Team Arrow spent the next week relentlessly searching for Slade. Oliver and Diggle went out at nights looking all around Starling City, while Felicity searched facial recognition at the foundry. Roy had even joined in to help, staying with Felicity just in case Slade decided to attack her while Oliver and Diggle were gone.

Oliver had been getting restless with no new lead. Felicity had started staying at his apartment because he wasn't comfortable with her going back to her apartment, knowing Slade had been there. They hadn't had a chance to talk more about their feelings for each other, and Oliver hated it. He wanted to be with her; to treat her the way she deserved to be treated. Instead, he was stuck keeping her at arm's length because of Slade. He knew once he convinced himself they could be together, that they were safe, Slade would show up again.

Slade always had terrible timing.

So, while he and Felicity hadn't been able to really be together the way they wanted to be, they had small moments here and there that reminded each other they wouldn't give up. Oliver would put his hand on her shoulder while she showed him what she found on her computer. Felicity would hug him before they went their separate ways at his apartment, lingering for just a beat longer than necessary.

It was these moments Oliver had come to cherish the most.

It had been a late night in the foundry when Oliver came in from patrolling the Glades, still searching for any sign of Slade. Felicity was sitting in front of her computers, Roy was next to her asleep, and Diggle had already gone home to Lyla.

Oliver approached Roy and patted him on the back, not gently, to wake him up. Roy woke up with a start and looked at Oliver, before looking around.

"When did you get here?" Roy asked Oliver, confused.

"Sometime while you were asleep, apparently." Oliver said, obviously irritated. He was supposed to be watching Felicity, not the inside of his eyelids.

"Oliver, it's okay. He just fell asleep, and we knew you were coming back. It's not a big deal." Felicity turned around to say. Oliver knew she would defend him, but she was in trouble and Roy needed to take his watch over her seriously.

"I don't care, Felicity. He's supposed to keep an eye on you when Diggle and I aren't here." Oliver replied, glaring at Roy.

"Look, I'm sorry. It won't happen again. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go catch up on some sleep." Roy said, already walking out of the foundry.

"Felicity, I-" Oliver started, but Felicity raised her hand, indicating for him she had something to say.

"Oliver, I know you want to keep me safe, but there's nothing we can do if Slade decides to strike while you're gone. Roy would buy us some time, but we both know he can't defeat Slade on his own. He's helping us, so stop being so ungrateful when he could be doing something else with his time." Felicity told him, breathing deeply.

Oliver looked at her and knew she was right. Roy had been doing them a favor the past week, and Oliver needed to stop being so hard on him. But when it came to Felicity's safety, it was hard for him to see straight.

Oliver stepped forward to pull Felicity toward him, but before he could, he heard the clicking of the foundry door and immediately became alert. He turned toward the stairs and pulled Felicity behind him. Oliver reached for the pen that was on the desk and pulled his arm back, ready to stab whoever came down the stairs. He wished he had more than a pen, but he had already put his arrow equipment down across the foundry.

He waited silently, the only sound coming from behind him as Felicity's breathing got heavier and heavier. He never heard anyone come down the stairs, so he went over to the staircase slowly, Felicity right behind him. He was ready for whoever was at the top of the stairs, but no one was there. He finally let go of the breath he was holding, and he felt Felicity's relief immediately.

He turned around and put his arms around her, allowing himself to relax into their embrace.

"I'm sorry. I thought I heard the door close." Oliver whispered into her hair.

"It's okay. I know you've been on edge this past week. Better to be safe than sorry." Felicity muttered against his chest, and he could feel the heat from her breath through his shirt.

"Well, isn't that sweet." Oliver jerked his head up, immediately pushing Felicity behind him.

He looked up to see Slade standing on the other side of the foundry where the back door was and internally chastised himself. How had he not think to look at the other door?

Oliver felt Felicity behind him and knew he had to defeat Slade for her to get out of there alive. He didn't care if he died in the process as long as he took Slade down with him.

Oliver didn't hesitate as he turned to Felicity, kissed her softly and said, "Get out of here. Call Diggle. You need to run. I'll hold him off as long as I can."

Felicity was crying but she nodded. It broke his heart to see her so upset but he had to do this. Slade needed to be stopped before things got even worse.

Oliver turned around to see Slade hadn't even moved from his spot. He watched Slade as Slade watched Felicity leave, and they were finally alone.

Oliver walked slowly around the foundry, never letting his eyes leave the man he had once considered a brother. Oliver needed to get a weapon if he wanted any chance at all to defeat Slade. He could see his arrow sitting on the table in the middle of the foundry, right between him and Slade, but he knew Slade would reach it before he could.

They were going to have to do this the old fashioned way.

Slade had no weapons that Oliver could see so at least they would be on even ground. While Slade had been the one to teach him how to fight, he had picked up some new things over the years and he was hoping it was enough to throw Slade off and defeat him.

Oliver slowly made his way toward Slade and they were in the middle of the foundry, just feet apart. Oliver looked at Slade and tried one last time to reach out to him. To reach out to the Slade he knew before the Mirakuru and Shado's death.

"Slade, we can end this with no more blood being shed. Let me call A.R.G.U.S. and you can go back to purgatory. You were like a brother to me once. I don't want to kill you, but I will." Oliver said, hoping Slade would agree.

Slade laughed, and it was a laugh that held so much hate and bitterness that Oliver almost recoiled. This man wasn't Slade anymore; this wasn't the man he considered to be a brother all those years ago.

Oliver knew he was going to have to kill this man if he ever wanted to feel safe again. If he ever wanted Felicity to feel safe again.

Oliver charged at Slade at the same time Slade stopped laughing and they met in the middle of the foundry, colliding like two tornadoes in a storm.