A/N: This chapter is mostly filler as far as I'm concerned, but sometimes that's what's needed. There are a few key things that happen in this chapter, though.

Oliver Queen had just finished a shower, one that he had taken to try and rid himself of the dirty feeling he had had ever since he had killed Thawne, and dressed in comfortable night clothes when there was a soft knock on the door of his room. Oliver opened it to find Laurel and Thea waiting on the other side. He stepped back, opening the door to allow his sister and girlfriend to enter. He and Laurel had had that discussion in the Camaro on the way to Central City and decided that since they knew so much about one another, it offered them the deep connection needed to properly be girlfriend and boyfriend. "I figured the two of you would show up," he said quietly as he closed the door.

"Did you…" Laurel began, trailing off slightly.

Oliver nodded. "Eobard Thawne is dead," Oliver confirmed. "I know that what I did was the right call, the only call, but it doesn't erase the fact that I acted as an assassin. It was different from when I confronted Holder. I went after Holder for the sins he had committed against the people of Starling City. But Thawne… I killed him because of the people that were threatening to erase everything I had worked for, not for the crimes he had committed both in this time and in the future." Oliver rubbed his hands together. "I feel as though there's something dirty clinging to me and no matter how much I try, I can't wash it off." *1*

"Ollie, you have bettered so many people's lives, saved my life and numerous others with everything that you've done," Laurel said softly, brushing her hand through Oliver's bristly hair. "You are a hero, not an assassin. You do the things that no one else can or will, and you do it knowing you could be hunted by the very people you are fighting to keep safe. You are a good man, not a bad one. I love you, and you know I wouldn't if you were this monster you seem to see yourself as."

Oliver lowered his gaze, flushing slightly at the intensity of Laurel's green gaze. He turned to look at Thea, his little Speedy, who smiled softly at him. "You're my big brother, Ollie," Thea said quietly. "I love you."

Oliver leaned back on the couch. "Novu was waiting for me when I returned," he said. "He informed me that the timeline has been altered, and more importantly, that my destiny is my own again. He will no longer call on me to do things, as he is obliged to the timeline as much as anyone else. It's unusual, knowing that after so long serving him, I'm finally free to chart my own course again. All I know is, I want to be the man that brings Starling back from the pit of despair."

"You will, Oliver," Laurel said softly. "You'll beat him. You'll beat all of them."

*DC*

Felicity Smoak closed her eyes before opening them again, hoping that what she thought she had seen upon waking up was just some nightmare. But no, it was very real. She was hanging upside down, a metal tub below her, and standing before her was the man she had met for drinks in a moment of weakness (and because she did find cultured accents like the Brits had hot!), a wicked-looking curved knife in his hand. "W-What is this? W-Where am I?" Felicity managed to get out, shivering as she was from the frigid air in the room that she was hanging upside down in. She tried very hard not to think of why the room was refrigerated. "Y-You should let me go! Y-You don't know w-who my f-f-friends are!"

"And nor do I care, Miss Smoak," the man, Hadrian something, said. "I was hired to do a job, and I always finish a contract, even the ones I find… distasteful." Felicity had a feeling that this was not a metaphor when the man flashed her a grin and she took note of the sharpened teeth, something he hadn't had last night and all she could think of was he probably had something he used to hide the deformities in his teeth. "You are, for me, the wrong kind of curvy blonde. But a contract is a contract. You should have left well enough alone. My client wants you processed like I do all my other victims, to make sure no one thinks to follow in your footsteps." The man walked forward, stopping beside the metal bucket and Felicity's hanging form. He stooped down and gripped her hair, pulling her head back to expose her throat. "Now, if you don't mind, I have no desire to draw this out."

"W-Wait, please I can-urkh!" Whatever Felicity had intended to say was lost to the four winds as her captor slashed his curved blade across her throat, slicing it open and pulling her head back further, allowing the severed artery to bleed out into the tub below her convulsing body.

The last remaining conscious thought of Felicity Smoak was Oliver. *2*

*DC*

Oliver drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as he drove the Camaro out of Central City, his thoughts clear of lingering doubts he had had about killing Eobard Thawne. The future was terrifying to him now because aside from Merlyn's Undertaking and Slade's systematic dismantling of everything Oliver held dear, there was no guarantee that anything would play out the way that he remembered. For all he knew, bringing Malcolm to justice at Christmas would see a whole new threat leveled against his city to take the place of the Undertaking, and he would have no warning since it had never happened before. But there was also something exciting about not knowing what the future would bring. The future was theirs to mold as they saw fit. All his life in the previous timeline, Oliver's path had been molded by others. By his father's dying wish, by Slade and Talia's training, by Diggle and Felicity's judgmental attitudes, by Slade's vendetta, by Ra's' interest in him, by H.I.V.E.'s control over the city, by Adrian's vendetta… the list went on and on.

Oliver had spent yesterday at a meet-and-greet with potential job seekers in the area of computers and applied sciences from Central City University, giving himself a cover for being in Central City that would click with what he had told Barry and Iris. He wished he could stick around to find out whether Barry's father would be released from prison because of Wells' will, but he couldn't leave Starling City without its guardian archer for long, especially not with the ever-wrathful eye of Ra's al Ghul fixed upon his city. He had managed to potentially poach Cisco Ramon, who was looking for work and had no actual degrees to his name, from either Mercury or S.T.A.R. Labs. Oliver hoped his pitch to Cisco had been enough to convince the man who had been the person to turn to for suit upgrades to join Queen Consolidated.

He had also met with a few people from S.T.A.R. Labs, mostly to offer his condolences for the death of Harrison Wells and gauge the atmosphere there. Suffice to say, most of them were hostile towards Oliver, believing he was trying to poach them, but he had hopes that once Hartley Rathaway was confirmed as the head researcher at S.T.A.R. Labs some of them would be intrigued by the opportunity to work elsewhere.

Of course, he needed to make room for the people in question, and that meant doing some pruning in the Applied Sciences division of Queen Consolidated. He had been up late last night reading up on all the current research projects, and half of them were vanity projects that were solely being done for the purpose of the project manager's own self-gratification. Those projects would find themselves terminated. Queen Consolidated would not feed the egos of puffed-up popinjays like Douglas Miller, who only had one project that couldn't be misused.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Laurel asked from the passenger's seat.

"Just thinking about what lies ahead of us," Oliver said. "The future was always so clear to me while I worked for Novu. Now, it's like a dark road in the middle of the night, where you can barely see what's in front of you. It frightens and exhilarates me."

"Whatever it is that comes our way, we'll face it, together," Laurel said, reaching over and brushing her hand across Oliver's right cheek. Oliver smiled softly at her before returning his gaze to the road and, in essence, the future.

*DC*

Barry Allen didn't know how he had ended up here since he had no connection to the man, but yet there was no denying the summons he had received to appear at the offices of Weatherby & Stone to attend the will reading of Dr. Harrison Wells, founder of S.T.A.R. Labs and one of Barry's personal heroes. So here he was, dressed in the only suit he owned and feeling remarkably out-of-place since the only other attendees were a dark-haired man in glasses in a suit that was definitely grades above the one that Barry wore and a woman in a black dress with brown hair and eyes. Both seemed as surprised to see Barry, an unknown to them, present as he was to be here.

"Welcome," said the lawyer at the head of the table. "My name is Greg Turk, and I'm an attorney here at Weatherby & Stone. The three of you were the only listed beneficiaries to the will of Harrison Wells. Now, just to be sure everyone's here who should be here to satisfy protocol: Hartley Rathaway." The man in glasses raised a hand. "Caitlin Snow." The woman acknowledged her name with a nod. "And Barry Allen."

"Here," Barry said quietly.

"Excellent," Turk replied. "Now we can get started." The next couple of minutes were spent going over the opening parts of the will and establishing bequeaths to public foundations from Wells' considerable fortune. Finally, they reached the personal bequeaths. "To Hartley Rathaway, I leave the deed and ownership of S.T.A.R. Labs, for I know he will be able to see my dream become a reality." Turk handed over an envelope to Rathaway, who looked rather humbled by the bequeath, at least until a smirk came into being on his face. "To Caitlin Snow, I leave a grant that will refill every year to conduct her research without worries of finance until 2020." The paperwork detailing the grant was provided to Caitlin, who took it with a light sniff of grief, the only sign of emotion she had shown in the entire meeting. "Finally, to Barry Allen, I leave the rest of my fortune, a letter, and a thumb drive containing a video of some import to his future. I suggest that he read the letter first, before watching the thumb drive."

Barry was stunned by what he had been left by one of his personal heroes, a man he had never personally met but always admired. How did he merit such a bequeath from this man? Both Snow and Rathaway were likewise stunned and giving him curious looks, wondering the very same thing he was, no doubt. Barry accepted the information on his new bank account as well as the letter and thumb drive mentioned.

"Thank you all for coming," Turk said, and dismissed them without a second glance. Barry left the room, ignoring the attempts by Rathaway to get his attention. His sole focus was on returning to his apartment and finding out exactly why he had ended up a beneficiary of Harrison Wells' last will and testament when they had never before met. In the parking lot, Iris West was waiting in Joe's car, having driven him here.

"So, what exactly did you get?" Iris asked curiously.

"The remainder of his fortune, this letter, and a thumb drive containing what he called a video of some import to my future," Barry said quietly. "I don't understand it at all, Iris. I've never even met the man. Why would he leave me the bulk of his fortune?"

"Maybe he tells you in that letter," Iris suggested. "I'll drive, Bar. You find out why Harrison Wells left what he did for you." Barry nodded and opened the letter, pulling it out.

Barry Allen,

I've thought long and hard about what I would say here. How does one address a person who's life they ruined but then followed along like a proud parent? It's ironic, really, how I came to see you as a son after what I did to you.

No doubt you are confused about why I listed you as the primary beneficiary in my will. You will also no doubt be hurt when I tell you the reason why.

I am not going to apologize for what I did, Mr. Allen. I did what I did for my own reasons. But I recognize that I destroyed your life, and this letter along with the video on the thumb drive is my way of paying restitution to you.

Thirteen years ago, I was the one who broke into your house and murdered your mother, framing your father for my crime.

Barry felt as though he had forgotten how to breathe. The letter drifted to his lap and he pulled at the tie around his neck, loosening it. He remembered that night every night in his dreams. Ignoring Iris' confused look, Barry read on, fury building in his mind.

Again, I do not apologize for this fact. At the time, my reasons were perfectly understandable, in my own mind. I used an experimental technology meant to disorient and confuse people, a military contract of mine, to simulate the lightning you and your father thought you saw that night, knowing that it would never be believed. I have provided the schematics for this project with this letter and they can be verified to the satisfaction of the courts by either Hartley Rathaway, the new owner of S.T.A.R. Labs, or Dr. Tina McGee, the owner and C.E.O. of Mercury Labs.

After your father was tried and convicted, I kept a close eye on you. I don't know why I felt it necessary, but I did. I have watched you all these years, Barry. I have watched as you grew into a kind young man, despite the hardship that I foisted upon you to grow up as the son of a known murderer. I have watched your battle against bitterness towards the police department. I have watched your triumphs at science fairs all these years with a sort of fatherly pride and felt for you when you felt you had failed.

Because of what I did all those years ago, you will never be truly happy, Barry Allen. But perhaps you can do some good in the world by being independently wealthy. Your life is your own now. I knew of your plans to approach S.T.A.R. Labs and Mercury Labs for work and I had already set in motion an insurance policy that would keep you from working at either location, forcing you to become a C.S.I. Because as much as I care for you, Barry, I also have what some would perceive as an irrational hatred for you and everything you stand for, and forcing you into a job that you would secretly hate with a passion, where your brilliance would be squandered, was the perfect vengeance in my eyes to sate my hatred of you.

I know you are confused as to how I could both care for you and hate you so passionately. It is a complicated reality, Barry Allen, in which we live.

The thumb drive I have provided in my will contains my full confession as to the events of the night of March 18, 2000. It will provide all the details necessary to see your father freed from prison. While Cecile Horton is a hard-ass in the realm of justice, she is also fair-minded and will not seek to brush this under the rug for the sake of appearances, which means you will not have to pursue this to higher courts.

Harrison Wells *3*

Barry felt something drop onto the back of his hand and realized he was crying.

"Bar?" Iris asked softly, concerned.

"Take us to the precinct, Iris," Barry said hoarsely. "We need to talk to your dad and Captain Singh. And the D.A." Iris altered course without questioning this, knowing that Barry didn't go to the precinct willingly because of his history with them. All the way there, she questioned herself silently what could bring Barry to do so, and the only thing that came to mind was the murder of his mother and his continual declaration of his father's innocence.

When Joe West and David Singh read the letter that Harrison Wells had left Barry, they were shocked. When they saw the confession video which confirmed every single detail of the murder of Nora Allen, they were smart enough to realize the city was about to be hit with one hell of a shitstorm and that Henry Allen would have every right to sue the city for false imprisonment. Joe felt a little guilty for every time he had called Barry crazy, and even guiltier when he thought of the innocent man serving life in prison.

The District Attorney was summoned and before the day was out, the ball had started rolling to free Henry Allen after thirteen years of false imprisonment.

*DC*

Oliver's lips twitched as he felt more than saw his sister nearly bouncing as he, Thea, and Laurel stood in the elevator of the A.R.G.U.S. operations center that he used as his base of operations, waiting for the elevator to descend. Laurel was a bit calmer, but no less excited to see the nerve center of Oliver's fight against criminality and corruption. As the doors opened, Oliver was only slightly surprised to see Amanda Waller and Lyla Michaels waiting for him. No doubt they had been watching Central City for his departure and come here immediately afterward. Waller gave the female duo with Oliver a cool glance before turning her attention to Oliver himself. "It appears we have much to discuss, Oliver."

"I suspect you think so, Amanda," Oliver replied. "But in truth we have very little to discuss. Who I bring into my world in this endeavor is my business. As to what happened in Central City? I was following orders from someone more powerful than you. If you want to know more about Mar-Novu, ask your right-hand woman. She's his little lapdog."

Waller stiffened at the name, stiffening even further at the mention of Lyla being involved with this being. She turned to her 'right-hand woman' and said, "We will be discussing this in great detail, Agent Michaels. I do not appreciate those with divided loyalties."

"Yes, Director," Lyla said softly, giving Oliver a curious glance. How had he known about her involvement with Novu and why had he seemed particularly bitter about it? A question she would have to ask him herself once she got through dealing with the quandary that he had put her in with Waller.

"So, what was it Novu told you, Mr. Queen?" Waller asked. "Why did you kill Harrison Wells?"

"Because according to Novu, a group of self-righteous time travelers were about to enact a plan that would see everything I have been and will be working towards destroyed," Oliver replied. "The only way to stop them was to completely erase the timeline they inhabited. Harrison Wells, or the man who claimed to be Harrison Wells, was integral to that timeline. In truth, he was a time traveler from the 2100s who had assumed the identity of Wells after becoming trapped here."

"Yes, that sounds like Novu's handiwork," Waller said, then smirked at Oliver's raised eyebrows. "Yes, Oliver, I know Novu, as well. Why do you think I have taken such an interest in your work? Why do you think I take an interest in people like China White, Deadshot, and others? I know what's coming as well as you and Agent Michaels seem to know. I assume that particular event has changed." *4*

"If the timeline had remained the same, it would have happened in 2019 due to the actions of the same group of time travelers," Oliver replied evenly. "Now that the timeline has been altered, it will no longer happen until 2024. We have twelve years to prepare. I intend to make sure those who can fight in the light of day are ready for that battle, Director."

"And I will handle those who fight in the shadows," Waller replied. "Good day, Mr. Queen. Agent Michaels? It appears we have much to discuss." Lyla nodded and accompanied the Director of A.R.G.U.S. out of the operations center.

Oliver turned to Thea and Laurel, who were looking curious. "I know that you have a lot of questions about what that was all about, but I can't tell you without risking a whole lot more than your lives," Oliver said. "Just know that the delay I mentioned is a very good thing."

"I trust you, Ollie," Laurel re-iterated. Thea nodded beside her. "Now, why don't you give us a tour of your headquarters here."

Oliver smiled softly and turned to do just that.

*DC*

Barry was smiling widely, tears prickling at the corners of his eyes as he watched his father walk out of the gates of Iron Heights prison with his meager belongings. Barry had borrowed Joe's car at the man's insistence and now moved forward, embracing his father for the first time in over a decade. Henry Allen returned the hug with fervor, closing his eyes letting tears stream down his cheeks as he held his son without guards standing over him for the first time in over a decade.

He knew the basics: Harrison Wells had been the one in his house that night, using an experimental technology designed for a military contract to disorient and confuse enemies to disrupt his and Barry's senses and make them think they were seeing a lightning storm in their house that night. That Wells had apparently been watching his son all these years made Henry sick to his stomach, and he half-wished Wells were still alive so that he could break the Hippocratic oath just once in his life and express his anger at the man's actions.

"It's good to see you out of there, Dad," Barry said quietly, pulling away from his father.

"I'm just glad you're okay, Barry," Henry said. "It's gonna take me some time to adjust to being free again, and I'm not sure if I can handle living in the city for a long period of time. Especially not around people who believed the worst of me."

"I get that," Barry said. "Actually, there might be another option. I got a job offer in Starling City. I was thinking about taking it. Why don't you come with me? You can study up on all the new advances in medicine and maybe take up helping people that way again."

"Maybe," Henry said. "I hear things in there," he gestured back at Iron Heights, "that indicate things aren't so good in Starling City. You sure you want to move there?"

"I do," Barry said as they got in Joe's car. "Wells, for whatever reason, left me the bulk of his fortune. I can afford a good place for the both of us to live until you're on your feet. Also, the job offer I got was directly from the Head of Applied Sciences at Queen Consolidated, Oliver Queen. Whereas apparently Wells had initiated an insurance policy of some kind that would force me to take a job as a C.S.I. I want to help design technologies that help make sure the right people get put in prison, and I can do that at Queen Consolidated. I don't want to be an overworked, underpaid, and unappreciated C.S.I. when I can do something to make sure what happened to you never happens again."

Henry felt his heart swell with pride, and he put a hand on his son's shoulder. "I'm so proud of the man you've become, slugger," Henry said quietly. "Let's table talk of this for the time being. Right now, I'd like to have a first meal as a free man."

"Sounds good to me," Barry said with a smile and started the car.

A/N: I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter.

Chapter Notes:

*1* Some people wondered why Oliver killed Holder when he could've just let Deadshot do it. Deadshot was paid to get rid of Holder because he was a threat to Warren Patel acquiring Unidac Industries. Oliver wanted Holder to pay because he was a clear and present danger to the people of Starling City. He wouldn't have felt right about letting Deadshot take Holder's life for the reasons he was being paid to do it.

*2* And there is Felicity's final ignominious scene. For those wondering, she was always going to die in this story, it was just a matter of when. I didn't see the point in drawing it out. For those wondering, yes, Oliver is going to discover some of her plans re: Laurel, but that doesn't mean he's not going to look into The Huntsman even though the man will already be gone from Starling.

*3* I hope Wellsobard's letter sounded right. Since this is pre-Flash, he couldn't say, "Hahaha, my name is Eobard Thawne and I killed your mother because I'm a whiny fanboy who hates you", I figured what I put there was fitting of someone who has both come to care for Barry but also still despises the man that he will become.

*4* I seriously doubt Novu worked with just Lyla. I attribute the lack of legal action against Team Arrow to be because of Waller using her authority as Director of A.R.G.U.S. to excuse them. Lyla wasn't nearly as powerful an A.R.G.U.S. director, IMO, and that showed in how she kept getting outmaneuvered by other people. So, IMO Novu saving her life was hedging his bets in case Waller was ever removed from her position or, as it turned out, killed.