A/N: Wow! I seriously appreciate all of the ideas and reviews ya'll, I think to appeal to all of the masses (thus far ;)) I will do a short continuation of the last one and then maybe try and get another one done. Hopefully.

Last chapter: Oliver is finally cornered by Nyssa, concerning the details of Sara's murder and the possible consequences. While Nyssa decides that Thea had no choice and shouldn't be punished (much to his relief), she is not as forgiving where her father is concerned.

*And before it gets pointed out to me, Oliver is the new leader of the League, after killing Nyssa and Talia's father. However, he only uses Maseo, Tatsu and Barry's help for the most part and not Merlyn's. Therefore, he is Ra's and not Merlyn, just to clear things up.

Nanda Parbat vs Starling City Pt 2

Oliver looked at Thea from a distance and frowned at the thought of just killing her father. On one hand, he was more than a little relieved that his wife wasn't demanding that he seek her immediate death as recompense for the death of Ta-er al-Sahfer. They had both loved her in their own way, one more selfishly than the other had. He liked to think that they both felt the loss of her equally, in some sort of way. Why was it at the time when he had lost his brother in all but blood that he had no problem trying to kill his father? Was it because they both were so protective of Thea? He had had no problem trying to kill him then; so why was he hesitating when he knew what Merlyn, no, Al-Sa Her had done to all three of the women that he loved? Sure, he loved them all in very different ways, but that didn't change the fact that he wanted the man to at least suffer for what he had done to them. He blamed Felicity mostly, and maybe even Dig. Before he met them, Al-Sa Her would have met the same fate as anyone else on that list; no questions asked. Now, he was left here sitting next to his new wife in a silent and private war. If he did this, he could lose his sister and only living family he had left. If he didn't, Nyssa would either strike out on her own and seek his forgiveness later or just never forgive him.

Better to seek forgiveness than it is to ask permission, after all.

Standing up, he sucked it up and went towards what he knew was going to end up being an uphill battle, if nothing else. Nyssa and Sarab had taken a few steps to follow, before he raised his hand to stop them.

"This is between the two of us. You have your own objective, Nyssa." he said in his no nonsense voice. He knew that Sarab would follow him regardless and merely allowed it, as long as he stayed out of his way during his...confrontation.

It took him a while, considering not only the distance but his lack of enthusiasm as he approached their loft. He glanced back at where he knew his impromptu bodyguard was in the shadows and paused outside of the door. He hated this feeling of dread. If he wasn't careful, he'd lose her and she would never speak to him again. Taking a deep breath and releasing it, he strengthened his resolved by force, if nothing else and opened the door.

"Stay here and keep watch, but let me know the instant they find him." he ordered in Sarab's direction, knowing the man wouldn't move unless he was told otherwise.

Hearing the door open and close, Thea came downstairs full speed and yet light on her feet at the same time. She'd always been light on her feet and quick like that, which was one of the reasons he called her Speedy. He supposed that her training with her father hadn't exactly hurt as he knew for a fact that she could handle herself. He hated himself more and more for what he was about to do. He hugged her as she came to him; knowing it might be the last time and she hugged him back, before frowning as she fully looked at him. He probably didn't look like himself, he figured, and she always was one of the people who read him the best.

"Something is wrong, I can tell. The last time you acted like this was before you left and "got arrested for partying." You know, I never did believe that excuse. I just let it slide, but now you're frowning and giving me the patented 'I-wish-I-had-better-news' face." she rambled on, letting go of him so she could go get a pair of tumbler glasses and some alcohol. He had his 'you won't like what I'm about to tell you' face. She poured the drinks and set them on the coffee table by the couch, beckoning him over. "I can tell this is going to be one of those "I wish I had something to drink" talks. So, lay it on me."

As he sat down next to her, he grabbed one of the glasses and downed it in one shot before pouring another. He wouldn't have more than three, just in case he had to go against Merlyn at a moment's notice. He saw his sister wince, obviously knowing that it meant something bad. Drinking half of his second glass, he sighed as his sister drank all of her first in one go. He laughed mirthlessly at the sentiment and leaned his head back against the couch, wondering where to even start.

You killed Sara, one of your closest friends? Your father is wanted by the League because of something you were forced to do?

"Just tell me, Ollie. I'm a big girl, you know." Thea said in a quiet and all too calm voice. Oliver sighed again and shook his head.

"That's just it, Speedy. This news could...will probably hurt you in a way I never thought possible. Finding out about Mom's involvement in the Undertaking was almost easier than this."

He saw Thea pale slightly and almost drop her glass if he hadn't caught it in time. She looked at him in fear and was obviously remembering when she first found out about what happened. She still didn't quite understand Malcolm's motives for something like mass murder, let alone allowing his own son to die. She took a few deep breaths and calmed herself down, before nodding. Honestly, she couldn't fathom anything even close to that scale, but she'd try and deal with whatever it was. Seeing as she had worked herself up to such a degree, he decided that he should start at the beginning and work his way up.

"I...Well, you know that I wasn't out partying a few months back, I guess. That's because I was healing from a uh, sword wound."

Thea looked at him shocked, wondering where he could have even managed to get hurt like that, let alone why. He saw the questions in her eyes and held up his hand to stall them. He'd get there eventually, she surmised. She gave him a pointed look, expressing several emotions from impatience all the way to a more 'you better explain' type glare. Shaking his head in exasperation, he continued with a bit of reluctance. He hadn't felt this unnerved since his one-sided duel with Ra's.

"Alright, this...obviously you've noticed that Merlyn has been wanting to get you to leave Starling to avoid Ra's?" he asked, continuing as she nodded, looking a little confused. "Well, it's because he has violated the code; I don't know if he told you anything about that."

"He said that his Undertaking violated their code and that he was trying to stay hidden. I never did understand that whole thing. He just told me-well, more like demanded that we pack up and leave while I guess you were recovering?"

Oliver nodded, glad to know she was following him so far. He wasn't sure whether he should feel grateful towards the man for trying to make sure that Thea was spared, even if he had basically sent her brother off to die. Or maybe just all out angry at the man's manipulative ways. He would never tell his sister that he loved her just so she would do something for him. If he was trying to get himself out of trouble on the other hand…

"I guess he just wanted to skip town while he was ahead...that manipulative-" Oliver muttered, hoping she wouldn't hear. Unfortunately, he was never that lucky and barely managed to dodge a punch aimed at him for the comment. Seeing the scowl, he decided the slow crawl version was for naught. "Thea! Knock it off! If you knew what he did to Sa-" he blurted out, before facepalming and groaning inwardly. Now he'd done it. Draining the rest of his drink, he cursed and poured his last one and slowly drank it while he watched his sister closely. She was obviously turning the conversation over and over in her head, trying to figure out why he had responded that way. He knew the instant she figured it out, because she stood up and looked like she couldn't decide if she should pass out or faint. Approaching her with slow and careful movements, he made her sit back down and gave her a minute to process; all the while cursing his ability to break things gently. He wasn't the same gentle and spoiled brother she grew up with. He didn't want her to be like him, some living weapon that was made to be used for other people and to be called a monster by others.

"Did Da-Malcolm kill Sara?" Thea finally asked, blinking quickly to avoid crying. She should have seen the signs, she supposed. He had wanted to get out of town pretty quickly after she had died, but she couldn't really remember much of it. She just remembered being in Corto Maltese with him and the next thing she knew they were back and Sara was dead. She frowned, remembering the smallest of details, but couldn't work out how it was possible for him to kill her in that timeframe. It just wasn't possible, not even remotely. So, what was Oliver saying?

"He...killed her using someone else. He made it so they didn't know what they were doing." he answered, somewhat dodging the question. He could see her trying to put the pieces together, but falling short at the moment. "It's a drug called Votura, which happens to grow in Corto Maltese. It makes the subject susceptible to suggestion and they don't remember even doing it."

Thea looked utterly shaken now, refusing to believe that Malcolm would use someone like that. She wasn't naive as to think he hadn't killed several hundred people in the Undertaking and in the League. But a drug that made a person kill and not even remember doing it?

"Who-" Thea started, before clearing her throat. "Who did he use, Ollie?" When she saw him hesitate, she felt as if a giant block of ice had settled in her gut. He couldn't have.

"It was you, Thea. You killed Sara." he said quietly, hugging her as she folded into herself and started sobbing. He wasn't about to show her the video, but he wasn't foolish enough not to record Merlyn as insurance.

"Are you sure?" she asked, clinging onto him like a limpet and begging for him to be mistaken. Sara was her friend and Merlyn had cruelly made her shoot her full of arrows. Having come prepared just in case, he got out his phone and opened up the recording for her to listen to in all it's detail.

"When I confronted him, I recorded this as an insurance of sorts. Unfortunately, at the time he had his own." At her confused look, he gave her a small and yet sad smile. "It was you, Thea. He used you to make sure that I'd-" he paused and shook his head. "You know what? Just listen, but you won't ever think of him the same way again." he finished, handing her the phone. It had two recordings on it, but one video that he made sure she couldn't access. He watched as she hesitantly pressed play and listened.

**Directly from The Climb Season 3 Episode 9

Malcolm Merlyn : I don't think you want the league to see that. And if you kill me, they will.

Oliver Queen : This isn't her.

Malcolm Merlyn : You ever heard of a plant called Votura? It grows in South America. In fact, it thrives in Corto Maltese, making the subject extremely susceptible to suggestion, or retaining no memory of their actions.

Oliver Queen : I will tell Ra's this was you, that Thea was under your control.

Malcolm Merlyn : And he will still kill her. She fired the arrows.

Oliver Queen : You have given her a death sentence.

Malcolm Merlyn : No. What I've done is given you incentive.

Oliver Queen : To do what?

Malcolm Merlyn : To tell Ra's that you killed Sara Lance. By right, you'll be given a trial by combat - with Ra's. His death will erase any blood debt from his reign, including Thea's.

Oliver Queen : And yours.

Malcolm Merlyn : I have to be honest - it was my concern that the whole killing thing would have been a deal breaker for you. But, uh, I'm gratified to see that Thea is still sufficient motivation. Don't take too long making up your mind. Ra's isn't known for his patience.

The first recording stopped and Thea sat there, frozen before moving on towards the next one out of curiosity. Oliver blanched, remembering what was on that recording and almost stopped her before remembering he was leaving Starling anyway. The only things he'd be taking were in this loft and hopefully his sister.

Malcolm Merlyn : It's the strangest thing... Thea just called and said she was attacked by the

Arrow. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, now would you Oliver?

Oliver Queen : This was you... You know I figured, when I spared the man who murdered my mother, I would never kill again.

[Grabs Malcolm by his throat and throws him on to the bar table]

Oliver Queen : I was wrong.*

"You're the-I mean, I get why." Thea said, as she stood up and started pacing back and forth. She felt like her brain was going to melt. Her brother was the Arrow. It all made so much more sense now. The excuses and why he was never there; it was because he was out there helping people in the city. Her brother was still her hero, no matter how messed up he thought he was. She knew he cared about her more than anything. But what Malcolm did to her made her feel sick. She went to sit next to her brother and hugged him, hoping he didn't find her disgusting for what she had done. He was a hero for stopping all sorts of petty crimes, thugs, and saving the city in general. All she had done was make things worse for him and almost gotten him killed.

"I'm sorry, Ollie. I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. I didn't mean to hurt you and I almost got you killed. You should've just let-"

"Let what? Let you die because Malcolm manipulated you into doing something?" Oliver hugged his sister tightly and rocked her like he used to. She was one of the few people he'd actually be okay with having physical contact with. He supposed that Barry would be proud. He rolled his eyes thinking about how his friend was always trying to make him smile and hug him. If his sister had noticed the difference in how he acted towards certain people in his life, maybe she was being quiet about it for his pride's sake. First time for everything. He noticed that she had finally calmed down and was on the verge of sleep. He kissed her forehead. "No matter what happens, Thea, I'll always protect you. I promise." He took the blanket off the couch and laid it on top of her, while letting her snuggle up to him like her personal security blanket. He'd keep her safe.

"You're still my hero, Ollie." she murmured, right before she closed her eyes.

They had been looking in secret for "The Magician" before Oliver had even ordered them to, as Nyssa had told them that it was his wish. They knew that it was maybe a half truth at best, but also knew better than to question the daughter of the previous Ra's. They'd been told not to engage, but to tell either her or Oliver, the new Ra's once they had found him. They'd found him in a safehouse that he had obviously made for himself, hidden as far away from the hub of Starling City as possible. They immediately contacted Nyssa, but had somehow tipped off the former horseman in the process. By the time Nyssa was halfway there, they had told her he had changed directions and was heading towards a more familiar place that only a few members of the league were privy to. Nyssa cursed and contacted Sarab, letting him know that they had trouble on the way. She heard the man return her sentiments in his own native tongue as he hung up and opened the door to the loft without bothering to knock. He noticed how Oliver tensed, ready to fight whatever came through the door. That was good, seeing as they were about to have one.

"Sarab. I told you not to-"

"Forgive me, but it is an emergency. You must get your sister to safety before her...father gets here. I have made contact with the others and they have assured me that he is headed in this direction rather quickly."

Oliver saw Maseo's personality appear for a moment as he practically hissed like an angry, venomous snake that had come across something offensive. He acted like what Malcolm had done to Thea was personal, but he supposed that it was in a way, since he couldn't imagine ever doing that to Akio. But just as soon as Maseo appeared, the order following Sarab immediately took charge again. It broke a part of Oliver that he had pushed to the back of his mind, only brought back to the surface at moments like this. He set it aside, picking up Thea carefully and taking her upstairs as swiftly and smoothly as possible. He knew that she'd wake up if the fight started inside the loft, which is why he needed to make sure she stayed asleep. Finding out about the Arrow and Malcolm in the same day had emotionally drained her, no doubt. Now, he had to think about whether the man would take the upstairs route or try and sneak in from downstairs. The logical thing would be upstairs, seeing how it would be a direct route to Thea, with the downside being that Oliver's room was quite close. He'd know that, having spent time here. The best strategy possible was to divide his forces until reinforcements got here. Sarab would have to stay and watch for him while Oliver could stay in Thea's room with her.

As Thea slept in her bed with Oliver right next to her watching guard, he fell into a meditative state that would help him listen and concentrate on nothing but what was necessary. His sister's even breathing next to him, Sarab downstairs and the A/C running. He could hear something sliding, like a window or door. It was times like these that made him wish he had his gear have the ability to collapse or at least his sword. He heard Sarab fighting with Malcolm and went to find a weapon. Nyssa was never going to let him hear the end of this, but he had left his assassin gear in the doorway and there was no getting it now. Sneaking into the kitchen, he went towards the knife block and grabbed a few...several knives and waited for an opening. He knew that his opponent was good with knives, especially throwing them. The last thing he wanted to do was give him more ammunition. Just when he saw an opening and was about to attack, Malcolm froze and turned towards the stairs at an awake Thea. This definitely complicated things. Things seemed at a standoff for several minutes, with Thea glaring from the place on the stairs at her so called father and Sarab and Oliver watching Malcolm's every move. If he so much as stepped or breathed wrong, Oliver would step in and not bother with hesitation anymore. He would protect his sister at all cost, even if it meant that Nyssa was left a widow. Malcolm had obviously put the pieces together as to why his daughter suddenly had such a loathing for him and turned to Oliver.

"You had no right telling her that and now she will hate you just as much as she hates me now. However, she'll eventually forgive me. Will she forgive you, knowing the reason that you abandoned and even attacked her?" he asked, but received no answer other than Oliver clenching his fists around one of the knives. "You were more of a son to me than Tommy ever was and now you've betrayed me."

Anyone who knew Oliver at all knew that talking about his best friend in such a way was the easiest way to get a rise out of him on any given day, and Oliver being taunted by his friend's father almost made him lose a hold of his emotions. He knew that's what Merlyn wanted and he wasn't about to give him the pleasure. He'd mostly mastered his mind and had the ability to hold back his emotions. He knew his sister did not have the ability and it showed. Her father talking about Tommy, her brother, in that way made her angrier than she thought possible. She knew Ollie would disapprove of what she was about to do and that he was only taunting them, but she couldn't take it any longer. Jumping from where she stood on the stairs, she reached for the nearest weapons case for something to use against her own father...no, he was now her enemy. Malcolm had obviously foreseen this outcome and blocked her attack with ease while her brother looked on in alarm. He had hoped for once that she wouldn't let her emotions cloud her judgement in a situation like this. He gritted his teeth, wondering if this wasn't his fault in part. Maybe a good deal of this aggression came from her being in the Lazarus pit, but he wasn't about to let her lose to Malcolm and get stabbed a second time. He noticed in the corner of his eye that Nyssa had finally arrived with backup, to his relief and obviously her amusement. She slid his weapons from the doorway towards him as she came silently behind him and smirked.

"Don't forget those next time, husband." she remarked lightly as she came on Malcolm's other side, drawing her sword. Well, at least she was amused. With his own sword at his hip, Oliver moved closer to Thea's fight and nocked an arrow, drawing back his bow.

"Thea, get back! His fight is with me now."

Their fight ended abruptly, as he thought it might with Thea being thrown to the floor and sliding towards the fireplace. That area was a bad memory for both of them, but especially for Thea. She froze, not expecting it and Oliver moved as fast as he could do get there, knowing he couldn't get there in time. Being surrounded by enemies was one thing for Merlyn and he could keep a calm head with no problem, but knowing that she knew the truth about him was another. He was no fool. He knew that the League had surrounded him and it wasn't controlled by Nyssa, and probably never would be. Ra's would have rather had some stranger become his successor, someone like Oliver. So if the League was following anyone's orders, it'd be his. He could beg Oliver to let him go, but he knew that the moment Thea killed Sara under the drug Votura he was living on borrowed time. He knew that he'd made a tactical error using Oliver's sister as a scapegoat and blackmail to get his debts erased. He'd put her in danger, but the least he could do was put her out of her misery. In the back of his mind, he could hear her brother screaming Thea's name in a rage but was blind to it. Now, he was caught in a bloody mist, killing anyone and anything that got in his way.

Oliver almost made it before Nyssa made the decision that she knew she'd never regret. She knew that both brother and sister needed to live in order to be happy, like some cosmic balance of sorts. Her husband would be beyond depressed if he failed to save her yet again and Thea would rather die than see her brother gone again. Knowing that, Nyssa jumped blindly in front of her, blocking her father's frenzied attacks. There was no order to them and now she had several deep cuts on her arms and one close to her collarbone. Thea looked on in shock at the fight as Oliver threw a smoke bomb towards all three of them and ordered his men to get them to safety. He would fight and kill Merlyn, making the general look like he went on a holiday. Yes, both men were quite angry at the other. Covering everyone else's exits, Oliver shot at the man with quick consecutive shots. This made both of them move around the loft quite a bit, leaving arrows and knives lying all over the place. In the end, they both ended up in a long and drawn out sword fight, leaving each other bruised up and bloodied. Knowing that Al-Sa Her was quite well known for his ability to play tricks on his opponents, Oliver was taking no chances this time around. In a rare form of utmost rage, Oliver had decided to kill him inches at a time. It was like Hong Kong all over again, in some ways. In preparation, he had coated one of his arrows in a sedative of sorts. It was only strong enough to let the person continue to fight was no coming back from this one for Malcolm Merlyn and with a powerful kick, he was unconscious. He fulfilled his promise to Nyssa by taking his head and separating it from his body as proof of his death. With a blank face, he turned to Sarab, who had given him plenty of space to fight and sighed.

"It's finally over. I have kept my promise to Nyssa and Thea is protected. Where were they taken? The safehouse?"

"Yes. I suppose we should have some people clean up so that it is not such a mess when your sister comes back to pack?" Sarab suggested, trying to appear helpful and yet coming off as almost sarcastic. Oliver shook his head in exasperation and then wordlessly gave the order. As they got closer to the hideout, they both were traveling in more of a companionable silence up until they reached the door of the house and heard some glass break. They looked at each other and Oliver counted down and broke the door, to see that Thea had dropped a glass and had a look of utter shock on her face. Not wanting to startle her anymore, Sarab started to clean the glass up, while Oliver tried to get Thea out of her state of shock. She finally noticed him and blinked a few times, smiling.

"Thank goodness you're okay!" his sister said in a way too happy voice. Frankly, it sort of scared him. He backed up a foot or two from her, knowing that she was about to blow up at him for something he'd inadvertently done. She hit him on the chest and then proceeded to ask him the one thing everyone else seemed to know. "Why didn't you tell me you were married?!"

Whoops.

A/N: Ahh, Oliver. All that work and anxiousness to make sure that your sister didn't end up mad at you and she goes and finds out that you are married. Whoops indeed. Yeah, so this didn't end up nearly as short as I wanted it to be. I was looking at doing maybe 1000 words but somehow ended up with around 4800. So, obviously I won't be doing Kara or Talia today. Sorry.

*And yes, I am fully aware that Thea doesn't find out about Oliver being the Arrow for another five episodes or so.