Disclaimer: I do not own Arrow or anything else you may recognize.
I meant to get this up yesterday but Thanksgiving got in the way. So, here is a belated Thanksgiving present from me to you. I hope to have the last chapter of this story and this series up on Wednesday due to Changingdestiny40's story event but we'll see how life treats me.
Beneath Starling City
Night
The Arrow climbed out of the mounds of concrete that had fallen on him. Groaning in pain, he looked around for his partner but didn't see her.
"Sara? Sara?" He called out as he looked for her.
"Ollie?" Sara called out and he looked around for her.
"Where are you?" He demanded.
"Beneath the rubble. I'm trapped down here." She told him and he swore.
"Do you see my bow? Or my quiver?" Oliver asked and it was silent for a moment.
"Yeah, I see them," Sara said and there was the sound of movement behind the wall, "explosive arrow?"
"Yeah," He said as he stepped back, "you need to fire it."
Behind the rubble, Sara notched the arrow and took aim. After a few beats, she fired. It hit the rubble dead on and it exploded. Both vigilantes ducked as the rubble was blown a hole in it, enough for a person to climb through. Oliver rushed in and embraced her tightly, which she returned.
"Nice shot." He muttered and Sara laughed lightly.
"I know a thing or two about archery." She teased.
Oliver grabbed is quiver and bow and they began making their way out of the rubble.
"Diggle, you there?" Oliver called through the comms.
"Yeah, we're here." Diggle told him.
"Okay, we're coming up." Oliver informed him.
Lian Yu, five years ago
Night
Oliver reached the end of the latter and got off. He held up Sara's broken radio for Anatoli to see.
"Sara's gone," Oliver said grimly as he threw the radio onto the table, "Slade must have taken her."
Anatoli said something in Russian as something started beeping.
"What's that?" Oliver demanded as Anatoli went to check it.
"Sonar, I've been tracking the Amazo. She's moving." Anatoli informed him.
In frustration, Oliver slammed his fist down on the table. Oliver then began lightly tapping the edge of the table as a plan began forming.
"We have one torpedo left, right?" Oliver asked.
"Yeah." Anatoli confirmed.
"Can you rig it to fire in a straight line?" Oliver demanded.
"I am discovering capacity to do many things I never thought possible." Anatoli said dryly.
"I need you to get the sub close enough to the freighter so that I can swim to it." Oliver ordered as he picked up a pack and began gathering some supplies.
"Then what do you need torpedo for?" Anatoli asked wearily.
"If Sara and I aren't back in an hour, you're gonna sink the Amazo." Oliver told him grimly.
Starling train station
Night
"Come on, come on!" Laurel shouted as she and Thea ran over to the exit as people screamed in terror.
Laurel tried to yank open the door but it was locked. Hearing the Mirakuru Soldier approach from behind, Laurel shoved Thea away as she engaged the soldier.
"Run!" Laurel shouted before being batted away by the Mirakuru soldier.
She was knocked into a wall and Thea started running. However, she didn't make it far before the Soldier grabbed her and began choking her. However, one of the upper windows shattered and the soldier looked up as Batman sailed through the air. Batman threw a batarang at the soldier and it hit him in the face, causing him to drop Thea as he fell back. Laurel and Thea looked up as Batman landed on his feet.
"Who are you?" Thea asked, recognizing him from when Roy had attacked her at Verdant.
"A friend." Batman promised.
Starling City
Same time
"My god." The Canary breathed as she and The Arrow caught sight of their city.
"Slade's men are tearing the city apart." The Arrow growled.
A van pulled up next to them and Diggle and Felicity got out.
"You two okay?" Diggle asked as the pair ran up to the vigilantes.
"Yeah. You?" The Canary inquired.
"We ran into Isabel, so I hit her with the van." Felicity explained as they all looked at the state of the city.
"Slade's army. He has at least fifty men out there, all like him." The Arrow informed them.
"They're everywhere." Diggle griped.
"We have to stop them." The Canary said.
"We might have a way," Felicity said and they turned to her, "Star Labs called, they have a cure. There's a courier en route."
"Where?" The Arrow demanded.
Felicity pulled out her phone and dialed the number she had gotten from Cisco. Once she got the information they needed, the four of them got in the van. Diggle took the driver's seat, Felicity the passenger, and the two vigilantes took the back. Once they were all seated, Diggle took off driving.
Waters near Lian Yu, five years ago
Night
"Alright, we are ten meters away from freighter," Anatoli said as he looked through the periscope, "but still, this is sumasseshiy. Crazy, Crazy! You cannot even be certain that Wilson has her."
"You're a good man Anatoli. If this is goodbye, be safe." Oliver said as he walked off.
"I will see you soon. You and Sara." Anatoli vowed.
"I meant what I said: if we aren't back in an hour, sink the freighter and get yourself home." Oliver ordered.
"I think maybe I would prefer Bahamas." Anatoli joked and Oliver smiled thinly in amusement before he started climbing the latter, "Oliver. I do not know if we see each other again, but know you have made friend for life. If there is anything you need, it does not matter what, all you need do is ask."
Oliver nodded and held out his hand but Anatoli pulled in for a hug. Although surprised, Oliver returned the embrace.
"Prochnost, my friend." Anatoli told him as they pulled back.
Oliver tried-and failed-to day it back. Anatoli tried to correct him before giving up.
"I will teach you how to speak Russian as well." Anatoli promised.
Oliver smiled slightly before he started climbing up the latter as well.
Starling City Police Department
Later
"These guys are the enemy." Quentin answered one of the officers as Pike walked up.
"They're still attacking innocents at random, creating chaos and wreaking havoc. We need to put them down." Pike ordered.
"Lieutenant-"
"Now!" Pike ordered.
"You seen these guys? They do not go down!" Quentin shouted as he slammed one of the masks on the table, "we need to call in the National Guard."
"That's a call for the mayor and he hasn't made that yet." Pike told him.
"And he won't. Mayor Blood let this happen." Quentin told him.
"What?" Pike demanded.
"Trust me, Blood's behind this." Quentin insisted.
"Even if I believe you, I don't have that kind of authority." Pike told him.
"Well the chief of police does, so get Barnes on the phone." Quentin ordered.
"Barnes is dead; he was killed when the city was first attacked." Pike informed him and there was silence for a moment.
"Well then, there's only one call we can make. You're not gonna like it." Quentin told him and Pike sighed.
"The vigilantes." Pike said slowly.
"The Arrow and Canary. Yeah, I know, they're breaking the law. But what we're up against isn't about the law, it's about survival. We got masks tearing apart out city, it's gonna take masks to stop them." Quentin told him firmly.
"Make the call." Pike said after a moment.
"'kay, let's do it." Quentin said and the officers went to work.
"One more thing," Pike dragged Quentin off to a secluded area, "you know more about what's going on than anyone else I got. I need you to make decisions and lead these men…Detective."
Pike walked off and Quentin looked down at the badge in his hand.
Starling City
Same time
A vehicle that looked like a black cross between a car and a tank roamed through the street. Inside, Batman drove as Laurel and Thea sat next to him.
"What are you doing here Bruce? Not that we're not grateful but I thought you went back to Gotham." Laurel asked confused.
"I did. Then I heard about Moira," Batman paused before looking over at Thea, "I'm sorry."
Thea nodded silently as Laurel looked at him to continue.
"Once I had helped the police handle Joker, I got here as soon as I could. Looks like I got here just in time." Batman noted.
Batman pulled the Batmobile to a stop as someone stepped in the path of it. It was one of Slade's men. Batman pressed a button and the side of his car moved a little before a small missile flew out and hit the Mirakuru Soldier. It exploded and he went down before Batman drove off.
"You just killed that guy!" Thea exclaimed stunned.
"Hopefully." Batman growled.
"I thought you didn't kill Bruce." Laurel reminded him.
"He's not a man anymore, none of them are." Batman said grimly.
Elsewhere in Starling City
Same time
"Just two miles to the bridge. And the Courier." Felicity said as Sara's phone rang.
"Daddy?" Sara answered.
"What can we do to help?" Quentin asked.
"Starling City Police Force will stand with you on this one." Quentin promised and Sara handed the phone to Oliver.
"We need help containing the soldiers. We're working on something that may stop them but we need more time." Oliver told him.
"We can do that. Whatever you're doing, good luck. For all our sakes." Quentin said before he hung up.
"This is the street adjacent to the bridge." Felicity said as Diggle turned.
They noticed a Mirakuru Solider was following them and Diggle tried to lose him with no success.
"Floor it!" Sara ordered and Diggle stepped on it.
The van sped up, trying to lose the Mirakuru Soldier. They weren't losing him when they noticed another of Slade's men push out an empty car in front of them, blocking there way. Diggle tried to avoid it but there was no time. They hit it and went over it, the van being knocked on its side.
"Dig." Sara groaned as she and Oliver lay on their backs.
"Yeah." Diggle said, Felicity almost in his lap, appearing unconscious.
"Is she breathing?" Oliver demanded and Diggle checked.
"Yeah, she is." Diggle confirmed.
"We need to get out of here, now." Sara ordered.
"On it." Diggle said as he got to work.
Diggle kicked out the shattered windshield and crawled out, dragging Felicity with him. Sara crawled out next with Oliver going next. Oliver notched an arrow and waited until the Mirakuru Soldiers were at the back doors. He fired and it hit the door a second before the soldiers opened it. It exploded, sending them on their backs, unconscious. With Felicity in Diggle's arms, the three of them walked off into the night.
The Amazo, five years ago
Night
Oliver, hood up, made his way into the cell section of the freighter. Looking around, he saw Sara lying on a cot. Pulling open the door, Sara was startled awake and looked over at him. She jumped up and ran to him, embracing him.
"Ollie, thank god." Sara said relieved.
"You didn't think I'd come for you," Oliver asked as he brought her to him and led her out of her cell, "the sub is right alongside the freighter. You just need to swim to it."
"Okay," Sara said before she noticed he wasn't following her, "Ollie, what are you doing?"
"I can't leave yet." Oliver told her regretfully.
"What?" Sara asked incredulously.
"The cure." Oliver said simply.
"Ollie-" Sara began.
"I can't just write him off. We injected him with the Mirakuru, but it was me. I chose you over Shado." Oliver told her.
"Ollie, Slade is too far gone. Come with me, let's go home, see our families." Sara begged him.
Oliver leaned down and kissed her briefly before pulling back. Sara knew he would not be deterred by the look in his eyes.
"I have to try." Oliver said firmly.
"Then come on." Sara said after a moment.
Together, the two of them walked further into the freighter.
Clock tower
Later
"Ollie." Thea rushed out and hugged her brother.
"I take it the attack started before you got out." Oliver said as he noted Bruce was there.
"We were at the train station when Slade's men attacked, we would've been done for if it weren't for Bruce." Laurel said as she glanced over at Bruce, who had taken off his helmet.
"Bruce, thank you." Oliver said as he stepped away from Thea and offered his hand to Bruce.
"It's no problem," Bruce took the offered hand, "I heard about your mother, I'm sorry."
"Thank you." Oliver said as they dropped hands.
"We just got off the phone with Cisco." Felicity said as she and Diggle reentered the room.
"The cure they sent us was all they had," Diggle chimed in, "and they can't make more because they used all the Mirakuru to make that cure."
"We can't stop Slade without the cure." Sara groaned.
"We'll find another way." Felicity said optimistically.
"There is no way!" Oliver snapped before taking a deep breath, "Diggle, Slade may know where the other lair is. Would you please go fetch Roy? I don't want Slade getting his hands on him again."
"I'm on it." Diggle said before walking off.
"Five years ago…I was a completely different person," Oliver said and everyone looked over at him, "but I had no idea something like this was…possible, I couldn't. When we came back from Central City, I promised myself that I would never let anything like The Undertaking happen again."
"What's happening is not your fault Oliver." Bruce told him.
"Yes it is," Oliver said as he turned to face them, "I have failed this city. Yao-Fei, Shado, Tommy, my father, my mother…all I have ever wanted to do is honor those people."
"You honor the dead by fighting and you are not done fighting!" Felicity snapped.
"She's right Ollie," Sara said as she grabbed his face and made him look at her, "we have overcome everything we have faced together: Fryers, Ivo, Waller, the triad, The Bratva, Malcolm, we didn't go through all that just to give into self-doubt now. And we are not alone this time."
"She's right, you have us now." Laurel said as she gestured to herself, Thea, and Bruce.
"Trust in yourself Oliver and in your team, otherwise there's no point in even trying to stop Slade, because you will fail either way." Bruce told him wisely.
Oliver opened his mouth to respond when his phone started ringing. Felicity picked it up and handed it to him. Oliver saw who was coming and scowled as he answered it.
"What do you want?" Oliver snarled.
"To save this city before it's too late." Blood told him.
"It's already too late." Oliver scoffed.
"You were right about Slade Wilson; I should have listened to you. But I'm here now and I can help you." Blood insisted.
"Why should I trust you?" Oliver demanded.
"Because Oliver, I have the Mirakuru cure." Blood told him.
"…What?" Oliver demanded.
"Meet me at my office and I will give it to you." Blood said before the line went dead.
"Did Blood just offer to help us?" Laurel asked stunned.
"I think so." Thea said just as shocked.
"Hey, a little help?" Diggle called as he walked in carrying Roy.
"What are you doing to him?" Thea demanded as Diggle set him down on a table and they started hooking him up to medical equipment.
"Tibet Viper venom, it's the only thing that will keep him down for now." Sara explained.
"How much more do we have?" Oliver demanded.
"Enough for two hours." Diggle said grimly.
"Then we need to act fast. Bruce, you're with me. Sara, Dig, you keep an eye on things here." Oliver ordered.
"Are we sure this isn't a trap?" Felicity asked worriedly.
"No," Batman said as he put his helmet back on, "but we're out of options at this point."
Blood's office
Later
The Arrow and Batman walked cautiously inside Blood's office, looking around in disgust at all the dead bodies. Batman had his Batarangs at the ready as The Arrow readied his bow. They entered the office and quickly spotted Blood, who had his back to them.
"As a young boy, I was constantly plagued by nightmares," Blood began not facing them, "every night I would wake up in a cold sweat, frightened and alone. It was my father's face that haunted me. And this is how I saw him."
Blood turned around and showed them the skull mask he had worn.
"The embodiment of fear and desperation. I made this mask to conquer my fear and to remind myself why I fight. To this city's most desperate a chance. All I ever wanted was to help the people of this city Oliver."
"Then help me believe. Where is the cure?" The Arrow demanded.
"Slade Wilson will not rest until he honors the promise he made to you and Sara." Blood said as he walked forward.
"They won't be easy to kill once Slade is cured." Batman noted and Blood laughed humorlessly.
"He's not interested in killing them. Not until he's taken away everything they love." Blood said and the two vigilantes paused.
"When he killed my mother, he said one more person had to die before all this could end." Oliver remembered.
"To be more accurate, two more people. Whoever you two love the most. He will kill both of them." Blood promised.
Blood reached down and Batman prepared to throw his weapons before Blood reemerged. He held out a briefcase with the Star Labs logo on it.
"I hope you can beat him with this," Blood said as he handed it to Oliver, "for all our sakes. And once this is over, I will do everything in my power to rebuild Starling City. And not just make it what it was, I will make it better. Like I promised."
"You really think after everything that's happened, after what you've done, that they'll still let you mayor?" Oliver demanded incredulously.
"Why not? No one knows that I've done anything except try to save this city. And if you tell them about my mask, I will tell them about yours." Blood promised.
"Do what you have to Sabastian." Oliver sneered before he and Batman turned and walked out of the room.
"Out of curiosity, where's your daughter? I don't think Slade will have any problems about using a child to get to you." Batman pointed out as they made their way to the Batmobile.
"Sara left her at Argus. We have a good relationship with the director." Oliver said simply as he pulled his hood up.
Clock tower
Later
Felicity opened the case and they all stared at the glowing, blue vials of liquid.
"Why does every secret formula have to glow? Whatever happened to good old fashion clear?" Felicity wondered.
"So if we inject Slade's men with these-" Laurel began.
"In theory, it should counteract the effects of the Mirakuru." Sara said.
"In theory." Batman noted.
"We need to test it." Oliver said as he looked over t Roy.
"On Roy? What if it doesn't work? What if it kills him?" Thea demanded worriedly.
"We need to know," Oliver cut her off firmly, "one way or the other, we need to know."
The Amazo, five years ago
Night
Oliver and Sara entered the door and locked it. Oliver looked over at Sara and, the two knowing each other well enough for her to guess what he was thinking, Sara went to lock the other end of it. As Oliver walked in, he noticed his bow and quiver were in the room, to his surprise. Oliver walked over and picked them they searched, it didn't take them long to locate Ivo's safe. However, it had already been brutally ripped open. Oliver walked over and gently pried it open to find it empty. In frustration, Oliver slammed the door shut.
"Oliver." Sara said in a voice full of fear and worry.
Oliver looked over at her to see her backing up fearfully. Two of Slade's men walked into the room, aiming guns at them. Slade walked in behind them, smiling smugly at them.
"What are you looking for kid? This?" Slade asked mockingly as he held up the cure.
Clock Tower
Later
Oliver held a syringe filled with the 'cure' and walked over to Roy. Oliver put a hand on Roy's shoulder and leaned down close to him.
"I'm sorry." Oliver told his unresponsive apprentice.
Oliver prepared to inject Roy and Thea cringed as Laurel put a hand on her shoulder, hoping to offer her comfort. However, the syringe hovered just above Roy's skin. Oliver hesitated for several seconds before he spoke up.
"I can't." Oliver said as he put the needle down and most breathed a sigh of relief.
"We have to know." Batman told him.
"I can't do this to him Bruce." Oliver snapped.
With a growl, Batman shoved Oliver aside and picked up the syringe. Despite Thea's cry of protest, Batman stuck the syringe in Roy's shoulder and injected him with the cure.
"We have to know." Batman said grimly yet apologetically.
So, what do you guys think? Please leave any thoughts or comments you may have in a review, feedback is greatly appreciated.