#####OQ#####

Felicity came back to life, coughing and gasping and lying on John's legs. John was also coughing and her first thought was, "I'm not dead. We are not dead."

The others were coughing and waking too. Somehow, Oliver had lied to them all, and they were going to survive this.

Ray said, "Not that I'm complaining, but shouldn't we be dead by now."

Malcolm coughed and said, "Yes, we should, but I tricked Ra's into trading out the Omega virus. I saved your lives."

Felicity said, "And your own, which is probably the only reason you did it."

"Well there is that point." Silence answered Malcolm, who said, "I believe the words your searching for are thank and you."

"So not happening." Felicity said, "Truly, Malcolm, you're the villain that becomes the hero? So, what is in it for you?" said Felicity as the rest of the team frowned deeply.

"Still being alive right now, so I can watch you eat crow," Malcolm said smugly.

Felicity rolled her eyes at him and then said, "Did Oliver know you had switched out the virus?" She needed to know if Oliver was acting when he locked them in, or if he had really betrayed them. She wanted to believe that Oliver had all of this planned.

Malcolm nodded and then said, "I would believe he knew if he was paying attention."

"Which means you didn't tell him?"

"I didn't have time to tell him."

Ray raddled his chains and asked, "Merlyn, did your plan include how to get out of this cell? Or are we just going to play dead when the guards come to haul our off our dead bodies?"

"I have to admit that I hadn't planned that far ahead."

"But you planned to bring a fake bio-weapon?" said Ray.

"Well it did come in handy, and we were just supposed to destroy the plane, remember? In and out of here. I never planned to be Ra's guest."

Felicity gasped as the Flash suddenly appeared at the cell's window.

The door opened and the Flash said, "Wow, Felicity, I never thought I would see you in chains. Can't say the whole 50 Shades is a good look for you. Let me help you with those." And in a flash all of their chains were unlocked.

She jumped up and hugged Barry and then quickly brought him up to speed on the Omega virus. Felicity said to Barry, "We could really use your help on this whole thing."

Barry said, "I'm sure Oliver's got this."

John frowned and said, "I wouldn't count on it."

Barry shook his head and said, "I don't know. You know how Oliver feels about me working with his team."

"I don't think Oliver is thinking about his team anymore. He is NOT a team player right now." John said dryly.

Barry said, "No, he is. It was Oliver, who sent me to save you guys. He needs you guys, even if he doesn't think so. Now let's get all of you out of here."

Felicity said, "We have to find Tatsu first. She is our friend, and we can't leave her behind."

"Okay, your right, you can never have enough friends."

#####OQ#####

The plane was nearing Starling City and the time to attack Ra's was drawing near. He was waiting for the man beside him to give him an opening. They were outnumbered and the odds were currently not in his or Nyssa's favor but time was running out. He had to make the first move and kill the man, take his weapon and arm Nyssa, all without getting himself and Nyssa killed.

The plane hit turbulence, and Nyssa attacked the man beside her, ending his life in a blink with a small knife. The world inside the plane exploded into movement as Nyssa attacked another man, and Ra's pulled his sword, and they exchanged blows. Ra's was stronger and knocked Nyssa's sword away. It clattered across the plane's floor and slid to a stop. Ra's placed his sword under Nyssa's chin and pressed.

Oliver faced Ra's and said, "This is over, Ra's. NO more. Release Nyssa and fight me. It is time to end this. I am gong to kill you."

"Lower your sword, Al Sal-Him, this is between me and my daughter."

"No, this is between us."

"You dare to oppose me? You will obey me, Al Sal-Him."

"No, I will not obey. You will not kill the people in my city. I will kill you myself."

Ra's kept his sword held to Nyssa's throat, and screamed at him, "You will obey, boy! You will destroy your city."

"I will not."

"You were delivered by the prophecy. Your name is Al Sal-Him."

Oliver drew his sword and said harshly, "My name . . . is Oliver Queen. I am Oliver Queen!"

Ra's screamed at him, "Oliver Queen is dead."

"Oliver Queen is alive. It is Al Sal-Him that is dead, that never was." The rage he had suppressed roared to the surface. He attacked, and Ra's had to jerk the sword from Nyssa's neck to deflect his sword from taking Ra's head off. Steel crashed against steel and their swords crossed again and again as they fought.

Nyssa was then fighting the men that had appeared from the cockpit. She made short work of them and turned her attention to Ra's, who now had to fight them both. "Worthless traitors, both of you. Deceivers, I am going to kill you both. You can die together, and I will still destroy your beloved city. Just as I destroyed your beloved Felicity, and the rest of your friends. Your ruse is at a end."

Oliver attacked over and over and the plane suddenly exploded into smoke. He was blinded, and by the time he could stop coughing and see again, the door to the cargo bay was shut, and Ra's was gone.

"He must of jumped taking the Omega virus with him," Nyssa said, "though that is the least of our problems for the pilot is dead."

Oliver slid his sword back in the scabbard and said, "Good thing I know how to fly a plane. Ra's has not won yet."

"It's not the flying part that worries me, it's the landing in one piece part," said Nyssa, concern written on her face.

Suddenly, an explosion ripped through the plane throwing them both to floor. The plane tilted and went nose down.

"My father is truly trying to kill us," Nyssa said.

"You think?" Oliver pulled himself into the pilot seat and pulled up on the controls, fighting them as he tried to stop the plane from diving. "Strap in," he yelled at Nyssa, "It's going to be a rough ride."

Oliver crash landed the plane in a field just outside of Starling City. As they crawled out of the wrecked plane, Nyssa turned to him and asked, "Are your friends really dead?"

His chest contracted, and he said, "I don't know. I hope not. But I really don't know. But I'm going to find out." He headed toward Starling in a jog. Headed toward his team, at least he hoped to find his team. Certainly if Merlyn had swapped the Omega virus out, he had an extraction plan, and they were home or Barry had gotten to the team in time. Please, he thought, let them be home. Please, let them be alive. Please, don't let me be alone.

#####OQ#####

When he opened the door to Palmer's lab, his heart skipped a beat, since he smelled her, before he saw Felicity standing next to Ray and Diggle. Yes, they were alive, and she was alive, they were all alive. He almost choked on his joy.

Everyone froze, then Diggle was the first to react. John pulled his gun, and he pointed it straight at him and for the first time ever, after they had been separated, Felicity did not run and throw her arms around him. It was a stab to his heart that she only looked at him with distrust in her eyes and inwardly he sighed.

"I didn't come to fight," he said. But then John harnessed gun and came at him with a roar, and Oliver let John punch him hard in the face. He just took it, but then he caught John's second punch with his hand.

"One is all you get," he told Diggle, as he shoved his punch back at him. "No more. I did what I had to do so you would survive. Did everyone get out alive?"

"Like you care?" said John bitterly. "Where's your buddy, Ra's."

"Ra's is not my friend."

"But I see you brought your new wife."

Oliver understood that John was angry with him but he said, "None of this is Nyssa's fault, and we don't have time for this. The city is in grave danger. Ra's is still coming with the Omega virus. Did Merlyn get the sample out?"

"You weren't sure Merlyn traded the vials were you?" Felicity accused him.

He caught her eyes and said quietly, "Once Ra's threw the virus and it entered the air it was too late. I know you think I betrayed you, but I just did what I had to do to keep all of us alive. And you have to believe me that you all are still alive because I shut that door. If I hadn't, Ra's would have really killed all of you."

Diggle gasped, and he knew Diggle wanted to attack him again but was restraining himself.

Ray said, "Well that just makes so much sense. We're alive because you sealed us in with the virus."

"It wasn't the virus or you'd be dead."

"Stop it," Nyssa said. "My father is going to destroy this city and you are bickering."

"She's right. Where are Lyla and Sara?" He demanded of Diggle.

"Like I would tell you, Al Sal-Him or whoever you are today."

Oliver scrubbed his hands over his tired face and said, "Today my name is Oliver Queen, and Ra's is going to kill everyone in Starling City, except me and Tatsu since we are immune to the virus. John, you can be angry but don't be stupid. Get Lyla, Sara and yourself as far away from Starling as you can. The virus will kill all of you." He turned and said, "Ray, Felicity you have to get out of the city too. Where is Thea? The others?"

"No, I'm not leaving." Felicity said, "The immunization is on its way. Cisco just texted me. Barry will be here soon with the vaccine."

"We still need to evacuate the city. The immunization only works on adults. The virus will kill all the children. We need to bring Capt. Lance into this."

"Lance is still not what I would call your friend." Merlyn said as he entered the room. "I would say you and Ra's have parted company then?"

"Yes, he didn't like the fact I was trying to kill him. Merlyn, it's really good to see you." He reached his hand out and shook Merlyn's hand.

"Now, whoever thought the day would come, you would be glad to see me."

"I agree totally, but right now I could hug you for switching out the virus."

Merlyn gave him a slight nod and Oliver turned away. He said, "Felicity, if you were going to poison the most people possible where would you plant the virus?"

She turned and faced the computer panel, and he couldn't stop himself as he moved toward Felicity and stepped into her personal space.

For so long, it seemed he had been without her, for so long he had lived without her, and for so long he ached for her touch so badly that he just wanted to touch her, to breathe in her scent. But this time when he reached out, instead of moving toward his touch as Felicity always had, she jerked away from him, escaping his touch and her reaction hurt him, stabbed his heart, and warped his soul.

For a second, he thought he saw disgust on her face. And he understood that she didn't want him to touch her, that he had crossed a line with her too, just has he had with John. As Tatsu had said, to defeat Ra's he would have to give up what was most precious to him, but who knew that this would be so hard, so painful. Steeling himself, he stepped back from her, giving her more space. He would push this away for now, for he had to plan how to defeat Ra's now. Maybe he could fix this later but for now he had to KILL Ra's. The rest he could maybe fix later.

#####OQ#####