Disclaimer: Ownership of the show and everything-No. Freedom to write Fanfic-Yes
Thomas comes to understand how great a motivator, love can be. He hears it in his parents voices over the phone.
They reassure him quickly. "You'll be okay. Do what they say. They won't hurt you." Thomas already knows. These shady people need him.
This, right now, the call to his parents, its proof of life.
His parents voices are faint. Henchman Baldy, big ears with a nose to match, the only one coming in and out, is holding the phone to Thomas' ear too high. As much as Thomas wants to pull the phone closer, unfortunately he can't. His hands are roped to the chair.
The next sentence comes through clear though. Determined and full of love, more comforting than earlier generic messages to remind Thomas of his training. His parent are completely in sync when they say,
"We're coming for you."
Thomas believes it easily.
Baldy snaps the phone away from Thomas's ear hanging up on his parents.
Thomas see's his in and decides to toe the line, "Hey, I was having a conversation here!"
Baldy drops the phone and lunges, before Thomas can blink there's a knife against his cheek. "You'll be done hearing anything, when I cut off your ear kid."
Thomas continues to poke at Baldy. "I don't think that's how it works. But in any case, no thanks, I kind of like my ears." He's understands that he's found the line and crossed it when Baldy's knife slices into his cheek as he flicks it closed.
Baldy's halfway to the door when he gets in the last word "Watch your smart ass mouth kid."
Thomas barely registers the threat, he's too busy wondering if there's any possibility that Baldy's brain could fall out of his big ears.
Looking up to see the sun through the skylight, Thomas knows they've only had him for a couple of hours. From what he can tell from past rescue mission, it doesn't take his mother long to track down where the abducted are being held. She usually fist pumps, while his Dad's already geared up and halfway out the door.
Felicity gives him the details over comms en route. Usually with uncle Digg or Roy tailing him in the SUV. His mother also relays details of the type of place the abducted is being kept in. Even though she's always focused, Thomas sometimes catches himself waiting for her to condemn how dirty or messy the place is, like she does with his room.
She'd definitely be grossed out at the state of the tiny room they've been keeping him in. Thomas could've sworn he saw something furry scurry from corner to corner in the limited sunlight.
It's usually over the comms that he hears tyres skidding to a stop. Oliver is usually the first in the building. His dad doesn't wait, knowing full well Digg or Roy would have gone to block off a different entry. Then methodically, they pick off opponents, quickly and quietly in an attempt to keep the element of surprise in their favour for as long as they can. Thomas has watched them do this type of fieldwork multiple times. It's systematic and successful. Almost a straight in-out op.
Now he hears their tyres faint squeal from outside. That didn't take as long as he expected. The telltale sounds of a fight begin much quicker, gunshots, shouting and grunts are most prominent in the din. He would probably hear the swish of arrows if the walls weren't so thick.
Something slams against the door to his room. A dull thud, once, twice and three times. At the sound of keys scraping in the lock Thomas sits up straight, and the door opens. Felicity is the first to rush in, stepping over Baldy who is slumped halfway to the floor. Thomas's happiness is only coloured by surprise. His mother doesn't do cut and dry recovery missions. The second surprise comes in the form of his aunt Sara, she beams and waves to him over his mothers shoulder. He could've sworn she was taking out some drug cartel with Nyssa somewhere in South America, like last week.
His mother doesn't take time to explain how Sara's there, Felicity's too busy simultaneously asking and checking if he's hurt and hugging him one point she's rambling about what's taking Oliver so long, and how she's left Maddie with Thea in the foundry that Sara should probably let them know the good news.
Thomas is fine, he really is. When he feels a second pair of arms wrap around him and Felicity, he raises his head and looks at both his parents, nodding them off and answering their barrage of questions.
"I'm fine honestly. You said you were coming. Baldy didn't scare me, except his nose did a bit and I swear there's something small quick and hairy running around in here and I jumped a little when I thought I saw it."
"Definitely Oliver and Felicity's son," chuckles Sara from the door. At the sound Thomas looks over to see that Diggle, Roy, Lyla and Nyssa have appeared next to Sara as well, smiling or waving back at him.
Oliver smiles, looking down at Thomas, he registers the slight surprise in his eyes at the team that came together for the mission. Holding Thomas gaze he offers, "they wanted to help. You were missing for long enough."
Cheers for making it to the bottom. I'm not sure how many of you are, but for those readers that do, I'm grateful.