, his soulmate, and that there was no Oliver Queen without Laurel Lance and no Green Arrow without Black Canary. He and Laurel were always and forever.