I had so much fun writing this chapter that I had to get it up as quickly as possible so apologies for any spelling/grammatical errors. Hope you like the way I've death with this. This chapter is a bit longer than usual and I was going to split it in two but realized that would be cruel! Enjoy and drop a review if you like how it concluded.
The Dark of Night 8
When the door had shut behind Slade, Laurel looked down to where Felicity still sat. Her mind was blank after Slade had said he was going to put a bullet in one of their hearts. "Do you think he was being serious?"
Felicity head was still so fuzzy from the sedative. "I don't think he looks like a man who jokes too much, do you?"
Laurel picked up the clean clothes and underwear from the chair near the bathroom door. "I suppose I should go take a shower like he said." Laurel did not know Felicity well and in fact had only met her on a handful of occasions with Oliver. She didn't know if her unfamiliarity was a help or a hindrance.
"Why should we do anything he asks?" Felicity's words weren't harsh but realistic.
"I suppose we need to keep on his good side until we can figure a way out of this."
"I suppose you're right Laurel. You go ahead first. My head has yet to stop spinning." As Laurel turned towards the bathroom Felicity put out a hand to stop her. "Wait Laurel. There are some things you don't know and if you find them because of this mad man, please don't hold it against ..." She wanted to say Oliver but settled for "…somebody you know."
Laurel looked confused. "What things?"
"It's not my place to say but I know he has cared about you for so long that he would never willingly do anything to hurt you. You have to know that." Felicity worried that finding out about Oliver's secret identity or maybe about Sara from Slade would be multiple times worse than hearing it from Oliver's mouth but she was afraid that some secrets might come to light soon.
Laurel wanted to question her further but she was tired and confused enough so settled for accepting what she was saying for the time being. Her mind was reeling but she didn't have the luxury to overthink things right now.
Right on time Slade's burly henchmen came and dragged the two women roughly from their cold cell. They were brought down long dusty corridors and Felicity tried to take in her surroundings to plan an escape. There were murky skylights in the ceiling but they were at least twenty feet overhead. After a labyrinth of corridors, they were pulled into an open warehouse floor.
They were pushed towards the middle of the warehouse. Two boxes were placed there and they were each made to sit on one. Slade stood a few feet from the boxes, a smug look on his face at his plan coming together.
"The dresses look good girls. Give me a twirl."
Laurel and Felicity looked to each other but neither of them moved.
"Or don't. Suit yourselves." Slade motioned to a door on his left. Three even larger men carried a struggling form in their arms that looked like hunters that had caught their dinner. The three men looked unnaturally strong as if they could carry the man in their arms by themselves but for extra security, chose to work together. Felicity wondered if they had been dosed with the miracle serum.
Felicity's heart-rate skyrocketed as she realized the form they held, his upper body covered in a sack, was Oliver. They dropped him at Slade's feet roughly. As Slade pulled off the sack the three guards stood only feet away all pointing their weapons at Oliver. Felicity noted that Oliver's hands were cable tied behind his back. Thankfully he didn't look otherwise injured. Felicity tried to stay calm and not show any emotion that Slade could use as ammunition against Oliver.
When Oliver turned his face towards where they sat, a look of recognition erupted on Laurel's face. "Ollie?" She jumped up from the box but when she saw a guard point a gun at her, she froze. "What the hell is going on?"
Slade roughly pulled Oliver up to a standing position. "Now my friend here Oliver isn't going to try anything stupid because there are several big strong men pointing guns at the three of you who won't hesitate to fire. Isn't that right Ollie?" Slade said mockingly.
When Oliver fixed Slade with a murderous stare Slade took Oliver's chin in his hand and imitated a nodding movement.
"Good well then that's agreed. Be a good boy and I'll play fair."
Oliver's eyes caught Felicity's and she tried to convey in her eyes that they were ok and that he should just co-operate until they figured a way out. She gave him a small nod and tried to choke back threatened tears.
"Now girls, I haven't properly introduced myself. My name is Slade and Ollie and I go way back." Slade put his arm around Oliver's shoulder like they were waiting to have their picture taken. "Don't the girls look lovely?" Slade said into Oliver's face. Slade caught Oliver's eye's flicking around the room looking for an escape. "Pay attention Oliver. Don't they look beautiful?" He again held Oliver's chin and pointed his face towards the girls.
Oliver looked to Laurel and saw tears streaming down her face. "Don't worry. Everything will be ok," he reassured and he saw her nod in response.
"Oh will it Oliver? But I haven't even told you the game yet. Don't go lying to your lady friends just yet. I know you're a monumental liar but don't give the poor girl false hope." Slade started pacing behind Oliver before looking at Laurel. "I nearly forgot that this one doesn't know most of your little secrets. I bet she'd like to hear some of them. Wouldn't you Miss Lance?"
Slade was taking a step towards Laurel when he heard Felicity's voice. "Why don't you tell us more about this plan of yours?" she challenged.
"Well aren't we getting impatient?" Slade changed his course and headed towards Felicity. She stood up from where she was seated on the box.
When he was eye-level with Felicity he looked her up and down. She didn't back down from his glare and puffed herself up as big as she could to stare him down. "I bet you're feisty, aren't you?" He took a lock of her still wet hair between his fingers. Felicity saw Oliver start to spring towards them but when she saw the guards raise their weapons, she lifted her hand to Oliver to tell him not to move. Slade laughed and looked towards Oliver. "I bet she's a screamer too?"
Felicity could see the look on Oliver's face. It was an unusual mix of pure fury and helplessness. There was no way that Oliver with his hands tied could fight off five armed, and likely juiced up, guards and Slade.
Slade walked back towards Oliver and removed a small side arm from a holster. "Now Oliver here's how it's going to go. You can pick which one to live and which one to die."
Oliver's head started to spin at the recollection of this situation with Shado and Sara. He could still picture Ivo's face as he squeezed the trigger. Oliver pictured Shado's lifeless form, a bullet hole in her head.
"I know you know how to play this game Oliver so if you choose quickly, it'll be less cruel on the two girls. And if you don't choose, I'll just kill both of them."
Felicity's hands started to shake uncontrollably and when she looked to Laurel she knew that she was similarly affected.
Oliver looked between the two women and walked to whispering distance from Slade. "These two are innocent. They don't deserve this."
"Did Shado deserve it?" Slade roared back at Oliver.
Felicity recalled Oliver talking about Shado from the island. She realized that silent tears had started to spill down her cheeks.
Oliver said louder this time, "Would Shado have wanted this?"
"Don't you dare tell me what Shado would have wanted!" Slade was screaming now. "I loved her and I had to see you prance around with her. You had obviously deceived her into falling for you but she was just coming out of your spell when she died. She would have loved me back." Slade's voice was mocking, yet mournful.
"I know she wouldn't want you to kill an innocent woman," Oliver felt bile in the back of his throat at the thought of Slade shooting either Felicity or Laurel. "Please you have me. Let them go."
"No. I want you to live long enough to watch the life drain out of them and know there is nothing that you can do. I want you to know what it's like to lose someone you love."
"I have lost people I love." Oliver thought of Tommy and Shado, his father and when he thought Sara was dead. "I know how awful it is but this won't bring her back."
"Well you chose poorly last time so you better be more careful this time." Slade pointed his weapon between Felicity and Laurel.
"I didn't choose. I asked Ivo to kill me and he shot Shado anyway."
"You chose Sara."
At that Laurel sprang forward. "What? Sara? She's died on the boat."
Oliver's eyes were downcast. This was not the way he hoped she would find out. I suppose there was never an ideal way to find it out. Laurel's eyes were red and puffy now.
Slade took a step towards her and looked between her and Oliver. "Oh well, well, well! She still thinks her sister drowned. Did you not tell her what really happened?"
Oliver looked pleadingly at Laurel. "Laurel I'm sorry. I had hoped to tell you this under different circumstances. She survived the initial sinking of the yacht. I thought it might be easier if you thought she drowned." Oliver really didn't want to go into the fact that Sara was still alive right now.
"How could you have lied?" Laurel cried.
"I'm sorry," Oliver repeated.
"Ooh I'm liking this added element of soap opera drama here. Is there anything else you'd like to tell Miss Lance before you make your choice?" Slade returned to his position next to Oliver.
Oliver muttered a barely audible No and avoided Laurel's eyes. They needed to get out of this situation alive and he could make it up to her later.
"Are you sure? I could tell her a few secrets that I'm sure she would love."
"I won't choose," Oliver's voice was so low now.
"Well if you don't choose one of them I'll kill both." Slade motioned to two of his men who raised their weapons at the women's heads.
"No!" Oliver leapt forward.
"So choose. Contestant number one is this lovely brunette who you pined over for years and it would be history repeating itself it you chose to save a Lance again. Contestant number two is this peppy little blonde who seems to make you smile all goofily from I can tell watching you two together. Who will it be?" Slade aimed his weapon back and forward between the two. "Now who do you love the most? Tell me and I'll let them live."
"Surely that isn't a fair question either because if I tell you I love one of them and beg you to save them, it would make more sense for you to kill that one." Oliver knew he could only stall so long. He hadn't come up with a plan and hoped that Diggle had regained consciousness by now and was looking for them.
"That's a fair point. Well then you can tell me which one you love more and take the risk that I'll kill the other one or you can lie. It's really a bit of a tossup but if you do love either of these women, I wouldn't want them to live, or die, thinking you didn't choose them! It's all very complicated." Slade waved his gun between the two girls.
Oliver looked between the two again, tears stinging the back of his eyes. He would not let Slade see him affected. "How about you keep me in a hole for the rest of my life and I'll never get to see the one I love again? Surely that would be punishment enough!"
"That is tempting Oliver but you wouldn't have to live with knowing that the one you loved can never breath another breathe again. You wouldn't be able to imagine her decomposing in the ground- like I have to do with Shado."
Oliver looked Slade squarely in the face. "You know I cared about Shado too. Don't dishonor her by doing this."
Slade face contorted and then he smiled. "I'm getting bored now." He shoved Oliver a step forward. "Just point at who you want me to shoot and I'll immediately let the other one go. They can live their life to the full. I'm a man of my word."
Oliver was sure that if his heartbeat accelerated any more it would surely break out through his chest. The deadly silence was broken by Felicity's voice. "Please just kill me. If you have to kill somebody, just shoot me. You already said that you'll not know if he's lying to keep one or the other of us alive so just end this. Shoot me. It's a fifty-fifty chance."
"No!" Oliver sprang forward but was dragged back by Slade.
"Now that is an interesting proposition Miss Smoak." He shoved Oliver to his knees and walked towards Felicity. "Now why would you sacrifice yourself like that? Do you love him that much that you would die for him?"
"He shouldn't have to live with making that kind of choice. I don't think I'm the one he would choose to live and I don't want him having to live with the guilt of that decision."
"Oh isn't that sweet?" Slade looked back towards Oliver. "She thinks you love the other one more so she's sacrificing herself. This really is a hard decision. Maybe as she said it is fifty-fifty so I should just randomly shoot one of them. I was kind of hoping you'd keep the feisty blonde alive. She has cute little dimples." Felicity flinched as the touched her face. "It's ironic really. A blonde and a brunette, just like the last time."
Felicity couldn't look Oliver in the eye but he could hear him repeating, "No please," over and over again. "Please don't do this Slade," Oliver pleaded. "I'll do anything you want."
"I want you to choose," Slade screamed. "Is that so hard? You did it before now do it again!"
"I tried to save her. I tried to save Shado." Oliver's voice faltered slightly.
"You didn't try hard enough." Slade took a step back from Felicity and looked her in the eye. "I think I'll take your suggestion. If I shoot you and he really does love you he loses. If I shoot you and he loves the other one, they'll never be able to enjoy their happiness anyway so it's a win-win scenario."
As Felicity closed her eyes as tight as she could, she saw Oliver attempt to spring towards Slade. She only hoped that Slade would hold up his part of the bargain and let Laurel, and hopefully Oliver, live. She tried to calm her breathing and hoped that she would be at peace soon. She wanted to say to Oliver that she had no regrets but she couldn't find any words. All her sensations focused on the thrumming of the blood in her ears and she hoped that if there was an afterlife, she would see her loved ones too.
The bullet rang out and for a split second, there was silence.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Was this real? Was Felicity dead? She couldn't feel her body connected to her brain but she didn't know if she still drew breath.
An acrid smell filled her nostrils. Was this death? She had nothing to compare to! She had heard the gunfire. Was this the end?
Then another gunshot rang out. Felicity suddenly became aware that there was still noise around her. She realized she couldn't be dead. Her senses were starting to return and she realized multiple shots and bangs echoed around her.
Felicity dared to open her eyes. Around her she saw smoke. Her ears rang with a piercing frequency. Her head swam and she thought she might throw up. Then she took in the scene around her. She had been knocked to the ground. She tried lifting herself half up. Three of the armed guards were on the ground and she wasn't sure if they were dead.
Descending from the rafters, she saw a familiar black leather clad blonde woman coming down. In the confusion it was difficult to clear up what was going on. She saw the Black Canary close on Laurel's position. She realized that Laurel was prone on the ground and not moving.
She felt the vibrations in the ground and then she saw Diggle in the periphery of her vision. Explosions had obviously gone off but she was unable to take it all in properly. She assumed she had been knocked over with the force of the explosion. She attempted to get up when out of the smoke she saw Oliver's form come full force at her, his hands now free from their ties.
Oliver's full weight pressed Felicity into the ground and his hands went protectively around her head as another explosion went off and she heard a low growling scream that she hoped was Slade. She dared move her head to the side and saw Sara similarly protecting her sister's unconscious body. She looked up and made eye contact with Oliver. On combination of adrenaline, the smoke and Oliver's weight made breathing difficult. Oliver held her gaze for a moment longer and it felt like he might have stroked her hair but then he broke eye contact and jumped up.
Oliver's dress shirt was littered with speckles of blood and she knew he must have taken some shrapnel in the back by shielding her. Her head ached but she was otherwise unharmed. She scrambled over to Laurel.
"She's just unconscious. Will you stay with her a moment? We have some unfinished business," Sara said to Felicity, in full Black Canary mode.
Sara tossed her bow staff to Oliver and pulled a sword from a harness on her back. Felicity approved of the expansion in Black Canary's weapon choices. The smoke started to clear and Felicity could see Diggle was standing over two of the guards. They weren't moving and Diggle was leaning down to check a pulse.
Through the haze a figure emerged. Slade Wilson pointed the gun at Oliver too late as Sara sliced clean through his hand. Slade picked up an iron bar from the ground and knocked Sara's legs so hard she went down. Before she could regain her footing he roared and went straight for Oliver, the stump of his arm dripping blood.
Felicity thought this man must definitely have some of the residual effects of Mirakuru or he would be on the ground in agony right now. She also knew Oliver was injured and noticed he limped on the leg that he had broken five months previously. Slade swung at him and Oliver mirrored his gestured with the staff.
"You think you can win in a fight with me? I taught you most of what you know. You were weak then and you are weak now!" Slade screamed.
"But he has something now he didn't have then. A team!" Sara said before swiping Slade's legs out from under him. He fell to the ground with an almighty roar of defeat.
Oliver stood over Slade as he lay incapacitated on the floor. Sara pointed the sword at his chest. "I don't want to kill you Slade," Oliver stated.
"I want you to kill me. Be the cowardly murderer that I know you are," Slade spat back. "If you let me live I will come for your girls again and again and even the strongest prison won't stop me from putting a bullet on their pretty little…" Slade's sentence was cut short by Sara thrusting her sword straight into his heart.
Oliver stood motionlessly staring at Slade as he gurgled his last breaths and then went still. For several moments there was silence, which was only broken by Oliver dropping the bowstaff to the ground with a loud clang.
Diggle approached Oliver who didn't take his eye off of Slade's body. "It's over man. We should get moving. This place is fairly remote but somebody may have reported the explosions."
After a pause Oliver asked, "You used explosions because you knew these men were too strong to take down by hand?"
"Yep. After I woke up from my little nap I tracked you and Felicity with your tracking devices," Diggle said. Oliver eyes briefly cast backwards to Felicity at the mention of her name but didn't make contact with her eyes. "I got in contact with Sara who thankfully was near at hand and she dropped this effective but small blast radius explosives from her position from the rafters. I had armor piercing rounds and I tried to incapacitate the men but they kept fighting until I have to end them." Oliver knew Diggle didn't like killing any more than he did but he would do it to keep them safe.
Sara returned to Felicity's side and gave her hand a squeeze. Laurel was starting to moan and move and they realized she was coming around.
"Is it time to tell her yet?" Felicity asked Sara, asking is she would tell Laurel she was still alive.
"Not yet. Soon though. Will you look after her please? I'm going to make my exit."
As Laurel opened her eyes she saw the retreating figure of the Black Canary repelling back up to the rafters of the warehouse. She looked at Felicity. "Is that the woman who has been taking down guys in the Glades?"
Felicity smiled and helped her to a seated position. "Yeah. She just saved us."
Diggle approached them. "Come on. We have to go."
Outside Diggle had brought a van, which was alot less conspicuous than bringing the Bentley. Oliver walked silently ahead of the three and when they approached the van he turned to see Laurel looking straight at him. "I'm sorry. I thought it would be easier if you thought she died on the boat."
Laurel looked him square in the eyes and with a shake of her head turned away. The look on her face told him that she felt betrayed. She would need explanation but with all they had been through today they both knew that could wait until tomorrow. It was starting to get dark and Oliver opened the door to the van until both women got in. He still didn't look Felicity in the eye and silently went to sit with Diggle in the front.
When they reached Laurel's apartment, Laurel turned to Felicity. "I guess we should meet for coffee some time. Maybe talk about this?"
"Sure," Felicity returned with a half smile.
"And thank Mr Diggle for me please," she said before running into her building.
When they reached their secret entrance to the foundry, Diggle opened the door for Felicity. She realized that Oliver had already gone ahead. "Do you two have something you need to talk about?" Diggle asked.
"I think we do," Felicity sounded deflated.
"I'll give you guys your privacy. Ring me if you need me." Diggle pulled Felicity into a tight hug. "And don't ever go scaring me like that again," he tried to joke.
Felicity found her feet were almost having difficulty descending the familiar stairs. She realized she was still in the white dress Slade had made them wear that was now covered in dirt and specks of blood. The light pumps she wore slipped slightly on the bottom step making a noise that alerted Oliver to her presence.
Oliver raised his eyes to hers while undoing the buttons on his ruined shirt. "Are you ok?"
Felicity took a step closer to him. "It depends on your definition of ok, I suppose." She kept her eyes steady even though it felt like his eyes were boring into her soul. When it became too much, her eyes flitted to the ground and she spoke so quietly that he almost didn't hear. "For a minute I thought I was dead."
Felicity sensed his closeness before she looked up and realized he was now standing right in front of her. His chest puffing up and down as he breathed so very fast and then she heard an affected sigh from his throat as he gripped her upper arms.
She did not expect the sight that awaited her when he looked back up. Oliver looked at her with moist eyes, his face one of anguish. "Why did you do that?" Oliver pleaded. "Why did you volunteer yourself?" His voice was quivering like she had never heard before.
Felicity spoke again in a low voice, afraid she wouldn't be able to talk much longer if he kept looking at her like that. "Because I didn't want you to have to live with making that choice." And then she said even quieter, "Because you don't love me."
A long silence fell between them but his hands did not move from her upper arms. Felicity had to deflect her eyes but when he didn't respond she looked at him confused. "You don't love me?"
Oliver's right hand moved up to her face and touched the delicate skin so lightly that it tingled. "How could you think I don't love you?"
Felicity stood in stunned silence and when she spoke she stuttered slightly. "But you don't! You never showed me any signs you did. When we almost kissed you never brought it up again. I'm fairly sure you're still in love with Laurel and…"
Oliver's face softened a little and he continued his ministrations stroking her cheek. "I'm monumentally bad at expressing emotions- maybe a combination of the way I was brought up and the last seven years of hell have something to do with that. And I will always love Laurel but I'm no longer in love with her and I don't want to be with her. But I told you before that because of this life that I live I don't want to be with someone I care about because it will only hurt them. I've been trying to keep my feelings under control and I think I was able to even hide it from myself sometimes but when I was faced with losing you, I knew I couldn't ever be without you. You're my beacon of light." Oliver raised his other hand, taking Felicity's face in the palm of his two hands. "Felicity Megan Smoak I love you."
Felicity stood motionless for a long minute, her mouth hanging open slightly. She tried to process his words.
"You've gone very quiet," Oliver tried to say with a smile but she knew he was nervous in case she didn't return his feelings.
"Oliver…" she stammered. "I love you too."
A huge genuine smile that went right up to his eyes lit Oliver's face. A tear rolled down Felicity cheek but Oliver caught it with his thumb.
"Can I kiss you then? Because I've wanted to do that for quite a while," Oliver asked. When Felicity went up on her toes and moved towards him, this was all the permission he needed.
Their lips crashed together, months of tension dissolving between their lips. Felicity felt fire shoot through her body as she took time to savor the warmth of this mouth. Oliver moved his hands down her body until they sat at her low back. He pulled her in closer to him as she wound her arms around his neck. She took time to enjoy the feel of his hair beneath her fingers. Oliver's tongue swept along her lip and she obliged him by parting hers. Their tongues met and Felicity felt Oliver's neck muscles relax the more he kissed her. As she moved down his back she suddenly hopped back from the kiss. "Oh my God I forgot you're injured. We need to get those clothes off you."
Oliver gave her an amused look. "I was thinking that myself but maybe in a different way to what you're thinking."
Felicity smiled back at him but he pulled her into his body again. "Your kisses are like an anesthetic."
"They put you to sleep?" Felicity breathed close to his mouth again, her eyes flittered between his eyes and lips.
Oliver snorted a small laugh and rubbed her nose with his. "No. They make all the pain go away," he said before his mouth descended on hers again.