Chapter 12
The Loss.
"There are no heroes. In life, the monsters win." Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark, Game of Thrones.
AN: Hi, i'm back. I'm sorry for not being able to update the story, I was going through a major writers block that lasted for almost 4 months, but i got my mojo back and I fully intend to finish the story.
Jericho splashed his face with water after the Machine Shop Massacre last night. It was almost as if he was trying to cleanse himself from the guilt that was eating him from the inside but no matter how hard he tried, the image of him on his knees, bloodied and exhausted can't get out of his mind. He'd fought so hard to keep his killer instinct in check but now after what's happening in recent weeks, he might have got the taste back and he hated it. he hated every bit of it.
"Please!" he closed his eyes blocking the voice from one of the attackers begging for mercy inside his head. it was before he sliced his throat and he watched him bleed to death in matter of minutes.
"Get away, you freak!" another voice popped in his head and once again he was trying his best to block it out.
"I got a kid. You don't have to…" That was a father begging before his life was cut short.
"Gotta admit. You really unleashed the killer in ya at the Shop." It didn't take an Einstein to realize who said that. That little devil on his shoulder.
"Come on , after all this time fighting what's inside, it's gotta be liberating for you who's supposed to be a good guy and yet you restorts to their methods. I thought you lost your touch. But I was wrong " He gripped the sink tightly doing everything in his power to block it out.
"I wasn't..."
"Who cares! " He cut Jericho off in mid sentence. "The line between you and the criminals you chase at night, is not so clear now is it?" That alter ego of his suddenly had a look of some realization. "Wow! You might actually be worse than them. I mean you practically tore them up and left them in pieces. So the question is, who is the true monster? Them or you?" He didn't have energy to answer the question but there was something that got to him. Who is the real freak? Himself or the others?
"You know, Dig. I've had my fair share of horrors in my time, on the island and here. but last night, I saw a completely different …" the mood in the Arrow was least tainted after they left the machine shop. Helena was sent to police custody once they handed her over to Officer Lance. The bodies were taken care of by the SCPD including the late Captain Steiner and Frank Bertinelli and during the way back, Jericho was unusually quiet all the way back. and when he left once he cleaned the blood off, he glanced at Sara for a brief moment, it was very hard to understand what she was thinking through but that look on her face pretty much gave what she was about to say but couldn't find the words to say it out loud. Jericho is in trouble.
"Yeah. Sara gave me the cliff note version, which was less graphic thankfully. How bad was it?" Diggle was told the sugar coated version of the events at the Machine Shop by Sara moments after they returned.
"Bad. Bodies or what remained of them were scattered all over the shop. When we apprehended Helena, we saw him on his knees immobile. He didn't realize what he'd done until we found him. He was…" he didn't have chance to finish his sentence before the man in question spoke up.
"Was what?" They turned around to see Jericho walking down the stairs and faced them. Dig and Oliver fell slient, they didn't know what to say considering Jericho pretty much heard everything. But to their surprise, he didn't suppress the events that took place nor denying his actions. "It's ok. You can say it. I was pretty much the terminator last night. I crossed a line back there. Look we better find Conners right now or otherwise somebody else is gonna his next guniea pig."
"I agree. But unfortunately that already happened." Diggle said, moving to the computer set and used the keyboard to pull up some files on the screen. "Felicity caught a break when she discovered Project Artemis from Conner Labs Servers."
"Artemis? As in the Greek Goddess Artemis?" he inquired,
"Yeah, according to the files we uncovered, it was meant to create a counterpart of Project Wolverine. Unfortunately they were erased before we got the chance to encrypt." he explained,
"How?"
"Security measures. They activated when the server was hacked. But we managed to recover some. Felicity's currently decoding the data we recovered."
"That's good. in the meantime, we should pay the good doctor a visit." he said,
"Dr. Frost." Oliver said knowing full well of who the good doctor was.
"Doctor Andrea Frost." He began as he pulled out her documents from the file that was on the table and showed it to them. "An graduate from Harvard specializing in microbiology. She was hired by Conners a few years ago participating in The Wolverine project. At first she was pretty much excited to work with him, he's like Earl Manigault but then she discovered the nasty side of the project and realized that some things aren't as they seem. She declined the payments she got from them and put an block on her account."
"You've done your homework." he pointed
"That's right. I think I should pay her a visit because she's been working with them closely."
"So in order to find Conners." Diggle caught on what Jericho was implying and so did Oliver.
"We go straight to the brick in the armor."
Nervous wreck, that's what Andrea Frost was at the time. She was pacing back and forth in her office at her apartment dreading the day she was about to taken away for her actions. When she started She heard footstep and as quick as a cat, she turned around to see Jericho. She scooted away from him in fear, Jericho sighed shaking his head. he hated being portrayed as the bad guy every time. He wasn't going to harm her
"Please, don't… don't kill me." she begged,
"Calm down, I'm not here for that" he reasoned with his hands raised in surrender. "Look I just want to know why you gave Laurel the file. A lot of lives are at the stake. Any info you have could be crucial." She tlited her head in curiousity although she kept her distance.
"Why?"
"Because I don't want them going through what I went through." Seeing that she won't be killed for the next 5 minutes, she went over to sit down on the couch and composed herself. her heartbeat slowed down in rate
"I-I didn't have much of a choice. When I discovered the side effects of the serum, I tried to convince Conners to stop the experiments. He threatened me so I tried to freeze the fundings. I went as far as giving them their money back " She explained how she was trying everything in her power to deter the Project wolverine from being completed.
"He and the others didn't take no for an answer." Jericho pointed out, she shook her head in confirmation,
"I overheard them talking one day." She continued, "It's about Mirakuru and the Wolverine. They want it to build an army of supersoldiers. A horrible twisted force to destroy Starling City. I tried to prevent it but… "
"It was too late. They have already started injecting the serums into the test subjects." He concluded what she was going to say. She looked away in shame that she was being led into this mess but in actuality, it wasn't her fault. "How?"
"My god, they got gallons of the stuff. They're using a bio transfuser which is a new bio tech from the Star Labs" She rose from her seat and went to a safe behind her desk rather quickly. "Also, The lab in Arkansas is obliterated, wiped off the map. But there's another one in the applied Science division at Queen Consoliated. Plan B in case if the Arkansas lab was compromised. "
"What else are they planning?" he asked,
"Who knows? I think they're just insane." She remarked, dialling the combination code for her safe, she opened it to reveal a bomb inside with timer going 1 in rapid speed.
"Oh my god!" she exclaimed, wide eyed frozen stiff.
"Get out of the way!" he tried to save her but it was too late, the bomb had detonated and she was caught in the blast. Jericho was sent a few feet away from the blast. He groaned, getting back up from his feet quicker than any normal human. But that didn't mean it did not hurt for a sec. he rushed over to where Dr frost was laid out cold and by the looks of it, she died immediately. He sighed as he closed her lifeless eyes. Another lead went cold. Damnit. But at least he got a bit of insight info. Oliver is not going to like this.
Ambulance, police and the were there 30 minutes later, Jericho was being checked by an EMT while the body of Andrea Frost was loaded to the . She was such a bright woman. Why the hell would she tangle up with the likes of Conners and Paul?
"Ma'am! Ma'am! You're trespassing!" he looked to the left to see Sara trying to get in but the police officer was trying to
"It's all right officer. You can let her go." after a moment of internal conflict, the officer allowed Sara to see him.
"You alright?" She inquired, "I heard the bomb blowing up all the away from the apartment."
"Been better." He admitted, cracking his neck from side to side. The emt had done his checkup and concluded that he escaped the blast radius with few minor injuries "Dr. Frost is Dead. A bomb went off in her office, she was caught during the blast."
"Damn." She cursed, they were really hoping that Dr. Frost would give them some intel. but she didn't that she already has before she died.
"Did she tell you anything about their plans?"
"Yeah and you're not going to like it." he said as they walked away from the scene in a hurry so that nobody could overhear them. "They have destroyed lab in Arkansas and are using the QC 's' Applied science division as a plan B. they're mass producing the serums."
"What? That's impossible." She enquired, "How come Oliver didn't know this?"
"Well, that's the other bad news. Isabel Rochev is on their team." he revealed,
"That's not good." it was troubling news to say the least. Sure Isabel may come as a cold hearted woman but working together with Slade
"Nope" he shook his head.
"So what are you gonna do now?" she asked,
"Right now, I'm gonna pay Sebastian Blood a visit. His campaign is being funded by Rochev and I intend to find out why."
"Excuse me, sir. But you can't go in there, unless you have an appointment with Mr. Blood." Blood's Secretary saw Jericho and Sara come barging in to his office minutes later.
"Oh I already have." He retorted as he knocked on the door forcefully.
"If I were you miss, I would step down because he's not in a good mood." she advised the secretary to not piss him off more.
"Come in." they entered his office and when Blood was about to greet him, he looked up to see Jericho and Sara standing next to each other. His eyes widened in fear as he rose from his desk and backed away from them.
"What you're doing here?"
"I was in the neighborhood, thought that I pop in and say hello." Jericho shrugged taking each step in a clam and intimidating fashion. The one that got Blood trembling in fear. Sara used two chairs to barricade the door so that they weren't interrupted. "Now call me old fashioned but I thought being a mayor meant you weren't supposed to be involved in this bullshit."
"I have powerful friends. Do you have any idea what I can do to you?" It was futile threat and Jericho knew it too given that he could kill him in a heartbeat.
"Tell me something I haven't heard already." He rolled his eyes as he leaned in dangerously close to Blood's face.
"Now, you haven ten words. Ten words. To explain to me why Isabel are allowing Dr. Conners to use the Science's division at QC to create an army of Franksteins."
"You don't have the slightest idea of what's…" Jericho punched him in the nose to interrupt his saying because he had a limit of how many words he was gonna use. Blood clutched his now broken nose.
"How many words was it?" He asked Sara,
"Eight." She answered,
"Two words left." He said, blood went slient contemplating of whether or not telling him that. He made up his mind when Jericho raised his fist once more.
"Project Wolverine. Wolverine."
"Keep going." Jericho ordered. Ok, Blood's got his attention. He'd better make it useful.
"Since he restarted the project, Conners spent millions, if not billions on refining the formula, stockpiling adamantium in his lab, secretly trying to create the perfect soldier. He almost bought his company to edge of… Bankruptcy." Blood explained; he took a deep breath before continuing. "He was obsessed with it. So he needed financial support. That's when he met Isabel Rochev. She concealed the debt from the stockholders and the board at Steelmoor because they wouldn't fund a company that was in so much debt. He promised her in return control of a big company. A company that she once interned."
"The Queen Consolidated." Jericho said as the pieces were put together in his mind quickly. "Where she began her hostile takeover."
"And if she had completed it, she would've gotten full control." Sara added, realization dawning on her.
"That's true. She would've gotten the last 10 from the board if Oliver hadn't obtained the remaining 5 from Walter." He said,
"Why would she work with Slade and Paul?" it was Sara's turn to question the mayor candidate. There must be a reason why she would work with them.
"She had an affair with Robert during her internship at QC. From what I've heard, he was going to give up Moira, kids, everything for Isabel. But then Thea had an accident; she broke her arm. He left her which lead to the cancellation of her internship. She's been fixated of getting revenge at the Queen family ever since."
"And what's your gain in all this?" Jericho questioned,
"My gain? Is to restore Starling to its former glory and lead to a era of peace." Blood stated, Jericho tilted his head while furrowing his eyebrows unconvinced. Guys like Paul and Slade; they don't care about politics. All they want is to hunt and kill their prey. Blood's being used and he doesn't know it.
"Oh really? A class act like you?" he remarked flashing a sarcastic smirk, then he picked him up by the suit, Sara moved to intervene once she realized what he was going to do.
"Wait! I told you the truth!" Sebastian pleaded for his life to be spared and surprisingly he was spared as one big fist knocked him out cold. He let him collapse onto the chair with his eyes closed.
"But I didn't like it." he expressed his disgust with a sneer while wrinkling his nose before heading to one of the windows to exit out of his as Sara let out a sigh of relief following him. At least there wasn't any bloodshed.
"Hey, is everything ok?" Felicity questioned noticing Jericho's pissed off look when he and Sara returned to ArrowCave which meant one thing. they'd discovered something bad or found out that someone is the big bad.
"That depends." Jericho answered; Yep, whatever they'd discovered; it's bad.
"What happened?" she asked, he waved the question off with his hand.
"Long story. I'll explain to you once everyone is here." he didn't feel the need to explain right now. when everybody was gathered, he'll
"Where's dig?"
"Righ here." Jericho turned around to see him in his bodyguard suit. "How bad is it?"
"Pretty bad."
An high powered rifle cocking was heard, Sara Jericho, Felicity, and Dig slowly turned around to see a man in advanced military suit. He wore a pair of red goggles and was armed to the teeth. It's safe to say that he's not home inspector.
"You even blink and you're dead." He threatened, Jericho stood still for a moment before abruptly thrusting his claws at different directions into nothing or so they thought when blood splattered on his shirt from their respective legs. Felicity shrieked at the sight of blood. Out of nowhere, two more men whom wore the same military outfit appeared visible. He threw them away like a case of a bad habit. Where the hell did they bypass the security? How did they get in?
"Your friends use too much cologne." Jericho remarked, the attacker pressed something in the suit and became invisible to the human eye. But Jericho caught his scent along with others like them, one thing's for sure; the Arrowcave has been compromised. "Dig. Get Felicity the hell out of here now. There's more of those bastards."
"How can you tell?!" Diggle asked frantically surveying any more men but couldn't find them.
"I know alright! Just go!" he ordered. Taking his word, Diggle grabbed felicity by her wrist and ran up the stairs, Sara followed them because she would need to Call Oliver right now. Evading the shots that were fired Jericho went to take on the three men to be, two excluded of course. He disarmed the first by the salmon ladder and the second one by the computers. The third one was bit tricky. When he took out the second one, he was shot in the chest. the last one approached him carefully as he inspected him. when he thought Jericho was down, Jericho surprised it with a kick to the groin and uppercut to the jaw, putting him to sleep.
"Everyone alright?" he asked, rejoining the others upstairs. they nodded yes in response, they were fine. That can't be said the same for Felicity tough.
"How did they know where we were operating? And how importantly how they enter Arrowcave? Undetected? I…" Felicity had began to ramble which Jericho find it humorous in a situation, though he knows it's totally inappropriate.
"Felicity?" he cut her off which made snap her out of it as she looked at him, her cheeks turned bright red like a kid caught trying to steal a cookie from the cookie jar.
"I'm rambling, am I?"
"Yeah." he nodded hiding a smile, it was kinda relieved really. "And to answer some of your questions, they've used a remote hacking device to hack the security system and took out the cameras with magnesium flare."
"How'd you know that?"
"One of the cameras caught a them breaking in moments before it went dark."
"Oh frack." She cursed covering her face with her hands shaking her head,
"Sara Call Oliver." Jericho ordered,
"I did. 20 minutes ago, and after the attack but he didn't answer the second time i called him."
"did he say what he was going to do prior to that?" he questioned, she bit her lip when she answered his question.
"He told me that he's going to QC."
"Damn." He swore, he was afraid she was going to say that. "I'm heading there. Hopefully he hasn't done anything reckless."
"Given his track record. I doubt it." Sara replied and Jericho hummed in agreement as he was about to leave when Felicity called for him.
"Wait! There's something I need to tell you."
"Is it Important?" he questioned, what could be it so important than Oliver?
"Yes. It's about Nyssa. " Sara took a step forward at the mention of Nyssa.
"What about her?"
Isabel looked out of the window to Starling City in her office, it was after work and most of the employers had already left the building by sunset. There was only her. For many years, she had been waiting for this moment to occur that she would finally get revenge on Queen Family.
"I was wondering when you'd show up." she acknowledged Oliver's presence as she slowly turned around to face him.
"Why Slade?" he demanded,
"We share common grounds." She made no attempt of denying her allegiance with Slade Wilson. She was too calm, too relaxed.
"Do you even know who Slade Wilson is?" he inquired, she shrugged not caring much about his story with Oliver Queen.
"I don't care about that. As long I got what I need."
"IS that so? Or maybe because that you are a scorned ex mistress?" He guessed and he was correct on that when she tensed slightly.
"I should've known. Is that what your mother told you?" she scoffed, shaking her head in disgust. "Of course she would."
"Actually it wasn't my mother. It was Jericho." In actuality it was Sara told him what she and Jericho learned from their visit to Blood's office. But he wanted to see if it would get a rise out of here.
"Figured he would." She frowned, her eyes darkening "Then you also know that your father and I were soulmates." She displayed unadulterated hatred for his father on her face. Granted, he wasn't exactly a saint during his lifetime but still. "He was going to leave your mother, leave the company; leave you. Our bags were packed."
"Really?"
"Your sister had to go and break her arm doing something ridiculous, no doubt."
"She fell off her horse." He recited the words from her mother when they were at the hospital where Thea was staying over night.
"We were at the airport when he got the call. I begged him not to go. I reminded him that Thea wasn't even his." She said, that caught Oliver completely off guard. His father knew Thea long before Felicity discovered her parentage and he didn't have the backbone to tell him?
"Are you saying that my father knew?"
"Of course he knew." She huffed, "He was a fool, not an like a fool, he loved her anyway. He promised me that we would leave the next day. But instead, my internship was terminated and he never spoke to me again." Oliver didn't say anything after that, he'd only intensified his glare.
"It's kinda funny. The plan originally was to kidnap Thea, tell her about her real father and convince the board to remove you from your position as the CEO." She walked up with devious intentions. He had a bad feeling about this. "But plans change so instead I'll do this."
Oliver was flown out of her office and landed on the floor with a thud. Oliver grunted as he got back on his feet. Ok, That hurt. Isabel was stalking him like a predator waiting an opportune time to feed on her prey carrying a katana. She lunged at him with a cry as she was going to pounce on but thanks to lightening fast reflexes, Oliver dodged it, just barley though. He knew he had to get out of there quickly because Isabel was enchanced with Mirakuru and he knew that he can't fight her one on one, he wasn't stupid. Except that when he headed to the elevator, Isabel cut him off in the pass and punched him in the jaw. How did she get there so quickly? He was seeing stars and it was problematic for sure.
"You don't know." she said as she started to kick him in the ribs and he could feel them being beaten to the point where he thought that they broke. "How long. I've waited." The last one sent him to the elevator door back first. She approached him slowly taking her time to enjoy this moment.
"An eye for an eye. A Queen for a Queen." She twirled her katana before delivering a fatal strike. But her sword was obstructed by a set of adamantium claws. She looked up to Jericho who'd just arrived in the nick of time.
"Don't. hit my friends." He growled, he then grabbed her by throat and pushed her against the office wall.
"Where is Nyssa?" he snarled, she tried to fight out of his death grip but Jericho knew from the file that Wolverine was twice as strong than the Mirakuru.
"Where is she?!"
"Starling City Docks. Warehouse 5a." she croaked, "But it's too late, they already know you're coming and you're not going to like what you'll find."
"Good." he knocked her out before checking up on Oliver.
"You Alright?" Jericho asked as he helped him back up on his feet.
"Had worse." Oliver groaned,
"Well, as they say hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." He quoted and Oliver could only grunt in agreement.
"Alright. Now everyone is here, let's go through what we know so far." Once the Arrow Team had returned to the ArrowCave, they quickly did a inventory and sent the intruders to police custody, Jericho met up with a 20 something kid named Roy Harper who grew up in the Glades and is Thea's boyfriend. It brought a genuine surprise to him but he was engaged to Commissioners daughter, so he didn't judge. they were all gathered around for a summary report of what "We know that Isabel has secretly using the applied Science division for number of reasons but also investing in Conner's experiments as well. The Wolverine and Mirakuru. So far we didn't know what their plan was until now. Felicity." That was her que and she showed a graphic blue print for a machine from S.T.A.R Labs.
"This is the schematic for the prototype of a biotransfuser. It's one of S.T.A.R Labs new bio-tech projects." She presented,
"How did you get this?"
"It was on the data that I decoded the data from the Conner labs when I infiltrated their servers. It was reported stolen few months ago during a breaking and entering from Star Labs Central City."
"What does it do?" Oliver questioned,
"it can deliver blood from one single patient into multiple patients, at once." She explained,
"Why would they need blood transfusion?" Diggle inquired,
"They don't." Jericho showed a Gotham Gazette newspaper to them where the headline read Prisoners escapes Prison transport to Blackgate, "A prison transport vehicle that was on the way to Blackgate Penitentiary in Gotham was attacked and convicted criminals escaped few months ago. Two guards died as a result of it. An similar attack had just taken place few days ago at Iron heights."
"They're creating an army of enchanced soldiers." Oliver said,
"Exactly." Jericho confirmed,
"With a few tweaks, they can retrofit the serums, bypassing what we know to be a less than desirable ratio of success to, you know, death. Instead of it metabolizing in the person, it happens in the machine." Felicity added,
"And as you can see what happened with Oliver earlier, it was a success which is bad news for everyone." He put the newspaper on table.
"And then there's Nyssa. It turned out that she did not return to Nanda Parbat as we originally thought. She's being held up in Warehouse 5a at the docks. "
"The docks? Wait you mean?" Sara inquired,
"Mhmm." He nodded grimly, the docks where Nyssa held Sara's mother Dinah hostage few months back. The last known location before she supposedly left.
"So what's the plan?" Roy asked with arms crossed.
"Tomorrow we strike. Felicity will notify us the moment the biotransfuser starts." Jericho said,
"How?"
"A machine like this pulls an exorbitant amount of power from the grid. When it turns on, I'll know when and where." Felicity replied,
"no. we strike now." Oliver shook his head, he waited long enough now that they know what their plans are. Now it was time for retaliation. "I'm tired of waiting."
"Oliver, " Jericho began with a sigh, as much as he loved to do that, he knew better, he'll walk into the lion's den to get himself captured or worse. If there's anything he learned in the past is to regroup and make up a plan. Make them come to you."Think about what we know so far. Mirakuru, Wolverine, hell the bio transfuser. We got enough knowledge to turn the tide here. If you go guns blazing, you'll be playing right into their hands. it's too risky. Not gonna take that chance."
"Have you got a better plan? Because right now it doesn't look like it."
"Yeah, and it's a little less dicey. Stop being a butthead and listen for once in your life, ok." They engaged in an intense staredown, the other looked between the two vigliantes there was tension in the air, one was eager and desperate while the other was patient and planning. After what it seemed an eternity, Oliver surprisingly stood down.
"Alright. What's the plan?"
"Here's what we're do." Jericho began to explain the plan step by step as everyone gathered around him. Maps of the dock and Science's division were shown on the table, he pointed at the warehouse blueprint. "Sara, Diggle, you'll take the warehouse, find Nyssa and get to the rendezvous point where Roy's waitin' for ya in the van so he can get you outta there to safety. But be careful, this maybe an ambush so if you don't find her, get outta there as fast as you can."
"Oliver, you and I are gonna take the applied Science division. We rig the place with c4s once we cleared out the place. We get to a safe distance and blow up the place. But we're gonna get one shot at this, otherwise we're screwed." he looked around the table to see if there are objections to the plan. there were none. "Am I clear on this?"
"Whatever you say boss." Sara snickered,
"Get some rest. We'll meet here tomorrow night " He dismissed, and everyone left the cave, however he wanted to talk to a certain blonde and no it's not Felicity he was gonna talk to.
"Sara, can I talk to you for a minute?" he requested,
"Sure." she walked back to him puzzled of why he would talk to her now.
"So wanna talk about what happened with Helena, Sara?" he questioned,
"What about it?" she shrugged, pretending to be nonchalant about it.
"Well, I want to talk about how you spared her life." He said,
"Oh that."
"Well?" he urged her gently to tell the reason why. He didn't wanna push the subject if it was making her uncomfortable.
"Look, if you're gonna lecture me about…"
"Oh no, I'm not doin' that. just explain why you did it." He interjected, he wasn't gonna lecture her. he was just gonna to listen to her.
"I only did because Laurel asked me not to. I would've killed her in a heartbeat." She shrugged as if the subject
"But you didn't which gotta tell you something." He pointed,
"Yeah that I'm a people pleaser." She snorted,
"Sara." He chimed,
"Don't get me wrong, I like them but it's just that, lately I'm feeling a bit out of place."
"Is it because of Oliver?" he questioned, raising a eyebrow.
"A little." She replied, "I love Oliver but not in the way you think. I mean, the only reason that I went to Gambit was because Oliver asked me to. Oliver and I are too similar, people who are broken and saw how cruel the world is. Oliver deserves better than that. When I saw you on your knees covered in blood at the shop, I realized that it could be me if it ever came to a situation like that. He deserves someone who sees him for the person that he is and being the light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe that has always been my problem. I do what others tell me to do. Letting them decide my fate." He was silent during her speech which worried her. he'd normally have something to say or a remark
"Ok. Don't know how to say to that." he said,
"I don't expect you to." She muttered, "And before you ask me why I haven't broken up with him, it was because of I still care about him greatly."
"Well, to be honest, I still have nightmares about what happened in Russia, I still have nightmares about the lives I took that torments me but you know what, at the end of the day. I know who I am and I have people that cares about me greatly. So do you. you're not alone on this."
"How do you do it?" she asked in amazement, he's been through hell and back over the past 8 years in his life and still he manages to have the strength to pull through situations like this.
"I don't." he admitted, "I'm barley holding it together with every thing that has happened recently but you just gotta go on I guess. I'm not an exactly a optimist, I don't have any false hope that everything is gonna be fine when it isn't but If I go down one day, atleast I'll go down swinging." Once he was done, he left and went upstairs to the door.
"And Sara. About what you said, I think you should focus more on yourself than do things that others asks you to." She took the words to the consideration with a nod as he exited the cave. Yeah, that might be a good idea. Focus on yourself.
"That's the last one. Oliver, would you do the honors!" They left the sciences division and got to a safe distance after rigging the division with C4 the following evening. Sara and Diggle were at the docks while Oliver and Jericho entered through the ventilation shaft because elevators to the Science's Division were shut off so that. When they took out the guards and chased the workers out of the place, they discovered bodies that belonged to League of Assassins. They were members of Nyssa's elite Guard judging from the insignia Jericho saw on their bodies. Nyssa disappearance hadn't gone unnoticed, it seemed and they were sent to find her. But also that there were large containers filled with Mirakuru and Wolverine, Isabel was mass producing them under Oliver's nose which he didn't take it too kindly when Jericho
Jericho noticed the hesitance from Oliver.
"Take your time." he said patiently, knowing full well why. After all it was his father's building. It was designed to honor his memory. But now they're gonna destroy it because Isabel is using it to mass produce on a high scale. After some conflicting moments, Oliver pushed the button and Sciences Division went off in a blaze of glory. Just then, Felicity contacted them via ear piece.
"I'm getting a massive Spike from Collins and Main. It's drawing a hell of a lot of power. Which means someone either plugged in the world's largest hair dryer, or the biotransfuser just went online. The power cycle on this machine is very specific. You have 30 minutes, at best." Felicty reported,
"Have Sara and Dig come back?" he asked,
"Yes and I'm afraid there are some bad news. The Warehouse was a no go. Sara and Dig walked into an ambush there, they barley made it out."
"Damnit." Just as he suspected, it was just a diversion. Where the hell was she being kept? He exhaled through his nose as he recomposed himself. "Alright, send them the location We'll meet hem there."
"Got it." Jericho's phone suddenly buzzed from his jack pocket. Perplexed of who is calling on his hour, he picked it up and looked on display. it showed unknown. It didn't settle well with either of them.
"Yeah."
"Hello, Jericho Must stay, Thea Queen is ravishing from up close. And so does his mother. She looks good for her age." Jericho growled lowly as he recognized that smug arrogant voice. He'd recognize that voice any day of the goddamn week.
"Paul."
"And bingo was his name-o. Tell Oliver I'm at the Queen's mansion. I'll be waiting." The call ended he glanced at Oliver who already hopped on his motorcycle. He overheard everything.
"Oliver wait!" he tried to stop him from, but it was too late, he'd already gone to Queen's mansion in a rapid speed.
"God damnit!" he cursed in frustration, things have just turned for the worst and it was about to get even worst when two needles stabbed his back and electrocuted him. he passed out and collapsed on the ground.
Blinking a few times to clear his vision, Jericho slowly regained consciousness to see that he was in some sort of cell. It was small and he looked at himself for a moment or two, he was strapped to a gurney. He tried to break out but it was like trying to break out of stone.
"Save your breath, the straps are made of Adamantium." A voice stopped his efforts of breaking free. A familiar man stepped out of the shadows and into the light." Even you can't break them free."
"Conners. Nice to see you." He remarked, Dr. Conners narrowed his eyes at his sarcasm.
"You have caused a lot of trouble but now I have you in my grasp and you're not going to escape this time." he paced back and forth in a calm
"No small talk huh. i've always liked them. Kinda stimulating. " he smirked annoying Dr. Conners further more.
"One of those days your foul mouth is going to get you in deep trouble that you can't get out of." He snarled, his brown chocolate eyes showing malice.
"I've said it before and I'll say it, tell me something I don't know." he dismissed the threat with an eye roll
"You know, I was thinking million ways of inflicting psychical pain but eventually I've figured it only lasts for a period of time." he said, Jericho scoffed in doubt as he once again tried to break out of straps but it was worthless.
"Really? if you think torturing my friends will affect, you're in for a big disappointment." His smirk grew knowing that they're one tough bunch.
"But you can't say the same for miss Barbara Gordon, can't you?" Dr. Conners told him and that smirk was replaced by a scowl when he mentioned Barbara. What he's up to now?
"What?" he uttered, Dr. Conners moved back to the shadows and out came a captive who had a bag over her head. she was confided to a wheel gaining consciousness, He removed the bag to reveal her identity which shocked him.
"Where am I?" she asked still a bit dazed.
"Barbara!" he exclaimed,
"Jericho?" she sobered up when she laid her eyes on him.
"Ah, how the tables have turned quickly. You'd be amazed how easily Gotham's finest can be brought by a case of 10000 dollars." You could tell that Dr. Conner was enjoying this. "I'm gonna make this simple, Surrender now or she will suffer."
"Go to hell." he spat, Dr. Conners shook his head in dissappointment, it wasn't having the desired effect he'd wished for.
"I hate getting my hands dirty sometimes. Why do you resist? I gave you a gift and you just turned it down and buried it." he picked up a piler from chart and grabbed her hand forcefully. "Miss Gordon. Would you like pedicure?"
"No! Don't! Don't!" She tried to wiggle her hand out of his realizing what he was about to do. He took her long finger and forcefully pulled the finger nail out of her long finger. She bit her tongue from screaming in agony.
"Did you know that removing the fingernail was a favorite method of torture in the medieval times?" he enlightened while observing the removed finger nail that was in perfect condition. "If you pull it out with brute strength without the anesthetic, it can be quite painful."
"it's gonna take a lot more than that, Conners. She's been through way worse than that." Jericho tried again to break out of these strap in rage, but he failed miserably.
"Oh I'm just getting started." He went to get a hot iron rod that was on the cart and lifted her shirt up that exposed a lot of skin on her stomach. He placed the hot rod on her stomach burning the flesh and skin. This time she couldn't hold her screams.
"You bastard!" Jericho swore, thrashing and fighting his way out but once again his attempt were futile.
"A lesson learned, Mr. Brown. Every man has a weakness, including you." he advised, he picked up another piler that lay next to a pipe cutter.
"Say, one of your teeth?" he forcefully opened her mouth and was about to rip a teeth off when his cellphone ringed at a opportune time. Jericho sighed in relief, thanking the caller who interrupted him.
"You sure you wanna get that?"She mumbled through the piler her mouth still open, Dr. Conners frowned sliently cursing the caller. the phone wouldn't stop buzzing.
"You should get that." she pointed, he huffed as he left their cell to take the call.
"Happy belated eastern, Barb." He breathed,
"You too." She groaned,
"What happened?" he questioned,
"I was just on my way to Colleens for the book club meeting when I felt a pain shooting from my neck." She explained, "They must've shot me with a tranquillizer dart. I was out like 5 seconds after and then I woke up here. Where are we?" she looked around the room to see where she was.
"Collins and Main, Starling City." He told her,
"Great." She deadpanned.
"Any ideas on how to get out of this hell hole?" he asked,
"I have a few." She bowed her head down to her jack pocket using her teeth to retrieve a lighter.
"Isn't that your dad's lighter?" he inquired, laying his eyes on it. She leaned her head and dropped it on her right hand before lighting the ropes that were wrapped around her right wrist.
"Yeah, I caught him a few times smoking before he ended his uh... smoking habit for health reasons. Good thing I kept it in case a situation like this happens." She replied,
"Remind me to buy him a new one for his birthday." He said; the ropes were loose enough for Barbara to break free of her right hand before repeating the same movement to her left. A few minutes later, she was freed from her restraints.
"Yes!" she exclaimed as she used the wheelchair to go to Jericho "Hang on, honey.." she looked around only to see a remote on the cart. Big mistake leaving it there; she rolled the wheels to get it and pressed a button, releasing him.
"Much better." He said rolling his wrists. He then carried her on his back while Barbara wrapped her arms around his neck as he kicked the door open and ran as far as they could before Dr. Conners returned once the phone call had ended seconds after they escaped. He took a look at busted door and immediately he knew that Jericho had escaped from his clutches once again.
"No!" he yelled, "Where have they gone!"
"Hello? Is anybody there?" Jericho and Barbara were in hiding as the guards that were mercs for hire. They searched for the couple but so far they were unsuccessful. The couple were above them with Barbara h when they heard someone calling for. Unfortunately the guards heard it too but dismissed as one of their prisoners trying to hear what was going on before they went right down the hall. He jumped down to the floor with Barbara still clinging on before going to the cell where he heard the voice coming from the cell right in front of him.
"Is that you, Sara?" he asked,
"Jericho?" she inquired, "I'd hope you better tell me what the hell is going on."
"Well, it looks like we're being held captive by Conners and he is in a foul mood. " he explained,
"That's great." She quipped, "John and Roy is here too btw."
"Let me get ya out, alright." He kicked the door open to see Sara, Diggle and Roy being chained to the walls.
"Oh Hello." Sara greeted, noticing a rather tall redhead with glasses on his back. she had arms around his neck in a tight hold as Jericho cut off the chains with his claws freeing them."Didn't see you there."
"HI, I'm Barbara." Barb introduced herself, "It's nice to see you Sara. Jericho spoke a lot about you."
"I'm sure it was all bad." Sara said, getting rid of the stiff in her wrists.
"Actually it wasn't." Barb admitted,
"Can you stand, John?" he asked helping John up on his feet with Roy,
"Yeah I think so." He answered, he turned his back to Diggle who then picked up Barbara and carried her over the threshold.
"Alright, Get her outta here and head to the mansion." He ordered as they left the cell and headed to the exit. "Thea and Moira is being held hostage."
"We know; we overheard Conners talking over the phone to Slade. What about you?"
"I'll locate and destroy the bio transfuser. See ya at top side." That was gonna have to wait when a voice froze them in place
"Freeze." Damnit, the guards must've heard the commotion but how did they found them? He looked up and saw a security camera. He mentally scolded himself for not discovering it sooner. Of course there would be cameras. How convenient.
"Go, I'll keep them busy." They didn't object as he took on the guards granting them the opportunity to escape.
After interrogating one of the guards about the location of Biotransfuser before knocking him out with the rest of his friend, Jericho was now pondering on how to destroy it. He was walking around it with the gurneys surrounding the Biotransfuser in a circle and another was in front of fuser. the whole place he saw reminded him of a scene from a movie he saw with Shawn when he was just a kid. He can't use c4 again he and Oliver used all of them at QC building that's out of the question. So he'd just do this. He ripped the panel out and thrust his claws into the exposed panel. He knew that it would cause a rupture because his metal coated skeleton was a big conductor of electricity and the human body constituted of 73% water. He grunted as he felt the high voltage running through his body and a few minutes later the bio transfuser exploded sending him a few feet away. It wasn't fancy but it got the job done. As he was going to leave, an arrow flung past him barley scratching his cheek before it hit the wall.
"What the…" he glanced back and forth at the arrow and the perpetrator who'd just reloaded the bow. Wait, that arrow. It looked familiar, he looked a backt the arrow and realized that it had a special red fetching and red tip. There's only one person he knew that carried arrows like these but he didn't wanna believe it. he couldn't. he looked at the assailant and it confirmed his fears.
"Nyssa?" she didn't respond to him as she fired a quick succession of arrows towards him who caught some while the rest hit his shoulders and chest. He grunted pulling the arrows out when his nose picked up the un pleasant odor of the poison that belongs to the black mamba, one of deadliest snakes in the world. Dizziness hit him quickly as he felt the poison attacking the nervous system causing him to fall down face first, he was feeling numb all over his body. He couldn't move even though it couldn't kill him because he had the Wolverine in him. It would incapacitate him long enough for her to kill her. Paralysis is a bitch. Nyssa stood over him and aimed an arrow at his heart. But before she could finish him off, a voice stopped her.
"Nyssa!" she turned around to see Sara who apparently hadn't listened to a word Jericho said earlier. He faintly grumbled a few curse words as he was starting to feel his hands again. Does this chick ever listen? That would be a big no.
"What did they do to you?" she asked as Nyssa walked over to see, emptiness shown in her eyes. Jericho used the wall for support to get himself back up. He gotta admit, Nyssa got him good here. She always had been good with bows and arrows. As he got back up, at corner of his eye, he caught Sara trying to get through to Nyssa but she wouldn't listen it was as if someone was controlling her as she kicked and punched Sara senseless. Shockingly Sara didn't wanna fight here. What she's doing now?
"Damnit Nyssa it's me. Ta-er Al Sahfer." Sara spit out blood stumbling a bit. Nyssa went for a double leg takedown and ended up straddling Sara before using her fists to punch Sara in the face again and again. Jericho tried to stop the onslaught but ended up falling flat face first. Ok, he didn't exactly recover from the black mamba poison instantly. He didn't get a good look at sara's face but judging from the amount of blood on Nyssa's face, it was pretty bad.
"It's ok, I'm here, beloved." Sara rasped, "I'm not gonna leave you."
Nyssa clenched her fist preparing for the final blow and Sara had to close her eyes for the final blow but the final blow never then Nyssa's eyes caught something around her neck. She looked it closely and saw that it was a hamsa necklace, a gift she gave it to her on her anniversary last year. it was said to bring fortune and protection from the evil. And in that moment, memories of their relationship flooded her mind. It was strong enough to pull her out of the depth of the darkness that had been surrounding her since she was captured. she gasped loudly as if she was back to her old self again or what was left of it.
"Sara?" She whispered in disbelief, it was like she snapped out of a spell and woke up. She was horrified of what she had done once she observed the damage she caused. She almost killed her brother and she was about to beat her beloved to death with her bare hands. But before she could utter a word, a handgun was fired and she was shot in back. she collapsed to the ground.
"Nyssa!" Jericho somehow regained strength to run over to her.
"I was so looking forward of you two killing each other." Paul said, displaying his disappointment in his voice coming out of the shadows holding up a gun."Well, you can't have everything."
"Nyssa you're gonna be fine." Jericho assured as he put the pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding. he examined it and concluded that the bullet went through her body and didn't hit any internal organs.
"What is it with you Al Ghuls and your refusal to die?" he asked as if he couldn't believe the amount of unwillingness from the Al Ghul to simply stay dead. At that point, Jericho had enough of his cockiness, he snapped and charged at Paul picking him up by his shirt with a roar. Paul merely laughed at him.
"You know why I piss you off so much? Because deep down, I'm exactly what you are, a killer." Paul taunted, "Go ahead. Finish it." OH he wanted to do so badly, so badly he could taste it, all bets are off now. But by some ungodly reason, he put him it down and Paul gleefully ran away from him. Jericho had him in his hand, he could've ended it right there. but in the back of his mind, something told Jericho to let Paul go because if he killed himself, he'd be not better than Paul is and Nyssa's currently bleeding out.
"I knew you wouldn't kill me, you're getting soft for your age. but don't worry, we'll face each other very soon, brother. Very soon." And with that he had left the building, leaving Jericho in silence, the cellphone rang from his pocket moments after He didn't wanna answer it. he wanted to bath himself in self loathing but he was on autopilot as he answered the call.
"Yeah." He weakly addressed,
"Jericho, I have some… horrible news" It was Felicity, she was sniffling. Jericho frowned, had she been crying? It can't be good. What else has happened now? What could've been worse than what's taken place "Dig and Roy made it to mansion but… they were little too late. Moira is dead. Slade killed her"
"Damn." He sighed. Apparently it can.
AN: And there's that. Here's another preview from the next chapter and it's in sentences.
"Hey Sara."
"Yeah?"
"What are you gonna do now?"
"We all got our roles to play, Jericho. See ya in the morning."