A/N: Here's the beginning of Episode 8. This is another short episode, only four chapters. But those chapters cover a *lot* of territory, and this is just the lead-up to the big finale.
Councilman Gregory Kullens stepped up to the podium outside of City Hall, sweating like a pig and knowing that his life was over no matter what he did here. But he would rather go to white-collar prison for a few years and come out a little wiser about getting involved with billionaires like Malcolm Merlyn and Oliver Queen, people with secret agendas beyond making a profit, than betray Malcolm and end up dead. "Thank you for coming," Kullens began, drawing the attention of the press corps, which included Susan Williams as well as the Daily Planet's team sent to cover things in Starling while Green Arrow was at large. "For my entire career as a member of the City Council, I have received kickbacks from the major corporations that make this city their home in exchange for helping push through rezoning laws that change residential districts into ones for industrial construction, which allowed the corporations to remove the residents of those districts for a pittance. I was once a client of the Triad's massage parlors and have engaged in sexual relations with multiple young staffers in my office before sending them to someone else. For these reasons, I have resigned from my position as a member of the City Council and will submit to the justice of the courts."
"Mr. Kullens, are you doing this because the Green Arrow visited you?" Susan Williams asked quickly.
"No comment," Kullens said, stepping away from the podium and allowing Detective Lucas Hilton to cuff him while Quentin Lance read him his rights. It was over. His career was over, his life was over, his years of comfort were over. All because of Oliver Queen.
*DC*
Oliver Queen watched Kullens be led away on the computer screen in the Quiver with satisfaction. "So, that's another member of Tempest down," Naomi said. "Too bad he didn't turn on Merlyn. Why do you think that is?"
"Because I'm not as scary to them yet as Malcolm is," Oliver replied. "When my mother found out that Malcolm is the Dark Archer, she was even more terrified of him, which indicates he has made sure they're all familiar with his alter ego. They know that I won't kill them, just send them to prison for a few years. But Malcolm? He will find a way to get them, they fear, and he will make their deaths slow and agonizing. Fear of death is stilling their tongue. But with every member of Tempest that I take down, their fear of me will grow, and when it's just Malcolm and one other left, that other could be convinced to turn on him with the right leverage."
"Do you have a plan for which one you want to flip?" Naomi asked.
"Carl Ballard," Oliver said. "Based on what we've gathered, he actually wants to gentrify the Glades, turn a profit from them, and he can't do that with Malcolm. But if he flips on Malcolm, if he testifies against him and gets immunity from that, then he can do what he's wanted to do for years. In short, what will flip Ballard is a combination of fear and greed, two potent elements mixed together."
"Sounds good," Naomi said. "So, we're almost done. How do you think it's gonna play out? Think you and Merlyn will have to duke it out?"
"I think so, yes," Oliver said with a nod. "He can't be taken down by the F.B.I. He's a trained assassin and he's kept his skills sharp. It'll take someone of equal or superior skill to take him down. That leaves Sara or me, and Sara can't act without being arrested by the F.B.I. since they have their suspicions that she's the Woman in Black and they will arrest her on suspicion of that."
"She's not gonna ever be able to go out and help people, is she?" Naomi said after a moment.
"Not under the current circumstances, no," Oliver said after a moment. "But circumstances can change."
"So, what now?" Naomi asked.
"Now, you begin digging into Wilhelmina Hollinger," Oliver said, "and if needed, we get the information from her home system, just like we did with Pollard."
"Okay," Naomi said. "By the way… how did it go with the Blackhawks last night with Kullens' place?"
"They weren't wearing tactical gear, so I hit them all with taser flechettes," Oliver said dryly. "They're probably gonna be out of a job once Gaynor gets around to finding out how they got taken down."
"You really enjoy screwing with that guy's head, don't you?" Naomi asked.
"It's not my fault he keeps taking hopeless contracts," Oliver said.
*DC*
Malcolm Merlyn seethed in his vault/panic room and brought his fist down on the table with a roar of anger. Kullens, spineless worm that he was, had capitulated to Oliver's demands, though at least he had been smart enough to not betray Tempest. For that, Malcolm would leave Kullens be. And while Malcolm still wished to get revenge on Frank, he had realized if he moved against Frank's daughter, Frank would have no reason to go along with being the fall man for the Gambit any longer and then everything would be at an end, even if Frank had started the process by giving all the information needed to Oliver. Though, to be fair to Frank, he hadn't given up the members of Tempest to Oliver. Oliver hadn't moved against Tempest itself until after Malcolm had brought him into the fold. Still, the fact that Oliver had essentially gotten rid of yet another member of Tempest was galling, even more so because Malcolm couldn't get his revenge. He still had yet to track down Oliver's son and the boy's mother, but when he did, he might just kill Samantha Clayton out of spite since he couldn't get at Oliver's beloved Laurel.
There were only two avenues of revenge Malcolm could take. The first was, of course, continuing the re-education of his daughter, who was quite pliable and eager to please her father, a far cry from Tommy, who was intransigent and bickered constantly with Malcolm. Really, once this issue with Oliver had been dealt with, perhaps it would be time for Malcolm to take some drastic action to force Tommy to grow up. Perhaps cutting him off, like Oliver had done to Thea? It would be deliciously ironic to use his enemy's form of punishment to silence Tommy's protests, especially since Tommy wouldn't have an alternate source of inheritance like Thea had had.
The second form would take longer but be much sweeter. There had been an upsurge in 'gang violence' in the Glades, the result of the bounty on Green Arrow. Those Green Arrow deemed 'innocent' were either being used as bait to trap him or were working with the gangs to lure him in and split the bounty. But clearly, the current bounty wasn't good enough, and Malcolm wanted Oliver despondent as those he so cared for that he would go on the run for them turned on him, desperate to better their lives even if it meant turning on their savior and killing him. So, Malcolm would make it even harder on Oliver and on those people. He would raise the bounty, double it in both, so that it would now be two million dead, four million alive. Yes, that would do nicely.
Malcolm picked up his Tempest cell phone to make the call.
*DC*
The black town car pulled up in front of a bar called Sinners & Saints, the Starling City sister-bar to Central City's Saints & Sinners, and the driver stepped out, looking around, before he opened the door to the back. Out of the back of the town car stepped Morgan Edge, who had finally come out to Starling to get his revenge for what had happened so many years ago. He had missed his chance at getting his revenge on Mia, or Moira as she had started calling herself after she left Metropolis, at least directly. But there were still opportunities for vengeance to be had if one knew where to look. He needed to get the local intelligence on Green Arrow and what he was doing when he wasn't taking down one-percenters, as well as if there were any movements to bring him down. Morgan could still get revenge on Moira through her children, though he may have to settle for revenge through the girl if getting his hands on her brother proved difficult. Morgan smirked as he thought of forcing the young heiress to turn tricks in Metropolis to repay her mother's debt, which would never be repaid as Morgan continued to add interest for every year since the two million had been stolen from him. That had been thirty years ago, and at a five percent interest rate, it was sixty-three million dollars that was now owed to him by the girl's mother.
Morgan entered the bar with his bodyguard and approached the bartender. "I'm looking for information," Morgan said, sliding a hundred-dollar bill across the counter. The bartender looked at it a moment, picked it up and held it up to the light, as though checking for signs of forgery, then pocketed it, satisfied. "I'm looking for information on a local nuisance, goes by Green Arrow," Morgan said. "He and I had a run-in in Metropolis, and we have unfinished business."
"He's a slippery one, mister," the bartender said. "He manages to get places no one else can get to and when he's patrolling, he can take down twenty men without ever getting into a fist fight. If you came all by your lonesome, you might not find the revenge you're looking for. Not without some serious money behind you." The bartender tilted his head slightly. "Though, there is one thing of interest. Someone's put a bounty on Queen's head, and it just got upped. Two million dead, four million alive. Someone with some serious coin is sick of Queen mucking things up for the rich and powerful and is willing to pay top-dollar for anyone to take him down."
"Interesting," Morgan said. He looked around the bar. "And if I were to offer these men the reward in return for helping me set a trap for Green Arrow?"
"Four million split by twenty is two hundred thousand," the bartender mused. "Two million split by the same is one hundred thousand. You sure you want to give up that kind of cash?"
"I'm quite wealthy on my own, and my pursuit of Oliver Queen is a matter of street justice, nothing more," Morgan said. "Besides, to bait this trap, we'll need to do some legwork. Specifically, we need to kidnap someone close to him. I considered one of the two women who were charged for knowing his identity, but they're too high profile and the F.B.I. are probably still watching them. No, we need someone Queen would give up anything for. His little sister, for example."
"And what happens to the girl afterward?" the bartender asked. "These men wouldn't like witnesses."
"She won't be an issue," Morgan said. "I'll be taking her back to Metropolis to work off a debt that her mother owed me. She won't ever be seen in Starling City again."
"Then I suggest you make your announcement, mister," the bartender said, and Morgan Edge gave a shark's smile. He loved when things worked out for him. *1*
*DC*
It was ten a.m. in the morning, and Barry Allen was sitting in a conference room at Weatherby and Stone, a high-profile law firm in Central City that also had offices in Starling City up the coast in Washington, dressed in an off-the-rack suit and completely aware that he wasn't the same as the other two people seated at the conference table. The man with black hair and glasses was dressed like he was from money with some kind of Armani suit, same as the lawyer at the head of the table. More importantly, Barry had no idea why he was here. He hadn't even known Harrison Wells, though he had admired him a great deal. Yet he was named as what appeared to be one of the only two beneficiaries of the man's will. Finally, the silence got to Barry. "Are we waiting for anyone else?" he asked. *2*
"No," said the lawyer at the head of the table. "I was just going over the details one more time before I began. My name is Greg Turk, and I'm an attorney here at Weatherby & Stone. The two of you are the only listed individual beneficiaries to the will of Harrison Wells. Now, just to be sure everyone's here who should be here to satisfy protocol: Hartley Rathaway and Barry Allen."
"Here," Barry said. Rathaway nodded to show he was present.
"Excellent," Turk said. They spent the next few minutes going over the bequeaths to various charitable foundations and the like. "Now, to the individual bequeaths. To Barry Allen, I leave the remainder of my considerable fortune, ownership of S.T.A.R. Labs, a thumb drive with a video of some import to his future, and a letter which will explain his being named in my will, a fact he is no doubt confused by. S.T.A.R. Labs has been privately owned in all of the time I have been C.E.O. and it will remain so. Barry Allen is to receive sixty percent of the shares. To Hartley Rathaway, I leave the remaining forty percent and make him the head scientist and C.E.O. of S.T.A.R. Labs, as I know that in the event of my death, he will fulfill my dream and bring the Particle Accelerator online." Hartley and Barry exchanged surprised glances with one another, though Hartley's soon turned calculating as he studied Barry, no doubt trying to understand Wells' actions. "These are the final bequeaths. We have paperwork for both of you to sign regarding your shares and roles in S.T.A.R. Labs moving forward, and then, Mr. Allen, you will receive the thumb drive and the letter along with all information on your new accounts and properties."
"Right," Barry mumbled numbly. He and Hartley spent the next few minutes signing paperwork, and then they each received manila folders, Barry's containing the information on his new accounts and the letter and thumb drive.
"Thank you for coming, gentlemen, and please keep Weatherby & Stone in mind for your own legal issues, Mr. Allen," Turk said and left the room.
Instantly, Hartley rounded on Barry. "Who are you to Dr. Wells?" he demanded to know. "Are you his son or something?"
"No, no, my father was Henry Allen," Barry said. "I don't know why he did this. I didn't even know the man. But he said he explains in his letter."
"Then let's see it," Hartley said.
Barry tilted his chin up for a moment. "I think I'll find out for myself first," he said firmly. "But I promise to share the information with you. I assume I'll be able to find you at S.T.A.R. Labs?"
"You will, and you should come at some point to meet everyone," Hartley said. "I'll make sure they all know to expect you."
"Right," Barry said after a moment. The two men exited the conference room and shared an uncomfortable elevator ride down to the ground floor. They exited the building together, and while Hartley headed for an expensive-looking Porsche, Barry headed for Joe's car, which he and Iris had borrowed so that he could attend the will reading. Barry got in, still clutching the manila envelope and wondering what had made Wells do what he did.
"So, I've been dying to know what exactly is up," Iris said as she started the car. "What did he leave you?"
"The bulk of his fortune, sixty percent of the shares for S.T.A.R. Labs, along with a thumb drive and a letter explaining his reasons," Barry said numbly. Iris choked on air, turning to stare at Barry with wide eyes. "He said the thumb drive has some video on it that's of great import to my future. I don't understand, Iris. I never knew Dr. Wells. I never even met him, though I admired him. The other guy, he asked me if I was Wells' son, and I guess I understand that. Who else would Wells leave his fortune and everything else to except for family?"
"Are you sure you're not related somehow?" Iris asked. "I mean, you're both tall, dark-haired, etc. Maybe on your mom's side?"
"If we were, wouldn't he have reached out before now?" Barry asked.
"Well, guess you're only going to find out by reading the letter," Iris said. "You go ahead and start reading. We gotta get the car back to the precinct." She began driving away from the law firm as Barry pulled the envelope containing the letter from the manila envelope and opened it, pulling out folded pages of paper. The letter was typed up with Wells' signature at the end of it.
Barry Allen,
I've thought long and hard about what I would say here. How does one address a person whose life they ruined but then followed along like a proud parent? It's ironic, really, how I came to see you as a son after what I did to you.
No doubt you are confused about why I listed you as the primary beneficiary in my will. You will also no doubt be hurt when I tell you the reason why.
I am not going to apologize for what I did, Mr. Allen. I did what I did for my own reasons. But I recognize that I destroyed your life, and this letter along with the video on the thumb drive is my way of paying restitution to you.
Thirteen years ago, I was the one who broke into your house and murdered your mother, framing your father for my crime.
Barry felt as though he had forgotten how to breathe. The letter drifted to his lap and he pulled at the tie around his neck, loosening it. He remembered that night every night in his dreams. Ignoring Iris' confused look, Barry read on, fury building in his mind.
Again, I do not apologize for this fact. At the time, my reasons were perfectly understandable, in my own mind. I used an experimental technology meant to disorient and confuse people, a military contract of mine, to simulate the lightning you and your father thought you saw that night, knowing that it would never be believed. I have provided the schematics for this project on the thumb drive containing my confession, and they can be verified to the satisfaction of the courts by either Hartley Rathaway, the new C.E.O. of S.T.A.R. Labs, or Dr. Tina McGee, the owner and C.E.O. of Mercury Labs. This technology also overwhelmed your young mind enough that I was able to take you from your home and leave you several blocks away, which would refute any claims you made in your father's favor since how could you possibly have seen anything when you weren't even home?
After your father was tried and convicted, I kept a close eye on you. I don't know why I felt it necessary, but I did. I have watched you all these years, Barry. I have watched as you grew into a kind young man, despite the hardship that I foisted upon you to grow up as the son of a known murderer. I have watched your battle against bitterness towards the police department. I have watched your triumphs at science fairs all these years with a sort of fatherly pride and felt for you when you felt you had failed.
Because of what I did all those years ago, you will never be truly happy, Barry Allen. But perhaps you can do some good in the world by being independently wealthy and the new owner of S.T.A.R. Labs. Your life is your own now, though with one small caveat. I knew of your plans to approach S.T.A.R. Labs and Mercury Labs for work and I had already set-in motion an insurance policy that would keep you from working at either location, forcing you to become a C.S.I. If you attempt to subvert this insurance policy, you will lose all I have given you. If you are to pursue your dreams as a scientist, you must do so outside of Central City. Because as much as I care for you, Barry, I also have what some would perceive as an irrational hatred for you and everything you stand for and forcing you into a job that you would secretly hate with a passion, where your brilliance would be squandered, was the perfect vengeance in my eyes to sate my hatred of you.
I know you are confused as to how I could both care for you and hate you so passionately. It is a complicated reality, Barry Allen, in which we live.
The thumb drive I have provided in my will contains my full confession as to the events of the night of March 18, 2000. It will provide all the details necessary to see your father freed from prison. While Cecile Horton is hard-nosed in the realm of justice, she is also fair-minded and will not seek to brush this under the rug for the sake of appearances, which means you will not have to pursue this to higher courts.
Harrison Wells *3*
Tears were streaming down Barry's cheeks, and he felt the car pull to the side of the road as his body shuddered with repressed sobs. He felt Iris pull him into a hug, and he turned into her shoulder. "What is it, Bar?" Iris asked worriedly, holding onto her best friend. "What did Wells say?"
"It was him, Iris," Barry choked out. "It was Wells who killed Mom."
"Oh, my God!" Iris gasped, pulling back. "Are you sure?" In response, Barry handed Iris the letter, and she read through it, dark eyes widening with each word and working herself into a fury as well. "That-That-"
"Monster," Barry offered, coughing.
"Monster is the least that that man is," Iris hissed. "Well, now we have another reason to get to the precinct as fast as humanly possible. That letter and the thumb drive, if it contains what he says it does, will do what you've wanted, Barry. It'll clear your Dad, get him out of prison."
"Yeah," Barry said. "I don't know how to feel about what Wells said, Iris, about my future. Central City is my home. You and Joe are my family as much as my Dad. But if I want to be a scientist instead of a C.S.I., a dream I can fulfill now that my Dad will be free, then I'll have to leave. I mean, I could live a life of leisure with the fortune Wells left me, and I'll have a steady income thanks to having ownership of S.T.A.R. Labs, but I would like to earn my living, Iris. I don't know what to do."
"Whatever you do, Bar, it will be the best thing for you," Iris said. "And even if you choose to leave Central City, Dad and I will still be a part of your family."
The two were silent the rest of the drive to precinct, both trying to absorb the sheer villainy and insanity of Dr. Harrison Wells. Finally, they pulled into Joe's parking spot and got out, heading into the precinct, giving nods to officers who greeted them by name, having seen them come here to see Joe many times before. Barry and Iris were full of nervous energy, knowing that this was going to cause a storm of controversy since Harrison Wells' death had been seen as a tragedy by many and it was assumed that someone who had thought he was going to blow a hole in the world had killed him. But now, people were going to be wondering if they ever knew the real Harrison Wells.
The two stepped off of the elevator and headed right into the bullpen. Joe West saw them coming and the grim expressions on their faces. "What's wrong?" he asked urgently, noting that Barry had puffy eyes and Iris was looking like she wanted to punch someone.
"We found out why Wells made Barry a beneficiary in his will," Iris said tightly. "And not just a beneficiary. The main beneficiary. Barry's been given the bulk of Wells' fortune, his properties, and ownership of S.T.A.R. Labs."
"Why?" Joe asked, trying to wrap his head around it.
"This is why," Barry said quietly, handing Joe the letter. Joe took it and began reading, stiffening when he reached the part where Wells confessed to murdering Nora. Wells' words were like a battering ram to the gut. "We need to get this letter and the thumb drive to Captain Singh and the D.A.," Barry added quietly.
"You're right," Joe said hoarsely. "And I'm sorry, Bar. I should've listened to you."
"Wells already explained why no one believed me," Barry said. "He fooled everyone with this technology."
"Well, you're lucky, the D.A. is here with Captain Singh right now," Joe said decisively. "Come on." He led his kids to the captain's office and knocked once before entering. "Sorry to barge in, Captain, but we have something big, and D.A. Horton needs to know."
"What is it, Detective West?" Singh asked.
"Barry was made the primary beneficiary of Harrison Wells' estate, and he just found out the reason," Joe said, handing the letter over to the captain and D.A. "Long story short, Wells killed Nora Allen and framed her husband."
"Where's this thumb drive he talks about?" Singh asked. Barry produced the thumb drive, and then the Wests and Barry circled the desk as Singh plugged the thumb drive into the computer. They opened the video file, all of them standing in stunned disbelief as Harrison Wells detailed his crime, each of them noting the smug satisfaction and relish with which he described stabbing Nora in the heart with a kitchen knife and leaving her to bleed out. By the time the video was ended, all of them were looking sick, and Iris was holding onto Barry again, both of them shuddering with sobs this time at just how evil a man Harrison Wells had been.
"We'll need the tech division to verify this," Horton said after a moment, "but I have no reason to doubt the veracity of it. I'll get the ball rolling on this immediately, Mr. Allen. And Captain Singh. I want a full investigation opened into Harrison Wells and what other crimes he might have committed."
"Yes, ma'am," Singh said. He looked at Joe. "I wish I could put you on this, Joe, but you're too close. Chyre will handle it with Dibny."
"Yes, Captain," Joe said with a nod. He put a hand on each of his kids' shoulders. "If you don't mind, I'm going to take the rest of the day off. Barry and Iris need me more than you do right now."
"Of course, Joe," Singh said. "Take whatever time you need to. D.A. Horton and I will get this done. I promise." He looked at Barry. "The C.C.P.D. failed you all those years ago, Mr. Allen. We won't fail now."
"Thank you, Captain Singh," Barry said quietly before letting Joe guide him and Iris from the office, leaving the letter and the thumb drive in the custody of the D.A. and Captain of the Major Case Unit. As he did so, Barry felt something lighten in his chest as realization finally, fully set in.
His father was coming home.
A/N: I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter.
Chapter Notes:
*1* Well, there's Morgan Edge showing back up. Considering that Oliver got compensation for the steel workers this time around, there was no reason for any of them to try and cash in on the bounty, so I needed someone else to try and draw Oliver out by going after Thea. Since the Edge plot thread was left hanging after Moira died, I figured I'd pick it back up. And I used my computer's calculator to figure out how much thirty years' interest on two million dollars would be. If I'm off, it's due to my poor math skills.
*2* In "Arrow" Season 2, Joanna works as Wethersby and Stone (as written on the wall behind her in one scene), while Wells' firm in "The Flash" Season 2 was Weathersby and Stone. Most likely they were meant to be the same firm, but someone forgot that it was Wethersby when writing Flash 2x01. So, I'm just doing a little welding and making it more in line with what was likely intended.
*3* The letter was taken from "Rise" and adapted to fit the bequeaths "Wells" made to Barry in this story. I decided to be a little different and have Barry become owner of S.T.A.R. Labs since Wellsobard left it to him in canon. However, Wells would certainly not want Barry to be completely happy and has made assurances Barry can't fulfill his dream of being a scientist if he stays in Central City.