Episode 10: When You Take a Life…

Anna moved quietly to the Far East side of the factory, going around crates and support beams. She made it to the stairwell and glanced down it. It went straight down, curved around, and then went down further. She took a breath and started slowly down the steps. She made it to floor number two and kept the bow in a ready position as she started around the room. Level two was comprised of three rooms—one to the left of the stairs, one to the far right, and the other was the main area.

Anna went to the room left of the stairs and stopped next to the door. She listened for any out-of-the-ordinary noises before trying the door knob. It opened without worry and she slowly stepped inside. The room was dark but she could tell it was empty. She silently backed out and shut the door without another noise, then turned on her heel and went to room number two. She tried the door and it opened easily. After deciding it was also empty, she went to the staircase.

She started down, rickety step after rickety step, until she came into the second sub-level. Anna turned left and stifled a gasp. She found herself looking at Oliver, bloodied and slumped in a chair that he'd been tied to. Anna stood still and looked around for cameras or trip wires—even lasers. Nothing was out of the question when it came to the League. She didn't see anything obvious so she took two steps forward. She listened, and heard nothing. She continued two more steps, and repeated the process until she came to Oliver's side.

She dropped to her knees and pushed him upright. His eyes fluttered open and instantly found Anna's. She looked over the cuts and bruises that now marred his bare chest and anger boiled high in her veins. She untied Oliver and stopped still when she heard a board creak. She stood slowly and turned with a swing-kick that was ducked by Nyssa. Nyssa drew a bow and Anna back flipped to the side to miss three arrows. Anna wriggled between Arrows that Nyssa shot and got close enough to kick her legs out from underneath her.

She fell and Anna quickly pinned her by straddling her ribs, one foot pinning down each outstretched hand, and holding a pocket knife to her neck. "Nice to see you've reacquainted yourself with black leather" Nyssa said.

"Cut the crap, Nyssa," Anna spat. "You have two options: release me and leave with your life or die right here by my hand. Which is it?"

"Anna, don't," Oliver said from behind. "It's not worth it."

"Which is it?" Anna asked Nyssa, ignoring Oliver.

"You think you have what it takes to kill me? I don't think so" Nyssa said.

"Anna, don't listen to her. You can still walk away" Oliver said.

"You think you have what it takes to escape the League? I doubt it. You're nothing but a sad little girl that ran away from something that could've made her great" Nyssa said. Anna pressed the knife harder to Nyssa's neck, causing blood to trickle out of an incision. She wanted nothing more than to kill Nyssa and be done with her for good. But could she live with herself afterward? Anna blocked out Oliver's pleads to walk away. She reached back and pulled out the gun from her belt. She pressed the barrel to Nyssa's forehead. "Last chance" she said.

"Go to hell" Nyssa said. Anna didn't think twice. She pulled the trigger, sending a bullet into Nyssa and causing blood to splatter back onto the floor. Anna sat still a second with the gun in her hand. She froze with her eyes wide and she started to tremble. She slid off of Nyssa and stared at the gun in her hand. Tears streaked her face and she shook so hard it was visible. Gilt and regret pooled heavily in her stomach and she felt like retching. Oliver knelt beside her and wrapped his arms around her tightly.

Anna sobbed loud, heart-wrenching sobs that echoed in the empty room. She dropped the gun and held onto to Oliver tightly. He pulled her to her feet and led her to the stairs. He led her up to the ground level and out of the building as fast as he could. It was too dangerous to stay long, but Anna had her head in other places. She could barely focus on the steps she took. They walked across to the building Anna had hid along before she entered and stopped.

Suddenly Roy walked out from the alley behind them and came over to them. "You made it out okay" he pointed out, looking at Anna. She didn't respond. She just stood with a blank look on her face and a faraway gaze aimed off at a random spot. "Is she okay?" Roy asked Oliver.

"She will be. Why are you here?" Oliver asked him.

"I helped her get inside," Roy said. "Who is she by the way? Is she your new sidekick or something?"

"Roy, this isn't really the time for this conversation" he said. Oliver put an arm around Anna and started leading her back towards Verdant. When they got inside and down the stairs into the 'Arrow Cave' Felicity tended to Oliver's wounds while Anna sat on the bottom steps of the stairs staring at the floor.

Felicity noticed this and turned to Oliver. "What happened to her?" she asked. Oliver looked at Anna with a saddened expression. "She killed Nyssa" he said.

"What?" Felicity asked. "Are you serious?"

"I didn't think she had it in her" Diggle said behind them.

"Neither did I" Oliver said.

Felicity finished bandaging Oliver's cuts and went to sit at the computer. Anna blinked twice and sat upright as if she'd come out of a daydream. She took the thin black mask off and shoved it into her pocket as she stood. She went to Oliver and hugged him. "I'm sorry" she said. He hugged her back and sighed. "Don't be" he said.

"Can we go home?" she asked, in his ear.

Oliver pinned Anna against the wall, their lips not breaking apart for a second. She pulled his shirt over his head, breaking the kiss momentarily, and then went back in to kiss him again. He broke the kiss, pulling her shirt over her head and unclasping her bra so it fell to the floor. He cupped her breasts with his hands and kissed up her neck causing her to moan in pleasure.

She pushed down on his shoulders to lift herself up and wrap her legs around his waist. He then carried her to his bed and sat down so she was straddling him. Anna pushed him down on the bed and started trailing kisses from his neck and down further, while she started at his belt buckle.

Oliver clenched and unclenched his jaw to refrain from moaning when Anna took his manhood in her mouth. When she finished she stood and wiggled out of her pants before climbing back on the bed. Oliver flipped them so she was underneath him and kissed her lips forcefully. While he kissed her, he pulled her panties off and tossed them behind him onto the floor.

Anna hooked her legs around his waist, pulling him into her, and started moving her hips in a slow pace. He moaned at the unbelievable feeling of being inside of her. He bucked his hips in rhythm with her, meeting her thrust for thrust. "Olly…" she moaned, kissing his neck. They both picked up the pace, thrusting harder and faster until they were both reaching their release.

Anna's came first, triggering Oliver's. After they caught their breath Oliver dropped next to her and Anna turned on her side to face him. She placed a kiss on his forehead and looked into his eyes. "I love you" she whispered. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her to his chest, and kissed her passionately. "I love you, too" he said. He pulled the blanket over them and she snuggled into him.