Oliver had been dreaming. Not his typical nightmares, but actual dreams of hope. He noticed it 3 nights ago, he thought it may be a side effect of the herbs the woman had been giving him, but he didn't care. The only thing he didn't like about his dreams was waking up.

In the dreams Felicity was by his side, usually in some level of undress. They would be cuddled in his bed, talking and laughing. Sharing passionate kisses. He even liked the part of the dream when she would have to get up for some reason and he could watch her walk away from the bed in nothing but his blue button up shirt she had never returned after getting shot by Tockman. He was just at that point in the dream when the sound of voices broke into his subconscious and viciously brought him back to reality

The woman who had been caring for him was speaking with someone, but it wasn't Maseo. He slowly rose from the bed, grabbed the katana from the wall, and edged around the corner in order to see the mysterious visitor. All he could see was the back of a man's head and the man dressed in what looked like League clothing.

But he knew the back of that head- how could it be? Sword raised as well as he could, he stepped into the kitchen.

"Malcolm, what are you doing here?"

"He came with me Oliver, it was always part of the plan." Maseo cut him with a look that turned his blood to ice, the tone making it clear he was to follow orders.

"How do you think he got the herbs Oliver? Did you really think a little old Chinese lady could repair a severed liver, collapsed lung and punctured spleen? Or why he was even willing to help you with the possibility of the League's vengeance? I told you once Oliver, Thea is all I have left, and I will do ANYTHING to keep her safe. That included sending you in to kill Ra's, and while I was hopeful that would be the end of it, you couldn't even kill me, I had to have a contingency plan in place. Ser-ab was it."

"You knew I was alive? Why the ruse of my death? Why put Thea through my funeral AGAIN!"

"Oliver, I have always loved you as a son, it's why I didn't kill you when I first found out about your alter ego. And yes, I care that she was hurting at the funeral, but she has me, and that, Roy." The disdain was dripping from his lips at the mention of Arsenal being close with his daughter. "She has even become acquainted with your blonde- after you left her all your money it was obvious to Thea how much she meant to you, so she sought her out. As for the announcement of your death, I would rather not have that come to pass- I didn't want Thea to go through that. It was your blonde that orchestrated the whole thing- are you sure she didn't know of your plans for all the money that came her way? She never even looked for you. I mean, she is a brilliant hacker, but I've been keeping tabs and she didn't look for you, had Arrow and Arsenal working double time in the City, there was no way they looked for you. As much as you may believe in her, she apparently didn't believe you would survive the duel, so she moved on." The thick resonance of his venomous voice pierced Oliver through the heart, and Oliver's flashback to the kiss in the hospital was no longer of the love conveyed in the kiss, but in the memory of her walking away. Oliver was speechless until he caught his friend's eye once again.

"Maseo, what is going on?"

"I told you, there is no time to explain or for you to second guess me. If you want your family back, you do as I say, and as for now, that includes working with the Magician until we can cut off the head of the Demon. Here," he tossed another manila envelope filled with newspaper clippings and photos on the table, "these will fill you in on Starling City. You will train with him for the next few days and then I will be back again. He cannot stay long as the League still searches for him as well."

The assassins glanced at the envelope on the table, back at Oliver, and silently left the room together- making arrangements in Arabic.

Oliver cautiously took the information offered, and as the first piece, a press photo of Felicity and Ray at a press conference, fell out he became greedy for the information. Even if she were smiling while supporting another man, it was still her, he was her last thought before death and the only thing that would keep him going. Articles about Arrow, Arsenal, a few visits from the Flash, events at Verdant- there was a wide array of information. It was the photo of Felicity smiling at Ray, the way he thought she would only ever smile at him, that stuck in his head.

With him dead the Arrow and Arsenal were working with Captain Lance and crime was at an all-time low, Laurel was closing cases left and right, Thea was growing her business and there was even a photo of her and Roy together at the club. When he hugged Roy goodbye before leaving for the duel he meant what he said, he wanted him to take care of Thea, wanted them to be happy, and it looked like it was happening. The only reason to go home would be her, and all he wanted was for her to be happy. She had kissed Ray before the duel, she was moving on before his eyes. And she wasn't looking for him, it had been her plan after all to declare him dead. And that picture, Ray kissing her hand as he helped her out of the car at some benefit, it was what he always wanted for her. She was happy, what's the point of going back...