Author's note: Hey guys! Sorry it has been so long... muse got really mad and throw a wall at me... but I'm back and should be updating more again... I have 4 chapters for you tonight and more to come real soon... enjoy and please review... keeps the muse happy
Also check out the polyvore for the styles for these chapters
Disclosure: I own nothing of Arrow otherwise those last few seconds would NOT have happened last night (NO spoilers please!)
"Sir, there is a woman here claiming to be the daughter of Ra's Al Ghul." The guard stated as he bowed when he entered the throne room at the palace. It had been a long flight to Nanda Parbat and Thea and Sara had left the rest of the team at the plane in order to let them meet up with Talia and get into position. Since time was of the essence, the strike had to happen quickly. So they had planned to have the men told of the plan while they flew in. Talia had already spread the word amongst the men and prepared them for what was to come. She understood about the ring and that Oliver and his team intended to restore it to her once they defeated Darhk. She had actually agreed to help with that as well. Barry was available but only for a short time so as soon as they landed, Oliver had called him and he was now on his way as well.
"I'm not claiming to be his daughter. I am his daughter." Thea snapped at the assassin, who looked towards Malcolm and then was dismissed with a wave of a hand.
"Thea it's so good to see you. I just wish it was under better circumstances."
"I bet. So you have any ideas on how to fix me?"
"Yes but first should we discuss why you brought the team along with you?"
"Team? You mean Sara? That's because she had to go through all this as well. She's been working with me to control my urges but it's not working anymore."
"Thea, you can drop the act. There is not a lot that happens in this place that I don't know about. And you showing up with 7 other people on a private plane filled with enough weapons to supply a small army, is something I would most certainly know about. So what is really going on?"
Suddenly gunshots and screams could be heard from outside the throne room. The sound of fighting filled the corridors. The few guards in the room started to move towards Thea and Sara just as Sara reached up behind her back to her waist line. In her belt was a collapsible bo staff that Cisco had designed and fabricated for her. She drew it out just in time to engage in a battle with two of the guards. Thea was working on the other two as well and holding her own with a knife and small flechettes that had been hidden around one ankle.
The battle had started slowly as the team, plus Barry, Talia and her men, moved throughout the palace, securing each hallway and room as they went. As they got closer to the throne room, the number of men there increased causing the fighting to pick up. At one point, Oliver was battling about 5 guys at once while Roy, Dig and Laurel each had 4. Talia, Tatsu and Nyssa were all battling on the outskirts of the hallway, trying to prevent any of the men from calling for reinforcements. Barry had taken off to secure the perimeter and prevent a wave of backup from coming into the fight. The team continued to fight when they heard fighting commence in the next room. Oliver was trying to get to the girls and aid them in their fight as quickly as possible. Suddenly the room went quiet.
Malcolm began to step back, trying to flee the room through a door across from the fighting but was stopped by a right hook that felt metallic. He was spun around from the force of the blow and fell to the ground.
Oliver crashed through the doors only to find Sara knocking her final guy to the floor with her staff, Thea punching a guard repeatedly who looked to be unconscious already and Malcolm knocked out across the room on the floor with Ray in his suit and full size standing over him. "Thea!" Oliver shouted as he tried to bring his sister back from the darkness. He knew she didn't have much more control and he needed to get her back the Starling in order to get her the help heading that way. Thea snapped out of her fog and gazed up at him. He moved towards Malcolm and Ray. "Not that I'm complaining but how are you here?"
Ray looked towards him and laughed. "So I guess Barry didn't tell you about me joining him on this mission."
"Nope last I heard you were still the size of a peanut."
"Smaller actually." Ray shrugged.
"Oliver? What's going on?" Felicity chirped in in his ear, sounding frantic.
"Everything's fine. Everyone is safe and Malcolm is knocked out. Ray's here and back to his normal size."
"What?!"
"Tell her I'll explain when I get there. Seems we have a lot to catch up on." Ray smiled sweetly and a spot in Oliver that he thought was long gone opened up again. Oliver would always be worried about Ray being too close to Felicity. He knew the man loved his wife and on paper the two are a perfect match. What if she decides Oliver is too much to handle and leaves for someone easier like Ray.
"Sweetheart I love you and you have nothing to worry about. You are the only man I will ever love. Well until Connor and little Tommy get old enough to be men. Then I will love all three of you but you more because you are it for me." Felicity whispered in his ear. She had shut off the other comms so that only he could hear what she was saying. She wanted a private moment with him, knowing what he would thinking with Ray standing there.
"You truly are remarkable, Felicity. I love you." Oliver grinned as she returned the sentiment as only she could.
"I do too. Now get your ass back home so we can get my mom and our son home safe and then I can show you how much I love you."
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"So wait they built a machine that helps you get big and small like you were? Cool." Roy joked as they sat on the plane back from Nanda Parbat. Oliver and the team filled Ray and Barry in on the way home. They were still discussing imprisonment options for Malcolm.
"Yep. It was the only way they could get me back. Cisco and Dr. Stein have been tremendous about helping me do math and all. I must say it is good to be back to my normal size and life. Life in a petri dish is not at all fun."
Oliver had been listening in and studying Ray since he saw the man standing in the room at the palace. Talia and Tatsu stayed behind to finish clearing out the location but promised to assist in any way they could in the fight against Darhk. When Oliver heard Ray's story about being basically regrow to normal size by a machine they had, an idea formed. "Ray, can anyone be shrunk down? Or do they have to be wearing your suit and have the program set up for them as an individual."
"Well yeah the system would need to be adjusted to meet a different person's parameters and figures but they wouldn't need my suit. The machine is designed to alter them as is. Why do you ask?"
"Thinking of a way to house Malcolm where we could keep him from causing any harm or trouble. I think a small Malcolm in a box would be a great way to resolve that issue. Could that be possible?"
"Yeah, I think so. I will start on figures and settings when we get back and I can see if Cisco can create something small enough to house him that he would not be able to escape from."
"Great. Now we just need to focus on Darhk."
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"They should be pulling up any minute. Oliver said that he and the team would come here, rest for a bit then he and Sara would head to meet with Tommy and give him the ring. We are still trying to figure out a way to take Darhk down fully. I can weaken him by cutting off his money flow and forms of communication but we still need to take him down completely."
"I think that's where I come in, Love." A deep voice entered the room like a fog, laced with a British accent. Felicity turned to find a Sandy blonde man about Oliver's height standing in the doorway.
Once the team had reported in that they took control of the League from Malcolm and would be heading back on the plane, Lance and Lyla had convinced Felicity to return to the house to await the team's return. They had been sitting in the living room, waiting for word from the team of their return home.
Felicity watched as the man, whom she had no idea who he was, walked around the room scoping the place out. "I knew Oliver came from money and was well off but damn! Next time I have to remember to charge him. Seems he can afford it. Being CEO and all." The man looked out of sorts. He was dressed in black slacks, a white button up with a crimson pencil tie dangling open around the neck. His tan trench coat nearly engulfed him.
He pulled out a cigarette and went to light it when Lance jumped up. "Hey! Not in here and definitely not near the pregnant woman." Lance snatched the cigarette out of his mouth and crushed it.
"Sorry mate. Didn't mean to offend."
"Don't call me that and who are you anyway?"
"Where are my manners? John Constantine." The man produces a business card and hands it to Lance. Lance scans over the card then looks back up at the man. "I know it says Master of the Dark Arts but I'm more of a petty dabbler. I really do hate to put on airs about things."
"You're John Constantine?" Felicity asked, her voice filled with a mixture of confusion and curiosity.
The man walked over and sat down across from her, leaning back into the sofa and spreading out into a more relaxed position. "I see my reputation proceeds me. Trust me Love, the stories are all true."
"The only story I ever heard was one from Oliver about how you two met. It started out with you getting beat up by a drug lord then escaping some handcuffs and taking Oliver hostage. He showed you a location of a mystical item that was on the island with him then convinced you to hit him so it looked like you escaped him and he could go back to the drug lord without punishment. He said that you really think a lot about yourself and very little of others." Felicity grinned as she thought back to when Oliver had shared the story with her and how crazy it seemed at the time.
"I don't always think little of others, Love. I just know when they can truly be beneficial to me or not. I deal with a lot of crazy things in my line of work and don't usually have the luxury of time to sort out the weak from the strong."
"Believe me John, that one will surprise you." Oliver laughed as he entered the room smiling. He knew that Constantine would be there before he would be and hoped his old friend would play nice until he could arrive. Oliver stepped towards his wife, who was struggling to get up off the sofa and greet him. He sat down next to her and stopped her from moving as he gathered her up in his arms. A sweet kiss welcomed him home and he felt a bit of tension release in him. He had not realized that being away from her like this caused so much stress inside him until now. "I see you have met my wife. Let me introduce you to the rest of the team." Oliver introduced everyone as they each entered the room and were welcomed back by Felicity, Lyla and Lance.
"Oliver mate, if I had known you were surrounded by such pretty girls I would have come a lot sooner. Seems your old charms haven't changed much." Constantine teased.
"Oh no they have. I am settled and happy. Well mostly. That's what we need your help with. Does the name Damien Darhk mean anything to you?"
Constantine got a dark look across his face. "That is a piece of work. How did you get mixed up with him?"
"Turns out he not only brought Sara back from the dead but also my best friend Tommy and is now wanting to take over Starling and the League."
"He is a monster and cannot be allowed to do that."
"I was hoping you would say that. Any ideas on how to stop him?"
"I have a few but most are going to push your moral lines. If you sign on, you need to know what you getting into. This world we are about to enter isn't all black and white. Can't have you all pissing off when we're in the nick of it. Understand?"
"We'll be fine John." Oliver growled, upset that he was questioning his team's commitment to finishing their mission.
"Well then how about we get started." Constantine clapped his hands together and rubbed them well as a devilish grin planted itself on his lips. "Oh and Oliver, don't forget the booze." With that, the team all took seats in the living room and started to hash out the plan for their assault on Darhk.