Malcolm Merlyn was a man of many facets, and the most vital part of his personality was always his ability to control those around him. Manipulate them to do his bidding, but all that changed when his wife was killed. For all his powers of persuasion; to control those around him he hadn't been able to save the life of his wife.
So he'd left Starling City, on a quest to reclaim what he'd lost. He'd traveled, and through his research had met Ra's al Ghul and had become a member of the League of Shadows.
Now as he lay prone on the floor of Wayne Manor, with the man in question glaring down murderously at him—Malcolm realized belatedly that for all his machinations and desires to control the world around him—he was right back where he'd started from.
At the mercy of forces more powerful than himself and hating that fact.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Wayne."
"Oh?" Bruce snarled as he cocked his head condescendingly, "then explain how Ra's knew that Spike and Buffy were coming for him?"
"You think I told him?" Malcolm scoffed, pulling down the collar of his shirt mockingly, "did you forget this little gift?"
"No, we haven't. But I noticed your hesitation earlier, Merlyn—when Mr. Giles asked you if there was a way to track Ra's. You claimed there wasn't, but you paused. You're clearly hiding something."
Malcolm sneered, his voice dripping with disdain as he replied, "I didn't betray our plans. I couldn't, even if I had wanted to...which I don't."
"And we're just supposed to believe you?" Thea snarked out angrily. "We are just supposed to buy that you've had this massive change of heart? Why?"
Malcolm turned his attention to his daughter, who was obviously distraught as she glared at him. His eyes then fell to his eldest, and Tommy's expression was beyond disappointed and hurt...
"Because you are my children." Malcolm pleaded sincerely. "I've made many mistakes, but you must believe that I'd never wanted to see either you or your brother get hurt."
"No, just Oliver and my Dad." Thea bit back, to the stunned silence of everyone in the room. Her eyes narrowed as she turned to her brother, her voice cracking as she said emotively, "you honestly didn't think I wouldn't figure it out, did you?"
"Thea..." Oliver's voice was uncertain, but Thea just shook her head.
"I'm not an idiot, Ollie. It's time you stopped trying to protect me. Besides, I overheard Buffy talking with Mom not too long ago, and I figured it out then."
Oliver blanched as his brow furrowed and he immediately glanced at his Mother, who's face paled and then at Buffy, who's face registered confusion for a moment before her expression cleared—and Oliver couldn't help but feel like he'd been sucker punched to the gut.
"What do you mean?"
"It was the day that Buffy took me down to spar the first time and I went up the elevator first, while you and Tommy were talking. I was behind the bookcase and I heard their entire conversation. I know about the boat sabotage, and Ra's endgame. I know about all of it."
"Thea..." Moira whispered in horror, and even Buffy looked like she'd been stabbed in the gut as her face paled even more.
Oliver however, just sat there his gut twisting in fury and unsure of what to do. Buffy had made the assertion that secrets had a way of coming out, but this was not how he had wanted his sister to find out about this particular secret.
"We will table this for later."
"Queen..." Buffy pleaded softly, but Oliver bit out.."Later" harshly—causing Buffy to clamp her mouth shut as she ignored the worried looks being sent her way—mostly by her sister and Faith.
"What did you mean about tracking Ra's?" Bruce decided to get back to the cognizant point at hand, and Malcolm glared at him mutinously.
"I don't know what you're talking about..."
"Don't make me call D'Hoffryn, Merlyn." Faith threatened, "Or have you forgotten our deal?"
Based on his pinched expression, Faith was fairly certain Malcolm didn't need her to point out the obvious.
"I don't know for certain, but Ra's has a connection with Nyssa and I suspect with Talia also."
"You think they'd be able to track him down?"
"I don't know as I said. It's a hunch."
"That doesn't explain how they knew we were coming for him." Buffy demanded pointedly.
"I don't have an answer for that either," Malcolm replied uneasily before his brow furrowed in contemplation. "At least, nothing concrete."
"What do you mean." Bruce challenged.
"Cell phones."
"Excuse me?"
"Merlyn Global among other subsidiaries, owns several defense contracts in communications. A recent acquisition was made at the behest of Ra's."
"And just what does this system do?" Oliver bit out.
"It can break into GPS location on a cell phone and triangulate it's exact position. That in of it and of itself is not a revolutionary concept, but this tool can scan an area—like Wayne Manor and pick up all the cellular signals, differentiate them and then send the user a signal if the cell in question comes with a certain range."
"So it breaks into the cellular encryption and essential steals the Sim data in order to track it?" Willow offered, and Malcolm nodded.
"So that was how he knew we were coming." Buffy huffed. "My phone was destroyed in the explosion as was Spike's."
"So that explains why we couldn't get a GPS signal on you." Dawn clarified, and Buffy nodded as she tried to make eye contact with Oliver, but it was clear he was ignoring her and as much as she felt guilty for Thea inadvertently overhearing her conversation—her anger was rising at how callously Queen was behaving.
Almost as if he blamed her, for outing the truth.
As if she would've purposefully hurt Thea in such a way.
"Willow," Bruce asked, "is there a way to access Meryln's system and trace Ra's back to the source?"
"Maybe?" She shrugged, "but only if he didn't erase his access point, and even then, I might not able to backtrace it in time."
"Can you give Willow the access key?"
"Do I have a choice?" Merlyn demanded and several voice piped out "no" simultaneously, including his children.
"We should start there." Bruce finished as he stood up and went over to his wife, who's focus was more on her Sister Slayer, but Buffy was keeping her mind a fortress at the moment as if she didn't want Faith penetrating her thoughts.
Buffy was getting stronger by the day and it made Faith wonder what was going on.
They'd linked during the enjoining, but for the most part—her telepathic and telekinetic powers had been more advanced than Buffy's—but lately Buffy's telepathic powers were growing too. Faith's telekinetic powers had formed after the enjoining and she'd had the telepathic capabilities prior and it didn't seem as if Buffy had any telekinetic gifts at this point.
It was odd to wonder just how much of their powers had been transferred during the enjoining spell three years ago.
"Maybe we should have Malcolm and Willow work on this tomorrow, and see if we can track Ra's. If he is headed back to Nanda Parbat...maybe we can get a fix on him there?" Faith offered, and everyone seemed to be in agreement.
It took about ten minutes for everyone to disperse, and another thirty minutes before Buffy was able to get Oliver alone.
"Can we talk?" She asked and Oliver turned and glared at her as he gestured for her to precede him outside. When they got out front, Buffy could feel the fury coming off Oliver in waves.
"You're angry with me?"
He didn't reply immediately, but his eyes were liked chipped ice as he considered her.
"Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for Thea to overhear that conversation."
"Really?"
"Of course not! You're Mom confronted me, and I might have said a few things in my defense as well as educated her on some facts. She was upset at me for training Thea."
"Why did you decide to do that?"
"Are you kidding me?" Buffy's eyes narrowed, but in her chest her heart was rapidly beating in panic. "Why do you think I did it?"
"I don't know exactly. Did you do it to get back at me?"
Buffy blanched, and Oliver's gaze grew stormy as he felt his hackles go up.
"You did?"
"No! Not exactly. She needs to be able to learn to protect herself and it didn't seem like any of you were willing to treat her like an adult."
"That's not your place to say!" Oliver hissed. "She's not your sister!"
Taking a step back, Buffy swallowed heavily as she nodded slowly. "You're right, she's not. But she's stronger than you give her credit for. She was thrilled when you started to train with her. She told me she'd missed her brother, and that you haven't been the same since you've gotten back."
"My Family dynamics are none of your business!"
Biting her lip hard, Buffy willed herself not to cry.
She had thought for one moment, one perfect moment—that this man in front of her might've been different. Might've been able to be...
Shaking her head, Buffy cleared her throat and got out emotionlessly, "You're right, Queen. It's not. I apologize, and I won't make that mistake again."
Before Oliver could reply, Buffy turned around and walked back inside the Manor...leaving Oliver staring after her, seething in his own self-righteous anger.
Oliver sighed heavily as he stood there and lifted his head up in frustration. All he'd ever wanted to do was protect his family. His Mom and Thea. First from Talia and Bane, and then from Merlyn and his machinations.
As he stared into the night sky, he didn't hear footsteps heading his way—until he glanced down and saw Laurel standing there—her expression filled with disappointment.
"Oliver..."
"What can I do for you, Laurel?"
"You really are an idiot sometimes."
"Excuse me?"
"Do you really think that Buffy is the kind of woman to do something so hurtful on purpose?"
Oliver stared morosely at his former fiancée, but didn't reply as he was still too upset to form a proper response.
"Wow!" Laurel bit out sarcastically, "I knew you held a lot of guilt and self-loathing after what happened with Sara, but even I had no idea that you would self-sabotage your own happiness."
"What are you talking about?"
"Buffy?" Laurel folded her arms defensively over her chest as she stared him down. "You genuinely care about her, and if I can read you still—you've had sex with her and yet you just pushed her away, Oliver! Why would you do that?"
Flinching back, Oliver shook his head. "That's not what I'm doing, Laurel. You don't understand."
"I understand that you just told the woman you've slept with, that your family issues are none of her business. If that's not a red flag for a woman to feel as if she's been totally used, than I don't know what is? Do you?"
Laurel could tell from Oliver's reaction, that thought hadn't even occurred to him.
"You think she's..."
"I think it'll be a cold day in hell before Buffy Summers let's you within 100 yards of her person, much less her bed."
Giving him a saddened look, Laurel walked back inside and Oliver rubbed his hands over his face as he realized that perhaps—he hadn't handled his anger properly.
He was still having issues trusting even after all this time off the Island.
Perhaps he needed to go and apologize.
When he got back into the Manor, he headed back to Buffy's room but she wasn't there. He then made his way to the kitchens, library and living room...but still, no Buffy.
When he got the the bat caves, Wayne was there with Willow working on the encryption, but Merlyn was no where to be found.
"Where's Malcolm."
"He got a call from one of his associates and had to go upstairs to take it."
Oliver sighed, and then asked slowly, "Uhm, have you seen Buffy?"
"No." Willow shook her head and Bruce gave him a critical look, but didn't reply.
"Alright, thanks."
When he made his way upstairs, he continued to check the Manor...but couldn't find Buffy anywhere. Checking the time, and realizing perhaps she'd decided to bunk with her sister for the night—Oliver figured he'd apologize the next day.
Little did he know it would be too late.
Elsewhere...
The Wolfram and Hart jet had reached altitude fairly quickly and both Spike and Malcolm were sitting across from each other, doing their level best to ignore the fact that they were stuck on the same plane for the next 18 hours...give or take. Buffy stared out of the plane's window as the lights from Gotham faded into the distance. She hadn't felt bad about using her leverage with Angel to convince him to do her this favor.
He owed her...
...and this would make them more than even.
Dawn had known her decision the second she'd seen Buffy pack her bag and grab her passport. All Dawn had done was hug her and given her love unconditionally. Buffy smiled fondly at how much Dawn had matured over these past few years. She wasn't the frightened, young girl with a penchant for getting into trouble every Tuesday night, anymore.
She couldn't even be mad at Queen. For as much as his words hurt, Buffy knew deep down that Oliver Queen had his own demons to deal with, and as luck would have it—she had her own to face as well. It had become clear the night after she'd left Wolfram and Hart and after her confrontation with Oliver—that this fight with Ra's would be on her.
If her dream was anything to judge by, Buffy knew there was only one way to destroy Ra's and the pits for good.
Fiddling with Mr. Pointy, she grimaced at how angry Faith was going to be when she found out but Faith had a real life...a good life with Bruce and a child on the way.
Buffy didn't have any of that, despite what she might've hoped...
No!
This was what she got for leaping before she looked. She'd accused Kennedy once about doing that very same thing but in truth, Buffy had always leaped first and then backtracked afterwards. She'd done it with Angel, with Riley, with Spike.
With Angel, (killing him notwithstanding), she'd realized the truth sometime before her fight with Faith that had left her in a coma. Angel was too broody, too intense and too controlling. She'd loved him, probably still did to an extent—but she hadn't lied when she'd told Queen that their relationship had been fraught with angst and heartache.
Riley had been a good man, if a bit of a simpleton as well as controlling in his own way. He'd idealized her, and hadn't really been prepared for the darkness that was her life as the Slayer. When he'd inadvertently slept with Faith, something inside her had disconnected from their relationship and no matter how hard she tried to get it back, she couldn't.
Didn't want to if she was completely honest.
Spike—well, he was Spike. Sarcastic, caustic, a little bit evil, but loyal. She could count on him not to get too emotional and even though she knew he loved her as much as he was capable of, he could live without her and do just fine. The three years he'd let her think he was dead was testament of that.
And then there was Oliver Queen.
She'd known there was something special about him that night at dinner at Wayne Manor, before she'd broken things off with Spike.
But what had cinched it for her, was the fact that she could speak with him, telepathically.
She wasn't an idiot. Buffy had always known Faith had different strengths than she did, and her ability to silently communicate was the most obvious one. But what Faith didn't know and what Buffy had discovered in her time with the Immortal was that the longer a Slayer lived...the more developed their powers became. When Faith had the Slayer powers returned to her before her battle with Danthalzar, and then shared those powers during the enjoining...when she'd died...well...
The entirely of the Slayer Powers had returned to Buffy in full force.
It was a fact when she'd told Queen that she was the closest incarnation of Sineya...because that was the truth. All those powers had been given to her too. For six months, Buffy had no conduit to share the burden with and the increased levels of energies that had come with that reality had been a bit tough to deal with...
Thankfully...Faith had returned, but it hadn't changed what had transpired.
There was a very good reason there had only been a single Slayer at a time for millennia.
To activate hundreds...no, thousands of potentials and have that level of force returned?
No one could've guessed what would've been the fallout from that little choice.
Oddly though and through her dreams, Buffy finally realized that wasn't all there was to it.
There was still more to be done.
Death was her gift and if she knew one thing...it was that she wasn't afraid of Death.
She'd lost that fear a long time ago.