Author's note: Thank you all so much for the reviews and sweet words... i loved them
so my muse has jump started so updating tonight... loved tonight's episode btw... but if I start having issues with my muse, may have to get some of those miracuru soldiers to whoop her into place so I can get some work done on the story.
Please review and let me know what you think... much love to my amazing beta warehouseluver13
Disclosure: I own nothing of Arrow or I would now who is in the box... if you know what I mean
"Ugh!" Sara groaned as she slammed her fist into the tabletop. She had been spending all day digging through all the leads and information they had on Damien that the team had gathered, which wasn't much.
"What is it, beloved?" Nyssa asked as she moved into the Bunker.
Sara huffed out her breath and turned away from the computer screens. She rubbed at her tired eyes. "I have been chasing down that damn bastard all week and have found nothing. Fucking nothing. I hate him more now."
"You will find him, my beloved. I believe you have the determination and power within you. You must see it as well."
"I know. I know. I do. It's just frustrating that he is hiding this well. And we still have no plan on what we are going to do once we find him."
"Maybe it is time to set up a plan to deal with his request. It is not just Felicity's safety we should be concerned with. He does have a connection to you after all. I have heard many stories of him over my years. Darhk is not someone that we should write off so easily. If he has not attacked yet, it can only be because he has a much larger plan in place."
"Any ideas?"
"I may have one." A voice called from atop the stairs. Sara and Nyssa gazed up to find a slender oriental woman standing there. She moved down the stairs as they smiled and greeted her.
"Tatsu. Good to see you again." Sara nodded towards the woman.
"As you but I wish under better circumstances. I have news of great importance. Where is the rest of the team?"
"Thea is out on patrol with Dig and Laurel. Oliver and Felicity are at home, resting and taking a night off." Nyssa explained.
"I understand. A woman in her condition should rest and have her husband beside her for comfort."
"You heard about the twins?" Sara gaped. She had not thought to reach out to the woman to give her the news.
"No but I knew she was pregnant. So they are welcoming two into this world?"
"Yep. A boy and a girl. Tommy Alan and Harper Lillian. We are all pretty excited around here but we have been sure to help keep Felicity's stress level down for the babies."
"That is good tidings but the news I bring will not help in your efforts. I bring news of Malcolm and the League."
"What actions has Al Sa-Heir begun?" Nyssa hissed. Her hatred for Malcolm and his role in Sara's previous demise still burns deep within her and now that he was the head of the League, her distrust of him grew everyday.
Tatsu moved towards the computers. "May I?" Tatsu held out her hand, indicating her wish to use the device. Sara stepped back and watched as the small woman removed a drive from her pocket and inserted it into one of the USB ports. She opened up the file she required and soon the three were looking at several surveillance photos Tatsu had taken of Malcolm and his men. There seemed to be more than previously estimated and they were training well. "Merlyn has begun building his army up. He has been secretly recruiting for months. The men have only started showing up these last few weeks. His numbers have tripled in that time and it seems more are to come."
"He's gearing up for something but what?" Sara pondered.
"I was able to capture one of the men and question him. It seems that not only is Merlyn arming up for a battle but he plans on bring the battle here. I heard a name from the man, as a target, but have no other information to go on. Damien Darhk. The man said that he could be found in your city and the battle would be coming to light soon. I knew I needed to get here as soon as possible to help." Tatsu advised. She had seen enough of battle and war to know that pain and suffering would follow. Her hope was that by warning her friends early enough, they may prevent it from happening again.
Sara and Nyssa studied the images then glanced at each other. With a single look they knew they needed to report these new findings to Oliver and the rest of the team. It looked as if they quiet time of peace was coming to an end.
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"So what's up? It sounded urgent." Thea asked as she moved down the stairs, followed by Diggle and Laurel. Sara had jumped on the comms and called them all back to the Bunker 20 minutes ago. She had not called out to Oliver or Felicity yet. She wanted to give them one more night of peace. Thea started to remove her mask and hood when she saw Tatsu at the computer bay. "Tatsu? What are you doing here?"
"I come with troubling news from Nanda Parbat. Malcolm Merlyn is building an army and intends on bringing it here to rage a war with Damien Darhk."
"Of course. He wouldn't be my psycho, power hungry, diabolical father if he didn't." Thea snarled.
Diggle stepped forward, removing his helmet and placing it on the table. "How much about the plan do you know?"
"I have no details on dates yet but it seems that Merlyn is after Darhk for his extra abilities."
"Abilities?" Laurel wondered as she sat down in one of the chairs at the Bunker's conference table.
"Yes abilities. I heard the story as a young girl. Darhk as just like my father. He and my father were apprentices of the previous Ra's. As time grew on, the previous Ra's chose my father as his heir and Darhk was to be killed since he was a threat to my father. Somehow he survived the assassination on his life and left the League to form his own group of assassins and agents. He trained them in the ways of the League but he was their leader because of powers he had. They say that he is mystical and embodies powers given to him in payment for his soul. No one knows where the powers came from but they are strong and dangerous. I had hoped that it was nothing more than a tale told to me to scare me and other men but it seems to speak the truth." Nyssa explained. She had hoped that it was all an exaggeration and that the team would be able to easily handle Darhk when the time came.
"It does. I have witnessed these powers. I can't tell you how he has them or when he is weak or how to use them against him but I can confirm they exist. I have seen him do things that I can't explain. Stopping bullets, swords, and other weapons mid air then redirecting them as he wishes. Then there is his touch."
"Touch?" Thea asked concerned. She straddled a nearby chair, her attention given fully to the blonde before her.
"Yeah. He can manipulate a person with his touch. Force them to feel pain, anguish, torture, whatever he wants. He can even kill with it. I have never seen anything like it. Scared the hell out of me when I did. If you disappoint or cross him, he uses it against you and you have no choice because it is a simple touch and you're in his power."
"Okay note to self, don't let the psycho wizard touch you."
"He can only kill through touch but he can still hurt you without touching you. He is very skilled with his abilities and well trained. I hate to say it but I don't think we can beat him."
"So what we just hand over the League to him?" Diggle snapped.
"I don't know. I just know we have never gone up against someone as dark and twisted as Darhk. He won't stop until he has what he wants and he will punish anyone in his way."
"Well first we need to find him before we can plan out what to do with him. We also need to figure out what we're going to do about Malcolm since he didn't stick to his side of the deal he had with Ollie. My dad or not, he has crossed too many lines and lied too many times. It's time he pays for his crimes."
"I agree. How about we patrol the city one more time then call it a night. Look for any signs of League presence. We will tell Oliver about all this in the morning. He can decide if Felicity needs to know." Sara stated. The team looked at one another and nodded. It would be a long night ahead and they knew it was only the beginning.
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A disappointed groan greeted him as he opened their bedroom door. He was just returning from his evening run. He had started running in the evenings, on nights he wasn't working with the team, since he was busy in the mornings helping Felicity and Connor get ready for the day ahead. It also helped him clear his mind and destress from his work day. He was sweaty and wanted desperately to head towards the shower but the sound that greeted him caused him concern. He looked around the room and found Felicity standing just inside their closet. She was dressed in a thin satin and lace nightgown. The red color of it made her glowing skin pop. Her hair was down and loose, still showing the slight curl it had from earlier that day, and she had her glasses perched high on her nose. She was rubbing at her belly and moving in front of a full length stand mirror, taking in the sight of her body. Oliver was beginning to admire the image when he saw her expression in the mirror. One of disgust. She huffed again and he felt his heart break. "Sweetheart?" He whispered, trying not to startle her too much.
Felicity jumped and spun on her heels to find him studying her. "God Oliver! I swear I will start tying a bell to you if you don't stop sneaking up on me."
"So you're want to treat me like a house cat? A pet?" Oliver grinned mischievously, knowing that teasing her right now would help her smile.
"Sneak around like one and I will." Felicity rolled her eyes in annoyance but then smiled at him. "How was your run?"
"Good. I like running at night. Keeps me on my toes and helps me think through everything that happened that day. Now what has you all upset?" Oliver asked as he moved behind her and wrapped his arms around her. She was much shorter than him when she wasn't in heels so his hands naturally fell to her belly from this angle.
"Just my body. I can't fit any most of the stuff I had prior to being pregnant. And now all the stuff Thea made me buy when I first moved in here is too small. I swear I'm getting to be the size of a house. And I'm always eating. Always hungry. So I feel like a pig."
"Sweetheart you are growing two beautiful babies inside you. You're going to get big. That's normal. But I have to say, you are nowhere close to the size of a house and never will be. As for your eating, you are eating for three but you are eating healthy now so the only reason you feel like that is because you're looking at how much you are taking in everyday. Dr. Carmichael and Sondra said that you hadn't really gained any extra weight besides the babies so you are doing perfect. And next week you start that mommy yoga so that will help as well. I love you, all of you."
"But I just feel... blah."
"Well I can say you are anything but. You're gorgeous and stunning and I spent most of today trying to stop thinking of ways to clear the floor so I could take you back into my office and bend you over my desk and make you scream." Oliver started nipping and sucking at her neck, enjoying the soft moans she unconsciously released as he did.
"Oliver, I'm being serious."
"So am I. Do you know what you do to me? The idea that you are mine now for the rest of my life and I can have you to myself whenever I want. That you're carrying my son and daughter. It's amazing that you gave me that. And now your skin is always glowing and soft and delectable looking. I can't keep my hands off you. Which makes working side by side even harder each day than it was last year. Instead of keeping my hands off you because you're not mine to have, now I have to keep my hands off you because of where we are and know what you feel like when my hand shimmers over your soft skin," Oliver sucked her shoulder, sending a wave of arousal through her. "what you sound like as you moan and chant my name," He moved his lips closer to her neck, causing her blood to heat. "what you look like as I slide into you and spread you out beneath me," his lips moved again, into the crook of her neck, as his breath danced across her skin. "and what you taste like as I draw an orgasm out of you with my tongue and fingers." Oliver nipped at the skin just below her ear, feeling her pulse quicken with each second. "It is the worst tease and biggest turn on I have ever had at the same time. Felicity, you are all I could ever want."
"Even though I don't look like a model?"
"To me you look better. You're real. And I know in my past I dated model like girls but that was because I was looking for physical over substance, quantity over quality. Now I know why I couldn't stand those girls for larger than a couple nights. They didn't have half of what you can give me. You're smart, driven, focused, determined. You speak your mind and aren't scared too. You worry about things that matter not what the latest celebrity gossip is or fashion trends are. You are real. And that is why I love you. You make me question the important things in life and not stress over the little things."
"That's all well and good but I don't feel sexy anymore. Not that I ever really did. I felt awkward most of the time. But now I'm the size of a beached whale and only getting bigger. How can you find that sexy and desirable?"
"Easy. Because I love you and I will always love you. Every inch of you. To me you are still the young, striking, babbling woman who made me smile by chewing on a pen I met years ago. And carrying my children inside you only makes me want you more. I see how we made something so perfect and want to do it over and over again." Felicity stood in front of him, her back pressed to his chest as his chin rested on her shoulder. He could tell that she was listening to him but not believing him. Then he got an idea. He had flipped the lock as he came in, like he had become accustomed to doing, since he would be changing and heading to bed with Felicity. "Fine. Let me show you."