Chapter 7 - An overheard conversation

Ra's al Ghul had never met a greater opponent in a trial by combat than Oliver Queen had proved to be. It had been a real waste killing him, but a trial was a trial.

Immediately after the battle had taken place, he had sent Nyssa to notify his friends and family in Starling City of his demise. But only a couple of hours after she got there, she sent word back through Sarab that she had overheard a conversation.

A conversation, which changed everything.

Oliver's sister had claimed she was the person who killed Ta-er al-Sahfer. That her father had drugged her into committing the murder.

When these news reached Ra's al Ghul, he immediately ordered Sarab to bring Queen's body back. The latter found the lifeless man lying on a snowy ledge not too far beneath the place where he fell, but he had still suffered some additional injuries from the high drop. The snow had begun to drift over him; covering large parts of his body, except for the right arm and leg, which dangled out dangerously over the abyss below.

Despite being out in the cold for a long time, Sarab still miraculously managed to find a faint beating pulse fighting desperately to keep the blood circulating in his veins. Being stranded outside together with the coldness had done one positive thing: it had prevented Oliver from bleeding out, despite the massive damage he had sustained. The boy was apparently quite the survivor, as he had somehow managed to cling onto life despite the poor circumstances.

The three helpers Sarab had brought along assisted in the transportation back. It was a time demanding and tricky climb, but they managed to return to Nanda Parbat with the unconscious Oliver Queen.

Ra's al Ghul had in the meantime been given some time to think. In his mind there were two different ways to go on from here, if Queen proved to be alive. The first option was to allow him to wrongfully die in his sister's place just like he had wanted (a solution which Nyssa would never accept). The second was to try and save him – by any means necessary. Being a man of honour, the latter option quickly turned out to be the only option in Ra's al Ghul's mind.

As the League travel the world, they try to bring back as much knowledge as possible from their journeys, especially to help in areas involving healing. In the past they had found many herbs and serums, which had proved efficient and could help cure even the deepest of wounds, if treatment was given fast enough; a very suitable knowledge in this line of business.

The woman responsible for the healing tried everything they had on the badly injured kid. At first it seemed like he was beyond rescue – that they had been to late to bring him back to life. But very slowly the healing process seemed to take effect; the first sign was when the wounds coagulated and began closing up.

This beginning of the recovery gave Ra's al Ghul another dilemma. Thea Queen was the killer and Oliver was willing to die for her by hiding the truth and take the blame himself. What would prevent the young fool from trying something similar, when justice needed to be served this time? The older brother simply would not allow any harm to come to his sister. There was the option of detaining him until the deed was done, but that wouldn't lead to a very bright future for neither the League nor Oliver Queen. Ra's al Ghul had to convince the latter to see things his way.

That was how the whole idea suddenly bloomed out in his mind.

Merlyn had drugged his daughter into doing his bidding. Should Ra's al Ghul be able to do the same, but improve the whole concept to be everlasting?

To have Queen become part of the League would mean a strong new ally. He had managed to survive a stabbing, a great fall followed by abiding injured for a long time in the cold winter. All this showed the massive strength and willpower the young man possessed.

The serum Merlyn had used on his daughter apparently was limited, with only a temporary effect. However, Ra's al Ghul had a while back been brought a serum from Australia. When it was tested it bore many resemblances to the effects of the Votura plant, as it also made the subject extremely susceptible to suggestion, but the effects didn't seem to wear of at all. The test subject who received it was still under its influence the last time he checked, which was over five months after being injected with the first and only dose.

Applying that serum in combination with another that whipped away one's memories completely would be the recipe to make Oliver Queen see things his way.

This was the moment when the Demon decided that he should do all in his power to ensure Oliver Queen became a part of the League – permanently.