DISCLAIMER: As always, I still don't own these character's, I just get the fun of playing the sandbox.
AN: As we go on, I will probably diverge more and more from canon. Especially with what I think are the mechanics of the magic might be. I apologize for any weird inconsistencies. Any errors are all mine. We still have a few things to take of before we get to Nanda Parbat - hopefully within the next 1-2 chapters. This is covered under Creative Commons as derivative fiction.
"Affliction is enamored of thy parts, and thou art wedded to calamity." ROMEO AND JULIET, Act 3, Scene 3, Lines 2-3
Captain Quentin Lance strained to see the dark figures fighting on dam roadway. After his officers advised him of the shoot-to-kill order, he had contacted Felicity. He was furious with Oliver Queen and he wanted nothing more than to lock him up in a maximum-security prison for at least two or three lifetimes. But. It looked as if Oliver was trying to keep some whack job from bringing death and destruction to Star City. Again. Hell, how many times did this scenario have to happen? Earthquake machines. Masked super soldiers. Creepy guys in hoods with swords and arrows. Oliver brings disaster with him; death follows him wherever he goes. He was the reason, ultimately, Sara was dead. Quentin knew he was irrational on all matters Oliver Queen. But. He didn't want the kid dead. He snatched the binoculars from the nearest officer and tried to determine which combatant was Oliver.
The fighters were well-matched whoever they were. They traded blows with equal intensity and ferocity. It almost seemed like a choreographed scene. A deadly dance of steel and furor. One of the opponents began to dominate the other. Quentin tensed. He couldn't make out whether it was Oliver or not. Suddenly, the downed fighter was pushing forward and stabbing the previously upright fighter, who was now on his knees. The victor's back blocked the face of his victim. Just before he began to turn toward the gathered police officers, who were prepared to take their kill shots, two smoke bombs erupted.
They were gone. No body. No fighters. No Oliver effing Queen. Quentin could feel an ulcer developing as he wondered. So, who won? Are we screwed? Is Oliver even alive? Bastard.
Quentin pulled his phone out and called Felicity again.
"Detec…Captain Lance?" Felicity's harried answer held a question she was afraid to ask.
"My guys didn't shoot him." Quentin stated quickly. "But we still have a problem. He's gone. They both are."
"What do you mean, gone?" Felicity asked incredulously. "They're both dead?"
"No! I mean, I don't think so. I don't know. Someone won. It was brutal and quick. Someone was stabbed, but I don't know, for sure, who. Smoke bomb eliminated our visibility and now they're both just gone."
"Did you see anyone else?" She couldn't keep the desperate hope from her voice. If Nyssa was there, maybe there was a chance Oliver was still alive. Ra's al Ghul had almost killed him once, maybe this time Oliver prevailed.
"No. Look, it's chaos out here and I can't do anything else for your guy. I just thought you should know and prepare yourself. He might be gone for good this time." He stopped, not knowing what else to add that wouldn't hurt the young woman on the phone more.
"Well, I guess you wouldn't mind that too much." Felicity couldn't keep the bitterness out of her voice.
"Hey! I wanted to put the Arrow in jail, not get Oliver killed." Quentin defended himself. "Doesn't matter now, what's the status on that bio-weapon?"
"We're working on an inoculant right now. Ray's using his nanite technology to help disburse it at a faster rate. Drones are on their way. I think we've neutralized it." Her clipped response told Quentin that he wasn't forgiven, but the protection of the city outweighed her personal feelings.
"Alright. I've got an APB on any of these freaks in costumes – so, you might want to make sure your crew is off the streets." Quentin disconnected the call, before Felicity could warn him against anything, with a sour look on his face and a churning stomach. Damn, I hope he makes it.
Felicity set the phone down with an increasing sense of foreboding. "Guys?" She called out onto the comms. "What's the status?"
Laurel responded quickly, "Threat is incapacitated, here."
"And here," Malcolm stated over the channel.
"We have bodies down and we need that inoculant ASAP." John's voice didn't hide his concern.
There were no other responses.
"Oliver? Nyssa? Status?" Felicity listened to the silence with growing panic. "Oliver? Nyssa? Do you copy?"
John impatiently cut in, "I haven't from either of them in a while, Overwatch. What's the status on getting some help here?"
"It's on its way, Spartan." She reassured him. "I need you all to get back here. There's a city-wide APB on any masks or assassins, apparently they aren't trying to figure out who the good guys are any more."
"Copy, that. On our way."
Nyssa moved silently and quickly through the shadows as she led Oliver away from the dam. He carried the body of her father. She sighted a small copse of trees to her right and signaled the change in direction.
Once safely under cover, Oliver gently laid the stiffening body on the ground. Nyssa pulled her comm unit out and crushed it under her heel. She cocked her head towards Oliver and raised a questioning brow. He smiled faintly and shook his head.
"I dumped mine before I went to meet Ra's." He spoke softly. "Nyssa, what is this? I thought we would go back and meet the others."
"We have little time, Husband. There are things you need to know before we return." She paused, waiting to see if he would follow her lead or not. He gave a quick nod for her to continue. "You are now Ra's al Ghul, but the League must confirm your leadership and submit to your will. Otherwise, your city and your loved ones will remain in peril. Do you understand what this means?"
Oliver briefly grunted an affirmative. "Of course. I have to return to Nanda Parbat and cut all ties to my previous life as Oliver Queen."
"It's so much more than that. Do you know why? Why Ra's al Ghul must have no ties outside of the League. There can be no hostages or leverage. You must be beyond all outside influence. They can never know you are Ra's al Ghul, or you place them in constant jeopardy. Think about it. If I wanted to compel you, control you – all I need do is threaten harm to your Beloved, or your sister. Who is now my sister. None can know your true name or who you care for – unless they are bound by your will. This is the most perilous time of your reign. Any who are not 100 percent loyal cannot be trusted. And even the loyal cannot be trusted, if they are not League."
"So, I have to continue the lie." Oliver stated the obvious, bitterly. "What if I didn't, Nyssa? I could just give you the ring, or, give it to someone else. I could just walk away. Walk away from all of it. Get into a car and just drive."
Nyssa looked at him in shock. Was he truly that ignorant? She put out her hand and rested it gently, non-threateningly, on Oliver's forearm as she shook her head.
"No. You are Ra's al Ghul. Anyone else is a pretender. You were selected and honed in battle. You both gave and took blood for blood, and life for life. The power doesn't come from the ring. The ring is powered by sacrifice. This is old magic. Much like our soul bond. Death is the only release, and even then, you will be bound. This is your destiny now. There is no Oliver Queen. No Arrow. No Al Sah-him. These are memories of past lives. There is only Ra's al Ghul, and you cannot give up – your release must be earned; it must be taken. Do not speak like a fool, I will not abide it."
Oliver shook off her hand and clenched his jaw in frustration. He pressed the heels of his hands into eyes for a moment and then massaged his temples, trying to wrap his head around his predicament. There really is no way out this time.
"So, Wife," he emphasized her title with barely leashed frustration. "What do you recommend? I keep them all in the dark? Even Thea? Felicity? How do I keep them safe?"
"Abandon them or bring with you. There are no half-measures." Her solution was uncompromising.
"Bring them with me?" Oliver mused. "Bring my little sister and Felicity to, what, become assassins?"
"Perhaps. Your sister has already stepped on the path. She is a formidable student, and she will continue to crave violence." She raised an eyebrow. "After the Pit. It will continue to influence her. She would benefit from further instruction and discipline."
Oliver nodded. "And Felicity? Tell me, in what world, does Felicity fit in with the League of Assassins?"
Nyssa sighed. "I don't know. But she is your Beloved, and I would not force you to lose that light in your life. If she returned with us, it would be as your concubine. She would be protected and kept safe. Her computer skills could be of benefit to the League. But her primary role would be dependent on you. She would lose her freedom."
"I can't do that to her." Oliver grimaced. "She deserves better than that. She deserves to live in the world." He ran a hand across his head. "I have to give her up. Again. God, Nyssa! I hate this, but it really is the only way. You're right. They can't know I survived, and I can't walk away. Do you really think Thea will crave violence?"
She mutely nodded; allowing him the room to make the decision.
"Fine. You go back. Tell them whatever needs to be said. Make sure they know that Oliver Queen isn't coming back. And Nyssa," his voice dropped into a growl. "Bring back Malcolm. It's time he finally faced justice for his crimes. What about your father?"
"We will take him home and let his spirit rest." Nyssa let him see pain flash across her face. "I wanted to kill him. I wanted to be one to watch the life leave his eyes." She waved aside any condolences. "I loved him. I feared him. I hated him. He was a harsh taskmaster, but through it all – he was still my father." Her mouth quirked up slightly and she shrugged. "No matter. It is done."
"Your assassins await you, my lord." She indicated a small group of men, who seemed to melt from the shadows. "They will take you to transport and I will meet you shortly with Al Sa-her. The Shadows will bring me to you. What of Thea?"
Oliver's reply was curt. "Bring her."
My name was Oliver Queen. For three years I worked to save my city. But to save my sister, I had to become someone else. I had to become something else. I am Ra's al Ghul. The Demon's Head, master of the League of Assassins.