AUTHOR'S NOTE: Update is finally out, sorry for the delay. I've been side-tracked by a ship that has blindsided me but I can't just not have me my fix of Olicity, it's the ship I will sail away with.

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THE NEW BRATVA CAPTAIN

CHAPTER 13: "Shot in the Dark"

"Our first priority, my first priority is your safety Felicity. You heard Anatoly. We need you secured inside the Bratva estate. That's the only way we could all fully focus on John. Anatoly already sent a team ahead to John's location," Oliver repeated to Felicity since she was still distraught after the call to John was severed and they couldn't contact him or any of the team members with him.

Felicity was wrapped around Oliver's arms, as tight as he dared as he continued to stroke her mane sneaking glances at her from time to time as they raced back to the estate.

Oliver's phone rang, seeing the caller identity he took a deep breath before he answered the call, "yes?"

"How is she? Are both of you okay?" his father at least had it right to be concerned about Felicity first before his own son, he wouldn't have it other way.

"We're on our way back. Did Anatoly give you the update?" Oliver asked.

"Yes, that's the reason I'm calling. I need Felicity, she's the only one that can work some of the programs so we can get access to some cameras in the area."

Oliver looked at Felicity once again who just gave him a nod to say that she was fine and ready, "we are about a minute out, see you soon." Oliver ended the call and looked at Felicity once again. "John's going to be fine, the guy has nine lives."

"Promise me," Felicity's weak voice asked him, she had been surrounded by more death during the last few weeks since she had been associated with the Bratva than any normal person faced a whole lifetime.

Oliver kissed her temple and lifted her chin so he could look into her eyes, "if it were anyone else but John I wouldn't be making this promise, but this is John. I'm pretty sure the guy is not only alive but unharmed."

"John!" Felicity said his name and was running to embrace him but stopped just a foot away from him, "are you hurt? Where are you hurt? I don't see any blood," she started to run her hands over every inch of his torso not really aware of what she was doing except in her mind she was checking John for hidden injures.

Oliver held his ground even if his whole body was screaming for him to tear his girl away from her very close proximity with John. His mind knew she was just concerned for her friend, he shouldn't be threatened to read anything more deeply into the emotional state of his girl when it came to John Diggle.

But as she went in for a second, then third embrace he finally stepped forward and pulled her away gently, he could only take too much, "Felicity, John probably needs to sit down."

Felicity immediately pulled away, "oh, of course, sorry John."

John Diggle gave Felicity a smile, "that's fine." John took a seat at the nearest chair he could find and started to recount his story sure that Robert, Oliver and Felicity were all eager to hear his story, Anatoly had a cliff notes version of what happened already since he personally joined the team extracting John.

"China White was shot, multiple times but she's alive, injured but alive. The woman is definitely hard to kill." John angled his head to face Felicity, "Anatoly tells me this is the doing of a faction of the Triad?"

Felicity nodded before she answered, "Xian Xian and a few other middle-ranked Triad leaders, at least that's what they said during the meet earlier tonight. Sorry we were almost too late in warning you, we had no idea."

"Not your fault," John was quick to assure her. "I wasn't really in any danger nor was any of my team. Still we were caught unawares that tonight was the night for a planned attempt. You know since this was unsuccessful she'd be even more cautious. This attempt could point to us unless she was aware of traitors in her ranks prior to tonight."

"Xian Xian may not be as dumb as he wanted us to believe then. John's right. If China White has no idea that the attack was spearheaded by her own then she'd go after the Bratva with everything she's got. She knows prior to tonight we were already out for her blood what with what happened to Andy and the attacks on our Captain," Anatoly said pointing to Felicity when he referenced the Captain.

"And the element of surprise is also gone since Xian Xian and his associates are now aware that you are I town too," Robert told Anatoly.

Anatoly nodded and rubbed his beard in thought, "but this can be a tipping point to our advantage too. Xian Xian may use the information of my presence in Starling City as an in to China White, but we can beat him to the punch if we tell China White it was one of her own who turned traitor. To China White a traitor is worst than a known enemy."

"But what if Xian Xian and his associates were above board with us when they were seeking an alliance? What if they were serious in bringing down China White? Can we think about that too?" Felicity spoke up.

Anatoly shrugged, "then as Captain, this is your call my dear. What do you want us to do?"

"What? No! I can't make a decision like that. You're the pakhan, you should do it."

"That's right, I am the pakhan, and it's my prerogative to let the Captain, a Captain I have full faith in make the decision. Why don't you sleep on it," looking at Oliver, 'you might have to consult people you trust which is the way of a true Captain. We can reconvene for your decision sometime in the morning, yah?

Oliver pulled Felicity to her feet, "come on, your dead on your feet. Anatoly's right you need a good night's rest, we all need one."

She let Oliver pull her to her feet before she gave the other three men a perusal finally settling on Anatoly, "I will see you in the morning then."

"It's not that bad!" China White pushed the physician away, "this is not going to bring me down. When I find out who is behind this, this treachery," China White said while she was shaking with anger, "they will wish they were never born! No one, no one does this to me and gets away with it!"

The physician had barely finished bandaging the last of China White's injuries before she pushed him away almost toppling over the makeshift clutter of operating equipment.

"Not a word of this doctor, unless you don't value the life of your family," China White threatened the doctor.

The doctor just nodded repeatedly then almost run out of the room.

"Close your eyes baby, you need to sleep," Oliver whispered to her while he continued to stroke her hair. They were laid down on the bed with his arms wrapped firmly around his girl her back to his front as she half-lay on top of him.

"I can't. Everytime I close my eyes I see people dropping like flies, Andy, the security team. They all have families…did we even," Felicity told him brokenly.

"We did, we take care of our own."

Oliver felt more than saw her nod, "they didn't deserve this. Be caught in a war with people like China White who's plain evil, ruthless, without regard for a life."

"Felicity, the Bratva isn't exactly innocent we have our own crimes."

'I know, I do," Felicity shifted on Oliver's chest so she now had her palms on his upper chest, "but we have rules don't we, the Bratva has a code it follows."

"Yes we do," Oliver told her as he kissed her temple leaving his lips there for some time before he continued, "you will make the right decision."

Felicity used her elbows as leverage so she could rise a bit and look at Oliver, "what would you do, if you were the Captain that is, Anatoly didn't know what he was doing when he left the decision in my hands," her head dropped to his chest as she sighed, "I can't do this."

"Yes you can. If the last few weeks are any indication, you were born to lead. I will always be by your side no matter what. Now, sleep. You need it and so do I," Oliver told her as he gently pulled her head to his chest, "close your eyes baby, remember this, I love you, I always will."

With Oliver's words, Felicity felt her whole body relax and heavy with sleep but before she could fully lose consciousness, she willed herself to answer him, "and I love you, so very much."

Anatoly had his big and rough hands on Felicity's shoulders, "Felicity Smoak," he said in his rough Russian accent, "you never fail to surprise me, Captain. But just like in every game of strategy, the most precious piece must be protected."

"I know, this is not your fight, this is Starling City Bratva's war against The Triad of China White, you've done more than enough with your presence here, I know that Starling City is just a miniscule part of the Bratva. Thank you…for all you've done, keep safe," Felicity rambled on.

Anatoly who at the beginning of her babble has raised his eyebrows now had another rare smile on his face as he caught on to what exactly Felicity was trying to say.

"You misunderstand me, yah. The most precious piece is not me, Captain. I may be pakhan, but I am part of the past, times are changing, even I know that. Just like the Triad is evolving so is the Bratva, you my sweet little one and young Oliver Queen and others like you, you are the future of the Bratva. In your more capable hands rests our future. Felicity Smoak, you are the most precious piece of the Bratva, it is you who needs to be protected. You will remain here at the estate. The guards will guard you with their lives."

"What?" Felicity asked him confused. "No!" she added as she looked at the expressions of the others in the room, Robert Queen's, John Diggle's and even Oliver's. "Does Oliver get to join this…mission?" She asked Anatoly.

Anatoly just sighed defeated then looked at his old friend Robert, "Oliver Queen is a stubborn man, a lot like his father. He refuses to stay behind."

Oliver stepped forward and pulled Felicity to his side before he placed his hands on her cheeks, "you understand why I have to do this Felicity? This is more than just us. This is also for my family, my mother and Thea. I have to do this for them too, China White might go after them next, everyone knows the Queens are Bratva. I have to help end this now."

Felicity looked into eyes that were pleading with her, willing her to understand that although he loved her, he needed to do this for his family too. She lifted the heel of her feet so she could place a kiss on the side of his jaw, before she said, "I understand, you don't have to explain it to me. They are family."

Oliver exhaled, "I love you," not minding that they had an audience he pulled Felicity to him and kissed her senseless until he pushed her slightly away so he could tell her what he needed to tell her, "you are family too, my family. Now that I have you I have no intention of letting you go, ever. There is only one woman who I intend to be with for the rest of my life, the woman who will be a Queen someday…soon."

"Oh. Oh…did you just," Felicity tentatively asked.

"Not yet," Oliver gave her his sweet smile yet, "this is not the way I am going to ask you to become my wife. I only get to ask the question once because this is going to be for the rest of our lives. Proposing to you inside our controls room, although I don't mind the audience we have," giving Anatoly, John and then his father a glance, lingering a bit on his father before his attention was back on his girl, "isn't exactly what I had planned. For my woman, it will be one of a kind special." He told her with a sneaky smile.

Felicity leaned her blushing cheek on his chest and couldn't help but proceed to inhale his scent with a shiver, his scent was manly and intoxicating and uniquely his, "I'm…going to thinking about that more than about what's about to happen later, it's not fair." She pouted.

Oliver couldn't help himself as he leaned in to give her a lingering kiss in the temple, "that's what I want you thinking about rather than what's going down tonight."

Anatoly finally interrupted the lovebirds, "we will give you two sometime alone, ten minutes Oliver, no more. Then we have to go to set-up." He then turned to Felicity, "I love weddings I think I already told you that the last time, don't forget to invite this old man, yah," he said and squeezed her shoulder one last time before he left the room following by John Diggle who gave her a nod.

Robert stepped closer to Felicity making Oliver step away from her while eyeing his father.

"Felicity, there is no one else I could have wished my son to spend the rest of his very long life with," he leaned in to wrap his arms around her while he looked to his son. "I not only get to see my son become a great man but marry the woman that is his other half because I'm alive." Robert stepped back and faced both Oliver and Felicity, "maybe it wasn't my time to die yet that last time. I have so many wrongs to right. Most of them involve my family. Maybe I still have an important role to play."

Robert gave his son and Felicity another tempered smile at his solemn statement before he turned to leave the couple.

Oliver immediately turned to Felicity again, his hands on her cheeks, "I know it would be useless for me to tell you not to worry especially because you'll be in on every action and word while manning the comms. But still, please don't fret too much. Anatoly, John, my Dad and I, we will all be safe. It just has to be done, and be done now, so once and for all we could all get on with our lives."

Felicity nodded, "I know and I understand. But you can't stop me from worrying for them, for you."

"I know, I worry for your safety too. I know that this is a heavily guarded fortress, but you're still virtually alone here. Anatoly, John, my Dad and I will be all elsewhere."

"This is virtually like Fort Knox, I'll be fine." Felicity run a palm through hiss stubbled cheek, "not a scratch baby, promise me."

Oliver smiled at her and kissed her cheek, "I'll try my very best."

Felicity tip toed and placed her lips to his for one last kiss before he had to finally go.

"Xian Xian and his men are on the way in, as agreed they will strike first and the Bratva will be the backup forces, join in only if needed. I'm patching Xian Xian into the comms now so you all know what to do. All private communications will be at the designated backup channel."

"Thank you Felicity," Anatoly answered for all of them before a slight crackling sound was heard, Xian Xian had been patched into the comms.

About an hour later Felicity was shouting into the comms for someone, anyone to answer her, "what's happening! Oliver! Robert! Anatoly! John! Xian Xian! Anyone!"

Felicity continued to type away trying to access some of the other cameras in the area that were not taken down by what seemed like the fight of the century with all the heavy artillery she had heard during the last half hour.

The last she had heard, half the forces of Xian Xian was down, the Bratva had been forced to step in to backup the young Triad leaders and lost a few men themselves.

Xian Xian, together with Oliver, John and Robert were part of the strike team that had penetrated all the way to China White's inner most walls that was the equivalent of her panic room when she lost contact with them.

Anatoly had been forced to be left behind, his own Bratva inner circle, Robert and John had almost forcibly insisted that he not be part of the strike team because of his value using the same argument he had when they had done the same thing to Felicity except for the next generation argument. He was after all still pakhan, the symbol of the Bratva, it was not his place to be part of the a strike team no matter his protest.

"Felicity, I am sure they are safe. It is all quiet from where I am," Anatoly finally answered her.

"But you are outside her compound, you wouldn't know!" Felicity answered him still in a panic.

"Our forces have their forces standing down, it is only a handful of die hard forces with China White who have sealed themselves inside a bunker like room. It's only a matter of time, yah."

"I don't like it."

"I don't like it too. But this is sometimes how war goes. They are all very capable, you will see."

Inside China White's hide-out

"Once this goes off expect whoever is inside to put up one hell of a last stance, we have to assume they are all heavily armed." John told the others with him appraising all ten of the men with him, six Bratva and four Triad men from Xian Xian's faction.

"We are ready," Xian Xian answered for himself and his men as they took their front line positions. If nothing else, today proved that Xian Xian was more than capable of leading the Chinese Triad not only with his skill and bravery, but it was also more than obvious that all the Triad men with him trusted and was loyal to him 100%, he truly was a great choice to succeed China White if they were all successful.

Robert and Oliver also took their positions, John had insisted he and the three Bratva men with him take point behind the Triad faction and Oliver and Robert, both Queen men. Therefore valuable Bratva assets take the rear.

It happened so fast, in under two minutes everything was all over. All the Triad men with China White had gone down one by one, the last one taken out by Robert himself as he and China White slipped by the last of the Bratva defenses.

Robert was shot by China White after a moment of shock seeing him alive but then that moment of hesitation brought about by shock was enough for Oliver to shot her three times on the chest for good measure, just to be sure she was truly dead, finally.

After checking that China White's men were really all dead, the Bratva and the Triad forces of Xian Xian had taken stock of themselves and their injuries. Xian Xian had lost two of his men, and both he and the other surviving Triad man were injured but they were considered minor, nothing that a good Triad doctor couldn't fix.

John surveyed his team, two of his men were dead, a third had a leg injury that was minor, he himself had a bullet to the shoulder and leg, both injuries failed to take him off his feet. As she glanced toward the Queens, he noted that Oliver was still blankly staring at China White's body, maybe to make sure that she was really, really dead and stayed that way.

But the moment John saw Robert he panicked, the man was down on his back and was bleeding profusely from where John stood he had to call out to Oliver three times before he was able to attract Oliver's attention.

"Oliver! You're Dad!"

"What?" Oliver answered confused, his mind still on China White.

"Your Dad!" John told him again as he hopped towards the Queen despite his heavily throbbing leg.

"You're bleeding," Oliver told John focusing on him rather than his father.

"Oliver focus, your Dad!" John told him.

Oliver finally looked at his father and froze. "Noooo!" the word escaped his mouth as he kneeled down to beside his father.

Robert's eyes were blinking rapidly, a sign that he was trying to get some kind of control despite his injury. They finally focused on his son.

"Oliver," it came out as a whisper despite Robert's best effort.

"Don't talk," Oliver quickly said, his hands on his father's injury.

"He's losing a lot of blood Oliver. I'll get some help but I'll have to leave you two alone inside here. Will you be up to that?"

"Just get help, and call Felicity," Oliver told him heavy with emotion.

As John left them alone, Oliver focused on his father taking stock once again of his injuries before his father's voice interrupted.

"Son," Robert said very weakly Oliver had to lean down to hear it.

"Dad, please save your energy. Don't talk."

"I may not have a lot of time left in me…maybe this is my time," Robert said in a broken whisper making Oliver break out in a cold sweat.

"No, no Dad. You're not going to die. Today isn't that day," Oliver was not surprised to find tears pouring down his cheeks. "You're going to live a long life. You're going to see me get married to the most wonderful woman in the world. You're going to live to see your grandchildren. You're going to live to see Thea get married too, have your grand children too."

Robert reached out a bloody hand to his son, "Oliver…"

Oliver grabbed the hand and gripped it tight, "Dad…fight, fight for me. I've never asked anything from you before, I'm asking now, fight to live. You did it once, you can do it again. I love you, Dad."

Robert's eyes glazed at his son's words, "son….I love you too"

Oliver could feel his father's grip on his hand slipping. That meant his strength was giving out.

"Dad, please…"

Robert's eyes fluttered again before he went totally limp.

"Dad! No…please no!" Oliver shouted he looked around and finally saw a limping John and Anatoly, "help him," Oliver said between sobs.

I'm sorry to end this here but you see, I can't see past my own tears too.

I don't really know if I just killed off Robert or not, my mind is jumbled.