Chapter 13 FLASHPOINT: Team Arrow Part 1

AN – This last AU chapter but it is in two parts as well! We will return to the original 'real time' story next week for the final postings!

*Please see Chapter 2 for SPOILER ALERT and DISCLAIMER!*

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The ragtag group of impromptu heroes exchanged worried looks at the truth of her words. Lillian and her soldiers had proven unstoppable. Diggle was the first to notice Oliver's smile.

"What are you thinking?"

"If we can't defeat her then we make her defeat us." Oliver moved closer to Felicity's chair and continued. "She's been running the show, right? Determined to kill heroes and especially the Arrow. What will she do when the Arrow shows up with a group of superheroes?"

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Pausing, Oliver ran a hand along the bow testing the tension. It was time to put his plan into action. He wanted it to be the first step actually but he knew that it was a big step and one he needed to survive before he could begin to think about a future. They had argued about the details for several minutes but he was surprised everyone had decided to back his play. His instinct was to keep both Thea and Felicity in the background and safe. However, both argued they had the right to choose and Felicity reminded him that she had been doing the 'hero thing' much longer than he had. The word 'hero' reverberated through his mind but it still made no sense. His father. Laurel. Felicity. Roy. Now Thea, Diggle, and he would be added to the list. He knew he wanted to become something different but he couldn't believe he could become a hero.

Barry recognized the dark brooding expression on Oliver's face and smiled. "I guess some things don't change."

Felicity barely heard Barry's muttered words. "What are you talking about now?" She had been surprised to find he was easy to talk to and that they seemed to have a lot in common. Despite the circumstances, it had been fun to work with him on the technical aspects of their plan. His innovations would help keep Oliver, all of them, safe. It still seemed unthinkable to her.

Turning to stare at the blonde, Barry glanced around before asking his questions. "Where's Lyla? Are she and Sara safe?"

"Sara Lance? She was abducted as teenager." Felicity pushed the words out and looked away. If anyone deserved to hear the truth of Sara being the new White Canary, it was Oliver, not Barry. There was still so much to tell him but she knew it wasn't the time – if he was distracted, the plan wouldn't work. After a moment she continued. "Lyla? Lyla Michaels?"

"Diggle's wife, mother of his child?" Barry tried to prompt Felicity. The Felicity he knew loved baby Sara.

Frowning at the strange question, Felicity took another moment to answer carefully. "She's Diggle's ex, but there's no mention of a child in his file."

Now it was Barry who hesitated. "What about Oliver's son William?"

"Shush!" Felicity was relieved to see it didn't look like Oliver had overheard. Her tone was still sharp when she replied. "William and his mother as well as Moira Queen died when Malcolm Merlyn destroyed The Glades. Are there any other painful subjects you'd like to bring up?"

Barry dropped his head slightly and gave a quick negative shake. "I'm sorry. I just wanted to see what was the same and what was different. It's strange seeing you all and yet not knowing you. It seems like it doesn't matter what I do, destiny fights back."

He mumbled the last part but it Felicity's turn to shake her head no even while her mind kept spinning. She was still struggling to wrap her mind around Barry's time travel and the possibility of multiple universes. She couldn't help but wonder if the JLA knew and had kept it a secret even from her. More doubts about the future filled her mind as she looked around the room at Oliver, Diggle, and Thea. Reining in her thoughts, she spoke as much to Barry as she did to herself.

"I don't believe in Destiny, not really anyway. There are always options if you know where to look and we all have to make choices. I do think we think we get second chances sometimes though."

Frowning slightly, Barry considered her words as she had sparked a new thought. He had been trying to get back to his time but he had found a very different world instead. Feeling lost, he had tried to jump again but he couldn't seem to do it correctly. Thinking quickly, he had to wonder if he could go back, instead of forward. He might be able to make things right again.

The machine's beep drew Barry back to the present and he saw his latest creation was ready. He gave Felicity a smile before he took the completed mask and crossed the room to Oliver.

"Try this out." Barry offered a mask that was similar to what he had created earlier for the other Oliver. The tech was a bit different in this time but Robert Queen's headquarters were well-stocked and certainly more advanced.

Taking the mask in surprise, Oliver froze when he noticed the dark green color instead of black. He received the answer before he could even ask the question.

"You need to do it your way. Change can be good." Barry gave the man a slap on the shoulder and turned away.

Felicity smiled slightly at Barry before continuing to Oliver. She had helped Barry create as much protection as they could for everyone and that included suits and masks as well as bullets, daggers, and arrows laced with a counteragent. When Oliver remained fixated on his mask, she took it from him and slid it into place over his head. He reminded her of his father but in many ways he was also very different. She ached for his recent losses but still felt so much hope for his future.

Oliver couldn't bring himself to see how he looked – to see if he looked like his dad. Instead, he watched the play of emotion in Felicity's expressive eyes. Grief, pain, and then bright, irresistible hope. Swallowing with difficulty, he spoke in a whisper. "How do I look?"

Gifting him with a sweet smile, Felicity let her fingers drift down his jaw and then fall to her side. "Like a hero."

Both leaned in slightly but their moment was interrupted with Thea laughed.

"I do like how I look in red." Thea remarked when she put her own mask on with a wide smile.

"The tech allows the material to react to an individual's specific DNA. The fit will be perfect for you but only you. The color changes a bit too." Barry revealed what he had discovered while working with the new technology. He paused to look around and found the others doing the same. All was new and different for them but it felt achingly familiar to him despite many changes.

Diggle was dressed metallic black and grey and carrying various guns. Roy's colors were a darker red like Thea's but his weapons of choice extended past a bow and arrow. Oliver was in forest green and gave each of the others a nod as he grabbed his bow. Barry wasn't surprised to find the man quickly adapting to the new suit and to his role as leader. Again, so familiar but still so different.

"Let's go." Oliver gave the order but paused to stand next to Felicity. When the others were out of earshot, he spoke just to her. "If this plan doesn't work—"

"It will work." Felicity interrupted with determined confidence.

"If it doesn't work, stay here until the JLA can get you." Oliver was glad she was staying behind but he also knew the location wasn't secure and she had no back-up.

"I'll be fine – I can take care of myself. Just come back, okay?" Felicity didn't give him time to give her false hope by agreeing. "Remember to use the voice modifier. She will believe you're Robert and she's going to try to kill you."

A sharp static rumble echoed through the lair causing Felicity to turn to the computer when a voice was heard. "Overwatch, it's Oracle. Are you there?"

Everyone moved back to surround Felicity as she replied.

"I'm here. How are things looking out there?"

"It's chaos but ARGUS' men are here. They'll be in Starling soon. They are monitoring via satellite and will start with hot spots to protect the citizens first. Do you understand?" The female caller spoke quickly.

"Yes, we'll be fine. We're going to make a move on Ravager." Felicity met the eyes of each of those stepping up to do what was needed to save the city. Each had made the choice to risk his and her own lives. Each one was already a hero in her eyes even though they weren't officially in the JLA.

"We? I haven't heard from Arsenal and thought we had lost—"

Felicity didn't let the woman list their losses. "Yes, we. I've got Arsenal here…and Spartan, the Flash, Speedy, and the Green Arrow. There's no time to explain but we'll be in touch."

After she disconnected, Felicity again met Oliver's eyes. "Now go out and be heroes."

The group departed to follow Felicity's directions. She had traced Lillian Worth's transmission and pinpointed her location. The plan was for Oliver to appear as the distraction while the others surrounded the warehouse. They hoped to keep the blood shed to a minimum but their primary goal was to protect the city from Lillian and her daughter.

Oliver again found using his training in the real world to be very different. He was grateful for Richard's somewhat brutal training style though as he fired two arrows and scaled the outside wall. It had been Roy who had suggested the dramatic entrance of crashing through the large windows. Pausing to take a deep breath, Oliver heard Felicity in his ear.

"She's starting the next broadcast. Take her down Team Arrow!"

TO BE CONTINUED….Part 2 will be posted by Saturday!