Smaller changes that turn into massive ones, any suggestions for big or small shifts from Austin's existance?

It's a Hozen." Oliver's voice rang in in the air as Austin moved passed Thea's room where saw Tommy at the door. "And in Buddhism, it symbolizes reconnecting. I kept it in hopes that one day, it would reconnect me with you." He finished, handing the Hozen to his sister. Thea took it and smiled warmly at her brother.

"A rock! That is know," he started, "I want one of those t-shirts that says 'my friend was a castaway, and all I got was this crappy shirt"

Thea smiled at his antics, then looked to her brother. "Don't let him get you into too much trouble." She advised. "You just got back. Take it slow." She embraced Oliver, who gave her a kiss on the cheek. Thea went back to her desk.

Rolling his eyes, Austin said. "Mythically it's a powerful symbol not one to take lightly, Thea." She turned and smiled at him.

"Ahem. The city awaits." Tommy announced, and after shooting Thea a smile, the two left the room. As they walked down the hallway, Tommy looked to Oliver. "Have you noticed how hot your sister's gotten?" he asked, At Oliver's glare, "Because I have not." Austin, having only met Tommy once, socked him in the arm, hard. "OW!'

"She's underage, creep. Also, Oliver we have to talk, so I am going with you."

"Wait, no!" Tommy said only for Oliver to say.

"He can come, I like him."

Tommy just groaned. "Fine, but he sits in the back seat."

Soon enough, They were driving through the Glades in Tommy's Mercedes with the radio blaring.

"Your funeral blew." Tommy announced, kind of pigishly. Oliver looked over at him with a grin that rang false.

"Did you get lucky?" he asked, and they both laughed.

"Fish in a barrel." Tommy said. "They were so sad."

"No." Oliver said jokingly.

"And huggy." Tommy continued. "And I am counting on another target rich environment for your welcome home bash."

Oliver looked to his friend in confusion. "At my what?"

"You came back from the dead." Tommy stated. "This calls for a party. You tell me where and when. I'll take care of everything." They came to a stop at a corner. Across from them, a dilapidated building stood, with several homeless people out front standing close to a warming barrel. To the right stood an old, abandoned steel mill- The Queen steel mill. "And this city's gone to crap." Tommy continued. "Your dad sold his factory just in time. Why'd you want to drive through this neighborhood anyway?" he asked as Oliver looked at the factory.

"No reason" he finally said.

"My mom used to work here." They both froze at Austin's voice. "My mom was fired by your mom, Oliver, and she lost it. Got into drugs, became sociopathic and beat me until I left. I imagine a lot of people suffered because of that factory being sold. It was the sole source of income for thousands. Might want to remember that...before you bash the poor people that suffered for Mr. Queen's actions. There were a lot of good people hurt from him misdeeds."

"""

Standing by the Car while Oliver took care of Laurel, who he knew from Oliver's memories was his ex that he cheated on with her sister, Austin started to fiddle with his magic. Moving things around in the breeze, keeping an eye out for thieves, that sort of thing. After a while he heard that idiot Tommy speaking and so turned to see Tommy and Oliver walking over to him.

"Ok, so we took care of that." Tommy was saying. "Good call. Now we can make up for lost time. If you're not too sick of fish, I suggest we find some leggy models and eat Sushi all day. What do you say?" he stopped suddenly as a van came from out of nowhere and pulled up right behind his car, slamming on the breaks before it hit the two friends. Two men in demon masks and blue hoodies came out of nowhere. "What're they doing?" Tommy asked, startled.

A sharp sting hit Austin's neck, and he felt darkness encroaching on him. "Purga!" he muttered, channeling his magic into the spell before passing out into nothingness.

And the more images came to him, images straight from what he now knew was Oliver's mind.

He was back on the life raft, where the three survivors sat, floating on the rough sea at night. Robert handed Oliver a bottle of water. "Here, son." He said, "Drink."

"What the hell are you doing?!" the crewman shouted. "That's all we've got!"

Robert glared at the man. "If anybody's making it out of here, it's gonna be him." He said as Oliver took a drink of water. Robert put an arm around his shoulders and pulled him closer to his chest.

"I'm so sorry." He said. "I thought I'd have more time. I'm not the man you think I am. I didn't build our city, I failed it. And I wasn't the only one."

And then the images shattered and Austin found himself ziptied on a dirty mattress. Turning with closed eyes he saw Oliver, a bag being pulled off of his head.

"Mr. Queen? Mr. Queen!" the blackness was lifted, reveling one of the demon masked men. d. The man held a Taser and hit the activation stud, causing a current of electricity to flow between the two prongs at the end. "Did your father survive that accident?" Oliver remained silent, looking around the room as did Austin.

He saw three men, one with a submachine gun, another, also with a gun, standing near Tommy, who was still passed out on a wooden pallet to his left. "I ask the questions." The man said, "You give me the answers." Oliver was still silent, so the man stuck the Taser on his chest, shocking him. Oliver groaned loudly behind clenched teeth. "Did he make it to the island? Did he tell you anything?" the mask asked again, and again Oliver was silent, so he taserd him.

Oliver let out another groan. Finally, he looked up at the mask. "Yes, he did." He said.

"What did he tell you, Mr. Queen?"

Oliver looked right into the darkened eyeholes of the mask. "He told me I'm gonna kill you."

The mask and his friends all shared a laugh. "You're delusional." He said finally. "You're zip-cuffed to that chair."

Oliver lifted his now-freed hands. "Not anymore." He said. Then, before they could react, he went into motion. He ducked a punch from his interrogator, and then flipped the chair up to block a second. He reversed the chair, sending the hard edge of the seat into the chest of the second man, then ripped out of back seat posts and spun around, staking the interrogator in the heart. For good measure, he brought the taser up and shocked him under his jaw, sending him to the floor. He grabbed the second man and swung him around in front of his as a shield, just as the third man fired. The bullets hit the second guy in the chest killing him. Seeing that, the third bolted from the room.

Only Austin managed to twist around and kicked the back of his knees. Throwing his legs around the man's neck, he twisted hard, snapping his neck. "Fuck that shit. Fractos." He muttered, snapping the Ziptie. Waving a hand at Tommy, who was waking up, he said. "Somnia." The man drifted into deeper sleep. "What is your alibi?"

Oliver, stunned, asked. "You killed...and your okay?"

"I have done it before, we have a lot to talk about. Now, about that Alibi?"

"""

Oliver could not believe that the sweet guy that just helped him the night before was so callous about killing and yet it was soothing. It made him feel like he could trust him to hold and bear his hidden truths. "We really need to talk later... but first, you are right. Here is what we are going to say."

And Oliver wove their alibi, one they would stick too and one that would bind them, now and forever.

Chapter end, tell me what you think in the reviews.

This was a joy to write.

Love, your Ninja Overlord,

Mika.