A Revelation of Truth

by ButtonPusherExtraordinaire

The duel with Ra's al Ghul hadn't gone as he had anticipated. Rather, the opposite. Many much-needed truths had been revealed, and before his death, Oliver's mind had been assaulted by the cold, hard truth; and he was unable to look away. What happens when he doesn't stay dead? What happens when he is given a second chance? Nothing is stronger than the truth. Season 3 AU!

15. Chapter 14

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed. I really appreciate it! It makes my day every time I see a new one.

I did go back and edit/revise some of the earlier chapters (the prologue and chapters 1-7) in the story, for they seemed so sloppy and very poorly-written to me now, and honestly, some of it didn't make sense, so I made it more comprehensible. Go ahead and re-check them out if you want.

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own the tv show, Arrow or any of the characters associated with the CW verse. If I did, maybe - not saying that it would - Arrow wouldn't have become the joke that it did.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Quentin's eyes ached from the amount of paperwork he had been forced to complete, and he thankfully grabbed his phone when it rang.

"Detective Lance."

"Dad?"

He sat up straighter. "What is it, Laurel? What's wrong? Are you running?"

"Yes," his daughter panted out urgently; she sounded out of breath. "Look, you need to be ready. This is all happening faster than I thought, but get the department ready. You're going to need to go into the Glades and restore order."

Quentin no longer felt tired. "What's going on?" He looked around and lowered his voice. "Does this have to do with Oliver?"

"Oliver and Nyssa are going to get rid of Darhk and all of the criminals with the help of the League, but you have to be ready to come in and make sure that no other groups come in to claim that void of power for their own because Oliver won't be able to do it. You have to restore order!"

"What are you doing?" he demanded urgently. "You're not going out there, are you? You're running!"

"No, but the League's already on the move, and they're damn fast! I'm running to Verdant to man the comms with Felicity. I won't be out there, Dad. Don't worry. I'm keeping my promise. I have to go, okay? I'll call you when it's all over, and when I do, you have the clear to go in, alright? Because cops shouldn't be in the middle of a war between H.I.V.E. and the League. You guys would get slaughtered. When I call, that's when you have the clear to go in, okay?"

Quentin nodded, hope stirring inside him. "I understand. I'll get us ready. Be safe."

"You too. Also, you're going to need to bring the fire department with you," Laurel said quickly before hanging up.

Silence - filled only by the droning conversation of the other cops and Quentin's own breathing.

Jumping to his feet, Quentin suddenly caught the attention of his fellow cops. "Listen up! Get prepped to go into the Glades! I just got word from The Arrow. He says we need to be ready to deal with the fallout. That includes working with the fire department."

"Why should we believe him?" Pike demanded. "He's been a no-show for months."

"Why shouldn't we?" he countered. "We've been no-shows, too, unable to do our jobs because the Glades is locked down tight. Look, this is our chance to restore order. We've been sitting on our asses for months, unable to put a dent in this operation, but now we can finally put this nightmare behind us. We can save the Glades. Let's go!"

The cops sprang into action, and Quentin could breathe easier knowing that Laurel wasn't going to be out there where she could easily be killed.

XxXxXxXxXxX

The moon was bright; it was an unnatural glow. Darhk frowned, knowing how fickle Fate was. While he had been rewarded, granted majestic boons, the same could happen to Oliver Queen.

He knew Oliver would be coming soon, for it was what Darhk himself would do. And he had set the perfect trap to lure Oliver. Would he prove to be the man Vandal claimed him to be, or not?

Standing atop the bunker, he basked in the clear air, the glow of the unnaturally bright moon inspiring his magic to thrash inside. Powers were at work. He would make sure they benefited him.

Unfortunately, Slade Wilson had stayed true to his word, stubbornly resisting all of Darhk's extensive torture tactics. Even the use of his magic to begin to suck out Wilson's life force had yielded nothing. That's when he had understood.

The man did not fear death; he had made peace with it. Darhk planned to accommodate his unspoken request.

Glancing at his phone when it rang, he answered it. "What is it?"

"How is your progression?"

Stiffening, he subtly stretched his magic, ensuring that he was alone. "As well as can be expected," he answered carefully. "Oliver is stubborn."

"I hear excuses, Damien."

Darhk's empty hand clenched into a fist. "This war ends soon. I know he will come. I have his brother."

"Of the soul. You had his sister through blood."

"Complications arose- "

"She escaped due to your inadequacy. Do not deceive me. Whatever experiences you have gained in your life in the art of deception are insignificant and pitiful next to mine."

"Forgive me," Darhk murmured, feeling the cool wind gently lap against him. "I underestimated Oliver's cunning."

"Errors occur, for you are mortal, but mistakes are unacceptable. If you fail again, your existence will become a mistake that must be eradicated."

Darhk's eyes spasmed shut. "I understand."

"Your vendetta against Ra's al Ghul has blinded you. I want Queen. I see something in him that I have never seen in someone else - the true will to survive. It is familiar. I want Nyssa al Ghul, as well. She is more important than you know."

"What about my vengeance?" he demanded, voice rising slightly, and it took all of his willpower not to yell. "I slaughtered little Talia, and I will do the same to little Nyssa."

"Queen and Nyssa al Ghul are not to be wounded fatally. Bruise, but do not kill. If they are killed, you will know pain beyond whatever wisps you can fathom in your feeble mind. You believe yourself intimate with pain, but your comprehension is like your intelligence - nonexistent. I have taught you many things, Damien, and be warned - you will learn from me the true essence of agony should Queen and Nyssa al Ghul be killed."

Dahrk grit his teeth. "Very well. If I ensure Oliver and little Nyssa's compliance, Ra's al Ghul- "

"Bring Queen and Nyssa al Ghul to me, and I will provide you with the means to end Ra's al Ghul."

"You've held out on me?" he asked in disbelieving fury.

"You presume when you should be obedient. Do not forget your debt. I did not rescue you at your lowest point, nor supply you with your idol to hear feeble accusations. I hate ingratitude, Damien. I hate disloyalty."

Wavering on his feet at the threat, Darhk hastily apologized, "Forgive me, Vandal. I was… blinded by my mortal passions."

"Your gaze is rooted on Queen and Nyssa al Ghul now, not Ra's al Ghul. I want them. Bring them to me. The future must be secured. You know what failure means."

"I do."

"Then desist from your errors."

Darhk remained silent for several moments. "May I inquire of your intentions towards Oliver and little Nyssa? Why is he so important? Why do you care about her?"

"You reach for matters that do not concern you; my interest in them is beyond your comprehension. The future is at stake, and I need them both. That is all you must know. Do not fail me, Damien. Your usefulness has always outweighed your vexations, but you have been treading precariously for the past decade."

"May I reveal my reasoning?"

"Excuses do not interest me."

"The truth should," Darhk countered, daring to provoke his great associate. "The Lazarus Pit's effects have begun to wane, and I know Ra's al Ghul is nearing death as I am. This is my last chance to unleash vengeance on him."

"After you ensure Queen and Nyssa al Ghul's compliance, I will grant you your vengeance. Consider yourself properly motivated."

Silence.

Darhk slowly pulled the phone from his ear, wiping away the sweat that had broken out on his forehead.

The night seemed to shriek as he gazed at the dark forest surrounding the bunker as he remained on the roof, mocking him, cackling with relentless glee. The wind whipped around him, a lash against his flesh, and Darhk closed his eyes, centering himself.

If he wished to survive, he must focus on Oliver and cease to ruminate on Ra's al Ghul. However, lines of thought over which one obsessed for centuries were not easily broken, but he would try for Vandal. He would try for himself, for it was the only way to secure Ra's al Ghul's death.

Vandal remained coy about why he desired Oliver, but having known him for centuries, having been his closest associate, Darhk estimated that Oliver would be his replacement, for Vandal had always known their time was limited together. Just as it has always been with Vandal's proteges through history, a successor inevitably comes along. Darhk himself had replaced his predecessor with zeal, slitting his throat in front of Vandal to prove his worthiness. Now, Oliver was next-in-line for reasons that only pertain to the future as far as he knew.

There were futures Vandal saw in Oliver, and truly ruminating on Oliver, Darhk began to understand. The man was undeniably remarkable, one so young in whom not only Vandal, but Ra's al Ghul took interest. He was a perfect warrior, far superior to anything that Darhk had been in his physical prime that had lasted for centuries.

But what about little Nyssa? What was Vandal's interest in her? Perhaps his great associate wished to breed with her. That must be it. But while he could accept Oliver's survival, Darhk could not accept little Nyssa's. He yearned for her blood as his lungs yearned for air.

Vandal would find someone else to breed with - he would have to!

Darhk wanted his vengeance!

"Sir, the scientists say it's urgent," one of his warriors suddenly notified in his earpiece. "It's about the armor."

Darhk didn't answer for several moments. "I'll be there shortly."

"Understood, sir."

Silence.

"It's ready," he murmured, closing his eyes in euphoric triumph. "It must be. I can feel it. With it under my control, I will become the rival to Ra's al Ghul I always was. Our final confrontation will soon be at hand, and I will humiliate him as he humiliated me centuries ago. I will unman him. Nothing will stop me."

XxXxXxXxXxX

The march towards the bunker was swift and relentless; they blended in with darkness, unseen by anyone. The Glades were almost abandoned anyway, so it didn't matter if they were seen on their way to the bunker, but Oliver knew he needed to prove himself as a leader.

He led the march at the front of the legion of Shadows, standing tall and confident as he led them forward at a brutal pace, and to his side traveled Nyssa, and on his other side traveled the team. Behind them, the Shadows moved in perfect, unnatural synchronization.

"Did Ra's al Ghul demand Sarab to remain by his side?" Nyssa suddenly asked quietly, barely audible; it was the first thing she had said since their departure from the League's warehouse. "I anticipated seeing him."

Oliver couldn't help tensing. "He's dead," he notified flatly, not looking at her; he couldn't show weakness, not now! "He was killed for his betrayal."

"My condolences," she whispered sympathetically after several moments, and when he glanced at her for the briefest moment, her eyes were soft, kind, and even pained. "I know you shared camaraderie with him."

"Someone else who's dead because of me," Oliver murmured, gripping his bow tightly; his voice was low and dark. "But that's not going to be your fate. I won't let it be. Ra's promised me your life, and I'm holding him to it."

Nyssa was quiet for several moments, but when she looked ready to speak, John interrupted, voice loud. "We're here."

Oliver turned his attention away from Nyssa, and he looked at the bunker. It hadn't changed, but for some reason, he had been expecting it to be different. He thought Darhk would have guards outside and put protections in place, but there were no changes.

"The arrogance," Nyssa whispered beside him, her voice so soft only he heard her. "It shall doom him to your blade."

Oliver nodded, but his words were not to her. "Rain fire on the bunker!" he called out, voice heard by all. "Make sure there is no escape! Cover all ingresses! No mercy! Only death!"

"Yes, Al Sah-him!"

Watching groups of Shadows break off to surround the bunker, all the exits, victory felt certain.

Notching his explosive arrows, all five of them, Oliver fired them to the top of the bunker; explosions filled the air and fires blazed, the rumbling of shattering stone clapping like thunder in the night. Other flaming arrows whizzed through the air, following the trajectory, and the fire grew, blazing in the night, mixing with the moonlight.

There would be no escape - only death.

He looked at Nyssa. "You stay here with the team and everyone else. Kill everyone who comes out of the bunker. I'm giving you command. If any Shadow challenges you… kill them."

"And you?"

"I'm going in with a group and killing everyone I find. This ends tonight. I'm sick of Darhk; he reeks. He killed Talia and Slade, and he kidnapped Thea. I never knew it, but we've been at war for years. That war ends now."

Nyssa nodded. "May your prowess reflect your destiny."

Oliver stared at her for a moment longer before whirling around, raising his voice. "A dozen of you, with me!"

Just like that, without voicing communication amongst each other, a dozen Shadows immediately congregated before him. Nodding his head, he led them into the bunker.

XxXxXxXxXxX

"What?" Darhk demanded, throwing the scientist across the room with his magic. "Think on your words carefully."

The scientist crashed into the wall but shakily stood to his feet, body quivering. "The flight mode has been damaged."

"I don't keep you alive for excuses," he hissed out. "I want results."

"We suspect that Oliver Queen somehow damaged it before you deterred him," the scientist explained warily. "The wires were pulled out. But we have managed to get the armor working. It's operational, save for the flight mode."

Darhk nodded. "Then I want it- "

He was cut off by multiple explosions rocking the bunker.

Immediately looking at the camera feeds showing the outside world, he tensed - parts of the bunker were on fire, pelted with flaming and explosive arrows, rays of light bursting into existence.

The strategy was immediately apparent; they were being trapped in the bunker, no way out. Eventually, his men would have to leave, but when they did, they would be met with death.

They were being besieged by the League.

Darhk felt the foreign emotion of fear permeate his being, his very soul; his blood ran cold. Oliver had attained help. He was more resourceful than he had fathomed, than anything that he had anticipated.

Oliver was unleashing Ra's al Ghul's forces as his own. Did that mean Ra's al Ghul was near?

"Give me the armor!" he roared frantically, watching as bodies through the halls began to fall, the sounds of gunfire constant but always failing, followed by shrieks of defiance from his men as they fell, never to rise again, bodies skewered with arrows. "Do it now! Make sure the trap is ready!"

"It is, Master," his primary technician notified. "I am watching. When it's time, the trap will detonate. I have it all set up."

XxXxXxXxXxX

Laurel narrowed her eyes at the massive screen, trying to understand what she saw. "What are you doing?"

Felicity's fingers continued to fly over the keys faster than Laurel's eyes could process. "Trying to hack into the bunker's cameras. I'm hoping that the League damaged the shields they were using."

"Shields?"

"I don't have time to explain. How about later?"

"Beyond an academic interest, I don't really care," she admitted with a half-hearted shrug. "I just want to know if- "

"I'm in!"

Laurel leaned forward, watching images and code blur before her eyes as Felicity continued typing. "Can you do anything? Does Darhk have some sort of ultimate super-weapon set to go off?"

"Wouldn't surprise me," Felicity muttered with poisonous intensity, fingers somehow typing even faster, clicking against the keys with the force of gunfire. "Whoever did this system and network is good. Like, I would take a class from him good."

She raised a brow. "Is that envy I hear?"

"Grudging respect," Felicity corrected without heat, still not looking for her. "I can't really do anything. It's taking everything I can do to make sure I'm not detected. If I do anything, they'll know, and then they might unleash that ultimate weapon."

Laurel grew alarmed. "He does have an ultimate weapon set to go off?"

Felicity shook her head. "I don't know about an ultimate weapon, but from what I can tell, there's an explosion set to detonate."

"You can discern that just from- "

"Yes! At best, I can delay it for several seconds. Maybe a minute at most. Oliver went into the bunker, right?"

Laurel swallowed. "We heard it just as Nyssa did. He went inside with a dozen Shadows."

Felicity's face was grim when she turned to face her after typing away for several more moments. "There. I can't do anything else. Whoever did this is smart. If I tamper too much with it, it'll automatically explode. I've made it look like I'm tweaking it, as in fixing it, but that's it. It's going to go off no matter what I do. I've bought Oliver or whoever a few seconds, maybe a minute."

Laurel turned on her mic. "Nyssa, can you hear me?"

The familiar sound of arrows being fired met her ear for several moments. "Indeed. What have you discovered?"

Glancing at Felicity, Laurel closed her eyes. "There's an explosion rigged to blow in the bunker."

"Do you know the primary location?"

Felicity turned on her own mic, shaking her head. "I need more time to find out."

"Act swiftly."

Silence.

Laurel turned to Felicity. "You heard her."

Felicity smiled slightly as she continued her investigation; it was the first smile Laurel had seen from her in a long time. "I see why Oliver likes her."

"You noticed?"

"Even Roy noticed. It makes sense, though. She was there for him when we weren't."

"And she'll continue to be there," she finished softly.

Felicity glanced at her with worry. "If he survives this explosion."

"Oliver's a survivor," Laurel responded with what she hoped was conviction. "How big is the explosion? Have you figured out its location?"

Felicity bowed her head. "It's fighting me… It wouldn't surprise me if Darhk has the entire bunker rigged to blow. He'd totally do something like that."

Laurel's eyes widened with dread. "He would," she murmured, believing it. "But what about him? He's still in the bunker, isn't he?"

Perking up, Felicity immediately turned back to the computer, typing away, face twisting with anxiety. "Hold on. Let me see… There. No, the bunker's not set to blow. But- … What is that?"

A flickering image appeared on the screen.

"Can you make it clearer?" she asked, squinting to discern what was in the image. It was clearly a camera feed into a room. "I can't tell."

"Give me a second," Felicity murmured, fingers rapidly inputting commands that Laurel could never comprehend. "It should…"

The image cleared.

"There!" Felicity cried out, triumphant, but then her exuberance faded into horror.

Laurel wasn't much better; she stiffened, feeling nauseous at the macabre sight of the room provided by the camera feed. "Is that…?"

Felicity paled, swallowing thickly. "Yeah."

Raising a shaking hand to her mic, Laurel swallowed, too. "Nyssa, you're not going to believe this."

XxXxXxXxXxX

Oliver hated the familiar layout of the bunker, but he pressed on, drawn by the glow emanating from further ahead, stepping over the bodies of the many H.I.V.E. warriors he and the Shadows had killed. Quickly coming to a decision, following his instincts, he turned around.

"Which of you is faster?" Oliver asked the first two Shadows before him.

"I am."

"I am."

Oliver motioned to the shorter Shadow. "Go. Warn Nyssa; make sure she and the others are prepared. Don't be seen."

"As you wish, Al Sah-him." The shorter Shadow bowed to him before dashing away, gliding across the stone.

The taller Shadow hesitantly inquired, "Forgive me, Al Sah-him, but why would you choose Qalb? I am faster; my legs are longer."

"Because I have eyes," Oliver retorted, gesturing for the rest of the Shadows to follow him further into the bunker; the light was still visible, a beacon to his gaze. "I think you already know why I chose Qalb. Tell me what you suspect."

"Long legs would not help in this situation."

Oliver nodded. "Good. Long legs are only a problem here because I don't want anyone to be seen. Qalb is shorter and smaller; he is less likely to be seen. I need him to get to Nyssa. What's your name?"

"Hadim, Al Sah-him."

"Be prepared, Hadim." Oliver continued his stride as he spoke. "I think this is a trap up ahead."

"Then why approach it, Al Sah-him?"

"I'm curious. Darhk never expected the League, so he's unprepared. Whatever trap he prepared isn't enough for all of us."

"I understand."

"Good."

The light burned brighter as they approached what turned out to be a room, and there was a haze in the air. Oliver, along with the Shadows, slowly approached the entrance, the light illuminating the entire room, and Oliver inhaled sharply at the sight, breath sputtering, disbelief and fury spreading through him, and on instinct, he stepped inside - but he was the only one.

The Shadows remained outside the small room outside the doorway.

An old man was sprawled over a table, unconscious, spread-eagled, manacles holding him in place, arms hanging off the table, viciously bent in unnatural ways, bone bursting through wrinkled, ashen flesh. Oliver looked at the old man's face, and the horrifying realization was sudden and complete and devastating.

It was Slade - the eyepatch!

Oliver's breathing increased, seeing Slade's sunken features, which were colored gray like death and were heavily bruised and lacerated, blood trickling out of his mouth onto the floor, in rhythm with all of his other wounds that dripped in tandem; they streamed down his body, down his face like related rivers. Attached to his body were thin cables that led to various detonation devices against the walls.

Sweat had broken out on his forehead, and Oliver felt frozen for several moments until he swiftly acted, springing forward with frantic determination. He reached his unconscious friend in the blink of an eye, and he tried to pull the cables off of Slade, but they were impaled fully through Slade's body.

In response to his harsh probing, Slade stirred, and his one eye found Oliver's pair.

Horrified recognition stared back at him, reflected in his own; the surge of panic inside was real and almost debilitating.

"Stop!" his thought-to-be-dead friend cried out in a hoarse croak, voice old and nothing like the man he knew. "Don't! The charges will go off - they're watching! Go back! Run, kid!"

Oliver understood, eyes widening, voice a whisper of realization. "No."

"The stomach!" Slade yelled, his ravished body strenuously trying to move off the table; the blood poured out of his wounds faster, hitting the stone like pelting gunfire, and Oliver was helpless to do anything. "The idol's there! Run! Don't mourn me, kid! I finally did something right!"

Taking the briefest of moments to lock gazes with Slade, Oliver nodded before roaring to the Shadows, "Go!"

The Shadows barrelled back down the hall, fleeing like gazelles, all in perfect synchronization, and Oliver rushed after them, overtaking many.

The explosion was massive, blinding and deafening, flinging him and the Shadows forward in a concussive eruption. Ears ringing, Oliver slowly stood to his feet, looking back to see that the hallway and room in which Slade had been were decimated, nothing remaining except rubble and flames. Smoke was thick in the air, clouding the air, and the blazing fires prohibited any possibility of visual acuity.

He remained where he was for several moments, taking the time to mourn his friend, who had, despite it all, done something right; he had been a good man.

"Al Sah-him, what are your orders?" Hadim asked from behind him as the other Shadows achingly stood to their feet.

Oliver turned back to them. "We're going back out there. Our vision is compromised here, and we don't have anything to put out those flames; they're going to spread and burn down everything inside here. Darhk's an idiot."

"He is nothing when compared to the might of Ra's al Ghul," Hadim hissed out with great viciousness, and Oliver watched all the other Shadows nod in unison at Hadim's words.

"We're nothing when compared to those flames," he snapped, and he knew they respected him for it. "Get going. Qalb better have gotten to Nyssa. The explosion will send H.I.V.E.'s warriors out of the bunker. As they run into enemy fire, we'll approach from behind, proving no escape. We'll weed them out. We're going to pick them off. Let's go."

XxXxXxXxXxX

"Nyssa, we have found an intruder in our midst. He claims to be in search of you," one of the Shadows - Eazim - notified her, and when Nyssa glimpsed the intruder, she smiled.

"I knew you'd come," she remarked to her stoic nephew. "He is a welcome ally, Eazim. Al Sah-him approves."

Eazim nodded stiffly before exiting to join the other Shadows congregated off to the side, waiting for the H.I.V.E. agents to descend out of the bunker.

"I'm pleased to see you again," Nyssa said, observing her tense nephew, dressed in an armor that was unlike anything she had ever seen before. The bright flames from the blazing bunker illuminated her nephew in light, and he appeared to be uncomfortable, preferring to find solace in the darkness, but there would be no darkness in the areas surrounding the bunker.

One must venture into the forest to find darkness, but even then, moonlight would be there.

"I was curious," he replied. "Some of what you said made sense. I don't want these guys coming to Gotham."

Nyssa nodded kindly. "Whatever the reason, your help is appreciated. We must end H.I.V.E.'s domination now."

"This is him?" Mr. Diggle asked, coming towards them, staring at her nephew with intrigue. "You're Talia's son?"

Her nephew tensed at the reminder that he clearly wanted to forget, but he answered reasonably, "Apparently. You're Oliver Queen's bodyguard." At Mr. Diggle's surprised expression, her nephew continued, "I researched everything about Queen after my… aunt showed up. How he's kept his secret for so long I don't know. People normally aren't so stupid."

"People see what they want to see," Mr. Diggle answered, to her surprise. "They want to think that Oliver wasn't faced with unimaginable horrors and hardships while away; it's easier to think that he's still the same playboy."

Nyssa nodded in agreement. "Men and women draw their conclusions much quicker and resolutely based on their observations. If they observe a playboy, that is- "

"I know," her nephew interrupted, sounding annoyed. "But there are people who are willing to look deeper, who won't accept those façades."

Mr. Diggle's face twisted with sorrow. "It won't matter now. Oliver's not with us."

"We will guarantee his final affray with you is one of triumph," Nyssa assured. "We will end the threat in Starling- "

"I won't kill any of them," her nephew abruptly disclosed. "But I won't stop any of you from killing them. I'll do what I can to incapacitate them."

Nyssa frowned, displeased. "That is irrational."

"So be it," he retorted, a fire glowing in his eyes that were so like Talia's. "You and Queen may be fine with being murderers, but I'm not. I will never cross that line."

"You are at a disadvantage, Nephew," Nyssa said, speaking slowly, hoping to reach his reason; she knew he possessed it. "A killer will mentally descend into places you never will. That is a disadvantage, for you will fail to match them in ruthless intensity and malicious ingenuity. Unless you are a killer, you will fail in your endeavor to save your city. All the blood these killers you spare spill in their pursuit of wanton vices are due to your obstinance."

Her nephew glared at her. "I've done fine so far. I'll continue to do so. You're not changing my mind, Aunt. Stop trying; it's grating. I'm only here to make sure Gotham isn't targeted by H.I.V.E., not for you or the woman you claim is my mother."

Nyssa's eyes narrowed. "Talia is your mother- "

"She didn't raise me, and that's what matters," her nephew snapped, his calm briefly cracking.

"She wanted to," Nyssa swore. "She wanted nothing more."

"Nyssa's telling the truth," Thea said, approaching; Roy Harper followed her. "Sorry, but I couldn't help overhearing. Talia wanted to know you, Bruce."

Her nephew tensed at the knowledge they knew his name. "I'm not above blackmail, Thea Queen. Share my identity with the media, I'll share you and your brother's - as well as your whole team's."

"Don't worry," Felicity suddenly assured in her earpiece. "I'll make sure that doesn't happen."

"We're off to a glowing start in learning to trust each other," Roy Harper muttered.

"Look, we're all here for one purpose - to end H.I.V.E., right?" Mr. Diggle asked. "So, let's do it."

Nyssa nodded in agreement. "Correct. Whatever differences you have with us, Nephew, are insignificant next to the threat that H.I.V.E. represents."

Before her nephew could respond, a Shadow suddenly dashed toward her, and she turned with narrow eyes. "What is your name?"

"I am Qalb, Nyssa."

"What is your purpose?"

"Al Sah-him sent me. He orders you to be prepared for H.I.V.E.'s warriors to exit the bunker."

Nyssa nodded, waving him away. "We are. I have Shadows positioned at all ingresses. H.I.V.E.'s dominion ends this night. Leave us."

Qalb inclined his head before leaving to join the other Shadows.

"Al Sah-him?" her nephew asked.

"Oliver," she clarified.

Her nephew looked amused, but it was not a kind amusement. "A murderer joins a murdering organization. Sounds right."

"I really don't like you," Thea muttered, glaring at her nephew. "You're a- "

"Dick," Roy Harper finished, resolute.

"I can't wait until he meets Oliver," Laurel suddenly muttered into her earpiece.

Her nephew merely stared back at them; she felt a sense of pride towards him. "So be it."

Before anything else could be said, a massive explosion was heard, coming from inside the bunker, and Nyssa immediately cried out, "Prepare yourselves!"

In less than a minute, H.I.V.E. warriors began to flood out of the bunker with plumes of thick smoke, and Nyssa unleashed her volley of arrows.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Darhk felt the explosion rock the base, and from the flickering camera feed, the trap had failed to kill Oliver, and he felt no surprise. If Oliver had fallen for the trap, everything Vandal said about him would be proven false, and Darhk knew Vandal was no fool.

It was a gambit he wished had paid off, though.

While Vandal desired Oliver as part of his inner circle, to be his next protege, as Darhk suspected, Darhk felt no such yearning any longer. Hundreds and thousands of his men have been killed by Oliver, and his plans have been derailed for years because of his constant intervention.

Their war would end tonight.

"How much longer?" he demanded of the scientist.

The scientist finally pulled the last wire away. "It should be operational now, sir - except for the flight mode, of course."

Darhk lashed out and punched his armored fist through the scientist's chest, finding amusement at the stunned, expired face that stared back at him. Blood streamed down the armor, gleaming off the pristine metal, and he smiled, magic thrashing as he devoured the scientist's soul.

"It's very operational," he murmured, pulling the blood-slick fist out. "If Ra's al Ghul is near, he shall fall before my onslaught. Now I will geld you, old friend. How can you challenge me now, Oliver?"

With that, he journeyed out of the room into the fires that raged everywhere but wouldn't affect him, eager for more blood and death.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Oliver drove his sword through the chest of a H.I.V.E. warrior, quickly observing what could only be called a battlefield. Bodies, mostly H.I.V.E. warriors, laid everywhere, pelted with arrows, and smoke clouded the air from the blazing bunker, and the sound of gunfire filled the air, sounding like rhythmic thunder.

They were winning, but all of it proved moot if they didn't get Darhk, and the man was nowhere to be seen.

Searching the forest, Oliver found Nyssa and Thea behind a large tree, both one each side firing arrows; he reached them quickly, securing cover for himself to talk. "Have you seen Darhk?" he asked Nyssa over the sounds of battle. "Because this is pointless if he gets away. I promised your father I'd bring him Darhk's head."

Nyssa fired another arrow at an approaching H.I.V.E. warrior before facing him, eyes alert. "We still do not know of Darhk's magic- "

"The idol's in his stomach," he disclosed, memories of Slade's final moments flashing through his mind. "Slade told me."

Nyssa didn't look surprised. "Laurel notified me of his survival. Felicity discovered him through a camera."

Thea gasped. "He's still alive?"

"Not anymore," he intoned hallowly, trying not to remember the old man that had been his friend. "When I went into the bunker, I found him, but he was rigged to blow. I couldn't do anything to save him. It was a trap that nearly succeeded. Slade told me that Darhk's idol is somehow in his stomach before the explosion."

"Oh," Thea whispered, somehow heard over the sounds of battle.

Oliver nodded and looked at her, noting her saddened face. "It's not your fault," he said softly. "Slade told me not to mourn him because he finally did something right. He was at peace with it. He saved your life willingly. And he saved mine. If not for him, I may have walked into that trap."

Thea's eyes watered slightly. "He was a good man," she said fiercely. "I see that now. I see what you meant, Ollie."

"He was a good man," he echoed.

Nyssa stared at him with sympathy. "I offer you my condolences. I know how it feels to lose someone you consider a sibling to Darhk."

Oliver nodded, awareness prickling at him; they didn't have much time. "Did your nephew come?"

"He did," Nyssa confirmed, and she pointed past him, and he followed her gaze. "He refuses to kill, but he is able."

"He's a dick," Thea muttered, but he ignored her, watching Talia's son - Bruce - throw projectiles at various H.I.V.E. warriors - making sure they were non-fatal, he noted - and engaging several in hand-to-hand.

As if sensing the eyes on him, Bruce quickly ended his bout and ran towards them behind the safety of the large tree, looking at Oliver with something akin to hostility.

"Queen."

Thea rolled her eyes. "Here we go."

"I don't have time for your disapproval," Oliver snapped. "I need to find Darhk and end this. You can try to lecture me after."

Bruce's eyes now stared at him with less hostility, but then they widened slightly. "Is that him?"

Oliver whirled around, staring past the tree, and there, on top of the blazing bunker stood Darhk in Ray Palmer's super-suit, the glow of the moon highlighting him in a silver hue.

"Shit," Thea cursed.

Somehow, Darhk seemed to recognize him in the League armor and from the distance, glaring down at him through the chaos surrounding the area.

Immediately unleashing arrows at the super-suit, watching as they harmlessly pinged off, Oliver felt the possibility of victory diminish. How was he going to defeat Darhk in that armor? Not to mention the magic?

"You're still wanted alive, Oliver!" Darhk roared from the top of the bunker. "Vandal wants you, and while I don't agree, I will bring you to him!"

In response, Oliver stepped forward for a better vantage, raising his voice, the feeling of having his true voice spurring him on. "I will bring your head to Ra's al Ghul!" he roared back, his words filling the air, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw the many Shadows press harder, their unified intensity acting as a catalyst for a vicious frenzy. "Our war ends now!"

"You are to survive, but you're the only one!" Darhk shouted and raised his armored hands.

Immediately, all of the Shadows froze, incapable of fighting.

Oliver's eyes widened in dread, watching as the few remaining H.I.V.E. warriors began to cut down the frozen Shadows, all of his allies. Upon viewing Thea and Nyssa's frozen near him, struggling forms, something inside him snapped.

Violent hatred seethed inside him, but before he could try to attack Darhk - how, he still didn't know - Nyssa's voice reached him. "The power source in the hip! Felicity asserts it is a structural weak point!"

Immediately, Oliver fired two arrows, back-to-back, aiming for each hip, hoping that Felicity was right, and that Darhk hadn't found that flaw in the super-suit.

The arrows connected, one shattering, and the other sinking into the armor, and to his amazement, Darhk suddenly collapsed, vanishing from view. The grip on all of his allies disappeared, and the fighting began anew, sparking violently, the Shadows fighting more fiercely.

"What happened?" Nyssa demanded, overcoming her shock.

"Did you kill him?" Thea asked, breathless.

"I destroyed the suit's power source," he replied, looking for a sign of Darhk. "He's still alive, I know it. I have to get up there and finish it."

Bruce nodded towards him. "Good luck," he said before entering the fray once again.

Nyssa touched his arm. "Do you wish me to accompany you?"

Oliver shook his head, finally looking at her. "You'd be used against me, and I can't have that. I can't have you dying, either. It's something I have to do myself."

"What will- " she cut herself off, her eyes widening, and Oliver looked back to the top of the blazing bunker, watching Darhk appear once more, but there was something different. He was staggering in the super-suit, getting smaller as he tried to disappear, and Oliver understood.

"What's going on?" Thea asked. "Did you wound him?"

"He can't use his magic against me," he breathed out, adrenaline filling him. He was finally at an advantage! "That suit weighs a lot. Probably around a thousand pounds. Without the power source, he's feeling all of that weight. He's using his magic to strengthen his body to carry the suit, to be in it, but that's what his focus is on; he doesn't want to be crushed by the weight, which only gets heavier as time passes. He's focusing his magic inward; he won't be focusing it outward against me."

Nyssa's hand squeezed his arm. "Go. We will finish this, and you will finish Darhk."

Oliver stared down at her for several moments, memorizing her beautiful face. "Thank you for everything."

Her eyes sparked with fire. "Do not tell me that. You will survive. Do you forget your destiny so quickly?"

"It's your destiny, too," he reminded softly before looking at Thea. "Make sure you keep each other alive."

Before either could respond, Oliver dashed towards the bunker, prepared for the raging fires.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Diggle fired his gun at the H.I.V.E. agent, still trying to forget the terrifying feeling of having no control over his body; it was the second time it had happened to him, and he prayed it would be the final time.

Next to him, Roy fired arrows, using a tree for cover from the fusillades of bullets. "I'm glad we got this back-up!" he shouted over the roar of the gunfire. "We'd be fucked without it!"

He nodded in agreement, and with a controlled burst, ducking to the shrubbery, fired again, and felt triumph when the agent fell, body not moving. Standing back to his feet, he replied, "I know. There shouldn't be too many left. I think we're- "

Erupting pain interrupted him, and Diggle stumbled back, instinctively trying to minimize the target, one hand flying to his shoulder where he had been shot, and the other aiming the pistol at the agent he thought he had killed.

"John!" Felicity screamed into the comms.

He fired again, and this time he saw the bullet go between the agent's eyes.

"Dig!" Roy rushed out, coming towards him. "You good?"

"I've been shot," he bit out, gripping the wound with bruising force. "What do you think?"

"Are you alright?" Laurel asked, frantic.

Roy pulled him back behind the trees for cover, face worried. "How bad?"

Diggle shook his head. "I'll live, but I can't use this arm even with adrenaline; he got me in the shoulder." Trying to move his shoulder, he found he couldn't raise it past forty-five degrees. "Shit. I can't even move it up. It tore my rotator cuff. I'll need surgery."

"Good," Felicity breathed out. "I mean, not that your rotator cuff is torn. I meant that it's good that you're not going to die."

"I understood what you meant, Felicity."

"Shit," Roy cursed, peeking around the trees. Diggle could hear the sounds of arrows flying, and gunfire being returned. "Actually, never mind. There's a few dozen of those H.I.V.E. guys left. I think these Shadows can handle them. I saw a huge group break off to go into the bunker, probably to kill all the scientists and Doctors and anyone who's hiding. It says a lot, doesn't it? They'd rather die by the fire than the Shadows."

"Where's Thea?" he asked, trying to ignore the pain burning through his shoulder. "What about Nyssa? Her nephew?"

"That dick? I don't know, and I don't care. Thea's with Nyssa."

"Oliver?"

"Probably where Darhk's at, knowing him."

"I hope he kills him," Felicity muttered with surprising viciousness.

Diggle groaned, and gripped Roy's shoulder, pulling himself to his feet. "I hope so. I'm sick of these guys. I miss the days of The Count."

Roy snorted. "I miss the days of Oliver trying to teach me to control the Mirakuru. That tells you how much I hate these guys."

"It does," he agreed. "Let's go find Nyssa and Thea. And let's avoid getting shot. I'd still like to be able to hug Lyla and hold Sara."

XxXxXxXxXxX

The roof of the bunker had been abandoned, no sign of Darhk, but Oliver had seen the small crater on the other side of the bunker; Darhk had jumped off the roof and run off into the forest.

Oliver followed the foot tracks made by the super-suit, feeling the light of the moon on his back, providing illumination in the dead of night. He couldn't let Darhk get away! Racing through the forest, weaving and passing through trees and thick foliage, the ferocity burned through his mind. He would avenge Slade, Talia, and even Palmer! He would make sure Darhk wouldn't kill anyone else! More people he cared for!

Energy and adrenaline flowed through his body, and he ran as he hadn't run in a long time; he dodged trees and leaped over the underbrush with an agility that Darhk would never possess, especially in Palmer's armor. Oliver was back on the Island, the familiar terrain strengthening him.

He was the Island! He was Purgatory! And he would unleash it on Darhk!

Oliver knew how forests worked, and all forests were jungles, and the Island was one big jungle, and the jungle was his friend, his ally. He had survived in the Island's jungle, learned to thrive without thought, only following his instincts. He could anticipate the curvatures, the sudden pits, and abrupt ravines.

The foot tracks were getting sloppier, closer together, and Oliver was gaining and gaining and gaining! Darhk was close! Satisfaction welled inside him, elation mingling - it would be over soon! Slade and Talia would be avenged!

Suddenly, the foot tracks vanished, and Oliver came to a halt, staring around the forest, prepared; he glanced down at the last set of foot tracks, narrowing his eyes. The foot tracks were more pronounced, as if more force had been applied when they were made.

The realization was sudden.

Darhk had jumped.

Looking up the tree near him, he focused his vision, wishing the moonlight would pierce through the branches and thick foliage, but he couldn't see the form of Darhk hidden in the tree.

Instincts suddenly screamed at him, and Oliver whirled around, seeing the light of the moon glimmer against metal, bouncing off in the dead of night, illuminating his adversary in an unholy hue yards away.

Ray Palmer's super-suit was very impressive up close when someone was in it.

"Arrows are useless," Darhk said, eyes crackling with frigid flames. "Things have changed. Seven years, Oliver, seven obstructive years. Your obstructions end here. Now I will have won our little war."

Darhk raised his armored arms, a crackling sound filling the air, and Oliver immediately dove to the side, barely avoiding the energy blasts that exploded towards him, creating small craters in the earth. He rolled again, jumping to his feet, but Darhk was gone.

The crackling sound echoed again from behind him, and Oliver lunged to his right, leaves colliding with his face, but then he was back on his feet. Sounds echoed from behind him - the sounds of metal and pounding feet, the snapping and crushing of twigs and leaves. Oliver swiftly whipped around to face Darhk.

An armored fist was surging towards his face!

XxXxXxXxXxX

Nyssa fired another arrow into the last H.I.V.E. warrior she could see, killing him; she turned to Thea. "Are you wounded?"

"No, I'm fine," Thea retorted, shaking her arms. "I'm starting to crash, though. The high of adrenaline's wearing off."

Before she could respond, her nephew approached, and Nyssa raised inquisitive brows at him. "Have you been enlightened, Nephew?"

Her nephew narrowed his eyes. "Ask yourself that question. It's wrong to kill."

"I pray your infantile beliefs and assumptions fade in time," Nyssa said, realizing that her nephew's mind would not change. "However, I respect your commitment to them. I appreciate your help. I believe your involvement saved lives."

"I've learned that I still have some headway to make," her nephew admitted begrudgingly. "The - what do you call them? - Shadows are the best fighters I've ever seen. A lot better than me for now."

"If you ventured with us to Nanda Parbat, you could- "

"No."

Thea grinned. "Don't bother, Nyssa. I recognize that look in his eyes; it's the same as Ollie's when he's made up his mind about something. He'll never join the League."

Nyssa felt a smile form on her lips at the affronted expression on her nephew's face at being observed to be similar to Oliver.

"We need something to stop this bleeding," Roy Harper suddenly cut in, parting through a clearing in the trees. Next to him, Mr. Diggle trudged towards them, one hand gripping his shoulder. "Dig's been shot."

"We heard," Thea notified, rushing to Mr. Diggle's side. "You said it's not bad, but were you lying?"

"It's not life-threatening," Mr. Diggle clarified, wincing when she slowly peeled his hand away to look at the wound. "It's a good thing we're wrapping this up because I wouldn't be much use if we had to keep fighting. We have anything to help with this blood?"

Nyssa watched her nephew silently walk over to Mr. Diggle, pulling rags from his utility belt. "These should do the trick," he offered quietly. "You'll want that looked at when this is over."

"Thanks," Mr. Diggle groaned out, pressing the rags to his bloody shoulder. "Lyla can probably get me someone by the morning. I may need surgery, but I don't know yet."

Roy Harper looked at her nephew, begrudgingly saying, "Maybe you're not that much of a dick."

Her nephew's lips twitched. "Maybe you'll see the light in not killing."

"I don't like killing," Roy Harper confessed, "but if it means that I stay alive, I'll do it."

Her nephew said nothing.

Roy Harper suddenly looked at her. "Speaking of surviving, where's Oliver? He's with Darhk, isn't he?"

Nyssa nodded. "They are in the bunker, I believe. Felicity?"

"I don't know. The fires have melted the cameras, and Darhk's network is really complex. I would need weeks or months to go through it."

"Then Oliver must be in the bunker," she concluded. "It is where he ventured."

Mr. Diggle peered at her. "You're not worried about him?"

"His destiny is to survive," she assured, confident. "He will vanquish Darhk. He is victorious in all things."

Roy Harper glanced at Thea. "Why aren't you that confident about me?"

Thea rolled her eyes, smacking Roy Harper's arm, but Nyssa did not understand. Before she could ask, her nephew snorted. "Now I'm really not surprised. Makes sense."

Nyssa frowned. "Elaborate."

Her nephew stared at her. "You and Queen, you're lovers, right?"

She blinked, feeling startled, and she felt her heart rate increase, but she was saved from answering when Thea cut in, "Maybe we should help Ollie. Darhk still has that super-suit. We still have time before the fire burns everything, right? We need to help him."

Nyssa quickly nodded, thankful. "Yes. We will help him vanquish Darhk."

"You'll be alright out here, Dig?" Roy Harper asked Mr. Diggle.

"I'll be good."

Roy Harper turned towards her, a stoicism overtaking his face. "Let's go."

XxXxXxXxXxX

Darhk's reviling eyes burned as Oliver generated enough force to propel himself back to narrowly avoid the armored fist. He slammed back into the trunk of the tree, and had just enough awareness to then immediately spring to the side, avoiding another of Darhk's swinging, armored fists.

The massive trunk of the tree exploded into deadly shards, toppling backwards, leaves on the ground erupting in a tidal wave outward.

Oliver put more space between himself and Darhk, pulling out his sword. Darhk was right - arrows were useless.

Darhk's furious face shone with sweat beneath the mask of Palmer's super-suit. "You've ruined everything for the last time, Oliver. Not even Vandal will be upset when I kill you."

"This is how it was always going to end," he acknowledged. "I was never going to join you or Vandal."

"Your voice is different. I had wondered if your whisper was an act, but now I know that it wasn't. You've felt the effects of the Lazarus Pit."

"You'll never feel them again."

"Your misdirected passion is such a waste," Darhk derided, face twisting. "You would have made a most excellent ally. It was clever to force my magic inward instead of outward. But it doesn't matter; this suit proves my supremacy still. I could kill your right now with my energy blasts, but I choose not to. I'm saving your life, Oliver - which makes it mine. I'm supreme."

"You're only Vandal's lackey," Oliver corrected, still having no idea who Vandal was, but he knew enough. "He's above you, and what about Ra's al Ghul? You've been unable to hurt him for centuries, only hiding like a coward, but he's hurt you. How are you supreme?"

Darhk's eyes finally burst with the fury that had always been concealed by glaciers. "When I stand over you, about to end your life, you will understand."

"What are you waiting for?" he goaded, preparing himself. "Your warriors? They're all dead - or about to be. It's you and me."

"Seven years our war has raged," Darhk hissed out, repositioning himself, taking a heavy step closer. "It ends under this moon. Ending your life will be a fond memory. You are a true warrior, and a warrior's end requires a worthy foe. I more than suffice. So, how do you wish to die, Oliver? In combat, or on your knees? Choose."

Oliver raised his sword, resolute. "When I kill you, I won't ever look back on it," he swore honestly. "You're nothing to me."

Darhk's eyes gleamed, a delighted snarl gracing his malignant face. "You are nothing but a fool!"

Lunging towards him, Darhk's outstretched fists were his primary concern. Oliver jumped to the side, and with one hand, gripped the shoulder of the super-suit, swinging himself forward. With full, driving force, he swung the sword at the helmet with ferocity, but it clanged off, sparks erupting into the night, clashing with the illumination of the moonlight.

Oliver avoided more of Darhk's attacks, having the advantage of speed, but he was still wary for bursts of Darhk's speed.

Lashing out with the blade again, it struck Darhk's fist, and Oliver strained; it was like fighting Slade when he had the Mirakuru.

The thought of Slade provoked his rage, and with a roar, he spun to the side, sword slicing up and up, but it clanged off the mask again.

Darhk laughed. "It's futile, Oliver. I'm supreme."

Oliver grit his teeth, propelling himself around Darhk's swinging fists; he was behind him, and he struck the helmet again and again, but nothing worked. With a snarl, he harshly gripped the armored shoulders, feeling the sleek metal, and tried to whip Darhk back, off-balance; he dug his heels into the earth, and crashed his knee into the back of the armor, hoping to put Darhk on the ground on his stomach, but it wasn't to be.

A brief groan escaped him as pain blossomed in his knee, even with the League armor, and he was too slow to avoid the swinging arm that connected to the side of his head like thunder, sending him back into the hard earth.

Trying to fill his lungs with air, Oliver was unprepared for the hard stomp on his chest from Darhk's armored foot.

He gasped in pain, and knew that only the League armor had stopped his chest from being crushed; he glared up at Darhk, who loomed over him, eyes afire with intense glee. "You are valiant and very good. I share the same awe that my old friend and great associate certainly do - one so young who can battle near-immortals."

"Get out of that armor and don't use magic," he hissed out in dare with a provoking grunt, straining against the armored foot on his chest, bones in his arm quivering from the sheer force of trying to lift the armored foot off of him. "You'll see how good I really am."

"I don't think I will," Darhk purred, delighted. "I know how good you are; you are strong. My advantage is knowing more dirty tricks than you. I've had centuries to amass that knowledge."

Oliver swung his sword awkwardly at the armored legs, but it clanged off. He didn't want to die! Not again! He needed to survive! Ra's al Ghul had promised that death was beholden to him!

"You want a fond memory?" he snapped. "Beat me like a real man. This is a cheap victory. A tainted one!"

Darhk laughed. "A fatuous attempt, Oliver. One that I'm sure would work against many men, but not me. Victory is victory."

Pushing up on the armored foot as much as he could, feeling his bones and tendons protest the force even more, Oliver's voice shook with concentration and effort. "I've still won. H.I.V.E.'s done. If you kill me, you won't get far. The League and Ra's al Ghul will finish you off like the dog you are."

"Unlikely," Darhk hissed out, the fury returning in his eyes; his foot pressed down with more force, and Oliver gasped at the pressure. "I told you that I saw futures in you, and Vandal has claimed the same, but we were wrong; they don't even pose a threat anymore. I won't allow them. You have no future, for it ends here. I win."

Out of the corner of his blurry eye, Oliver saw a flash of movement.

"No," a familiar voice decreed. "Release him, Damien."

Suddenly, the armored foot vanished from his chest, and Oliver filled his lungs with air, coughing strenuously as he rolled to his feet, vision blurry, but he saw clearly enough.

Ra's al Ghul stood in League armor like Oliver's own between two trees, hands clasped behind his back, staring at Darhk with those ancient eyes; they were filled with pleasure, triumph, validation, and a ferocious glee.

"Ra's," Darhk choked out, sounding terrified, and Oliver realized that Dahrk couldn't move. Ra's al Ghul was controlling him as he could control all Shadows, and Darhk was still a Shadow, having never been formally released from the League.

"Master," Oliver greeted hoarsely, actually feeling grateful to the man who had killed him, for he had been saved from death a second time.

Ra's al Ghul's gaze swept over him, a warmth therein; it sickened him. "Well done, Al Sah-him. You have secured H.I.V.E.'s dissolution and ensured Damien's death."

Darhk's face shook. "Please. You don't need to do this- "

"Your future ends here, Damien." Ra's al Ghul seemed to stand taller, walking further into the clearing, gliding across the ground like a specter of ancient, supreme power, darkness sweeping behind him. "Al Sah-him's destiny is just beginning; he is my heir."

"Him?" Darhk echoed in realization. "I was blind."

"You always were."

"I saw his futures but failed to see the grandest of them all."

"You always fail, Damien, and you will die with your failure," Ra's al Ghul ordained before turning to him. "Bring me his head, Al Sah-him."

Chest still heaving from his ordeal, Oliver grabbed his sword. "I can't with his helmet- "

"Remove your helmet, Damien," Ra's al Ghul ordered harshly, voice grating, but Oliver watched in amazement, as if of their own accord, Darhk's hands reached up to disconnect the helmet, showing his terrified features. "Do what must be done, Al Sah-him. Unman him in death."

Approaching Darhk's frozen, armored body, Oliver stared into those fearful orbs, the same orbs that still managed to revile him. "Victory is victory, right?" he recalled, the faces of Slade and Talia floating in his mind.

In one smooth, lasting movement, he swung his sword through yielding flesh and bone; he heard the stutter of breath pass through Darhk's lips, and then nothing more. Darhk's armored body stiffly toppled back, the decapitated head sliding away with uneven rhythm.

Oliver stared down at Darhk's corpse, absorbing the moment before he reached down to pick up the head. Walking to Ra's al Ghul, he presented it to him, kneeling.

"You impress me, Al Sah-him," Ra's al Ghul praised warmly. "You truly are Warith al Ghul."

"Yes, Ra's." Oliver felt Darhk's head slip from his fingers and looked up, seeing Darhk's head in Ra's al Ghul's grip. "I didn't know you traveled with us from Nanda Parbat."

"I have witnessed emperors rise to grandeur and fall to torpor. I have subdued my enemies through the millions. I have received treasures and gifts beyond your capacity to imagine. I ascended to the mantle of The Demon's Head, and I will see my prosperity extend to you. There is nothing remaining to desire, but my sole concern since securing you as my rightful heir has been that I have not yet witnessed the severing of Damien's head. Now, my longest yearning is fulfilled due to your fortitude. You have done me a great service, the greatest for which I could desire. Furthermore, I wished to observe you with my own eyes instead of through the eyes of my Shadows or your own. You have eclipsed all of my expectations, my son. You are mighty and grand, the true heir to my throne."

Oliver slowly rose to his feet at Ra's al Ghul's motion to do so; he couldn't help the confusion he felt. "Darhk would have killed me if not for you. I failed."

Ra's al Ghul's ancient eyes gleamed under the moonlight. "Damien was weak, relying on technology and magic to defeat you. He rightly observed that you were a true warrior, but he failed to observe that he was not. He resorted to trickery and fraud, for he was not a true man nor warrior; he was a coward. I interfered to right my wrong from centuries ago. Death is beholden to me, and I will teach you how to do the same as I. Yet, you did what I could not, Al Sah-him, tracking down Damien, trapping him, and then killing him. You have done me a great service, my son. My gift to you will be just as great."

He wondered what a gift from Ra's al Ghul would look like.

"Thank you, Ra's," he intoned.

"I have watched you more than you know, Al Sah-him. Through the eyes of Ta-er al-Asfar, Sarab, and my daughter, I have judged your worth. Now, with my own eyes, I see you are the man whom Fate has rightly designated to succeed me as The Demon's Head."

The realization was blinding, and Oliver almost staggered. "You've been watching me this whole time? You knew since the beginning that I was alive?"

Ra's al Ghul stared at him. "I observed everything through Ta-er al-Asfar, Sarab, and my daughter's eyes. Everything they saw, I saw. Everything they heard, I heard. They saw and heard your worth, and I did, as well. Everything you have done has been a test designed by Fate, and I did not interfere, for I wished to see what my daughter saw upon your return to this realm. I wished to observe you in your natural manners and skills; it behooved us both for you not to know of my attention through my daughter's eyes as you recovered."

Blown away, Oliver finally understood the power of Ra's al Ghul – able to listen to conversations from across the world and look through his Shadows' eyes whenever he wanted to.

"Come, Al Sah-him" Ra's al Ghul said, motioning for him to follow with noble poise. "Let us share the joyous news of Damien's slaughter."

XxXxXxXxXxX

Nyssa realized that Oliver was not in the bunker within minutes of entering; it was too quiet, no sound of fighting echoing through the many tunnels, and with the fires spreading with potency, they had to quickly exit, lest they be consumed by the flames and smoke.

They had no idea where he or Darhk were.

"You think Ollie's okay?" Thea asked quietly.

Observing the remaining Shadows, many of whom were unharmed, Nyssa spoke just as quietly. "I believe so. He will vanquish Darhk."

"Are you supposed to talk to them or something?" Roy Harper gestured to the congregated Shadows. "This is awkward. I can't even see their eyes, but I know they're watching us."

Nyssa gripped her sword's pommel. "It is no longer my place. The battle has reached its end, and Al Sah-Him is our commander. He placed me in charge during the battle, but now it is over. I hold no sway with them."

"Did you ever?" Thea asked seriously but softly. "I know you were- "

"Their loyalty to me was never absolute," she confessed in answer. "It never will be. They are absolutely loyal to Ra's al Ghul, not his daughter."

Thea's eyes shone with understanding. "And Oliver will be Ra's al Ghul. He'll have their absolute loyalty."

"If he doesn't already," Roy Harper added. "I mean, by the time he's done, he'll have destroyed H.I.V.E. and Darhk, who's Ra's mortal enemy. That's gotta get him some goodwill."

"The wrong kind," her nephew muttered.

Nyssa nodded in agreement with Roy Harper, eyes observing the stoic Shadows surrounding the blazing bunker. "More than you know. Already, they look to him in ways they never did me. I know. I see."

"What are you going to do?" Thea questioned. "I mean, you're leaving to go back to the League. What will you do there?"

That was something she had been refusing to ponder since Oliver had shared his terms with Ra's al Ghul. While the thought of him demanding her life in return for pledging himself inspired deep emotions inside her, it brought the facts of the unknown to the forefront of her consciousness.

For the first time in her memory, she did not know her path, nor what she would do. She knew she would live, that she would return to Nanda Parbat, but what would her role be?

Her father's words after she betrayed him by illegally releasing Sara from the League returned to her mind with astonishing accuracy, and she wondered if that would be her fate. Would she be married to someone of the League, a faceless Shadow she did not know to punish her while still keeping his promise to Oliver in not killing her.

Nyssa prepared herself for that fate, for she knew that Oliver would still do his best to instill himself in her life in Nanda Parbat. Knowing what a wordsmith Ra's al Ghul is, she discerned that her survival was not all that it seemed. While she would survive, what feeble existence would he force upon her in punishment?

Perhaps she would be demeaned to the position of servant. It was a horrifying notion, but she realized quickly that it was very possible.

She had resurrected Oliver and betrayed Ra's al Ghul, and she knew that there would always be a time to answer for her crimes against The Demon's Head; it was always inevitable.

The time would soon arrive.

However, Oliver was Ra's al Ghul's longed-for heir, and she knew Oliver valued her exceedingly highly according to his multiple admissions, how he valued her more than anyone; he cared for her as much as she cared for him. While degraded to a position of servant, as seemed most likely, perhaps she would not be as lonely since she felt confident that Oliver, as The Demon Head's heir, would demand her as a permanent presence in his life.

She hoped for it.

"I am unsure," Nyssa lied quietly in answer to Thea's question, and she pulled out the earpiece in her ear. "Here. I no longer require it."

Thea accepted the earpiece with sad eyes. "But what will you do?"

"I follow the will of Ra's al Ghul; there is no escaping it."

Her nephew's eyes narrowed. "Does he know about me?"

Roy Harper snorted. "If your mom was able to keep tabs on you without you knowing for years, Ra's could do the same. I'm sure he has."

Nyssa stared at her nephew. "I cannot answer for Ra's al Ghul, but I am certain he knows of your exploits, Nephew."

Mr. Diggle spoke, from where he leaned against the tree, still holding the rags to his wounded shoulder. "Hope for the best and prepare for the worst. Act like he does monitor you; it'll make things easier."

Her nephew nodded. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Good," Nyssa praised. "You must- " she cut herself off when she saw movement in the forest, illuminated by the fire. Within the blink of an eye, she could breathe easier, seeing him.

Oliver.

She felt a weight release in her chest, but then she saw her father next to him, dressed in League armor; she paled before remembering that Oliver had ensured her survival. But when she glanced at her nephew, she realized that his life could potentially be at stake.

She did not know her father's state of mind.

"You must leave," Nyssa hissed out urgently. "Try not to be seen. Go, Nephew."

He looked at her, seeming to understand the severity of the situation before he dashed away, vanishing into the night.

Nyssa looked back to her father, and in his arms, she saw the head of Damien Darhk. Even though Oliver had ensured her life, would her head reside there, as well? And what would be her chosen fate? Was it what she suspected?

XxXxXxXxXxX

Oliver could admit that he did find it somewhat amusing that Ra's al Ghul proudly carried around Darhk's decapitated head like a trophy, proclaiming his death to all who would listen. But that wasn't what he paid attention to; he focused on his friends, who were gathered before him, eyes sad and understanding that it was the end of an era. Nyssa stood away several feet behind him, giving him privacy, but silently announcing that she was firmly allied with him.

"This is it," John murmured, holding his hand to a wound on his shoulder. "We did it."

Oliver nodded. "We did. You take care of Lyla and Sara, John. They'll need you."

"Always."

"There's a lot I want to say."

John nodded in understanding. "I know, man, I know. You don't have to say anything." Before Oliver could respond, John reached up and pulled out the earpiece to the comms with a wince. "Here's Felicity and Laurel."

With a deep breath, Oliver accepted the offered comms. "I know we've had problems, but that's never meant I didn't value you. I hope you know that."

"We do, Ollie," Laurel replied, sounding like she was holding back tears. "We have had differences… but thank you for everything."

"I'm sorry about Sara," he responded softly, memories of her flooding his mind. How he wished he could change the past, but he would never be able to. "For taking her from you the first time, and for failing to save her from Malcolm."

"It's his fault, not yours."

Oliver didn't answer for several seconds. "Maybe one day I'll believe that. Felicity, are you there?"

It was silent for several moments, before he received confirmation. "Hi, Oliver."

"Thank you for your help. Without the structural weak point of the super-suit, there would have been no way to stop him- " Oliver abruptly cut himself off, realizing that Ra's al Ghul was always there. Would Ra's al Ghul have interfered? He shook himself out of his thoughts. "Because of you, we made it out alive. Thank you."

"Thank you for killing Darhk," Felicity said, voice shaking. "Ray's been avenged."

Oliver paused, inhaling slowly. "I'm sorry for pulling you into this world."

"I'm not sorry for knowing you, Oliver… I hope you find peace with Nyssa in the League."

Unsure how to react, but feeling Nyssa's gaze on his back, Oliver nodded. "You, too. Good luck, Felicity. And Laurel, tell your father that… tell him I'm sorry."

"I will," Laurel responded, voice quivering with emotion. "Goodbye, Oliver."

"Goodbye, Laurel." Oliver inhaled deeply and handed the earpiece back to John. "You make sure they're okay. I… I've made a lot of mistakes, and they… they were on the receiving end of a lot of them. I don't want them to be haunted by my mistakes. Can you…?"

John stuck back in the earpiece, eyes misty with tears, but he held out his hand. "I will. It's been an honor, Oliver."

Shaking John's hand, Oliver nodded. "It's been mine. You made me better, John. You held me accountable when I needed it. Thank you."

John's eyes drifted past him for a moment. "There's now someone else who can do that better than I ever could. You should listen to her. You made sure Ra's wouldn't kill her for a reason. Listen to yourself. Listen to what you want."

Oliver offered a small smile. "We'll see."

John placed his hand back to his wounded shoulder, eyes steady. "Keep an open mind. That's all I ask."

Turning to Roy, Oliver held out his hand, which was gripped in a firm handshake. "You can be the hero I never could, Roy," he said honestly. "You'll be a better The Arrow than me."

Roy swallowed, and his eyes were misty with gratefulness. "I know it's corny, but you've been a hero to me. I'd be nothing without you and your guidance and your training. You made me a man. You showed me what I can do, who I can be. Thank you."

"You were always going to get there."

"Not without you," Roy said adamantly, holding his gaze with conviction. "You saved me from the streets."

Oliver glanced at Thea, who was looking at the ground, hands wrapped around her armored stomach. "You keep her safe. I'm trusting you with her life. Be better than me, please. I wasn't always there for her. I need you to do what I couldn't."

Roy's hand squeezed his one last time before ending their handshake, a confident honesty in his eyes. "Like Dig said - always."

Nodding at Roy, he finally turned to Thea, aware of the many pairs of eyes observing him, including Ra's al Ghul. "There's so much I want to say."

Thea sniffed, finally lifting her gaze, the tears in her eyes weakening his resolve, but he knew Ra's al Ghul's wrath would descend on them if he wavered. "Me too," she whispered shakily. "Ollie, I'm sorry. For everything. It's all my fault."

Oliver shook his head. "No. Your fault was only being young. It's a fault everyone has, and one that they need to outgrow. You've outgrown it now. I've forgiven you."

"I can't forgive myself."

"That's the hardest part," he admitted softly, holding her tear-stricken gaze. "It takes a long time, but you learn to live with it. It's all you can do. You can never go back to what once was. You have to accept it, and make sure it never happens again. It's taken me a long time, but I've realized you can't change the past; you can't outrun it, either. You can only accept it and live to make the future what you want it to be. You can choose, Thea. It's up to you."

"Can I… hug you?" Thea asked desperately, almost hysterically.

Oliver closed his eyes at her blatant pain before he stepped forward and enveloped her in a brief hug, but despite its hastiness, the intensity behind their emotions wasn't at all lessened. They were heightened, and Oliver squeezed her tightly, uncaring if Ra's al Ghul disapproved.

"You're going to be okay," he whispered, finding emotions welling inside him; it was a lot harder to say goodbye than he had previously thought. "You're stronger than I ever was."

Thea laughed into his chest, a muffled croak. "Nice try. When I survive on an island for years when people are trying to kill me, I'll let you know. That's not even counting your whole resurrection thing."

Oliver savored the feeling of her arms around him before ending the hug; he briefly wondered if Ra's al Ghul was looking through his eyes. Was that something he would be aware of if it was happening?

"But you will be okay," he assured. "You're strong. I've seen it."

A watery smile graced his sister's face. "I know. It's because of you."

"I only brought what was already there to the surface. You've always been strong."

"I'm a lot more like Mom than I want to admit."

"What are you going to do now?" Oliver asked gently, staring at her; he knew he only had moments left, but he was determined to make it last. "This is your city, too."

"I want to do what you did," she confessed, "but I'm not like you. I can't ever be you. You're so much better than me."

Oliver placed a hand on her shoulder. "You don't have to be me. If you try, you'll fail. But you don't have to do it alone. I could have done it alone, but it's easier and better to have help, to have people you trust. You'll have Roy and John with you. And you can bring on more people; it's up to you. This is your city now. It's your crusade if you want it."

"I think I want it."

Sensing that the time was near, Oliver exhaled roughly. "Talk to Roy and John. Deal with the fallout of all this. But whatever you decide, I know you'll make the right decision. And if you ever need me, I'll find a way to be there for you. Okay?"

Thea's face wavered with sorrow, but she nodded, standing tall. "I know. I love you, Ollie."

Oliver closed his eyes, imprinting those words into his mind, into his soul. "I love you, too, Thea."

Footsteps approached from behind him, but Oliver was intimately familiar with them. Nyssa's hand gently touched his shoulder, her voice soft and understanding. "It is time."

Thea sniffed, staring at Nyssa with something that Oliver couldn't identify. "Thank you for training me, and I'm sorry about Talia."

"You are a warrior now, Thea," Nyssa responded gently, eyes understanding. "You have faced hardships, and you have triumphed over them. I cherished the time I had with Talia, just as I have cherished the time I spent with you."

"Take care of him," his sister murmured with desperation, and Oliver didn't need to guess who she was talking about. "Please. Be with him. Stay with him."

Nyssa nodded kindly, something in her eyes that Oliver didn't want to pinpoint right now. "I have stood by him during his direst moments, and I will continue to do so. You have my word."

"Thank you," Thea said, closing her eyes and sniffing before she backed away.

Looking one last time at his team, at his sister and the family he had once had, Oliver felt the rage towards them finally flicker out of existence. They hadn't been there for him during his lowest moments, but he knew that they'd be there for him in the future if he ever needed them, despite the will of Ra's al Ghul.

And Oliver hoped he could do the same.

Nodding one last time, Oliver turned around with Nyssa, and he heard the team slowly depart from the clearing in the woods.

"I know that was difficult," Nyssa consoled softly, barely audible as she walked next to him to face Ra's al Ghul. "I wish I could relieve your pain."

"You being here is enough," he murmured back. "Thank you for everything."

Nothing else was said as they reached Ra's al Ghul.

All was silent as Ra's al Ghul assessed him for several moments, ancient eyes roaming over his face, and Oliver stared back.

"Your fondness for them is apparent."

"I wasn't hiding it," he replied honestly. "It's the last time they'll see me. If I leave on a good note, they'd be much less likely to try to find me or come to Nanda Parbat. Now there are no regrets."

Ra's al Ghul's lips curled. "Indeed. However, will your fondness influence your reason? Will it curtail your progress to ascendancy?"

"I'm here, aren't I?" Oliver challenged. "I've accepted my destiny. I'm Warith al Ghul."

"You are, Al Sah-him," Ra's al Ghul confirmed. "Years of evidence verifies it."

"And I'm not going anywhere."

Ra's al Ghul didn't respond, only nodding, but he finally turned his attention to Nyssa. Oliver summoned all of his willpower not to stiffen; he noticed that Nyssa was tense out of the corner of his eye.

"Daughter."

"Father."

"Al Sah-him has demanded your survival, and after much rumination, I have decided your fate in Nanda Parbat."

Nyssa bowed her head. "Your will be done."

"Your righteous regard pleases me. Your life is beneficial to, not just me, but Al Sah-him. He has grown fond of you - and you of him."

Oliver refrained from tensing. What was Ra's al Ghul getting at?

"Your death would serve no purpose, for your fertile beauty remains radiant." Before Oliver could digest what Ra's al Ghul was saying, Ra's al Ghul turned to gaze at him. "My failure to ensure the dynastic succession almost culminated in destruction. I will not have my heir fail as I have."

"What are you saying, Master?" he forced out, making sure he heard correctly.

"Despite their inherent frailties, women supply life, Al Sah-him. They entrust us to penetrate their bodies as mothers to carry our children, yielding their wombs to our seed to nurture our heirs. You are my heir, and I wish for my line to continue. You have fulfilled for me a great service in slaying Damien, and you must receive a worthy gift for your loyalty, as well as your acceptance of your destiny. There is no greater gift to bestow upon you than marriage to my only living daughter, a fertile woman of my blood through whom our bloodlines will be forever intertwined in the heirs of your body she provides you. Upon our return to Nanda Parbat, you will be reborn as Ibn al Ghul, Son of the Demon."

Oliver only stared back at Ra's al Ghul, the words floating in the crisp air of the night. Finally, he nodded stiffly. "Yes, Ra's."

Ra's al Ghul looked pleased, turning to face Nyssa, who remained silent, immobile. "Do not mistake your survival for treason as an indication of affection, Daughter. If not for Al Sah-him, my sword would be stained with your blood. My gift extends only to Al Sah-him. He is my heir, and in time, he will be reborn as Ra's al Ghul, and you will be Eurus al Ghul, Bride of the Demon. Fate has willed it."

Oliver risked turning his head to look at Nyssa, but she only stared back at Ra's al Ghul, nodding her head in obedience; she seemed remarkably calm, even serene. "Yes, Father. Your will be done."

XxXxXxXxXxX

"What did The Arrow say about this?" Pike demanded softly, voice horrified.

Quentin understood - oh, he understood! - his friend's revulsion. Flames roared in the night, and the old Starling City Cold War bunker was razed to nothingness, but still, the fire burned, threatening to burn down the entire forest. Countless corpses were piled high, strewn with carelessness, limbs bent backward, bodies pelted with arrows.

It was a massacre.

"At least we have the fire department with us," he murmured back, glancing to see the firemen working to put out the flames. "I didn't imagine this. I've never seen anything like it."

Pike kicked one of the corpses over with the toe of his boot; Quentin raised his brows at the sight of the military armor. "These were Brickwell's men?"

"I don't think so," Quentin said honestly. "I think this was a new party that muscled Brickwell out."

"By killing them?"

"Exterminating," he corrected. "These guys don't look like those guys in Iron Heights."

"They're covered head to toe in armor."

Quentin raised a brow. "You want to remove the armor to check out their faces?"

Pike's face twisted with disgust. "I'm good. I think you're right, anyway. We've got a lot of cleaning up to do."

"This sure is a mess."

"You still think it was The Arrow who did this?"

"They're pelted with arrows, aren't they?"

"The color's different."

"The holiday season's been over for a while," he retorted dryly. "Maybe he ran out of green. He was probably tired of the Robin Hood comparisons. I was certainly tired of making them."

"If it was him, he had an endless supply," Pike muttered, staring at the corpses that were so numerous it was impossible to count.

"Must have got them on retail."

"You're flippant."

"What else am I supposed to be in the face of this?"

Pike grunted in agreement. "If it's him, he's back to his old habits."

Quentin nodded but didn't say anything; he knew Oliver, while part of this, wasn't responsible. And looking at the carnage, he realized that Laurel had clearly made the right call in not letting him know the location until the fighting was over. The police would have been massacred by these H.I.V.E. men.

"We better set a good example," he finally said, motioning towards the other officers, who were staring at the carnage, stunned. "Come on. Let's get started."

XxXxXxXxXxX

"I knew it was coming, but… I still wasn't ready," Thea whispered brokenly, her words filling his house. "And now he's gone. I don't know if I'll ever see him again."

Roy pulled her against him, squeezing her, feeling his own eyes water. "I'm so sorry. If I could kill Ra's, I would."

He felt her hot tears slide down his neck. "I know. But we owe that son of a bitch. Without him, we would have never beaten Darhk."

"That's what sucks, isn't it?" he asked softly, hissing between his teeth in disbelief. "That motherfucker killed Oliver, and now… Oliver's joined him because he had to. Ra's didn't help us out of the goodness of his heart or to save Starling. He did it to make sure Oliver joined him."

"And to stick it to Darhk," Thea finished just as quietly; her tears were slowly diminishing. "They hated each other. And Darhk killed… Wilson for good."

Roy closed his eyes briefly, remembering. "I heard. He died on the right side. We'll remember him for who he was at the end, not the monster before that."

"Yes."

"You know, before he went to rescue you… him and I had a conversation."

Thea pulled back, staring up at him with tear-stained eyes. "About what?"

"We… cleared the air," he recalled softly. "He apologized for what he did to me, and… and I understood him in those moments. The Mirakuru fucked me up in just a few weeks, but he had it for five years. If it fucked me that bad, what did it do to him? For the first time, I… put myself in his shoes. I saw how it was for him." Roy inhaled roughly. "It made me realize that… that if it had been me under it for five years, I would have done everything he did. Maybe I would have done more, done worse. It would have been easy because I was so bad in such a short time. I had no control. And thinking about him… I don't know how he didn't fuck this world into a coma. Because the thing is… I know what it was like under the Mirakuru. He could have fucked this world into a coma if he wanted to. I know it. But he didn't, and… I respected him for it. I almost felt- … I just don't know how he didn't do it."

Thea's eyes were sad. "Because he was always a good man, deep down. The three of us - you, me, Wilson - we're all similar. We killed under the influence when we didn't want to. We were… forced into it."

"Did you… ever talk to him?"

"Not really," she whispered, "but… I've thought about him like you did. To me, the worst thing Wilson did under the Mirakuru was killing Mom, but he didn't know her. He only knew of her 'cause of… Ollie. He had no ties or anything to her. But I killed Sara, someone I considered a friend. I've been asking myself who's worse - the one under the influence who killed someone he didn't know, or the monster under the influence who killed her friend?"

Roy squeezed her tighter. "Do you want an answer?"

Thea tensed. "I already know the answer. I'm more of a monster than he was."

"No, you're not," he corrected softly into her hair. "Comparing isn't gonna do anything for you except make you feel worse. Wilson would have killed Oliver if Oliver hadn't fought back; he would have killed his brother. That's more of a monster than killing a friend. But none of that matters. All I know is that he saved your life- "

"At the cost of his own," she finished quietly.

Roy nodded. "He did. I'll always owe him. And I know neither of us really knew him, but I'd bet he'd tell us to stop thinking about it and comparing. He seemed to get how dangerous one's mind is. How we can lose ourselves in memories and regrets."

Thea smiled sadly, the tears finally gone. "I don't know how to stop."

"We live," he said simply. "We need to live our lives. That's what Oliver wants, and if I can, I'd guess that's what Wilson would say. Same for Talia. We live our lives the way we want to."

She stared at him for several moments, eyes roaming his face. "Do you want to be The Arrow?"

Roy inhaled sharply before exhaling slowly. "I'm not ready, but… I don't think there would ever be a time when I'd be ready for that. I love this city, and I don't want some asshole trying to take Darhk's place when the cops are done cleaning up the Glades. I'll never be The Arrow that he was, but I think I can… do some of what he did."

"We'll never be Ollie, but we can work together," Thea finished softly. "I think I want to continue his crusade. He started 'cause of… 'cause of Dad, and now I'm starting 'cause of him. I'm the last of my family, and it's my turn to step up. I want to do it. I need to."

"We'll do it together," he assured. "And we'll talk to Dig and see what he thinks. For all I know, he may be getting surgery in the morning. He'll call to let us know either way."

Thea slowly lowered her head into his neck again, silent for several moments before she spoke. "He seemed so… so at peace with it all. Do you think he'll stay that way?"

Roy thought back to those final moments with Oliver, and he understood what Thea meant. There had been a clarity in Oliver's eyes, a calmness that Roy had never really seen before.

Oliver had made peace with his decision to join the League and become Ra's al Ghul's heir.

"I hope so," he whispered into her hair. "He deserves it. He deserves it more than anyone I've ever met."

"He does," Thea agreed. "I hope Nyssa makes sure he keeps it."

Roy dropped a kiss to her shoulder. "Maybe we'll see one day."

"I hope so."

XxXxXxXxXxX

"Will you be okay?"

Diggle cherished holding Sara to his chest with his one good arm. "That depends if the Doctor knows what he's doing tomorrow."

Lyla gently shook her head. "That's not what I meant. Oliver's gone. I know that- "

"The writing was on the wall," he interrupted softly. "I was never surprised that he joined the League. I was sad. But things changed after… after that duel."

"I still have trouble believing that Oliver was resurrected."

Diggle glanced at her, careful not to jostle his daughter awake. "The world's a lot bigger than we think it is. It's hard to believe, but when Ra's al Ghul's two daughters tell you it's true, you believe it."

"And Nyssa al Ghul left with Oliver?"

"Oliver demanded her survival," he clarified. "That was his condition for joining the League."

Lyla raised an eyebrow. "Are they…?"

Diggle shook his head. "No, but I wouldn't be- … Who knows? I can see it, but I can also see Oliver being stubborn. I think it's up to him. And not to mention Nyssa. I know Oliver a lot better than her. I can't envision what she'll do."

"Well, I hope he finds peace with his decision."

"He already is," he notified quietly. "I saw it. If he keeps that peace, I don't know, but I know that he's at peace with it for now."

"I'm glad," Lyla murmured after several seconds. "He's a good man."

"The best," he agreed, trying to keep the memories at bay.

Lyla's eyes were soft and understanding. "You never answered my question, Johnny. Will you be okay?"

Diggle sighed. "After the duel on the mountain, none of us got closure. We all thought… we all thought he would kill Ra's al Ghul, but then he didn't, and we thought he was dead. It was sudden. One day, he was here, and the next, he was gone. But this time, we knew it was coming. We got closure, and while I didn't get to say everything I wanted… it was enough. I got to say goodbye."

"A priceless gift," Lyla observed gently.

"I hate Ra's al Ghul, but… I'm grateful he let us say goodbye to Oliver, and him to us," he admitted. "It… it makes it more bearable."

Knock, knock, knock.

Diggle gently shushed a stirring Sara, and watched as Lyla went to the door, gun drawn. When she looked through the peephole, she relaxed and opened the door.

It was Felicity.

"Are you alright?" he demanded urgently, fearing the worst. It was rare when she came to him like this. "What's wrong?"

Felicity sniffed, face drawn with exhaustion. "I didn't know where else to go. I'm tired of being alone."

Lyla swiftly walked towards him and took Sara. "I'll leave you two to talk," she whispered before leaving the room with Sara.

Diggle reached towards Felicity and pulled her in for a one-armed hug. "It's okay."

Felicity clutched at him, silent.

"It's been a rough year, hasn't it?" he asked quietly. "It didn't go how we wanted it to."

"Nothing's gone like I wanted it to," she responded into his arm, looking dead-on-her-feet. "If I could hack into Life and re-code it, I would. I would change things, make sure that… that… that nothing went wrong."

Diggle nodded in understanding. "If I could write my story, I wouldn't have written everything that's happened to me, to all of us. But that's part of life - accepting that. We deal with the hands we're dealt, and we do our best to live as only we can."

"It still sucks."

"I never said it didn't," he pointed out gently, rubbing his good hand across Felicity's quivering back. "I can't speak for you, but the loss of Andy, all that pain and suffering I felt because of his death… it makes me cherish the time I have with Lyla and Sara. It makes it sweeter because I know that life is crazy, that it's unpredictable. I've always known that any day could be my last, especially going out with Oliver, but that made me a better father to Sara, and a better man to Lyla because I know what matters - them."

Felicity swallowed and slowly peeled herself away from him. "I just want Ray back."

"I know," he said honestly, pulling her to the couch to sit down; she was shaking on her feet. "I know. That's how I felt about Andy. You feel like your missing an arm- "

"I'm missing my heart," she corrected sharply, a familiar fire burning in her eyes. "Hearts don't grow back."

Diggle grabbed her freezing hands. "Neither do arms. But… I've reached a place where I'm more at peace. I don't constantly think about Andy and how I failed him. Maybe you'll get there, maybe you won't, but- … I know it hurts to hear, but it's ultimately up to you. Who are you going to be from now on? You've stepped out of this dark world that Oliver lived in, and now you can find out who you are."

"You don't get it," she whispered in anguish. "What was the point of everything? All that I did, it… it didn't do anything. And now Ray's gone."

"Maybe you'll find someone else someday."

Felicity's eyes ignited. "Don't say that. No one can come close to Ray. I loved him."

"Second loves can be just as true and pure as the first," he murmured gently. "I know Ray's gone, and I know it hurts like nothing I can imagine- "

"If you could go back, would you?" she suddenly interrupted, peering at him with red-rimmed eyes. "Would you go back in time to stop Deadshot?"

Diggle sighed. "That's a loaded question, Felicity."

"It's a simple one. Would you save your brother?"

"Of course, I would, but it doesn't matter," he pointed out, holding her gaze with clear eyes. "Because that's not life. That's a dream, a fantasy. I can't go back, and I've accepted that."

Felicity shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut. "I want to go back."

"I wanted nothing more than that for a few years after Andy died," Diggle admitted, running his good hand down his face. "It kept me up at night. It was all I could think about. I'd get lost in these dreams, thinking about what I would do differently, how I would kill Deadshot, how I'd tell Andy everything I never got to say. But they were all dreams. They were never reality, and they were impossibilities."

"Reality sucks," she whispered, drawing into herself.

"I know it does right now, but if you keep that mindset, that's all reality will be," Diggle advised carefully. "Reality encompasses everything. It can be joyous, happy, serene, and then it can suck, be horrible, and be bloody. It sucks right now, absolutely, but maybe it won't always be that way."

Felicity was quiet for several moments. "How… how did you do it? How did you… accept Andy's death?"

Diggle swallowed. "I apologized to him."

"How?"

"I wrote him a letter," he revealed quietly. "I told him how sorry I was, not just about his death, but everything. All our arguments seemed so petty and pathetic in hindsight, and I told him that. I told him everything I always wanted to say but never got the chance to. I told him how much I loved him. How he was the greatest brother I could have had."

Felicity's breathing became shaky. "I… I… I can't."

"I know," Diggle consoled, squeezing her hand. "I know it's too painful right now, but maybe one day you can do that."

She sniffed heavily and nodded. "Can I stay here for the night?"

"You didn't need to ask," he assured. "You can stay in the Guest Bedroom."

"Thanks, John," Felicity whispered, eyes drawn to his shoulder. "How bad is it?"

"Lyla got in touch with a surgeon under A.R.G.U.S.' employ. I'm having surgery tomorrow."

Felicity smiled slightly. "I guess there are benefits to dating the new A.R.G.U.S. Director. Speaking of… could she maybe get me the new computer with a- "

Diggle interrupted, "You'd need to ask her. Considering you were instrumental in killing Darhk, I'd say she'll probably get you one. But don't quote me on that."

"Still not able to predict her?"

"I've learned it's best not to."

Felicity's smile grew a little broader and less strained. "I never knew you were so smart."

Diggle rolled his eyes. "I've lasted in this world so long for a reason."

"Do you think Oliver will last?"

Silence.

Staring at her for several moments, Diggle nodded. "I hope so. Ra's… he wanted Oliver as his heir, and now he's got him. I don't know what that means, what Oliver will be forced to do, but… he made peace with that. We need to do the same. Oliver's gone, and he won't be coming back."

Felicity looked down at her hands. "It's a lot easier to accept after having those four months when he was gone."

"It is," he agreed, a small smile playing on his face when she looked up at him, startled. "We got used to the thought of him being dead, out of reach, and now that he's out of reach again, taken up a new name because Oliver Queen is dead, it's not too much of a shock. Maybe it's better this way, I don't know."

"Ray… he was jealous," Felicity said slowly, extracting her hands from his. "That's why… it's why he went."

Diggle closed his eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Did you know?"

He opened his eyes. "I suspected. I'm sorry."

Felicity kept quiet, breathing slightly rough. "I'm glad he's gone."

"Oliver?"

"Yeah. Because… I know why Ray's dead - he was jealous of Oliver. I know it. And… if Oliver was still here, if I had to maybe see him, that's all I'd think when I saw him. I couldn't deal with it."

Diggle sighed. "That's normal. I don't hold it against you. It's understandable."

"I don't think I'll miss him, either," she confessed, refusing to look at him, fingers playing at the edge of the cushions. "I'm glad I knew him, and I'm not sorry for that, but… that's it. That life brought me nothing but pain."

"That's okay."

Felicity looked up at him timidly. "I know you'll miss him- "

Diggle interrupted gently, "I will, but I'm going to move on to the next chapter of my life. Oliver will always be a big part of my life, and I'll always love him as a brother, but he's gone now."

"Will you quit? Like me?"

"No," he answered, shaking his head. "I already know that Thea and Roy are going to pick up where he left off. They're going to take on his legacy and try to keep Starling safe. They need help, and I'm their best shot at getting it. I'm not going to let anything happen to them. I owe it to Oliver and myself."

Felicity swallowed. "Make sure nothing happens to you. I can't bear losing someone else I care about. Not to mention leaving Lyla and Sara without a husband and father."

Diggle's lips twitched with certainty and belief. "I'm not going anywhere."

XxXxXxXxXxX

Laurel fought off the real urge to pour herself a drink. She didn't know why she was so devastated, but all she knew was that something felt fundamentally different, and she had to battle the temptation to relapse. It was a fire burning against her sanity, threatening to overwhelm her, enticing her with its promises of relief and serenity.

But she knew better.

Knock, knock, knock.

Gasping in relief, jumping from her couch, away from the bottle on her table that offered false promises, Laurel raced to the door, not even caring to look through the peephole; she yanked it open.

Her father smiled gently at her, holding a carton of ice cream. "I figured you wanted some company."

Laurel's face wavered, and she hugged him tightly. "Thank you."

"I can stay for maybe an hour before I'm needed back. This cleanup is a mess. We were climbing asses down in those woods for a while. It was better than climbing over all those dead bodies."

A brief chuckle escaped her, and she pulled him inside, shutting the door. "That bad?"

Her father nodded adamantly, an amazed and disgusted look on his face. "Oh, yeah. It was a massacre. Probably the worst thing I've ever seen. There were bodies everywhere. It's terrifying to know that there's an organization capable of that."

Laurel accepted the offered carton and pulled out a spoon. "I know. And it's hard to think about Sara being part of it."

Silence.

She hissed between her teeth, panicked, but there was no anger or sorrow on her father's face; there was only pained consideration.

"You're right," he said, glancing at the bottle on her table; he looked back at her with a raised brow. "I'm going to take care of that."

Laurel swallowed. "By all means."

Before anything else could be said, her father swiftly snagged the bottle and walked towards her sink; he poured all of the liquor down the drain without even looking at it.

All was silent as her father tossed the empty bottle away, and followed her to her couch; he stared at her for several moments.

"He's gone, isn't he?"

Laurel squeezed her eyes shut to keep the sudden tears at bay. "He is," she confirmed softly. "He joined the League. And he told me to tell you he's sorry."

Her father sighed. "I don't blame him, not anymore. I've had to come to terms with the truth. Sara chose to get on that boat, and her choices led her to the League, which is what got her killed."

She said nothing.

"Are you okay?" her father asked tentatively.

"I don't know," she answered with a broken laugh; she couldn't stop it. "I don't even know why I'm so upset. He was such a jackass."

"Do you want to hear what I think is the answer?"

"I could use a laugh."

Her father sighed, subtle amusement on his features before it cleared. "Oliver's been a big part of your life for a long time. Besides those five years, he was almost always there, a permanent presence in your life. Maybe he was also your last real connection to Sara beside me and your mom."

Laurel stiffened, memories flooding her, and the tears could no longer be controlled. "I'm all that's left," she whispered, squeezing her arms around herself; the ice cream was abandoned. "It was always me, Sara, Tommy, and Oliver. When they were gone those five years, I at least had Tommy, but now I have no one."

She accepted her father's arms wrapping around her, and she closed her eyes tightly. "I'm sorry you've had to face so much," her father whispered, his words reaching her. "I haven't been the best father to you in the past, but I'm going to try to be better. If you ever see me with a bottle again, I want you to tell Pike to arrest me."

"Same for me, except the arresting part. Just pour out the liquor like you did a few minutes ago."

"I know your mom's not around much anymore, but you can always come to me," he continued. "I know that… that… Sara, Tommy, and Oliver are gone, but what about Harper? Oliver's sister, and that so-called bodyguard of his?"

Laurel pulled back and wiped away her tears. "I think Felicity and I have gotten closer since Ray was killed."

Her father blinked, startled. "Ray Palmer? He's dead?"

"He was killed by Darhk," she replied softly. "Felicity's been barely keeping it together. I've been doing my best to visit her and make sure she's okay. We've bonded over losing boyfriends unexpectedly."

"And Oliver killed Darhk?"

"Decapitated him," she confirmed with a shudder. "From what I heard, Ra's al Ghul was carrying it around like a trophy."

Her father's face spasmed with emotions. "Ra's al Ghul's the king of the League, right? He's who Sara was scared of?"

Laurel nodded, memories playing in her mind. "Apparently, he's the most dangerous man in the world. And now Oliver's joined him."

"To save the city and stop this Darhk."

"I know, but I'm still angry at him," she muttered, shaking her head. "I'm angry at him for a lot of things."

Her father's face flashed with a mixture of sadness and acceptance. "I used to feel that way, but I'm just thankful that he helped bring Sara home. Because those weeks I got to spend with her gave me time to say all the things I never got to say when we thought she was dead."

Laurel swallowed. "Me too. But… it's complicated."

"Do you still love him?"

Her gaze snapped to her father's curious one; she saw no judgment, just curiosity. "I think part of me always will," she finally admitted, running a hand through her hair. "He was- … There's so much history, and outside of you, he's been the most permanent fixture in my life, discounting those five years. He was my first everything, and… I never got closure for it, for him. Now he's just gone, and I doubt I'll ever see him again. And when the… the Gambit went down, I thought he was dead, and there… was so much left unsaid. Then when he came back, I was always too angry to… to really talk to him, to talk about everything. I'm still too angry to do that even if he was here." Laurel suddenly wished for a drink, but she forced herself to keep talking. "I know Sara dying wasn't his fault. I know both times it wasn't his fault. Sara told me she purposefully seduced him to get back at me and that she went on the Gambit willingly, even happily. I know he's...he's not guilty of her dying, that it's not his fault… but I still blame him for it."

Her father sighed, leaning back into the cushions, looking exhausted. "When he came to me with that Nyssa woman to tell me the truth about Sara, about what happened, he showed me Merlyn's head. Or she pulled it out."

Laurel swallowed, for the memory of Malcolm Merlyn's severed head on the table was something that still haunted her; it was so gruesome and almost evil. "He showed it to us, too. To know that he can do that… it's scary. After those five years, I still recognized him, but after Ra's al Ghul, I didn't recognize him. He was someone else; it was like someone had stolen his face."

"All I know is that he tried to do better, Laurel, tried to fix his mistakes. I respected him for that. I'm not angry at him anymore because I know what he's done for this city - he's sacrificed more than anyone. But it's okay if you're still angry at him."

"I don't know how to remember him."

"Oliver is complicated," her father pointed out slowly. "He's a microcosm of us all - complicated but trying to do good and make amends for past mistakes."

Laurel raised a brow, impressed. "Microcosm?"

Her father grunted, looking uncomfortable. "I've been doing some reading during my spare time."

She smiled slightly. "That's good, and I think you're right. I'm still angry at him, and I still blame him, but… I know it won't always be that way."

XxXxXxXxXxX

The marriage was unlike anything Oliver had ever been part of.

He had had almost no time to really think about the marriage and its implications during the trip back to Nanda Parbat because Ra's al Ghul had demanded his attention, probing with questions about his past, eager to learn more about his heir and the instincts that had made him into a warrior. A group of Shadows had collected Darhk's body, still in Palmer's super-suit, and secured it for Ra's al Ghul. To show his loyalty, wary of the repercussions if it came back to bite him in the ass, especially for Nyssa, Oliver had revealed the location of Darhk's idol.

Oliver hadn't had a chance to talk to Nyssa at all, for they were separated, and he didn't see her until the actual ceremony.

Dressed in elaborate silk, Oliver's mind was on fire with worry. His terms in accepting his position as Heir were used against him, and this fate wasn't what he had had in mind. Cursing his stupidity, remembering that Nyssa had warned that one couldn't barter with Ra's al Ghul, Oliver realized that he was a damned fool.

He had dared to provoke The Demon's Head, and now Nyssa was going to pay the price, forced into a marriage with him that he knew she despised. But he could never show any sign of his torment, knowing that he was ultimately at fault for forcing Nyssa into the marriage, for Ra's al Ghul could make it so much worse.

Wearing a mask of cold stoicism, Oliver had followed Ra's al Ghul's orders to perfection, acting as the perfect heir, and when he stood in front of the most decorated Shadows in the marriage ceremony, he knew nothing could stop the inevitable.

But then he had seen Nyssa for the first time since the news that they were going to marry. She looked so beautiful that he had briefly forgotten their predicament, but as the priestess began, he was shocked back into reality, into the truth.

Despite himself, and despite knowing how she hated the marriage, Oliver was surprised by the knife that threatened to slit his throat, but the hurt that had permeated through him had surprised him even more. But that hurt had swiftly been overwhelmed by rage, and his much larger and stronger hands squeezed Nyssa's two wrists tightly, and the urge to crush her wrist, to kill her had lashed at his sanity, but he couldn't do it.

He could never hurt her even if she tried to kill him.

Upon seeing her glimmering eyes, he had plucked the knife from her and then released her. The ceremony continued, and Oliver only thought of what was expected after the ceremony when they were escorted to his quarters.

Did Ra's al Ghul expect him to rape Nyssa if she was unwilling?

The thought infuriated and sickened him in equal measures, but he could do nothing to stop the ceremony. And so, they were escorted to his quarters after a grand feast in which he sat to the right of Ra's al Ghul, Nyssa on her father's other side, and for the first time, he had seen the Shadows as people; they had been without masks and hoods, conversing among each other in what he learned was Arabic.

But the feast had flown by, for they were then quickly escorted back to his - no, their - quarters by Ra's al Ghul, and Oliver wondered how things had so quickly slipped from his control. He had thought that he was in control when he ordered Nyssa's survival, but he had only proven his ignorance.

And Nyssa hated him for it - he knew it.

"Do you desire any changes to the furnishings of your quarters, my son?" Ra's al Ghul inquired calmly when they came to his - no, their - quarters. "Perhaps something to please your bride?"

Oliver maintained eye contact with Ra's al Ghul. "I'll let you know in a few days. I'm no good at decorating or fashion."

Ra's al Ghul's lips twitched. "A sentiment I share. You truly are my heir - and now my son, not of blood, but soul."

Not responding, Oliver opened the door to their quarters, and he was only slightly surprised when Ra's al Ghul drifted inside like a specter, and Nyssa followed, remaining silent and stoic; he found that he could barely look at her, too ashamed by what his arrogance had wrought.

"My line has remained stagnant for too long," Ra's al Ghul murmured, staring at the massive bed. "I wish it to flourish, and I will see it be reality."

"Yes, Ra's," Oliver intoned, bowing his head.

Ra's al Ghul didn't look at him; he turned to face his daughter. "You know what is expected. Must I enforce your compliance?"

"No, Father," Nyssa responded blankly, and Oliver hated the look in her eyes, how they were free from the fire that he admired so much. "Consummation will occur."

"Will your infantile reactions persist? I am most displeased by your attempt to assassinate my son and heir – your husband."

"This is my fate, Father," she said tonelessly. "I accept it. Al Sah-him is my husband."

Oliver didn't react, especially when Ra's al Ghul turned to him with pleased eyes. "Congratulations, my son. Enjoy your gift for your service and loyalty. Beget heirs through her body."

With that, Ra's al Ghul soundlessly exited.

They were left alone in their quarters.

Nyssa immediately strode to the bathroom, saying nothing, and Oliver closed his eyes in defeat and slumped on the bed, rubbing creases under his eyes with his fingers.

He had fucked up, and he knew he had no one but himself to blame.

Oliver scrunched his face into his hands. "Damn it," he hissed out, eyes drawn to the flickering flames provided by the numerous torches and candles in the room. "Why… why didn't I see this coming?"

He sat there for several minutes, mind drudging through potential ways he would be killed by Nyssa. If she was going to kill him, he didn't even know if he was going to stop her; he felt too ashamed.

The door opened.

"Forgive me. I needed to urinate and switch attire."

Oliver looked up, and the apology died on his lips; he stared at her, stunned. She was no longer in the elaborate dress and style from earlier. Now she was in a thin nightgown with her hair down that provoked primal urges inside him, for she looked so alluring and beautiful, and he had to force himself to remain still and look away.

He blinked hard and jumped to his feet to distract himself. "Why are you wearing that?"

"It was provided for me," she replied, and Oliver wondered if she was purposefully obtuse. "It was waiting in the bathing quarters."

"And you put it on?" he demanded, still not looking at her. "I thought you'd feel more comfortable in armor."

"Despite my endurance, armor fatigues me. I am not built as you are. I am incapable of wearing armor indefinitely."

Oliver finally risked glancing at her, and he felt his pulse quicken at the beauty she presented. "What are you doing? I thought- … Why aren't you trying to kill me?"

"We are married."

His pulse immediately decreased; it felt like a bucket of cold water in the face.

"I'm sorry," Oliver whispered, staring at her face with stricken eyes. "When I demanded your survival, this wasn't what I meant. I didn't even imagine this."

Nyssa was remarkably calm; she seemed tranquil, serene, and he noted that her eyes were now full of the familiar fire he yearned to see. "I suspected this."

Oliver blinked. "You did?"

"Not this, but something similar," she clarified, and he tried not to stare at her revealed, forbidden flesh that the thin nightgown accentuated; he knew he wasn't successful. "I was prepared to be degraded to the position of a servant, forced to attend upon Ra's al Ghul and any Shadow in any way they desire. I suspected I could potentially be married to a Shadow to punish me, but… it did not occur to me that you would be my chosen husband."

"Still, I'm sorry," he said after digesting her words. "I had no idea. I never wanted this for you - to be forced into a marriage against your will."

Nyssa peered at him, raising a brow. "I have not struggled nor fought against our marriage."

Oliver stared at her, frowning. "That stunt to try to put that knife in my throat in front of everyone says differently."

"A ploy to trick Ra's al Ghul," she dismissed with remarkable ease, waving her hand casually. "Your strength, instincts, and reflexes are extraordinary. I knew you would effortlessly stop it."

"Then why?"

"If Ra's al Ghul believes that he is punishing me instead of rewarding me, he is less likely to strive to truly degrade me."

"Rewarding you?" he echoed, trying to process everything she said. "You… view this as a reward?"

Nyssa nodded. "Indeed. I have grown fond of you."

The words floated in the air, and Oliver finally sat back down on the massive bed, deprived of speech for several moments.

"Ra's al Ghul can look through the eyes of his Shadows," he finally said flatly. "For all I know, he's looking through my eyes right now or yours to see what we're doing."

Nyssa's eyes widened. "That is the true power of the Ring?"

"Apparently."

Silence.

"Ra's al Ghul upholds righteous tradition," Nyssa finally retorted after several moments. "He would never gaze upon such intimacy, especially that of his daughter, regardless of how disgusted he feels towards her."

"You're confident," he observed, trying to keep up; he still didn't understand. "Where was this confidence in knowing Ra's al Ghul after you resurrected me?"

Nyssa peered at him, sympathetic. "I know you feel agitated, but why do you rebel- "

"Look, Ra's al Ghul knew the entire time that I was alive. He knew. We can only assume he saw and heard everything we ever did and said. You can't trick him."

Frowning, Nyssa stepped closer, and Oliver tried not to gaze at her tantalizing flesh. "My ploy to assassinate you infuriated him; it was genuine fury. I know. I saw."

"Probably because he knew you were trying to trick him."

"I do not believe so," she said slowly, spacing her words with consideration. "The mind of Ra's al Ghul is extraordinarily complex - quite similar to your own."

Oliver sighed. "Flattery's not helping your case."

"We claim to know his motivations," she clarified, eyes steady, and he couldn't look away. "However, we can only pretend, for his mind and desires are sacred. No one knows his innermost thoughts and desires."

"Fine," he bit out, rubbing his hands through his short hair, feeling so many emotions that he feared trying to list them. "What the hell are we talking about this for?"

"We are married."

Oliver shook his head, feeling a pulsing originate behind his forehead. "And what I don't understand is why you're so calm about it. I thought you'd try to kill me, which you did- "

"A ploy," Nyssa dismissed again, unimpressed. "There was no malevolence in my heart when I drew the knife."

"I thought you'd scream at me or plead with your father to stop it," he continued. "I thought- "

"You thought inaccurately," she interrupted. "I feel liberated, for this fate relieves me more than my words can properly express."

Oliver stared at her. "What are you saying?"

"Shall I show you?"

When her fingers brushed away part of the nightgown to reveal smooth, enticing flesh, Oliver sprang to his feet, shaking his head. "Stop. I don't believe this."

Nyssa only raised a brow, and if he wasn't misreading her, she seemed wounded. "Do you doubt my affections?"

"Affections?" he echoed, emotions stirring inside him. "I don't know where the hell we stand."

She stepped closer, and he allowed her to pull him to the bed, sitting near each other. "We are husband and wife."

Oliver sighed, still having trouble looking at her; the allure she presented was so powerful. "And what does that mean? I don't know what you want."

"I want your loyalty and affection."

"So, this is a marriage as in a marriage?" he asked carefully, something that he didn't want to name rising inside him, swelling inside his heart. "You expect me to be a real husband to you?"

Nyssa nodded calmly. "And I shall be your wife in all things. That is a marriage."

"You're okay with this?"

"Indeed," she answered kindly, gazing at him with clear, honest eyes. "Your distress originates from the fact that you believe I am distressed, which is false."

"Meaning?"

"You should not feel distressed about our marriage. I have never been blind to your gaze, how your eyes have observed me."

Oliver closed his eyes, seeing no point in trying to lie to her; he had always thought her attractive. "I thought I… was hiding it."

Amusement flickered across her face, and he was amazed at how relaxed she was; she was more relaxed than he was. "Despite your extraordinary grandeur, you are still a man. Since I exited the bathing quarters, your eyes continually flicker to gaze at the outline of my breasts with great consistency."

At her words, Oliver, despite himself, found his eyes darting to look at the outline of her breasts accentuated by the thin nightgown, and he tensed in anger at his stupidity; he hastily looked away.

"Sorry."

"Do you perceive me to be furious?"

Oliver looked at her face, scanning, analyzing, moving his gaze to read her body language, and he frowned when he realized that she was still remarkably relaxed and even amused.

"No…"

"I accepted my fate before knowing what it was, and when I learned of my chosen fate, it was a liberating relief. I am most fond of you. This arrangement pleases me."

Inhaling sharply, he nodded, finding something that felt suspiciously like awe spread through him. "It does?"

"Indeed. You have shown me a world outside the perspective and supremacy of Ra's al Ghul. After Sara's murder, there was a void in my heart, but you have filled that void and other voids of which I had been unaware."

Oliver finally fully stared at her, but he found himself enveloped by her gaze. "You brought me back, and… you've stood by me ever since. You've been… you've been more loyal and trusting than anyone I've ever met. I… I don't want you taken from me."

Nyssa's eyes were clear and soft; they were hypnotic. "I am your wife now. There is no force outside of Ra's al Ghul who can separate us. I swore to remain by your side as you healed from death, and still, I will remain by your side."

His breathing shuddered in his chest. "You're amazing."

Silence.

"Thank you for my life, Husband," Nyssa whispered after several moments, eyes mesmerizing him, trapping him, but he had no intention of escaping.

"Thank you for mine," he said just as softly, feeling the longing he knew that she herself felt, wondering if an unbearable ache accompanied hers just as it did his.

Since his awakening from death, by her hands no less, he was a clean slate; he had no memory of a woman, and Nyssa was everything that he could ever imagine - everything and so much more. She repelled the rage for him; she stopped the pain and kept the cold from consuming him.

He loved her.

He had been afraid to tell her. Terrified, actually. But now she was telling him that it was all right - that she wanted it and felt the same, too - and that they could be free of the masks and lies together.

Finally lowering his defenses, Oliver slowly reached out, watching her, but when he found no fear, he pulled her lips to his, and the swollen flesh and moisture of her mouth aroused him. Their lips moved against one another's, erasing the horrors of their lives, of the scars supplied by Ra's al Ghul, promises overtaking those horrors and scars, and Oliver felt the primal urges that had been dormant since his resurrection roar to life, manifested in his manhood.

He pulled back, breathing heavily, and his eyes were drawn to the inviting swell of her breasts. "Have you ever…?"

"I am untouched," she answered, and her eyes were as soft as her words. "My maidenhead is intact."

"I'll be gentle," Oliver swore, not sure if he had ever meant something more.

Nyssa stared at him for several moments, unsure, and Oliver slowly undressed himself, trying to control the urge to have her, to be connected to her in ways that he had never dared imagine.

Her eyes roamed over his naked form. "You desire me," she murmured, almost in fascination, observing his erect manhood.

"More than you know."

Her gaze shifted before settling over his many scars. "I am in awe of your strength."

"I'm in awe of your kindness," he whispered, holding her gaze. "You grew up under Ra's al Ghul, but you're still kind. I did nothing to deserve your kindness."

"You have been kind to me," she whispered back, eyes gazing at him with emotion. "You have been good to me. I live due to your intervention. Thank you. I was not ready to die - not without revealing the truth."

"Truth?"

Nyssa's eyes mesmerized him. "The affections you inspire in me eclipse anything I have ever experienced."

Oliver stared back at her, the words and meaning and commitment behind them filling him. "I've been with other women, but you're different. You matter. You stood by me when you didn't have to, when, logically, you shouldn't have, when I don't think anyone else would have. You… you've done more for me than anyone else, and what you said about me is true about you - whatever you bring out in me is greater than anything I've felt towards someone else."

Silence.

Nyssa hesitated, eyes wary. "Do you think Sara's gaze is upon us?"

"All I know is that she's at peace," he answered honestly. "She was… she was haunted. This life that… that I brought her into… she wasn't made for it. She wasn't going to survive it - even without Malcolm. She hated it."

"But we survive," she whispered. "Do the dead feel emotions? Do they feel fury? Envy? Are they capable of such mortal- "

Oliver slowly pulled her to him. "We knew Sara best. Do you think she would be angry at us? Or do you think that she'd be happy that… that we're okay? That we've… moved on with each other? She cared about us, and I know she's at peace and far beyond something that… that doesn't matter. What matters now is us, not her."

Nyssa's tongue wet her lips, and Oliver felt arousal flood through his body again, and it took all his willpower not to react. "Your assertion is compelling. I yearn to give myself to you. However, I am unversed in- "

"It's okay," he assured gently. "I'll be gentle. I'll teach you."

At her nod, Oliver slowly peeled the nightgown away and stared at her beautiful body; he immediately found the fire inside him burn hotter and brighter, searing away the remnants of the freezing hands of death.

For the first time since his slaughter, his death at the hands of Ra's al Ghul, Oliver felt human.

They were no longer assassins or killers struggling against an invincible enemy. Now they were a man and woman who had found peace, solace, and comfort in one another.

Oliver took his time exploring her body, her sighs and gasps of pleasure guiding him, congratulating him, rewarding him, spurring him on, and her lips were fervent against his. Nyssa's fingers scratched at his back, grazing his scars, producing sparks of pleasure, and he felt the familiar fire stir in his loins, threatening to make him lose control, but he rebelled against it.

He took his time, savoring all her noises of pleasure, and when the time was right, when they both were ready, they became fully joined as man and woman, as husband and wife.

XxXxXxXxXxX

The waters of the Lazarus Pit lapped at him gently, and Ra's al Ghul felt the effects that were once intense and overwhelming but now lethargic and weak. His time was almost over, but he had secured the League's future, as well as ensuring his bloodline's security.

He had briefly looked through the eyes of Al Sah-him for the briefest moment, glimpsing the passion between him and his daughter, and Ra's al Ghul never felt more pleased nor vindicated.

Fate had provided him with the greatest of heirs.

Al Sah-him would be reborn as The Demon's Head and lead the League for centuries to come, his bloodline ensuring supremacy.

Ra's al Ghul gazed at Damien's petrified head impaled on a sword near him, and his old friend's final living moments flickered in his mind with utter perfection and accuracy. Damien's death was something that produced pride and relief, for his greatest sin and mistake was rectified, but most importantly, he had won. Their rivalry had been silent but all-consuming through the centuries since his ascendancy to Demon's Head, and he had won and triumphed over his bitter foe.

The burden that had existed on him for centuries past finally diminished, but it was not fully obliterated.

Vandal.

That was the name Damien uttered to Al Sah-him twice in the forest before his death. An accomplice, perhaps, or a 'great associate,' as Damien had remarked.

Had Damien answered to this Vandal?

Ra's al Ghul continued to stare at Damien's severed head, observing the permanent terror carved into the petrified flesh. H.I.V.E.'s resources had been extensive, and he had silently wondered for decades at his old friend's apparent cunning that had never surfaced during their time training together centuries ago. He had been chosen by his predecessor for many reasons, for his superior traits and abilities, his ruthless cunning, traits that Damien had never shown during training and life in the League, but then he had displayed them after absconding from the League with waters from the Lazarus Pit.

Had this Vandal found Damien after his escape from Nanda Parbat and placed him as a figurehead to distract The Demon's Head, to prevent him from investigating fully? Was this Vandal the true power behind the eradicated H.I.V.E.? Was this Vandal through whom Damien had acquired his mystical idol that was now housed in his personal vault of treasures, along with that technological armor that Damien had been wearing as he died?

Ruminating on the prophecy, the knowledge that his daughter's actions entice the gaze of the true immortal, Ra's al Ghul pondered the future.

Was this Vandal the true immortal? Was he… Savage?

XxXxXxXxXxX

Well, that's all for this chapter, and no, this isn't the end of the story. There's still more to tell, and I have further plans for it. Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed the chapter, and the culmination of Oliver's journey to joining the League as Ra's al Ghul's heir, and then of course the culmination of Oliver and Nyssa's relationship. Please leave a review to tell me what you thought. It would really help me out.

**Vandal Savage finally appears! I'm sure that most, if not all of you had already figured out that Vandal Savage is the true leader of H.I.V.E., and that Darhk answers to him. As you could see, Vandal is clearly in charge, and Darhk is just a loyal (or not so loyal) soldier.

**Oliver arrives at the bunker with the League, his team, and Nyssa, beginning to besiege H.I.V.E. and Darhk! The thing about bunkers is that they're excellent at keeping an enemy out, but if the enemy comes at the bunker from all sides, besieging it, it's not going to hold, especially when the warriors of H.I.V.E. who come out to try to deal with the threat are all slaughtered mercilessly because the Shadows of Ra's al Ghul are superior to Darhk's men. The bunker is still just that - a bunker. It's not a castle or fortress that has defenses mounted in which warriors can get the high ground and unload on the opposition below.

**Laurel and Felicity are helping out on the comms and computer, and while Oliver doesn't know it, Felicity ends up saving his life.

**Slade dies a hero! I had debated what was the most realistic scenario for Slade in this, and to me, it makes more sense for Darhk to use Slade as bait to try to test Oliver (because, spoiler alert, he doesn't really agree with Vandal's opinion of Oliver) or even kill him if possible. It was really hard to write, but it's honestly what made the most sense to me, and most importantly, it allows Slade to fully redeem himself in this, and a lot sooner than in the actual show (if you could call what he did in the show true redemption in which he doesn't face true scorn from those who suffered at his hands the most). There's no greater sacrifice than giving your life for someone else, and Slade redeemed himself by doing what he did, wiping away the last memories of the monster he had been. He wiped away the monstrous legacy he had built and replaced it with one of goodness, integrity, and courage.

**Bruce Wayne shows up again, helping out against H.I.V.E., and he still refuses to kill those he's fighting (but some Shadow comes by after and finishes off the crippled H.I.V.E. warriors).

**Oliver and Darhk finally face-off face-to-face in the final and only true confrontation between them! Darhk's magic and Palmer's ATOM suit combined were too overpowered, so Oliver takes out the suit's power source, making it infinitely heavier on Darhk, who must use his magic inward to strengthen his body to be able to wear and stay in the suit and be mobile instead of outward to try to harm Oliver. And ultimately, the suit is still overpowered by itself with Darhk's combat experience, so Ra's al Ghul steps in to use the Ring to freeze Darhk (because he wished to observe Oliver with his own eyes in his natural element), and then Oliver is able to kill Darhk.

Yes, Ra's al Ghul has been aware this entire time that Oliver's been alive, and he knew that Nyssa and Sarab had betrayed him by resurrecting Oliver, but because he's Ra's al Ghul, he was playing the long game.

**Oliver says goodbye to everyone! I hope they seemed at least somewhat realistic. And then Ra's al Ghul orders Oliver and Nyssa to marry, just like what happened in the show, but this one is different, obviously, because, as Oliver later learns, Nyssa isn't opposed to it.

**The team deals with the fallout of Oliver leaving and how it personally affects them!

**Oliver and Nyssa marry in a League ceremony, and then they have a true talk, revealing various things, and then they consummate the union. I hope that was acceptable because I struggled with it. I'm not good at romance, to be honest, but that's what I was able to come up with. Hope it was decent.

**Ra's al Ghul ponders the future of the League after securing Oliver as his heir and eliminating Darhk, and he ruminates on the potential identity of Vandal, supplied by Darhk.

I think that's everything. If you have questions, feel free to ask. It would really help me out if you guys left a review; it lets me know what's working and what isn't. I appreciate it!

Stay Safe
ButtonPusher