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!

16. Chapter 15

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

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

Pain was all he knew, and he embraced it. It was the only way to grow strong, to avenge the loss he suffered.

He panted for breath, shivering at the intense cold prickling his body with relentless ferocity. The barren cell in which there was no warmth, only freezing cold, had been his home for weeks, but it was of his own free will.

He knew what he was getting into, and he didn't care - he wanted revenge!

"Again."

"I am yours," he murmured, repeating the words he had long ago memorized, imprinted in his mind with the force of lightning. "My body, mind, and soul are yours to command. My existence is but an extension of your will. Your desires are my instincts. I will kill for you, and when the time comes, die for you."

"Good. There must be no secrets between us. Do you understand?"

He looked up at Vandal with bleary eyes; his Master was remarkably impervious to the freezing cold that threatened to freeze his own blood, looming over him with unseen, hooded features. "I understand."

"Illuminate to me your capabilities, so I will know how best to undermine your progress, molding you into a true warrior without flaw. Reveal to me your terror, so I will know what to force you to confront. Tell me that which you cherish most, so I will know what to obliterate. Tell me your deepest yearnings, so that I may deny you. All this must be done if you are to be my Hand."

Trying to listen, he moved with the utmost care, repressing his groans; his hands and knees scraped against the harsh, freezing stone. He tried to use the frigid ledge to pull himself up, but he pitifully failed; he was too weak.

"How does that- "

"Fool," Vandal derided with disgust, and beneath the hood, and behind the darkness concealing his face, he knew that Vandal's unseen and unknown features were twisted with scorn. "Success will evade you until you learn to generate power from within yourself. That is strength's fundamental meaning. Learn it. Master it. Then you will forget the poison of failure."

He gathered his willpower and achingly rose to his feet, body shaking precariously, but he wouldn't fail - he wouldn't! "What do I have to do?"

"Good. Thus has it been with all my Hands, and so it must endure once more with you."

"I'll do anything," he whispered, face stretched thin with agony. "Just help me avenge- "

"You tread a familiar path, one that your predecessor did. His vengeance clouded his judgment, and he died due to his feeble understandings. Will you tread as he did?"

He found himself incapable of shaking his head. "I won't," he swore in a weak voice. "I'll be loyal. I just want him dead."

Vandal leaned forward. "Who?"

"Queen," Simon hissed out, finding energy suddenly filling his ravished body with strength. "He took everything from me. His life is the price!"

"Yes," Vandal murmured, a sensation filling the air unlike anything Simon had ever felt; he basked in it. It was true power. "We must sabotage the dynamics that Queen released when he destroyed much of my organization two months ago, for my folly was trusting your predecessor. I hope to avoid such a folly with you, Simon."

"Never," he eagerly provided. "I'll do anything."

Silence.

Vandal stared down at him, much larger, broader, and taller than himself, and Simon tried to gaze into the eyes of his Master, but darkness was all he could see beneath the hood.

"I am your torturer," Vandal finally decreed. "You must be strengthened, and I will refine you as I have refined all my Hands."

"I'll do anything."

"My whims are reality. You will make every effort to appease me. Do not fail as your predecessor did. There can be no secrets between us. No mistrust. Due to our enterprise, the future will be secured. Until then, however, you must strive; you must demonstrate your worthiness. You must take the hatred you feel for Queen and mold it into power. You have power over yourself and your mind, not events outside of your control. Realize this, and you will know strength. You will be the Hand of Savage."

XxXxXxXxXxX

"Fuck!"

Roy stared down at the screaming criminal thrashing in pain who desperately tried to remove the arrow from his leg. "What's so important about these shipments coming in?" he demanded with his voice modulator; the sounds of sirens drifted closer. "Why have men died over them?"

"Fuck you!" the man spat, eyes flashing. "I'm not tellin' you shit!"

"You have another leg," he intoned, and the man quivered on the street, eyes bulging from his sockets. "I'll put an arrow in that one, too."

"Tell us what we want to know," Thea demanded, dressed in his former armor. "Those shipments- "

The man raised his arms in provocation, face twisting. "Go ahead and kill me. My boss is one bad motherfucker. I'm scared of him more than you two freaks. You look like fuckin' pageantry pussies next to him!"

With a rapid movement, Roy fired an arrow that landed between the man's legs, inches away from the prized organ. "Fear us more!" he snapped. "Why is everyone after the shipments? What's so important about them?"

"Guess!"

"Girls?"Thea asked dangerously, taking a step closer. "Drugs? Weapons? What?"

Roy narrowed his eyes. "Weapons?" he echoed, and he saw the man's eyes waver for a split second, confirming his suspicions. "You can now tell the cops what you tried not to tell us."

The man hastily tried to scramble away, but Roy was faster, knocking him unconscious.

Thea glanced at him, and her eyes were annoyed; she turned the modulator off. "Why'd you- "

"It's weapons," he interrupted, also turning his modulator off. "He gave it away. He had a tell."

"You saw it?"

"I was looking for it," Roy retorted, turning around, and she followed him to the bike. "Oliver taught me. He said that how someone looks, their reactions, give themselves away more than anything they can say. Come on. The cops are almost here."

Thea nodded, silent as she sat behind him on the bike, and Roy inwardly sighed as he drove off into the night.

Oliver had been gone for six months, and while the first few months had been challenging and difficult, particularly for Thea, they had made a lot of progress since. While Roy had gotten used to the thought of Oliver being dead during those four months after dueling Ra's al Ghul, Thea had never known the truth; she had thought Oliver was only on vacation.

Knowing that Oliver was out of reach, perhaps forever, was hardest for her to accept out of all of them. From what Roy knew, Laurel and Felicity had moved on from everything that happened with amazing speed. He hadn't spoken to either that much, but he knew that Laurel was focused back on her work with the D.A., and from what he had gathered, she was being groomed to be the next D.A. of Starling.

When Ray Palmer's death had been released to the public, a story about him having been kidnapped and killed by Daniel Brickwell, his will had been released. To everyone's shock, he had designated Felicity as his direct beneficiary; everything he had owned became hers, including Palmer Technologies.

Now Felicity had her hands full with Palmer Technologies and learning on the fly while dealing with the business side of the world; she devoted her full-time to it. When Roy had gone to see her, to check up on her, she had seemed, while still obviously mourning, happier. She also had seemed to find her place, getting the hang of the business side of the world a lot easier than she had ever dealt with the deadly world in which he and Thea now lived.

Thea had also decided to release the news of Oliver's 'death' to the media, as well, rather than face questions about his location, which would bring more attention to Thea, something none of them wanted since she had taken up the vigilante life. They had created a story of Oliver wanting to go on vacation using a private plane, but the plane had crashed; the crash had yielded no survivors.

The public had eaten up the story just as he and Thea knew they would; many had immediately connected the 'plane crash' to the Gambit's capsize.

He had called Barry and told him the truth, and he had learned that Barry had been dealing with a lot since they had last spoken. While Roy had offered a helping hand for a few days, Barry had declined, and he hadn't tried to change his mind.

Diggle was also a great help. While he hadn't been able to go out into the field since his surgery, leaving that to him and Thea, Roy knew that he could always rely on Diggle to help out; he could always ask questions and for advice whenever he needed, and thanks to Diggle's connection to Lyla, they had gotten massive upgrades.

In thanks for dealing with H.I.V.E. and Darhk, A.R.G.U.S. had constructed a bunker for them with top-of-the-line equipment, weaponry, and tools. Thea had sold Verdant, clearing out the basement from all their equipment, swiftly moving everything to the new bunker that Roy doubted Oliver had ever thought was a possibility.

Then again, Oliver had always hated asking for help.

Pulling into the bunker, Roy turned off the engine, and Thea hopped off.

"Did you get that, Dig?" he asked loudly, coming around the corner, where he saw Diggle sitting in the computer chair. "You find anything?"

Diggle shook his head. "I've been trying to track the shipments through the cameras and everything, but it's taking a while. I'll get it, but… probably not for a few more hours."

"Did the cops find that son of a bitch?"

"Right where you left him."

"Did you see anything else while we were out there?"

"You would have known if I did."

"Good." Roy glanced at Thea, who sat by herself near the table, staring at the bow in her hands. "Gimme a minute."

Diggle found his eyes. "She okay?"

"That's what I'm about to find out."

"I'll go check on Sara."

Watching Diggle go into the nuclear-proof nursery - demanded by Lyla, apparently - built into the bunker in which Sara was currently asleep, Roy slowly approached Thea, sitting down beside her; he took hold of her hand gently. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she whispered, face offering a hesitant smile. "I just… I miss him. I don't even know how he did it."

"By being a stubborn son of a bitch," he told her with more seriousness than he wanted. "That's what it takes to do this. You have to be patient and know when to act. And then, of course, be good with a bow."

"I don't know why, but I thought… I thought people would change after H.I.V.E. and Darhk. But people are still killing each other over stupid shipments full of weapons that are probably military-grade."

Roy sighed. "A person can change, but people can't. There was a hole left by Darhk, and now people are competing for control of it."

"A void of power?"

"Exactly. We just have to make sure that these weapons, when we find them, are given to the cops."

Silence.

Thea's fingers twitched, her face flashing with anxiety. "Do you… do you think he's okay?"

Roy inhaled slowly, pulling her against him, pressing his lips to her hair. "I think that he's the strongest guy I've ever met. And I think he's always going to be fine because that's who he is - a survivor."

"But Ra's al Ghul- "

"Nyssa is with him," he reminded gently; they've had this conversation before. "We don't know what they're doing, but they should be together, right? You're the one who said they're like an old married couple."

Thea huffed, vitality filling her face, her beauty still taking his breath away. "Because they are. She was always helping him out, looking out for him when he forgot to think about himself. And he looked at her like I've never seen him look at anyone else. They had chemistry."

"And not even Ra's al Ghul would waste something like that," Roy pointed out in consideration. "They're probably his best duo or whatever that are sent on missions for him."

"I miss him."

"I do, too."

"And I… I thought it would be easier. Well, it's kinda easier, but it's also harder. Sometimes, it's like I don't even know he's gone, trapped under the thumb of the bastard that murdered him, but then I remember, and it all comes falling down."

Roy didn't say anything for several moments. "I knew Oliver longer as The Arrow than you did- "

"You knew him more than I ever did," she corrected with echoes of heartache.

"Not really," he said softly, watching her eyes stay riveted on his face. "He was always soft for you. He never wanted to… to taint you by bringing you into this life, but when- "

"I chose Malcolm, I did it anyway," she finished flatly.

"You did, and he saw no other option. But then you guys got closer."

Thea nodded. "He was no longer keeping me away. Those were the greatest months of my life."

Roy winced in exaggeration. "That really makes a boyfriend feel good."

She elbowed him half-heartedly. "You know what I mean."

"And I know Oliver, too. I know that, sooner or later, he's going to try to kill Ra's al Ghul. He's going to survive because that's what he does; he'll be fine."

Thea brushed her lips against his. "Thank you. I know you probably get tired of answering the same questions over and over again- "

"No, I get it," he interrupted. "He's your brother. Why wouldn't you be worried?"

"Sometimes I feel like he's watching, you know?" she murmured, peering at him. "I never- … He's always with me. I keep hearing his advice - and Nyssa and Talia's, too - in my head when we're out patrolling, and… it makes me realize how I took him for granted."

Roy smiled sadly. "That's how it felt during those four months we thought he was dead. He made everything look so easy. He could do it without even thinking about it. He's a genius."

"But I'm glad I have you," Thea whispered, holding his gaze. "You've made everything easier. I could never do any of this without you. I'm not like Ollie."

"Me neither," he agreed. "Doing this alone scares the shit out of me. I'm glad you and Dig are here."

Thea's fingers curled across his hand. "I see why he chose this life. There's something good about it. We're making a difference. We're helping people. It's a good feeling. I like following in his footsteps."

"I'm right there with you."

XxXxXxXxXxX

"His prowess is unlike anything I have ever witnessed," Samat notified in Arabic to his fellow Shadows in the Northern Training Room. They waited for the students to arrive for pain tolerance training. "I was blessed to observe such skill and strength on the mission. May Ra's al Ghul bless me with such an opportunity again."

Hamasa continued sharpening his blade, sparks floating in the air, but his eyes were locked on him. "I am unsurprised. You remained here in Nanda Parbat during the triumph over our Master's bitter foe, led by Al Sah-him. I was there. I saw. His glory is just beginning."

"And his glory is brighter now than it ever was," Tamal murmured, his voice mysteriously carrying as it always did; it was his gift. From what Samat had discerned, even Ra's al Ghul himself wished to learn of Tamal's gift oratory projection. "He burns with power; it sears our Master's enemies' eyes like white lightning, and soon, everyone will know of our Prince's renown."

Samat nodded in agreement. "It will be my honor to serve him upon his rebirth."

"And Nyssa," Hamasa added, looking back at his blade, inspecting its sharpness in the dim light. "Al Sah-him has tamed her fiery disposition."

"His radiance outstrips whatever paltry wisps she could ever contemplate conjuring," Tamal pointed out, mystifying eyes on fire with truth. "She recognizes his grandeur and strength, and she rightfully submits to him as his bride."

Asada finally spoke, "Her survival was always unlikely. Her crimes were numerous; she directly opposed Ra's al Ghul."

"She remained the last of our Master's line," Samat observed, understanding Asada's perspective. Many Shadows had always been resentful of Ra's al Ghul's leniency regarding his living daughter compared to any other servant of The Demon's Head. "Ra's al Ghul did not wish his potency to die with him. It will be inherited in the sons Nyssa bears Al Sah-him once he undergoes ascendancy."

"Their firstborn will be ineffable," Tamal murmured, his words sounding like a promise. "The League's future has never been more grand and secure."

"Certainly true."

Samat paused at the feminine voice, and he turned around with Asada, Tamal, and Hamasa to see Nyssa standing in the ingress to the room.

"Daughter of the Demon," they intoned, briefly bowing their heads. "We did not know you would join us in training the recruits."

"You mistake my purpose," she responded, voice steady and eyes indecipherable. "My journey to the Dining Hall was interrupted by your voices. I heard my name, and I chose to investigate." Nyssa stepped into the Northern Training Room, and Samat watched her warily, knowing he was not the only one. They knew not what to expect. "Be thankful I am not my husband. He would sever your tongues from your mouths after hearing your treachery."

Samat stiffened. "Treachery, Nyssa? We have never expressed treachery."

"An ineffable firstborn," Nyssa mused, gazing at Tamal with considering eyes, voice filled with something Samat feared to name; he was not the only Shadow whose posture was tight. "Only a firstborn? What about a second-born?"

"I did not consider a second-born, Nyssa," Tamal answered, voice tight and wary.

Nyssa hummed, fingers brushing over the gleaming swords parallel to them. "Why not? Do you believe I will die in childbirth after my firstborn? Is that on what your treasonous thoughts dwell?"

"You are mistaken, Nyssa. Death would not dare claim you until Ra's al Ghul permits it."

"You have ruminated on the possibility of my death?"

Tamal stiffened further. "Only now when you encourage it."

"Now who is mistaken, Tamal? To ruminate on my death is treason."

Samat watched Tamal take a step forward before reason returned to him. "According to whom?" his fellow Shadow demanded boldly instead. "Ra's al Ghul has decreed no such thing."

Nyssa's eyes sharpened like steel striking steel. "According to my husband, Al Sah-him Ibn-Warith al Ghul. Do you doubt his rightful authority? His voice reflects the will of Ra's al Ghul."

Tamal dropped to his knees, bowing his head. "Forgive me, Nyssa."

Samat warily watched Nyssa smile without kindness. "While my husband's grandeur exceeds all men of this world, you forget of my own grandeur as his bride. As Ibn al Ghul is heir to The Demon's Head, I am heir to Eurus al Ghul's mantle. I will be the Bride of the Demon, Sister of the Demon, and Daughter of the Demon."

"Forgive me, Nyssa, daughter and future sister and wife of The Demon's Head," Tamal murmured with absolute conviction. "My treacherous tongue has betrayed me."

Asada dropped to his knees in a bow. "We have all disappointed you, Nyssa. Forgive us of our unworthy plights."

Samat followed their lead - Hamasa, as well - by bowing. "Daughter of the Demon, we have forever been, and will forever be, loyal to Ra's al Ghul. Our conduct was to celebrate Al Sah-him's renown, which you helped cultivate according to the whispers in the darkness. Through you and Al Sah-him, the League has never been more secure since our Master ascended to his destiny, a destiny to which Al Sah-him shall soon ascend."

"Yet Asada spoke of crimes I committed, my opposition to Ra's al Ghul, and how I was unlikely to survive," Nyssa retorted with chilling intensity. Beside Samat, he heard Asada inhale sharply, but he said nothing. "This slander interests me. How one could hold such slander in their heart for she who will ascend to Eurus al Ghul is unnerving."

Asada kept silent.

"Speak plainly, Asada," Nyssa graciously permitted. "However, mind your tone while you speak."

Asada looked up. "Daughter of the Demon, I have always admired your beauty, courage, and skills- "

Nyssa interrupted, smiling thinly. "If I was interested in flattery and admiration, I would recite my husband's words for myself and myself alone. I want honesty. The League exists on fundamental truths. Share this revelation of truth you feel."

After several moments, Asada began, "You have tasked me to share my heart with words of honesty, Daughter of the Demon, so I must. If not for the mighty and noble blood in your veins, you would long be dead."

Silence.

Samat did not dare move, not even to try to dissuade Asada from such treason.

"Continue," Nyssa urged. "I am intrigued."

"When I expressed such slander to Samat, Hamasa, and Tamal, I merely expressed the truth. If any other servant of The Demon's Head had committed such crimes and treachery, Ra's al Ghul's wrath would raze whatever mountains stood between them. You still breathe only due to Ra's al Ghul's mercy - a mercy he would never permit anyone else."

Nyssa hummed. "Your explanation leaves much to be desired, Asada. Why would you remark such slander to begin with? Samat reported that you had been celebrating my husband's renown. How did the celebration of Ibn al Ghul divert to the slander of his wife?"

"Warith al Ghul is a title of which every Shadow is aware," Asada explained slowly, carefully, spacing his words to ensure he did not commit an egregious error. Samat wished to applaud him. "We all know of its great importance to the League's future. We have known two Warith al Ghuls in our existence as Ra's al Ghul's Shadows - you, Daughter of the Demon, and Al Sah-him."

"Your mistake lies in your belief that I would have ever maintained the title of Warith al Ghul," Nyssa commented. "However, you naturally compared the two Warith al Ghuls with whom you have been familiar and discerned that Al Sah-him is imbued with glory I have never possessed and never will."

"Yes, Daughter of the Demon."

"Understandable. My husband is Warith al Ghul, the true heir of The Demon's Head. However, only you expressed slander, Asada. Why? Other Shadows have certainly compared the two Warith al Ghuls, but only you expressed slander. What is the truth?"

"I am foolish, Daughter of the Demon. Foolish and unworthy. There is no other truth than that."

"Certainly," Nyssa agreed. "However, it runs deeper. May I?"

"The only permission you ever require is Al Sah-him's or Ra's al Ghul's. You honor me by requesting mine, Daughter of the Demon."

"You are envious of the mercy Ra's al Ghul bestowed upon me," Nyssa observed. "If you had entertained such treason, your body would be eradicated from this world, but I was spared and now enjoy a marriage with my husband." Samat dared look upward, and he was astounded by the small smile on Nyssa's face. "Know these truths about yourself, Asada. Let this serve as a lesson for all of you. If you wish to know of the root of Al Sah-him's glory, all you must do is accept truth. He knows the truth, and his renown burns bright due to the truth."

Silence.

"Ruminate on what you have learned. But do not forget with whom your loyalties also lie," Nyssa warned as she departed the room. "If you do, it will not be my husband's wrath you will incur. It will be my wrath - and it will be swift and agonizing."

Samat believed her.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Al Sah-him swiftly and smoothly stepped aside from the surging blade, spinning around, building momentum and power, and unleashing his own sword at Ra's al Ghul with vicious intent.

Ra's al Ghul avoided his strike with quick stealth, knowing how inferior his strength was; he could only win through skill, not strength nor power. As confessed by his Master, the waters of the Lazarus Pit continued to dwindle in potency in rejuvenating his body, and Al Sah-him knew that, sooner than later, Ra's al Ghul's immortality would end.

Not wasting a second, knowing hesitation engenders nothing but death, Al Sah-him stomped forward, the blade an extension of his body and will, more precise than any surgeon. Sword swiped at sword like thunder clashing in the heavens, and Ra's al Ghul spun away with perfect bodily control, effortlessly ducking away from Al Sah-him's swinging blade.

In an instant, Al Sah-him pivoted to the side, continuing his attack, sword blurring through the air, hissing in the night. His Master avoided a direct confrontation of strength, batting aside his attacks with easy poise, eyes afire with pleasure, continuing to force the spar's pace, but Al Sah-him challenged the pace.

Their spar had lasted for over an hour.

He immediately sprang forward, slicing his Master's sword to the side with an ear-piercing shriek of steel on steel, but to his surprise, Ra's al Ghul dropped the blade, and in one smooth movement, he avoided Al Sah-him's sword, rolling to the side and caught the blade in his other hand.

Immediately seeing a chance with his Master in a vulnerable position, Al Sah-him darted forward with blazing speed and intent, but before he could register his error, Ra's al Ghul pivoted and swiped his sword at him. Al Sah-him blocked it, but then his Master suddenly grabbed his wrist and twisted with surprising strength. His momentum carried him over Ra's al Ghul's shoulder, and he tumbled to the ground in a heap of limbs.

A sword was pointed at his face.

"Your progress pleases me, Al Sah-him," his Master murmured proudly, removing the sword and holding out a hand to pull him to his feet. The blazing fires surrounding them in a circle burned in assent with Ra's al Ghul's words as he stood to his feet. "Your endurance has greatly improved, as has your skill with a blade. Your ascendancy is near."

"It is my destiny," he intoned. "I want nothing more."

"Is it about what you dream during slumber?"

"Yes."

Ra's al Ghul's eyes gleamed. "Then it is time you learned."

"Learned?"

"Of your inheritance," his Master clarified, turning around, and Al Sah-him dutifully followed. "There is much you will not know until my demise, for that is how it has been for generations of Ra's, and thus, it must be with you. You must discover on your own, discover the true power beholden to The Demon's Head, but I must show you the evolution of our mantle that I have spawned."

"Yes, Ra's."

Al Sah-him followed his Master back to the fortress, silent; it was a companionable silence, one he felt closely. Ra's al Ghul was a man who understood him; he was intimately aware of how it felt to be heir to such a tremendous legacy and strength. Their long conversations during his six-month stay in Nanda Parbat stayed with him deeply, and he learned everything he could from his Master, a man with lifetimes' worth of wisdom and knowledge, for he knew that, sooner than later, he would slay his Master and ascend to The Demon's Head.

Oliver Queen demanded nothing less.

Due to his marriage to their bride, Oliver still existed - kept alive by Nyssa, and she fanned the flames of his survival, for she never tolerated the presence of Al Sah-him.

Always, Oliver Queen roared back to life and seized control when their wife appeared and they were alone.

Al Sah-him did not know if Ra's al Ghul knew of Oliver Queen's survival, for while The Demon's Head was capable of seeing through his Shadows' eyes, he was not cognizant of their thoughts.

Oliver and Nyssa were exceptionally meticulous and prudent when together, for they knew that Ra's al Ghul could always be watching. While Al Sah-him desired to confess of Oliver's survival to his Master, Oliver prevented him from ever doing so, seizing just enough control to force him to forget the words.

He followed Ra's al Ghul through Nanda Parbat's extensive halls, the various Shadows they encountered hastily and swiftly bowing before them with reverence. They came upon the Northern Training Room, and Al Sah-him saw Samat, with whom he had been paired for a mission endorsed by Ra's al Ghul to eliminate an evil-doer who affected balance.

"What do you see, my son?" his Master asked quietly as they watched the training; they were unnoticed, blending into the darkness of the room. "What graces your consciousness?"

"They are weak," he responded honestly just as quietly, watching the trainees succumb to the hindrance of pain. "If they are to survive, they must cast aside the instinct of pain."

"Demonstrate."

Al Sah-him nodded and stepped into the light.

Samat saw him immediately and bowed, and everyone else followed suit. "Al Sah-him," they gasped out in awe.

He waved the Shadows and students to their feet. "Pain is a biological instinct that overwhelms. You must dull the pain through the use of your mind. You must be strong. Survival is all that matters, and pain can be useful, but in a fight, it does nothing but weaken you."

Al Sah-him pulled an arrow out of his quiver, and without any reaction on his face or body, jammed it through his arm, bursting through flesh, muscles, tendons, and scraping bone before the bloody head appeared out of the other side of his arm; the blood dripped to the floor. He was aware of the pain, but it was on the edge of his consciousness, a brief flame, but that was all it would be. He would not allow it to grow into an inferno.

"Never waver," he called out calmly, watching their eyes, which were riveted on the bloody arrowhead sticking out of his arm. "Imbue yourselves with the strength to adapt, or you will die. The League is strong, and its Shadows must exemplify that strength under Ra's al Ghul's glory and supremacy. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Al Sah-him."

Nodding curtly, he exited the room to meet his Master, who motioned for him to follow with proud eyes.

They continued their journey in silence until they reached the inner sanctum in which the Lazarus Pit churned with immortality.

Ra's al Ghul dipped his fingers into the Lazarus Pit and brought them to his wrist, which Al Sah-him had been unaware he had injured in their spar.

"Heal your injury, my son."

Al Sah-him complied and pulled the arrow out. Then he grabbed the chalice and dipped it inside the Lazarus Pit; he poured the gathered waters over his wound, which immediately disappeared like it was never there.

The flame of pain vanished, too.

"Your strength is extraordinary, Al Sah-him, but after your ascendancy, it will be transcendent," Ra's al Ghul decreed, turning to him, ancient eyes assessing him. "What I am about to reveal to you is knowledge that I have held alone for decades. All the men who worked on the project were killed to ensure its secrecy."

Al Sah-him stared at his Master, feeling a slight frown appear on his face; it was probably Oliver's reaction, not his. "Project?"

"In your former life, you encountered the Mirakuru."

Oliver's memories assaulted his mind, and Al Sah-him nodded. "Yes."

"What Oliver Queen experienced was the first enterprise to perfect a serum that would enhance a man to unknown strength and power. It was my attempt to ensure transcendence for my successor."

Al Sah-him stared at Ra's al Ghul without reacting, but inwardly, Oliver roared and thrashed in confused outrage and horror. "You were responsible for the Mirakuru?"

"Indeed. I spawned it into reality by funding the Japanese in the second global war."

"What was your reasoning?"

Ra's al Ghul's eyes enveloped him. "Decades ago, I encountered a group of humans displaced from time itself, who were originally from the future with abilities beyond what I had considered possible. They were superior to any man, including me, which is unacceptable, for The Demon's Head must be superior to all possible threats. He alone sustains balance through the world; his strength and power must be supreme. For millennia and more, supremacy was enough, but due to Fate's choice to allow me a glimpse of the future, of how the League and The Demon's Head must evolve, transcendency must be the new standard to which all Ra's are held - beginning with you, Al Sah-him."

Oliver threatened for control, but Al Sah-him held firm, and Oliver accepted, not wishing to deal with Ra's al Ghul; it was the secret to why Al Sah-him was permitted existence. Al Sah-him tended to Ra's al Ghul while Oliver was free with their bride.

It was Oliver's design, a safeguard to ensure he maintained his sanity.

"You did not imbue yourself with the Mirakuru," he observed in bemusement.

Ra's al Ghul nodded. "I did not. I know that I would fail to fully adapt to the changing times despite my supremacy, for with age comes obstinance. The world changes, and we must change with it. My ability to change, not just physically but mentally and intellectually, has plateaued. I cannot transcend. A wise ruler knows when his time is near, and my time will soon be over, but you will be my legacy - you will ascend to your inheritance with the Mirakuru. You will be the strongest Ra's to ever exist."

"Those who underwent the Mirakuru were consumed by it," Al Sah-him intoned, Oliver's memories of Slade flashing in his mind. "They went mad and lost themselves."

"Oliver Queen was familiar with the first enterprise to perfect a serum, one that drastically and fatally failed, but there was a second enterprise. For decades, I have encouraged many of the most intelligent and capable men of the past generations to perfect the serum, and it is perfected."

"It was tested?"

"When it proved a success, the subject was executed - beheaded with his body burned to ash. When you endure the serum, there will be no imperfections. You will be transcendent, Al Sah-him."

Al Sah-him nodded curtly. "Only through your guidance will I achieve my destiny."

"And I will continue to guide you until you are ready," his Master confirmed, eyes steady and unwavering. "You will know where the Mirakuru is preserved after my demise. I will not have you tamper with your ascendancy by undergoing the transformation before you have proven yourself to be superior to me in all facets of your being. Then with the Mirakuru, you will be superior to all threats of the future. I see through you a chance to forge a stronger line of Ra's, for as technology advances, we must be prepared for all threats; the training that has endured for millennia past will no longer be enough to balance the world. As I said, the world changes, and we must change with it. My ability to evolve has plateaued. Yours is only beginning."

"I understand."

"Good. What did my daughter share regarding the final step towards your ascendancy?"

Al Sah-him recalled the memories of Oliver. "The destruction of one's home."

"Obliteration," Ra's al Ghul smoothly corrected. "It is the final transformation to Demon's Head - the erasure of your former life in its full totality."

"Nanda Parbat is my home," Al Sah-him intoned, the worry of Oliver surging through him, but he did not let it affect him.

Ra's al Ghul's lips curled in pleasure. "Indeed, but to continue your progress towards ascendancy, Obliteration must occur. Starling City is where Oliver Queen considered home."

"Yes, Ra's," he consented, bowing his head.

"You will unleash death on Starling City using the Alpha and Omega, which I know my daughter confessed I possessed to Oliver Queen."

Al Sah-him did not react. "Your will be done."

"Good. Now how are your efforts to sire an heir?"

"Consistent."

"Has my daughter been a worthy wife to you?"

"She is all I could desire."

"Her devotion to you and re-affirmed devotion to me are most pleasing intelligence. I believe you incited her devotion, Al Sah-him."

"As I must as her husband," he intoned.

Ra's al Ghul nodded in agreement. "And as you must continue when you ascend to the mantle of The Demon's Head, but you will incite the devotion of, not just your bride, but every Shadow under your command."

XxXxXxXxXxX

Nyssa basked in the glow of the moonlight as she meditated on the balcony of her and her husband's quarters, breathing slow and balanced, lulling her with clarity and poise; serenity was hers, and she intended to maintain it.

When she had returned to Nanda Parbat, nostalgia had hovered in her mind, the memories of her past a constant reminder of what once was. She had slipped back into her old routine with remarkable ease, and everything felt the same as she continued her old duties. However, there was one critical difference.

She was now married.

Rising with the sun, Nyssa often found herself alone during the mornings and afternoon, for her duties of training and monitoring sessions filled her days, and her husband continued to spend long days with her father, learning his wisdom and knowledge under his brutal tutelage. At night was when she stayed with her husband, was able to be in his presence, and she intimately knew of her father's harsh teachings during training; she had spent much time treating and tending her husband's wounds - as she had upon resurrecting him.

But slowly, as the weeks and months had progressed, the wounds and injuries he received dwindled in number until he no longer received any.

The first few months had been difficult, for while her husband was exceptionally worthy, he was still an outsider to the League and had to be forcefully taught. He had to be remade, refined, and it had been bitter work, but as she had discerned, the results were incredible.

Her husband had made remarkable strides in his abilities and skills, much faster than she had anticipated. If he challenged Ra's al Ghul, she knew it would be more of a balanced battle, far from, as her husband called it, the slaughter on the mountain a year ago. While she knew Ra's al Ghul's skills in battle would always remain superior until her husband had lived and endured for centuries, the combination of her husband's superior strength and refined skills would force her father to act with true effort in a battle - something she had once thought impossible.

The most challenging facet of her husband's integration into the League was the erasure of Oliver Queen. Many weeks were spent erasing Oliver to replace him with the ultimate heir that Ra's al Ghul had always coveted.

In some respects, Ra's al Ghul had succeeded.

Al Sah-him was her father's ultimate follower and weapon, for she had witnessed it. Al Sah-him carried affection for Ra's al Ghul, whom he viewed as his father, whereas Oliver, while holding begrudging respect and innate awe for The Demon's Head, loathed his presence and wished for nothing more than to plunge his sword through Ra's al Ghul's chest - as had been done to him a year ago.

But Oliver continued to exist, refusing to submit to Ra's al Ghul, continuing to survive and even thrive, and Nyssa was continually in awe of his strength and ability to endure, for she knew she possessed nothing similar.

When she had demanded to know how his endurance persisted without wavering, her husband had been blunt - "I just do it. I want to stay, and herbs and torture aren't going to erase me. I won't let it happen. Short of being thrown off another mountain, I'm here to stay."

It had soothed her deepest fear, that he would fade into eradicated memories, and she would be left with an emotionless Shadow as her husband, and he had soothed her more completely when she freely capitulated to his amorous advances.

While she knew Ra's al Ghul desired heirs of her body begotten by her husband, she felt no such pressure from Oliver.

There was a freedom in her marriage that she had never fathomed, especially given that Ra's al Ghul had commanded the marriage. While she remained in fear of her father, she was exceedingly grateful for his decision to unite their bloodlines, for it had secured her peace, affection, and freedom that she would have never received otherwise.

The door to their quarters opened, and Nyssa opened her eyes, swiftly standing to her feet to face her husband, for no one else would dare enter.

With one look at him, she knew something had happened.

He was remarkably composed, but there was an agitation roiling in his stormy eyes. The months in the League had changed him subtly; his face was more chiseled, and he was broader and even stronger overall, but he was firmly recognizable.

Nyssa continued to watch him with keen eyes as he placed his weapons in their proper place, soundless as a specter. She observed it, felt it as it happened; the air seemed to quiver as Al Sah-him slowly slipped away, revealing Oliver underneath - in all his agitated torment.

"What happened?" she demanded, stepping toward him. "Was there- "

"He has the Mirakuru," he hissed out, running a hand over his face, and his eyes were slightly wild when they met hers; her concern rose rapidly. "He has it, and… he wants me to take it."

"The Mirakuru?" Nyssa echoed quietly, pulling him to the chairs in their quarters. "The same serum that- "

Oliver shook his head, and she failed to remember a time he had seemed so frantic since their marriage. "It's a different one, apparently. He says it's perfect, that it's been tested, but… why the hell would I trust that?"

"I caution you, Husband," she murmured in warning. "Ra's al Ghul may be watching."

"I don't care," her husband snapped, eyes blazing with memories she could only fathom. "The Mirakuru fucked Slade so hard it turned him into a monster. There are no- … Nothing good came from the Mirakuru. I know. I remember. All my experiences with it, besides healing Slade from the missile strike, are filled with death and pain and loss. I thought I destroyed it, that I'd never have to deal with it again, but now… there's a perfected serum that he wants me to take after he dies - to ensure my transcendence."

Nyssa listened to him vent, his ire-filled words, hearing the panic beneath his fury. "You observed it was a different serum," she murmured patiently, trying to understand. It was all a shock to hear, but from what she knew of her father's obsession with the Mirakuru, how he had deployed Shadows to Starling City to deal with Slade Wilson's attack, which had always befuddled her, she did not feel surprised any longer. "Does it- "

"He says it was tested, that it's perfect," Oliver answered, eyes less wild. "But he says he executed the subject and burned the body to ash along with beheading him… I don't know what to think."

"How may I relieve your burden?" she whispered, uncertain.

Oliver grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips. "You being here's enough. It's just a shock. I thought the Mirakuru was gone. I made sure it was all destroyed, that no one would be able to bring it back, but now I… I learn that your father has another dose of it, a perfect one." His grip on her hand became bruising, painful. "I learn that he was responsible for it. He funded the project in the first place; he gave money to the Japanese. It was because of him that the Mirakuru existed in the first place. All the experiences I've had with the Mirakuru, none of them good, are because of him. He authored that pain. If not for Malcolm sinking the Gambit, he would be the author of all my pain in life. But Malcolm learned under him, learned how to think from him. Really, he has been the author of all my pain."

Nyssa's eyes widened in surprise before she hummed in consideration, trying to distract herself from the pain in her hand; her husband was too distracted to notice, and she did not want to cause him distress by pulling away. "Did he reveal his intentions behind funding- "

Her husband shook his head in disbelief. "He saw- … Back before World War II, he said he saw people from the future with abilities that were like the metahumans."

"Like Barry Allen? Your ally?"

"That's what it sounded like. He said it… it made him realize that being superior isn't enough for The Demon's Head, that being transcendent is the only way to maintain balance as technology and metahumans continue to rise - and the Mirakuru is how he's planned everything out. He's going to create a stronger line of Ra's - starting with me."

Nyssa could no longer bear his strength, and she pulled her hand out of his grip, feeling blood rush back to the affected areas. "Will you- "

"I'm sorry," her husband whispered, staring at her hand. "I didn't realize…"

"There was no malevolence in your heart, only distress," she dismissed in understanding. "Will you submit to his will?"

Oliver remained quiet for several moments. "Logically, I should," he admitted, running a hand over his face; he looked weary. "I know how powerful metahumans are, how technology is advancing. If not for your father appearing, Darhk would have killed me because of that super-suit. But if I had had the Mirakuru, I would have easily killed Darhk, even with that super-suit. I know it. And if this second serum is perfect, then there's… there's no logical reason not to take it. But emotionally, it's another story."

"I support whatever you decide," Nyssa murmured. "If you are to rebel against Ra's al Ghul, I will support you as only I can as your wife. If you imbue yourself with the power of the Mirakuru, then I will tell anyone who will listen of your transcendent prowess."

Her husband's eyes roamed her face in amazement, and he reached for her. "I don't know what I did to deserve you."

"You died."

Oliver snorted; his eyes were clear of memories. "Only you could say that to me."

"I am your wife."

"And I'm thankful for that," he whispered, eyes enveloping her. "You've kept me sane. You've kept me alive even when I was dead."

Nyssa raised a brow as his words washed over her, soothing her. "I believe you misremember your resurrection. It was your fortitude that- "

"Maybe. But it was also you and Maseo. You've been with me every step of the way, and I'm… I'm glad you see enough reasons to keep doing it."

"We are married," she remarked simply. "I feel no desire to change our situation."

Oliver suddenly tensed, eyes clouding, and she feared that she had somehow offended him.

"What is it?"

"I don't know when, but Obliteration is coming," he revealed quietly, eyes storming with emotions. "The erasure of one's former life, the death of one's home."

Silence.

Nyssa closed her eyes briefly, nodding her head in understanding. "You are obligated to unleash death on Starling City."

"And I need to talk him out of it."

"You are that desperate?"

His eyes sparked with living lightning. "Of course, I am. If I was fine with 'unleashing death' on Starling, I would have let Malcolm or Slade destroy it. And I also would have left it to H.I.V.E., Darhk, and whoever the hell Vandal is."

"Perhaps you could suggest an exchange," Nyssa offered in consideration. "Rescinding Obliteration for something of value?"

Oliver remained quiet for several moments, brows furrowed with painful intensity. "What could I exchange?" he asked, squeezing his eyes shut. "I can't hold me being his heir over his head, I'm already married to you, we're already consistent in sleeping together, and there's no treasure in the world that he doesn't already have. I don't know what to suggest in exchange."

Nyssa stared at the light of the moon casting over her husband. "Could you logically dissuade him? He would listen to you. He values your knowledge and perspective more than I ever thought possible. If he is capable of love, he loves you as his son."

"I could only get him to compromise," her husband admitted, running a heavy hand through his hair. "I could never get him to outright reject Obliteration."

"Then how could you compromise? What is a compromise that Ra's al Ghul would consider?"

Oliver stared at his hands, silent, and Nyssa waited patiently. Gentle gusts of wind blew through the open balcony doors, brushing through her long raven hair, and she remembered how the wind had been different on the mountain when Ra's al Ghul had slaughtered her husband.

It had been a tempest, a freezing and painful lash to flesh, a foreboding omen that Death was near, that Ra's al Ghul's power was supreme.

"I could suggest a personal cleansing," her husband finally said after minutes of silence, slowly meeting her gaze. "One where I just go to kill all the evil-doers, none of the innocents."

"You are desperate," Nyssa murmured in surprise despite herself, doubtful her father would accept such a proposal. "Are you ready- "

"But they'd never let that happen," Oliver interrupted, eyes looking at nothing and everything. "They'd fight to stop it, to stop me, and I'd be forced to kill them."

Nyssa knew he spoke of his sister and former team.

"Are you ready to challenge Ra's al Ghul for his mantle?"

"No."

"You plot his demise," she reminded.

"He'd be disappointed if I wasn't," her husband retorted. "I'm supposed to take his place. But last time I really fought him… he threw me off that mountain."

Images flashed before Nyssa's eyes, memories that she wished to now forget. "You are wary of the past repeating itself."

Oliver's fingers curled into powerful fists, and he stared at them; he seemed elsewhere. "I died once because of him. I don't want to do it again. I can't. It wasn't… pleasant."

"It was not," Nyssa agreed, pain flaring in her heart.

"I don't know what to do."

"Ra's al Ghul gazes at you with pride I have never before witnessed," she pointed out kindly. "In his eyes, you are his son. He would not kill you. He may defeat you, but he would train you further until you are superior to him."

"But he would punish me somehow - through you. I can't have anything happen to you."

Nyssa remained silent, for she knew if Ra's al Ghul believed her husband could be motivated by her agony, he would surely inflict on her the gravest of injuries.

Oliver sighed. "I'll… I'll think of something. If it comes down to the wire, I'll do whatever I can to stop it."

"Is that prudent?"

"If you haven't noticed, I'm good at improvising."

Nyssa ruminated for several seconds. "If I revealed I am with child, would that prevent- "

Her husband's gaze snapped to meet hers sharply, eyes on fire with intensity and something else she could not discern. Was it yearning? Hope? Fear? Dread? "Are you?"

"No," she clarified. "But such a declaration may delay Starling City's demise."

"It wouldn't buy time," Oliver muttered, rubbing a heavy hand over his face; she wished to relieve him of his burden. "It'd probably advance the timetable, honestly. He'd want to get everything straightened out before the birth, make sure the future's secured. He's obsessed with it. And he'd have you examined by the servants and priestess, anyway. The deception wouldn't last long. Probably not even a day."

"How much time do you anticipate before the erasure of Starling City?"

"I don't know. I'll think of something."

"Will you share your plan?"

"I may give you plausible deniability." Oliver suddenly stood to his feet, walking towards the balcony. "I need to think."

Nyssa watched him stand on the balcony for several minutes, eyes drawn to the tightness of his body, the stiffness of his posture that alerted her of his teeming emotions than his words possibly could.

She finally approached him slowly, brushing her fingers across his taut neck, feeling the pulsing muscles beneath his heated flesh. She applied pressure and kneaded gently as she had in the past.

"Your thoughts are a beacon, Husband," Nyssa whispered with a kind smile. "Do not shut me out. I am your wife, and I desire to share your burden more than I fear Ra's al Ghul."

Oliver's breathing relaxed in sync with his pulsing muscles, and he hung his head while she continued her ministrations. "I fear him more than I want to share the burden."

"You misunderstand," she said softly but firmly. "I refuse to be shut out."

"Is that a threat?" her husband asked with small amusement. "I'm Warith al Ghul. I heard some of the Shadows whispering that my glory sears the eyes of Ra's al Ghul's enemies like lightning."

Nyssa raised an unseen eyebrow. "It is a truth I myself will sing to anyone who doubts such renown. However, the feel of my body will not sear your senses like lightning if you persist in your stubbornness."

A brief but genuine chuckle filled the air. "You're going to withhold sex unless I do what you want? You'll hold it over my head?"

"Yes."

Oliver shook his head, and Nyssa felt his inward laughter surge through the muscles she kneaded, but none of the laughter escaped him. "I didn't think you'd ever make that threat, but I don't know why."

"Desist from your mulish efforts of stoicism, Husband," she urged, frustration with him bubbling inside her. "If you insist on stoicism, you will not enjoy my body as I know you do."

"That's a good threat," Oliver praised, still staring up at the brilliant stars above Nanda Parbat visible from their balcony. "It's really good. It makes me think you've used it before."

Nyssa narrowed her eyes. "Diversion is futile. Speak plainly. Indulge in your bluntness." Her voice softened, and she allowed the weight of her anxiety to form words on her tongue. "I worry for you. Permit your wife to share your burden, Husband. I wish to relieve and soothe you as I have always done. Please."

Silence.

"I don't understand the need for Obliteration," Oliver finally murmured, voice carrying innate frustration, and she felt her own frustration with him diminish. "It makes no sense. I've already accepted my destiny. I'm Prince to The Demon's Head's throne, and I will be Ra's al Ghul. My home is now in Nanda Parbat with you. Starling City's in the past, and my mission is bigger now. I don't have just them to think about. I have the world itself. I need to maintain balance, but Starling City's done nothing to warrant death. There may be crime there, but the crimes of Starling exist in every city in the world. Am I supposed to erase all cities?"

"Only the presence of malevolence evokes the wrath of The Demon's Head," Nyssa recited. "You must replace evil with death."

"I guess the only evil thing about Starling City is that it's where I was born," her husband muttered with bitterness. "That's enough for the death of so many innocents?"

She smiled sadly. "It is the will of Ra's al Ghul."

Oliver exhaled roughly, simmering with doubt and anxiety. "There's nothing honorable about Obliteration."

Nyssa inhaled sharply, swiftly turning her husband to face her; their gazes locked - excited versus weariness. "Honor. That is how you convince Ra's al Ghul to rescind Obliteration. Only you can deter his illogical logic by appealing to his sense of honor. I know it. I have seen it."

"You think that would work?"

"It is the only possibility of success," she urged. "Ra's al Ghul is a man of honor as you are. Discern a resolution over your shared honor. Tell him that Obliteration is not honorable and explain why. Explain why your honorable nature, the same nature he admires, despises Obliteration."

Oliver stared at her silently for several tense moments before the shadows in his eyes vanished, replaced by relieved wonder. "Thank you. I think that may work. It's the only thing that would. I would have never thought of it."

"While sharing your burden perhaps raises complications, it more so produces relief, does it not?"

"It does," he breathed out. "Whatever I say can't tell you how much I'm grateful for you. Thank you."

Nyssa's lips curled, and her hands shifted to cup his face; she gently pulled his face down and kissed him softly. "Perhaps you might show me," she murmured. "Whatever burden remains will be washed away."

"I'm glad I can still get seared by lightning," Oliver whispered, smiling; he pulled her to the bed. "I hope that threat never comes to pass."

"As do I, Husband."

XxXxXxXxXxX

"I heard everything," Diggle informed to Roy and Thea as they entered the new bunker provided by Lyla; he stared at their disgruntled faces. "Another bust."

Roy slammed his bow on the table with frustration, the sound reverberating like a gunshot. "We're not even putting a dent into whatever the hell is going on. This new player, whoever he is, he's funneling weapons into the city, and of course, people are taking the weapons like they're made of gold. For all we know, they are. It's a lot."

Diggle nodded. "I know. These new weapons on the streets are more than likely military-grade. Somehow, he's one step ahead of us."

"More like five or six," Thea corrected heatedly, irritation carved into her face; her expression briefly reminded Diggle of Oliver. "Every guy we run into on the street fears this new player more than us. They won't tell us anything."

"He's dropping bodies, too," Roy noted tiredly, hanging his head. "Every time we seem to get close, all we get is a dead body. He knows what we're gonna do."

"You said he left something this time on the comms," Diggle pressed, eyes drawn to the green of The Arrow armor. It had stopped looking strange on Roy after several missions after Oliver had first left.

Roy pulled out a throwing star; Diggle's eyebrows rose at the quality of it. Thick, sheening metal glimmered under the bunker's pristine lights, and he noted that the throwing star was similarly shaped to The Arrow's arrowheads.

"It's a calling card as far as I can tell," Roy said. "And there was a note attached to it."

Thea seemingly summoned the note out of thin air. "Whoever this guy is, he knows about Ollie."

Diggle's eyes widened. "What? Let me see it."

She handed it to him, and he held the paper in his hand, eyes drawn to the meticulous lettering written in blood:

Tell that father-murderer you know as Oliver that as Prometheus rebelled against tyrannical Zeus, I rebel against his perverted authority. I want his head as the price for his transgressions against me. You're wrong to think you can stop me without him. Call him away from his cradle of power in Nanda Parbat, or you will see what I will do to his city. He won't need to obliterate it. I'll do it for him soon enough if he doesn't come out from the protection of the Shadows.

Diggle paled, seeing the confirmation in Roy and Thea's faces. "You've had more time to think about this than me. Do you have any ideas? Who is this guy?"

"Someone who hates Ollie," Thea whispered, face drawn with anxiety but steady confidence. "We'll stop him. He won't tear down his legacy like he clearly wants to."

"I'm more concerned about how he knows so much," Roy cut in. "How does he know any of that? He clearly knows that Oliver used to be The Arrow, that he's now in Nanda Parbat with Ra's al Ghul, and that the Shadows are Ra's al Ghul's warriors who would all die for Oliver without thought since he's the Heir. Does that mean he knows who we are?"

"We have contingencies in place," Thea reminded. "Lyla helped us, remember?"

"I'm prepared for the worst, though."

"That sounds like something Ollie would say."

"Who do you think told it to me constantly?"

A laugh filled the air. "That sounds like him, too."

Diggle didn't say anything for several moments, reading over the note again before his gaze snapped upward. "'Father-murder,'" he repeated, ideas forming. "This guy called Oliver a 'father-murderer.'"

Thea nodded. "Whoever it is, he holds a grudge 'cause Ollie killed his dad."

"A son wanting revenge for his old man's death," Roy murmured. "That's a story that's been told before."

"Many times," Diggle agreed. "The dad was someone who must have been killed in the past years since Oliver started as The Arrow."

"The first year," Roy corrected. "Oliver killed in that first year before Merlyn's earthquake."

Diggle glanced at Thea, and he felt proud when she didn't react to the mention of Merlyn. "You're right. That narrows it down significantly," he pointed out in relief. "A man who was killed by Oliver in his first year. He was probably on the List." He looked around the bunker. "I'll try to find it. I brought it with us when we changed to this bunker because I knew it was too important to toss out. I don't know where it is - things got misplaced in the move - but I'll look for it."

"It was probably a guy in his sixties," Thea mused. "Maybe seventies. Based on what we've seen, this new player- "

"Prometheus," Diggle interrupted. "We'll call him Prometheus since that's who he seems to see himself as."

Thea blinked before nodding. "This Prometheus guy seems- "

"Wait," Roy cut in, waving his hands. "What was that stuff about Zeus? What am I missing?"

Diggle quickly explained, "Zeus was the King of the gods in Greek Mythology- "

"I know that. What about Prometheus? What's the connection to Zeus?"

"Prometheus was a Titan who- … I guess he had sympathy for humanity because he stole fire from Olympus to give to humanity, to save them from the darkness of Zeus' tyranny. Zeus punished Prometheus for his crime and imprisoned him, and I think an eagle would eat his liver every day. I think that's the gist of it, but it's been a while since I've read any mythology."

Roy nodded in understanding. "With this job, who could?"

Thea rolled her eyes. "So, this Prometheus guy thinks that Ollie was a tyrant 'cause his dad was killed? His dad was probably a tyrant businessman! An asshole! The dad was probably Zeus, and Ollie was acting as Prometheus!"

"If he was on the List, you're right," Diggle agreed, noting but not voicing the fact that Thea's hatred of tyrannical businessmen stemmed from her experiences with Merlyn. "What were you saying about his age?"

"Prometheus seems like he's really good based on the bodies he's been dropping, so he's had a lot of training - training that takes years to master."

Roy nodded in agreement. "I don't know how I'd do if I went up against him. He's ruthless- "

"And insane," Thea added.

"And he drops bodies like a crime lord, like Thea said," Roy continued. "We may be wrong about his skills, but that's what we need to prepare for. And if his reaction to his dad's death is this, killing people and trying to destroy the city through weapons to maybe start a war, then he's young- "

"And emotionally stunted," Diggle finished in understanding. Roy had clearly thought it through already. "I bet he's around your own age, Roy - twenty-four, twenty-five. Maybe a little older."

"That's what I was thinking." Roy sighed heavily, gesturing towards the throwing star. "But he's got resources. He's also smart and well-informed. How the hell could he possibly know any of that stuff about Oliver? I could see him somehow figuring out he was The Arrow 'cause I'm pretty sure Bruce figured it out, but the stuff about Nanda Parbat and the Shadows? I don't see how."

Thea finally sat down in the chair nearest to her, face twisted with concern. "Do you think… Laurel or Felicity may have accidentally let something slip when talking to someone?"

Diggle considered it for only a second. "No," he answered, shaking his head. "Laurel's a lawyer; she knows how to keep something under wraps. And while Felicity can speak without thinking, it's mostly always been harmless."

"And funny," Roy added with amusement.

"If Felicity was going to let information about Oliver slip, she would have done it before Oliver ever left for Nanda Parbat. She would have done it years ago."

Thea's eyes widened. "Do you think there's a traitor in the League?"

Roy snorted. "Not a chance. It's more likely this Prometheus guy is actually sane than a Shadow betraying Ra's al Ghul."

"What if this is some… some test or trick by Ra's al Ghul?"

Diggle frowned. "I doubt Ra's al Ghul would set up such a ploy. We don't even know where Nanda Parbat is, and we don't have a way to get in touch with Oliver, which Ra's would know because he somehow knows everything." He held up the note for emphasis. "This reeks of vengeance. It's not Ra's."

"How are we gonna handle it?" Roy asked, clasping his hands in front of him as he finally sat down across from Thea. "The League would only come if there was chaos, and we're not letting it get to that point. We're not gonna let this guy become a bigger threat."

"Right now, he's a ghost," Thea said. "He probably knows our names, but we don't know his. We need to change that."

Diggle nodded. "Exactly. I'll start going through the List once I find it and take a look at all the older men Oliver killed, the ones in their fifties, sixties, and seventies. There won't be many. We'll look into these men's children and go from there. If I run into problems, I may talk to Felicity to see what she can do."

"And Thea and I will keep going out to try to get these weapons to the cops," Roy assured. "We'll catch a break sooner or later."

"I think so," Thea concurred.

Diggle hoped they were right - and he would be by their side regardless.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Simon whipped the throwing star into the wall with ferocity, peace washing over him. No, it wasn't peace. It was confidence, readiness, and eagerness. He knew the message had been sent to Queen's weak and pathetic bitch sister and former team.

If only Queen was still in Starling City instead of protected in Nanda Parbat like a balls-less coward. Vandal had told him about the League and Ra's al Ghul, about how Queen would inevitably return to Starling City to unleash Obliteration on his former home. That was when Simon would meet Queen and avenge his father, savagely beating the murderer of his father, but he wouldn't kill him.

No. Killing Queen was an impossibility, for Vandal wanted him - why, Simon still hadn't been able to figure out. What would a deathless immortal want with Queen? Out of all the men throughout history, why was Queen so important to Vandal? He had heard Vandal mention that Queen possessed the true will to survive as Vandal himself possessed it, for no other man in history besides perhaps the previous incarnations of Ra's al Ghul have ever possessed it.

The only connection between Vandal and Queen is their shared will to survive, apparently, so what else could there possibly be?

Could Vandal actually be Queen's father? It was a possibility that Simon was more than willing to consider. He didn't know what Vandal looked like, but if he looked into his Master's eyes, would he see the eyes that his father saw as he was murdered by Queen? Vandal was godlike in his skills, beyond anyone in history, for his learning curve of progression never faltered since he was deathless, incapable of succumbing to inevitable decay like everyone else. Simon knew that Queen was exceptionally skilled, as well, drawing the eye of Ra's al Ghul himself, the second most skilled and dangerous man in the world behind Vandal, which he had heard from Vandal's own lips. Was the source of Queen's skills derived from the immortality that Vandal had?

Was Queen Vandal's son instead of Robert Queen's?

But did it matter? If Vandal was as old as he claimed, and Simon wholeheartedly believed him, then, surely, he had sired countless children through the ages of history. Probably millions. If Queen was his son, what made Queen so special? What made him different from any other potential sons that Vandal had ever had in his immortal existence?

Footsteps approached from behind, and Simon slowly turned his head, seeing the low-life - Morsley - shuffle into the room.

"That shit's done," Morsley notified, unconcerned by the blood pooled in the corner of the room. It was from the man he had killed, and thus used his blood to write his message to Queen's bitch sister. Morsley's eyes were drawn to the attractive whore sitting on the couch, the reason why Simon had been able to get the man. "The cameras saw 'em take it."

"And the throwing star?"

Morsley's eyes raked over the whore. "How 'bout as payment, you lemme have a turn with her when you're through?"

"Get your own."

"What corner'd ya get her from? Maybe she's got a sister."

The whore smiled, blatantly pushing her breasts out, and Morsley wasn't the only one who stared. "Meet me later tonight, and I'll spill all my secrets."

"How 'bout now?"

"That's up to your boss."

Morsely turned to him, face bold. "Whaddaya say?"

"You heard what I said," Simon snapped. "Get your own."

"That ain't fair- "

"What about the throwing star?" he asked again, barely maintaining his patience. He didn't want to kill Morsley - he was so useful - but he would if he kept it up.

"I'm tellin' ya, it's all gone."

Simon smiled under his mask. "Good. Get out before I kill you like The Arrow."

Morsley left quickly.

"Do you want me to leave?"

He glanced at the whore sitting on the couch, refusing to look at the blood across the room in the corner. She had been the one to bring the man to him, accepting extra payment to lead Simon to him. She had looked pale when he disposed of the body, but he had paid her well. She wouldn't dare leave before their business was concluded.

Simon considered her, drawing his gaze over the slit in her dress, seeing the tantalizing flesh underneath; arousal stirred inside him.

"No, you stay," he ordered softly, but the modulator made his words boom regardless. "I'll be with you in a minute."

The whore stayed quiet for several seconds while Simon went to the desk, looking over the blueprints–

"You the one smuggling the weapons onto the street?

He turned to her. "What's it to you?"

She shrugged, her large breasts stretching the fabric of her dress with the movement; he stared. "You paid me a lot of money. I have to wonder where it came from."

"Do you care?"

"Not really. How'd you get the weapons into the city?"

"If you offer someone money, they'll let you do anything you want. But look who I'm telling. You know all about that."

The whore smiled. "Resourceful," she praised. "And smart."

"Very," Simon agreed. "It's all coming together."

"For what?"

"My revenge," Simon answered willingly. "I'm doing this to settle a score. No one's ever challenged his authority, but I am. We will be each other's deaths, and our clash will destroy this city. I am Prometheus, but this time, Zeus won't win. I've seen to it."

The whore only raised a perfectly manicured brow, apparently used to overhearing calamities regarding the city. "That's some bad blood. Who's Zeus?"

"The Arrow."

Silence.

"Good luck," she finally said with a laugh, clearly thinking he was crazy. "You said The Arrow earlier, but I didn't believe you. Is this why you paid for me? Because my pussy will be the last pussy you ever get before The Arrow sends you to Iron Heights?"

Simon's eyes widened with outrage, and he approached her, sitting on the couch next to her. "That's not it! I get plenty, and I'll always get plenty. But I can tell you something about The Arrow that very few people know. Something you certainly don't know."

"Like what?"

"His identity. Oliver Queen was The Arrow."

The whore blinked before laughing. "Bullshit," she chortled out, genuinely amused. "There's no way in hell that pretty boy was The Arrow. And he's dead now. It's too bad. He grew into a real hottie after his stay on that island. I heard from sisters in the business who said they fucked him that his dick was amazing."

"That motherfucker will be lucky if I don't take that from him," he snapped, enraged at the compliments being given to his father's murderer! "He's not dead, you stupid bitch! He's in Nanda Parbat!"

She stared at him, confused. "Whatever. All I know is that The Arrow's still around. It's not Oliver Queen."

Simon grit his teeth. "Roy Harper's The Arrow now. He took over when Queen left for Nanda Parbat to join the League of Assassins, the piece of shit. When I'm through with him, he's gonna wish his father never fucked his mother. And then I'm gonna slit his sister's throat in front of him. I may fuck her. I haven't decided yet."

The whore tensed and inched off the couch. "I think I had another appointment- "

"You're not going anywhere," Simon hissed out, and he watched in delight as sudden fear flashed in her eyes before she smiled tightly.

"Whatever you want, baby."

"That's better," he praised. "Then I'm gonna kill all of Queen's loved ones. And if I've heard correctly, Queen got himself a wife. If she's balls-hot like I think she is, I may keep her alive to perform the same services you perform. And then Queen will hopefully die with that knowledge. But it depends on what Vandal wants."

The whore stared at him, aghast. "Why? What did he ever do to you?"

Memories assaulted his consciousness, and Simon growled, vibrations resonating through his chest. "He murdered my father. He murdered a lot of guys' fathers, but I don't care about them. Queen went after my father- "

"Look, I'm tired of talking about a dead guy, no matter how hot he was," she protested. Did she just roll her eyes? "Are we gonna fuck or not?"

"Watch your fucking mouth," he snapped.

The whore smiled, hiding her fear, and she slipped off the couch; she then approached him on her knees. "No, you watch my mouth."

Arousal surged through his body, clouding his mind with overwhelming lust. Her hands clasped his pants, and Simon quickly found the straps underneath, slipping out of them.

"You taking the mask off, lover?"

"Let's have some suspense," he murmured, reclining into the cushions, excitement rushing through his blood as the whore positioned herself between his legs, his erection her target. "But not too much. Get started."

Simon's head fell back as she began her ministrations, eyes closing in bliss, but after several amazing moments, they snapped open when his phone rang.

There was only one person who could be calling.

"Get out!" he boomed, scrambling to his feet. "But don't leave. Just leave the room."

The whore looked confused and exasperated - was that relief? - before exiting.

He quickly grabbed the phone, and he took several breaths to clear his mind of the fog of lust; he needed to be prepared for Vandal. He took off his hood and mask because his Master hated the voice modulator.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"You nearly did not answer. Have I inconvenienced you, Simon?"

"I was in the middle of something," he defended; there was no lust now, only wariness of disappointing his Master.

"Philandering with whores again?"

Simon chuckled. "Something like that. I hadn't gotten what I paid for yet. It was only just starting."

"This should not be overlong," his Master assured, and Simon was continually relieved his Master was understanding and even sympathetic. "How is your progression?"

"I made sure his sister and friends got the message," he reported. "I gave them the ultimatum. If they know how to contact Queen, he'll come out of that palace in Nanda Parbat. Probably on a horse, that bullshit hero."

"Nanda Parbat is the palace," his Master corrected. "It is a fortress beyond any in this world. Through the centuries since the League's inception, the mountain itself has been forged and carved to suit Ra's al Ghul's desires. Countless tunnels, caverns, and passages snake through immortal stone. It is a maze that one only ever comprehends after initiation. Not even I would besiege Nanda Parbat with an army. Not yet. Ra's al Ghul's Shadows are too concentrated and dense in their home with innumerable advantages since Nanda Parbat is perfectly positioned."

"They got the message," Simon repeated. "And even if they can't get Queen out of Nanda Parbat themselves, he'll leave soon enough for Obliteration, right?"

"Perhaps. League tradition stipulates that Obliteration must occur before Warith al Ghul is reborn as Ra's al Ghul."

"How do you know so much about the League?"

"Your predecessor was most forthcoming."

"I'll get it right where he failed," Simon promised. "And when I get my hands on Queen, when he comes for Obliteration- "

"Obliteration may not occur for years," his Master interrupted. "Ra's al Ghul must decide when his heir is ready. My gaze on Nanda Parbat is sharp, but I can see no further than its outward potency. I know nothing of the inside, of what Ra's al Ghul and Queen have done since my organization's destruction. Since their inception, I have avoided a war with the League due to- "

"Years?" he interrupted with a clenched jaw. "I can't wait for years! You may be able to with your immortality, but I can't!"

"Your acceptance of reality and the natural order is good. Accept them further. You will wait until Obliteration to deal with Queen."

"I can't wait for years!"

"Remember your place, Simon."

Simon swallowed. "Yes, Vandal. I'll wait for as long as it takes. But wouldn't it be better for Obliteration to happen sooner?"

"Only for you. My plan will not be hindered by your- "

"It would help you, too," Simon protested. "The sooner Queen comes for Obliteration, the less prepared he could be for me."

"Perhaps. I must ruminate on sending provocation to Ra's al Ghul to entice him to move towards Obliteration. We must wait and see. My patience endures longer than stone, but I understand that yours does not. Summon whatever patience you can, Simon. The harm you wish to unleash on Queen is near, but it must be the correct time."

"I'm gonna shove a scalding poker up that piss-ant's ass. And then I'll crush his balls with a clamp."

"Your loathing for him is deep."

"If Queen invaded Hell itself, I'd side with Satan over that motherfucker."

"You would side with me," his Master snapped, and Simon stiffened, sweat breaking out on his forehead; fear surged through his mind like a lunging serpent. "I assure you, Simon - whatever loathing you feel towards Queen is insignificant next to the hatred I have suffered. I have mastered my hate instead of succumbing to its potency. It does not control me. Hatred controlled your predecessor just as your hate controls you. Of all losses for mortals, time is the most complete and irrecuperable, for it can never be redeemed. But for me, it is always redeemed. I endure the changing of the seasons without end. Remember, I molded you with greatness, but if you do not prove your worthiness and redeem yourself, I will reduce you to ruin."

Simon swallowed. "I understand."

"What ingresses have you procured for yourself besides the message?"

"I thought I had an in with the balls-hot blonde at the tech company," he answered, "but she's got a giant 'fuck off' stamped on her forehead. Apparently, she was fucking that Ray Palmer before he died. I guess she's missing his dick."

"You are crass."

"You knew what you were getting," he dared boldly as a test; he needed to see how far he could go.

"Now you are brazen," his Master warned, voice carrying the promise of his wrath, of his potential fate to suffer more than he thought possible if he continued. "Tread lightly."

Simon paused for a moment. "You want my brazenness, don't you? It's what you saw in me- "

"I want it directed at Queen. Never at me. Remember to whom you are beholden. To whom much is given, much is expected. I expect you to not succumb to the weakness of your predecessor. I expect you to direct your brazen nature against Queen. I expect your obedience. I demand it."

"I understand."

"Do not think yourself wiser than me," his Master warned, and Simon felt the sweat drip down his face; he could feel a tangible grip on his soul. "I have lived eons. I have watched the rise and fall of every empire to grace this world, and none could compare to me, even with the combined greatness of history's foremost thinkers and leaders. Indeed, they were great, and their works and legacies endured for centuries, but I am greater and still endure. Whereas they are only footnotes in history, I am history, Simon."

Simon swallowed thickly. "I understand."

"Good. What ingresses have you procured?"

"I've tried Queen's ex-girlfriend, but it seems that she's done with that life. She's in the D.A.'s office. I'm keeping tabs on his sister. I've thought about seducing her, but she's not gonna cheat on Roy Harper. I'll think of something, Vandal, don't worry."

"Your ruminations must be fruitful. Do not fail, Simon."

"I won't- "

Click.

Silence.

Simon slowly removed the phone from his ear, putting it away. He closed his eyes and stood there for several moments, breathing in and out, calming the worry in his mind; he needed a distraction. It was time to finish what had been interrupted.

Putting his hood and mask back on, he opened the door, expecting the whore to be waiting for him, but no one was there.

Fury surged through his mind.

"Where'd she go?" he roared, voice echoing through the warehouse. "Where's that stupid bitch?"

Morsley ran up the stairs to meet him, face concerned before he stared in confusion. "What the fuck? Where are your pants?"

Simon remembered that he was nude from below the waist, and he was thankful he had his mask. "Where's the whore?"

"Oh, I get it," Morsley said, nodding. "She didn't finish ya off? And to think I was wantin' a go with her."

"Where is she?"

"She high-tailed it outta here a few minutes ago. I tried askin' for one of her sisters, but that bitch said she had another appointment."

"What?"

"You shoulda come out sooner 'cause I didn't know she was takin' off with your dough," Morsley defended. "I woulda stopped her. She didn't say nothin' about not finishing you off, the stupid bitch. But I gotta be honest, man, I can kinda see it. With that little pencil stub you got between your legs, I don't see how she could even tell. 'Least I know now why you wear that fuckin' mask- "

He was cut off by the throwing star embedded in his throat, and Simon watched with glee as Morsley collapsed to the ground, choking on his blood, quickly dying.

That was certainly one way to relieve his tension.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Oliver watched silently as the sun peaked over the horizon, basking the landscape in a brilliant, warm, orange hue. Normally, he would have already left to meet Ra's al Ghul, but he remained rooted in his position, naked, sitting on the side of the bed, limbs not responding to his halfhearted commands.

Ra's al Ghul had the Mirakuru and was responsible for its creation.

It was a shock he had never expected to be forced to confront, to have the knowledge that the Mirakuru was still part of his life and would now be forever part of it in his body, transmitting him into transcendency. There was a small amount of anticipation, for he remembered what someone under the Mirakuru was capable of, but much more than the anticipation, there was fear and dread so thick he could taste it despite Ra's al Ghul's assurances that the Mirakuru was perfected, which he knew were true because Ra's al Ghul would never subject his heir to insanity. It would doom the League to destruction.

But the Mirakuru had ultimately doomed Shado, Slade, and so many other men to destruction. Oliver had watched it happen, powerless to change it, but now he had a chance to change it. He could permanently rid the world of the evil of the Mirakuru.

However, the Mirakuru was no longer evil. Only the first batch was evil, not the second one, which had been refined over decades of advances in chemistry, biochemistry, and technology.

As he had told Nyssa, the Mirakuru was a potentially invaluable asset he could utilize, and logically, he should imbue himself with it, but emotionally, the memories of the past, of the suffering and agony he endured due to the Mirakuru, haunted him.

The sheets rustled behind him, and he heard Nyssa's breathing change. Quickly, the weight of the bed shifted as she sat up and scooted over to reach him. He felt peace wash over him when her smooth bare arm crossed his chest and her head gently rested against his back.

"You are brazen, Husband," she murmured, voice carrying remnants of sleep, but it was steadily reviving in strength. "To linger when expected by Ra's al Ghul is treason."

Oliver didn't react, still staring at the rising sun. "He'll make an exception."

"Very brazen," Nyssa repeated, amusement coloring her words; her voice had fully revived in strength, and thus, he drew strength from her. "He admires your brazen disposition."

"Al Sah-him's not that way."

"But you are," she observed, voice quiet with intensity. "Last night, you were most brazen. I fear Ra's al Ghul saw and heard."

Oliver sighed heavily, for he had realized that when he woke up earlier when the sun was a sliver over the horizon, casting a barely visible glow. For all of the hard work he and Nyssa had put in to keep his survival a secret, to maintain the façade that Al Sah-him was dominant, he had ruined it last night.

He had relented to Al Sah-him's intrusion to his psyche eventually, for it was so much easier to deal with Ra's al Ghul, to talk to him and train with him, when he allowed Al Sah-him dominance. He hated and feared Ra's al Ghul, and Al Sah-him had continually ensured that he never acted on that hatred or fear to the detriment of both himself and Nyssa.

Al Sah-him allowed him freedom away from Ra's al Ghul, actually. It maintained a separation from his murderer, a distance that also made sure he didn't go insane.

Oliver was thankful for Al Sah-him, but Ra's al Ghul may now be privy to the deception because he had potentially ruined it last night.

"I fucked up," he acknowledged softly. "I'm sorry."

"Your apology is misplaced," Nyssa assured gently with understanding. "I am not angry or disappointed. I am worried."

"You do that a lot."

"We are married," she said simply, and Oliver was still blown away by the fact that their marriage wasn't the nightmare he had originally thought it would be. "You are my husband, and I am your wife."

Oliver reached up and held her soft and smaller hand against his chest. "I'll figure it out. Maybe he didn't hear or see it."

He could feel Nyssa's irritation and anxiety. "Do not think so foolishly," she chided. "The knowledge of your survival is most distressing if he is cognizant of it."

"You think so?" he asked, not sure why he did, for he knew the answer just as she did.

Nyssa's arm tightened around his chest, a signal of her worry. "His wrath would burn if he knew of your survival."

Oliver raised her hand and pressed his lips against the soft skin. "Then I should stay in here with you."

"I am touched by your adulation, but will you be punished for your tardiness?"

"No."

"Are you lying?"

A brief laugh escaped him. "Most likely, he'll compliment me."

"Elaborate," she demanded, the familiar tone in her voice warming his heart.

"I'll tell him I was trying to 'sire an heir' with you. That would tide him over it."

He felt her lips stretch against his back into a smile, and she kissed his shoulder for a brief moment, above the dragon tattoo. She knew the story about Shado, for Oliver had told her everything. He had initially feared that Nyssa might perhaps feel jealous, but she hadn't been.

Only fury had saturated her beautiful face - "To be murdered so cruelly for nonexistent crimes reeks of malevolence."

Oliver had wholeheartedly agreed, for Ivo had reeked more than almost anyone.

"I'll talk to him," he finally said after several moments. "No matter what happens, I'm not going anywhere. I've been through too much to keel over and let myself be erased."

Nyssa relaxed, and he felt her breasts press against his back. "I believe you," she whispered.

"We'll come to an agreement," Oliver assured. "I'll play it smart, make him happy by saying I was busy trying to 'sire an heir,' and then I tell him the truth, which he may know."

She hummed against his shoulder, and her fingers grazed his skin, tracing his scars, producing sparks of pleasure. "If you are to triumph in reaching an agreement with Ra's al Ghul, he must not know of your deception. We must induce this falsehood of you once more attempting to sire an heir into reality."

Oliver smiled. "That's a complicated way of saying you want a third round."

"Ra's al Ghul would commend your virility," Nyssa murmured, pressing her breasts against his back with fervor. "It is only rational and prudent to ensure his geniality. Why supply him with a deception when you can supply him with a truth?"

Oliver turned his head and found her lips with his. "You're very convincing."

A beautiful smile met his eyes, something only he was permitted to see; it was a fact he cherished. Only he saw her at her most vulnerable, when she was her truest self - and she saw the same of him.

He laid her on the bed and tried 'siring an heir' once more.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Al Sah-him entered Ra's al Ghul's inner sanctum, but his Master was nowhere to be seen. One of the servant girls was attending to the torches, cleaning the ashes from the floor.

"Where is Ra's al Ghul?" he intoned.

She gasped and bowed before him, long hair hiding her face. "Al Sah-him."

"Where is Ra's al Ghul?"

"I cannot say."

Al Sah-him stared down at her. "Do not lie to me."

Fear filled the air; he could taste it. "Al Sah-him, I would never lie to you, nor to any servant of Ra's al Ghul. I would sooner cut out my heart as a sacrifice."

"Did he leave a message for me?"

The girl shook her head, eyes still riveted on the stone; all he could see was the back of her head. "I do not know The Demon's Head's location, nor would I ever speculate- "

Suddenly, an overwhelming feeling swept over Al Sah-him's body, overtaking him; a piercing beacon illuminated his consciousness, and the urge to find its source, to return to his Master was beyond conscious experience.

Al Sah-him did not struggle nor fight the beacon, only moving in its direction, leaving Ra's al Ghul's inner sanctum and the servant girl, passing through halls and fellow Shadows, none of whom experienced the beacon as he himself felt it.

Ra's al Ghul was summoning him - and he must obey.

Quickly, Al Sah-him realized where his Master dwelled - the treasure vault.

Built under Nanda Parbat itself, Ra's al Ghul's treasure vault housed the greatest riches and conquests of The Demon's Head through his reign of supremacy since the League's birth. Past ages and history itself endured in the treasure vault. Names forgotten by humanity still lived in the treasure vault. Warriors of old lived on in their weapons and armor, all decorated throughout the treasure vault.

Traveling through the secret passage, of which only himself and Ra's al Ghul were aware, Al Sah-him's eyes caught the mountains of glimmering gold, rare gemstones, diamonds, and other priceless minerals strewn through the massive cavern. The treasure vault was ordered, but it took effort to discern its order, for one's mind was consumed by the overwhelming riches Ra's al Ghul had accumulated through his reign of power in different lifetimes.

Al Sah-him passed countless beautiful weapons, engraved with ancient lettering and images, transcribing stories of cultures past. Heroic deeds and triumphs met his gaze, but he continued walking until he found his Master.

"This idol of Damien's fascinates me, Al Sah-him," Ra's al Ghul greeted without looking at him; his Master's gaze was rooted on Damien Darhk's mystical idol, sitting on a pedestal erected with stone. "I conducted research, and I discerned that its potency stems from Death itself."

Suddenly, the words of John Constantine from Oliver's memories escaped his lips. "It worships Death, and its power is unparalleled amongst mystical artifacts. It harnesses primordial energies, specifically death and destruction; it is a child of Evil."

Ra's al Ghul turned to him, intrigued. "You conducted research, as well?"

"Oliver Queen knew a mage," he answered. "He questioned him about Damien Darhk before accepting his destiny."

"Fascinating. Did he learn of anything else regarding this idol?"

"No."

"What observations can you forward about it based on your experience?"

"It is powerful," Al Sah-him supplied immediately. "If Damien Darhk had never entered Ray Palmer's armor, he would have defeated Oliver Queen if you chose not to intervene. No one in the world except The Demon's Head could defeat him with the idol. It was Fate's design that he intellectually failed during his final living days."

"Indeed. This idol represents supremacy, Al Sah-him," Ra's al Ghul mused, voice contemplative. "While Damien could never harm me due to my own supremacy over him, he was still supreme over any man in this world. However, he mentioned a 'great associate,' someone to whom he must have answered."

Oliver's memories sparked in his mind, and Al Sah-him nodded. "Oliver Queen believed that Damien Darhk was a figurehead for this Vandal, who was the true leader of H.I.V.E.'s forces."

"I have reached the same conclusion. To possess such a mighty artifact of his own skill and cunning contradicts the Damien I knew; he had always possessed clarity and the drive of his vision of the world, but he was never clever. I have concluded that he was supplied with the idol by the 'great associate' he mentioned - Vandal."

Al Sah-him nodded in agreement, but this time, he noticed a flash of light out of the corner of his eye. He turned and something inside him twisted - belonging to Oliver - at the sight of Ray Palmer's armor.

If Obliteration was near, he would eradicate Starling City and all its inhabitants, including Oliver's sister and friends, just as Damien Darhk had eradicated Ray Palmer.

"I sense something vexes you, Al Sah-him," Ra's al Ghul said, and he turned to face him, to meet his assessing gaze. "Unburden yourself, my son. Share your vexation."

Before Al Sah-him could ruminate on his decision, the words fell from his lips. "The Obliteration of Oliver Queen's home vexes me. It torments me." Suddenly, Oliver gained strength, and Al Sah-him said, "The Alpha and Omega killed countless people, and most of the people were undeserving."

"Speak plainly, Al Sah-him."

"As Ra's al Ghul, it will be my duty to replace evil with death to maintain balance, but the Alpha and Omega will kill everyone."

Ra's al Ghul stared at him, ancient eyes boring into his soul. "You disapprove."

"My job as The Demon's Head is not to kill those who follow balance, but to kill those who disobey it, to replace evil with death."

Silence.

"Does Oliver Queen disapprove, or does Al Sah-him?"

Al Sah-him maintained eye contact, freely surrendering himself to the gaze of Ra's al Ghul. "You have taught me honor that I have never known, but to kill those who are undeserving is not honorable. It would be no more honorable than Al Sa-her's Undertaking. I must be honorable."

"Al Sa-her's actions derived from his need for vengeance, the retribution he desperately sought. Your need derives from the point to prove yourself worthy of ascendancy."

"I need to prove that I can replace evil with death, Master," Al Sah-him dared, treading precariously. "I must reflect your teachings of honor and fortitude. It is the only way."

Ra's al Ghul's eyes considered him. "You disapprove due to your honorable nature… What do you propose?"

Al Sah-him remained quiet for several moments. "That I personally go to Starling City and replace evil with death by my hand."

"Evil will continue to rise, my son. It must be razed to nothingness, eradicated out of existence."

"Then Starling City must be abandoned by those maintaining balance."

His Master looked intrigued. "You suggest a forced migration?"

"The evil-doers would rebel and stay in the city, seeing opportunity for power. Then I would unleash death upon Starling City when the innocents are safe from harm. The migration would also temper the survivors, teaching them strength and honor - as I once learned."

Ra's al Ghul's lips curled. "I must ruminate on your suggestion, Al Sah-him, but I admire your trust to speak plainly to me. The League's future must be secured, and your honesty with me ensures we will not be stricken by mistrust nor deceit."

"Yes, Ra's."

"Indulge in your honesty further. Whom does Obliteration vex more - you or Oliver Queen?"

Al Sah-him bowed his head in defeat. "It vexes us both. Obliteration is not honorable nor logical when my existence is defined as a balance-keeper. I must meet evil with my sword and legions of Shadows to unleash death. Those who adhere to balance must be rewarded with life, with the ability to endure and teach their children and fellow man of the necessity of balance."

Ra's al Ghul's ancient eyes pierced through his soul. "And Oliver Queen?"

"If he accepted Obliteration, he would have permitted Al Sa-her's Undertaking, Slade Wilson's Mirakuru army, or Damien Darhk's evil. He is strong, and he refuses to be extinguished." Al Sah-him fell to his knees and held up his sword to Ra's al Ghul. "I accept whatever punishment you desire to bestow."

Silence.

Al Sah-him kept his head bowed down, eyes trained on the ancient stone, sword held above him.

Finally, the sword was taken from his hands.

"Lift your gaze, my son."

Al Sah-him lifted his head to meet Ra's al Ghul's eyes; the sword was held out for him to take.

"Your honesty imbues me with confidence," Ra's al Ghul remarked as Al Sah-him took the sword, standing to his feet. "Continually, you impress me and remind me that Fate itself molded you to be my heir. Your rationale fascinates me, and I admit that your logic is valid. I find that I need your guidance more than you need mine. That is what most impressed me and drew my gaze before your rebirth as Al Sah-him. The men who journey to Nanda Parbat search for guidance, a life imbued with purpose without the hindrance of suffering. Oliver Queen always sought both, but he achieved that life on his own due to his inner fortitude that not even Death could extinguish. Perhaps his survival benefits you, benefits the League."

"It does," Al Sah-him agreed, nodding his head. "I have long wanted him dead, but he existed first. I exist only because he allows me to. I am in his debt. He is strong."

Ra's al Ghul's eyes blazed with prideful warmth. "Indeed. If Oliver Queen refused his destiny, I would find much fault in his survival, but he accepts it. If Fate has willed he must survive, he must survive."

Oliver's relief was powerful, but Al Sah-him only nodded. "When I ascend to my destiny, I hope to be as wise as you."

"You will earn your wisdom," Ra's al Ghul assured before remaining silent for several moments. "What do you know of Vandal?"

"He was Damien Darhk's 'great associate,' someone interested in Oliver Queen. He wanted Oliver Queen alive, not dead."

Ra's al Ghul's eyes sparked. "He desires my son and heir for himself?"

"Oliver Queen never discerned why Vandal desired him alive," Al Sah-him notified, feeling proud that his Master felt so strongly about his importance to the League. "Damien Darhk seemed subservient to Vandal. Damien Darhk wanted Oliver Queen dead, but Vandal did not. Thus, Damien did not attempt to kill Oliver Queen until the end."

"Where he met his end," Ra's al Ghul murmured, eyes alight with satisfaction and memories. "Did Damien comment on the idol?"

"All Oliver Queen discovered was what he learned from the mage and the idol's location on Damien Darhk's person - his stomach."

Ra's al Ghul turned to look at the idol once more, silent for several moments. "This idol is of supreme power, which Damien desired, but he never used the idol against his great associate," his Master observed, ancient voice imbued with consideration. "Damien was most fickle, and he succumbed to his emotions; he was weak. He would loathe his position as a servant to this great associate. However, he remained in this position of servitude for centuries. Despite having the idol of supreme power, he was still a servant under his great associate despite his innermost desire to be rid of his servitude. Yet all of his strivings were insignificant, for his great associate was of an even more supreme power; the idol could never affect him. He did not fear the idol, nor even feel concerned due to its presence in the hands of his servant. Vandal is Savage."

Al Sah-him's brows furrowed, a result of Oliver's confusion. "I do not follow."

Ra's al Ghul, to his surprise, nodded in agreement. "The answers you seek, the same answers I myself have long desired since I learned of his existence, can only be provided by Savage. My knowledge is sparse on the true immortal."

"The one of the prophecy?"

"Yes. According to Fate, his wrath will descend on Nanda Parbat like the heavens crashing into the earth. My daughter's decision to aid in your resurrection, flouting my orders, freed you to return to Starling City to attend to Damien's malevolent presence, thus leading to Savage's wrath turning against Nanda Parbat, which is your new home. Fate has weaved this path, and we all must abide by its authority."

Al Sah-him looked at the idol, too; it still looked the same. It was a mass of swirling darkness somehow impossibly tangible, capable of being touched and held. He understood why it was primordial.

"Do you know anything about this Savage?" he asked.

"He is deathless. It is the one fact apparent through the long line of Ra's al Ghul - the only certain inevitability in the world evades him with a lover's grace and affection. I have long ruminated on his existence, but all I know are conjectures besides his true immortality, something no one, not even I, can fathom. Perhaps swords do not cut the true immortal. Nor water wet him, nor fire burn him, nor earth touch him, nor air wither him. Perhaps he is the Perfect Man imbued with might and understanding beyond mortal conjecture."

"No one is perfect," Al Sah-him responded, shaking his head. "It is impossible."

"Ignorant minds believe the same of deathlessness, but we know of Savage's existence. The line of Ra's al Ghul has always known."

"But that is all you know," he dared.

"I know that I am not perfect, my son, but perhaps Savage is." Ra's al Ghul gestured to the idol. "The idol is primordial in strength, and only someone of greater power than the idol would not feel concerned due to its destructive and malevolent capabilities. Only the Perfect Man, the true immortal."

"He is not perfect," Al Sah-him maintained, refusing to believe it. "He is human."

"He is immortal," Ra's al Ghul patiently corrected. "I understand your incredulity, Al Sah-him. It is a fact that I myself refused to accept for several decades. But the evidence persists. While invisible to all other eyes in this world, his deathless presence endures; he strategizes and pulls ancient strings that have endured just as he has. He has never committed an error to my knowledge."

"Your knowledge is not perfect."

"His may be. Several decades into my reign, I attempted to find him. I departed Nanda Parbat, leaving control of the League in my Horseman's hands. I scoured the earth for Savage, but he eluded me just as the wind eludes one's grasping hands. No one but him has ever eluded me, nonetheless for my entire reign as The Demon's Head. Damien only ever eluded me for so long due to Savage's presence in his life, I am certain. Perfection of Savage's scale has never registered anywhere else in history."

Al Sah-him stubbornly shook his head, and Oliver leaked through. "He's not perfect."

Ra's al Ghul's lips curled. "Do you understand what the Perfect Man is, my son? Though the great fires blaze, they cannot burn him. Though the falling showers freeze, they cannot chill him. Though roaring thunder shakes the skies, swift lightning splits the mountains, and howling gales crash into the churning seas, he cannot be frightened, nor even feel the biological instinct of fear that you and I smother to prevent weakness. Though he lives and breathes, he cannot commit errors, and he dissolves our inherent notions of humanity. He is godlike. The Perfect Man rides the clouds and reaches out to grab the sun and moon, and he wanders beyond the corners of this world into the Great Beyond, knowing the invisible passageways that connect the realms of existence. Life and death have no effect on him, much less the rules of profit and loss… He is everything that I am not."

Oliver gained strength, forcing Al Sah-him to remark, "Inadequacy suits you."

Ra's al Ghul turned to him sharply, ancient eyes scrutinizing before a subtly amused expression crossed his face. "I wondered when I would hear from Oliver Queen."

Al Sah-him felt horrified, and he swiftly dropped to his knees in shame. "Forgive me, Master. He seized control. He is strong."

"Stand up, Al Sah-him. My heir shall not grovel before me due to his own fortitude."

He stood to his feet, confused. "I do not follow."

Ra's al Ghul approached him and placed a powerful hand on his shoulder, staring up at him. "You are above me, Al Sah-him, or you will be in the near future. I could never confront Savage, for he is transcendent, but you will be transcendent, as well. Only transcendence can battle transcendence. If Oliver Queen must survive for you to achieve transcendence, then that is Fate's design."

"You praise me, Master," he said, feeling immense pride and satisfaction. "You believe Savage is transcendent?"

"You do not?" Ra's al Ghul retorted, brows rising; it was a rare expression. "He is the Perfect Man."

"That is only conjecture."

"Perhaps. But ruminate on what we know. Damien's idol is primordial, but Damien could never procure it for himself, for he was never clever. However, it was procured for him and bestowed unto him. Who would bestow such power unto him if not someone already primordial, someone whom Death, and thus the idol, cannot touch nor influence, for he is truly immortal, incapable of decay? Savage is transcendent."

Al Sah-him nodded. "Your logic is of sound judgment."

"But you are dissatisfied."

"I am."

Ra's al Ghul stepped away, head tilted. "After everything Oliver Queen experienced in life, you doubt deathlessness is possible? That there has been a Perfect Man living among humanity since our inception?"

"We only know the bareness of a single fact," Al Sah-him retorted. "We know more of a legend than reality. We do not know everything we need to accept mere theories and legends. We need more. We need more than a single fact."

"We need truth," Ra's al Ghul observed, lips curled. "His age is innumerable, for he alone is deathless. The line of Ra's al Ghul has always known him as 'Savage,' and we have respected his presence throughout our reign of power. No Ra's has ever invited his wrath upon Nanda Parbat until you, Al Sah-him."

"I am not Ra's al Ghul yet," he pointed out.

Ra's al Ghul smiled. "You are closer than you know. While I had needed the refinement provided by my predecessor for half a decade before my ascension to Demon's Head, you have needed my refinement for a fraction of that time. You are greater than me in every way, my son. I looked to Fate to supply me with the heir whom I coveted, and Fate has delivered with unnatural precision, for you are great. You, too, will ride the clouds and reach out to grab the sun and moon, Al Sah-him. Perhaps you will straddle them. Transcendence will be yours."

Al Sah-him hesitated. "Your expectations embolden me, but they may be too steep."

"It is Fate's will."

XxXxXxXxXxX

The bus stopped, and the woman stepped off with slow, hesitant steps. It had been a long time since she had been in Starling City; so many things had changed, but yet, things remained the same. It was the unique paradox of life, one she had eventually accepted with much frustration after she realized she could never do anything to change that paradox.

If people of past generations and eras weren't able to do it, many of whom were a lot smarter than she was, why would she be able to do it?

Realizations were hard and painful, but they were enlightening. She needed to come to Starling City, but that didn't mean it was easy. The last time she was in the city, she had departed on a bus similar to the one she had just gotten off of, and she had been all alone.

Well, that technically wasn't true.

While she had been a passenger on the bus that left Starling City, there had been another passenger no one could see, one who had become the most important figure in her life without thought.

A familiar hand gripped her sleeve and tugged. "Mom, why are we here? I wanna go home."

Samantha tried to smile down at William. "It's only a visit, okay? I'm going to meet an old friend, remember?"

"But why?"

"To catch-up," she said patiently, kneeling down to use her fingertips to brush his hair that was so similar to his father's into something presentable. "I haven't seen her in a long time. I think you'll like her."

William peered at her, eyes that were identical to her own accusing. "You said that last time."

Samantha's smile became more genuine. "This is a different friend than Mandy. If you don't like her, we'll get ice cream, okay?"

A delighted smile graced his face, and the sight tugged at her heart, for she remembered a smile from years ago before William was born that was so similar but somehow so charming, joyful, and arrogant all at once - it was a smile that she had fallen in love with.

For a long time, she had missed Oliver's smile - until William started smiling. Then she fell in love all over again, but this time, it was so much more true and pure.

"Two scoops?" he asked hopefully.

Samantha laughed. "Don't you go thinking that you can just not like her so you can get ice cream."

At William's guilty expression, another similarity to his father, she knew she had guessed his line of thought correctly.

"What about one scoop even if I like her?"

"Deal."

"Yes!"

Samantha pulled him along, walking on the sidewalk, anxiety churning inside her. Honestly, she had no idea if William would like her, but she had to try. That was the most important thing.

She had few memories of Thea Queen, a young girl in pigtails who Oliver had clearly adored. But now Oliver was dead, and as her son continued to grow, she realized that she was never going to be enough.

Maybe she would be enough for a daughter - she didn't know - but her son was different. William needed more than her, and she hoped that Thea Queen could help her - and thus, William. Maybe an aunt could give her nephew something to remember his father by, something that Samantha could never give him because while both women had loved Oliver, Thea Queen had known her brother infinitely more than Samantha ever had.

She would do anything for her son, and if that meant evoking painful memories for her, she would do it a thousand times over if William finally found some semblance of peace and closure regarding the father he never knew, the father that Samantha still hadn't had the courage to tell him about - except that he had died in a boating accident.

Before Thea Queen had released the news of Oliver's death in the plane crash to the media, she had already been planning to introduce William to him, but she had never really been able to summon the courage to face Oliver, to correct the boldest and biggest lie that she had ever uttered in her life with the painful truth. She had hoped father and son could bond, connect in ways that she never could with William.

When William was a baby and toddler, it was so easy to play with him because he was so precious, a lovely child, but as he continued to grow, he became different, and it was so much harder for her as his mother.

She had hoped that Oliver could reach him, hoping that he inherently and instinctively would understand what his son felt since he had once been that young. She trusted that he would welcome William into his life and teach his son once he knew the truth, for she knew that he wasn't the same man that he had been before his disappearance - and she had almost had a heart attack when the news of his survival on that island reached her.

Samantha had vigorously researched his exploits since his return to civilization, and while there were certainly unflattering articles written about him, he had clearly changed from the man - no, the boy - she had known. In comparison, he was a ghost, impossible to find or track down when the media wanted a comment or salacious story - which he had always provided when he was younger. When she had known Oliver, he had been a magnet for trouble and the media, always mouthing off and fanning the flames of, as he had called it, 'tomfuckery' whenever he could; he had loved trouble more than he should have.

After being declared dead for five years, though, from what she had researched, he was completely different, and she was grateful that he had matured from the boy she had known into the man whom the Starling City media had continually hailed as their most eligible bachelor since his return to civilization. She believed that he was someone who could certainly have a positive influence in her - no, their - son's life, and her decision had been solidified.

But then she had learned of his death, which stayed her hand from visiting Starling City.

Yet William continued to grow and ask questions despite knowing about the 'boating accident,' and she feared the day he would resent her because she was never brave enough to tell him the truth. So, she had nervously made the plan to give Thea Queen six months of mourning for her brother before returning to Starling City with her son to visit Oliver's sister in the hopes of… of something.

Samantha didn't know exactly what she was looking for even though she had the barest of ideas, which were more like fantasies about things turning out perfectly - that an aunt would lovingly welcome her unknown nephew into her life and share intimate details about her nephew's father that only she could ever tell.

What she wanted for William was far-fetched, and she had always known that, but she knew she had to do something. The longer she waited, the worse it would become, and William was only getting smarter. Eventually, she knew he would inevitably turn to someone to teach him the things that she never could, to guide him in ways that fundamentally appealed to him on a biological level - things Samantha knew nothing about.

Holding his hand as they walked on the sidewalk, her eyes found the former Queen Consolidated building. It was now Palmer Technologies, whose old major owner had died around the same time as Oliver.

So much had changed in Starling City and her own life, but some things were the same - that paradox again.

Samantha just hoped that Thea Queen would accept her and William's sudden and abrupt visit, as well as the knowledge that she had a nephew, that part of her dead brother lived on in William.

She knew the entire visit would become emotional, but she was prepared for it, as well as William's awe and wonder to meet his father's family and then the devastation to learn that his father had been alive but died only six months ago.

Samantha desperately prayed that she had the strength to endure the coming conversations.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Well, that's all for this one, everyone! I hope that you enjoyed it and please leave a review to tell me what you thought. It would really help me out.

A lot of stuff happened in this chapter:

**Simon Morrison (Adrian Chase/Prometheus) shows up, and he takes Darhk's place in Vandal's power structure, pretty much. I hope that caught some of you off-guard at least. Some of the quotes I used were from the Darth Plagueis book because I thought they were perfect for their relationship.

Also, Simon's characterization is thus going to change because he's not the top dog as he was in Canon (Talia was really his underling, to be honest, a horrid decision by the writers, I believe) because he answers to the most powerful man in the world, the true immortal in Vandal Savage. I also wanted to tap into his insanity more than the show did; I wanted him to seem severely unhinged and irrational, as well as dealing with psychopathic rage. I don't know if I succeeded or not, but we'll see what happens.

**Roy, Thea, and Diggle have become used to life without Oliver but they (mainly Thea) still think about him. Also, Felicity has become the new majority owner of Palmer Technologies, and Laurel is focused on her work as a lawyer in the D.A.'s office. Also, there are shipments coming into the city that a lot of people died for. That's what they're investigating. The bunker built by A.R.G.U.S. is the same bunker that Team Arrow has later on in the series.

**Some of the Shadows talk about Al Sah-him and Nyssa, but then Nyssa shows up to show them their place, pretty much. Nyssa will have a lot of power as Eurus al Ghul (more power than she ever held as Warith al Ghul), and she's beginning to tap into that despite not being Eurus yet. While Oliver has more power than Nyssa did as Warith al Ghul, that's because Ra's al Ghul favors him exceedingly more than he ever did his daughter, for Nyssa was never going to take over the League upon his demise. However, the power she'll wield as Eurus al Ghul, Bride of the Demon, will be immense, second only to Oliver, of course.

I also wanted to get into the Shadows' feelings regarding Nyssa because, certainly, there must have been quite a bit of dissatisfaction and resentment because Nyssa got away scot-free with A LOT in Canon and this story, to be honest. If she were any other servant of Ra's al Ghul, she would have been subjected to unholy torture and the most agonizing of deaths, but Nyssa's only punishment was her marriage to Oliver (which actually pleased and benefitted her). So, I wanted that disgruntlement expressed.

**Ra's al Ghul is responsible for the Mirakuru's existence and has a perfected serum! The moment they had Ra's al Ghul included in one of the Legends of Tomorrow episodes, I knew that he would be forever changed by what he saw in the future. In that episode, none of the Shadows could even touch whoever the villain was (I think it was Cronus or something that turned up being one of the Legends themselves).

Knowing how inferior he and the League were to future threats would undoubtedly cause Ra's al Ghul to scheme to change that because he believes that Fate showed him that to better himself and the League - which led to the Mirakuru. Ra's al Ghul plans for Al Sah-him to be imbued with the perfected Mirakuru upon his rebirth as Ra's al Ghul.

Also, the Mirakuru's inception by Ra's al Ghul makes him a much more encompassing presence in Oliver's life. Ra's al Ghul had taught Malcolm Merlyn about replacing evil with death, leading to the Undertaking and Tommy Merlyn's demise, and Malcolm's callousness that had been fueled by Ra's al Ghul is what doomed the Gambit to destruction and Oliver to Lian Yu, which includes Robert Queen's suicide in front of Oliver, from which, arguably, Oliver never recovered. Ra's al Ghul created the Mirakuru in the hope of ensuring transcendence for his successor, which led to everything that happened on the Island with Slade and later on after they returned to civilization. Ra's al Ghul permitted Sara's survival after Nyssa found her, and he didn't descend on Starling City in fury when Nyssa "released" her without his permission, which I discerned, for this story, was to have access to Oliver through Sara's eyes because that is the true power of the Demon Ring because Oliver intrigued him. And then, of course, there's everything that happened after Sara's death, and most importantly, Oliver's death and resurrection. Also, Damien Darhk's whole presence was due to Ra's al Ghul's hesitation in killing him, which led to Talia's death, who had trained Oliver already, and Slade's death. I've made Ra's al Ghul's the ultimate puppet-master in a way, I guess.

Everything that has happened in Oliver's life since the Gambit went down, in one way or another in a certain perspective, is due to Ra's al Ghul.

**Oliver is very conflicted, to say the least, about the Mirakuru's existence, which leads to him and Nyssa having a conversation about the Mirakuru and Obliteration, and how he can change Obliteration.

Here's a shoutout to Genesis09 about the idea of having Oliver personally go to Starling City and kill all of the evil-minded people. It was a great idea, and I wouldn't have come up with it on my own, so thanks! As if that actually happens, you'll have to wait and see.

**Roy, Thea, and Diggle talk about the new crime lord (Simon) in Starling City who's flooding the streets with weapons.

**Simon converses with Morsley, an unnamed whore, and Vandal! He's been trained by Vandal long enough that he's allowed to act in his name, pretty much. The first scene of the chapter is only two months after Darhk's death, and by the time the next scene arrives, six months in total have passed. All-in-all, Simon's had training from Vandal for, at most, five months.

**Oliver and Nyssa talk again, worried that Ra's al Ghul may know about their deception regarding Oliver Queen's survival.

Al Sah-him isn't a second personality, per se. I'd say he's more of a protective layer or cloak that Oliver slips on to give himself a reprieve from dealing from hours upon hours of interactions with Ra's al Ghul, the same guy who killed him and threw him off a mountain, the same guy who has been the author of all his pain in life. Al Sah-him - and Nyssa, too, of course, - keep Oliver sane.

**Al Sah-him meets with Ra's al Ghul, and they talk about Darhk's idol and theorize about Vandal Savage. Some of the Perfect Man bit is taken from the Chinese philosopher, Chuang Tzu. I mean, Savage's age itself is innumerable. If a man is deathless, incapable of death, what would he be capable of after eons of life? What would he know? What had he seen? What human/mortal inclinations had he discarded?

Ra's al Ghul accepts Oliver Queen's survival because he recognizes that Oliver accepts his destiny to be Ra's al Ghul, unlike in Canon. He also recognizes that if Oliver Queen still lives on after at least six months of brainwashing, torture, conditioning, and "magical" herbs that have broken down and erased men for thousands of years within at least days or weeks, then that is Fate's design. He's not happy about it, but he accepts it.

**Samantha Clayton shows up to Starling City with William to hopefully meet Thea! I hate to be that guy, but you'll just have to see what that's all about, I guess. I'll say that I wasn't really a fan of how Samantha was written in the show, so I will be changing some things. She was kind of a bitch, honestly. From a certain perspective, I will admit that it does make sense, but I wasn't a fan of that perspective.

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!

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