Chapter 3: The Soulmate Advantage

Oliver was a lucky guy. Born into the ultimate 'good life'. An only child till just about the time when he was a teenager. Spoiled with whatever he wanted.

A young Ollie never understood the concept of not having enough. He had absolutely no frame of reference for what that'd be like.

And material possessions weren't the only things he'd been blessed with either. He was showered in plenty of love because he had kind, caring, responsible parents. They'd possessed the money to have potentially let an exceptionally qualified nanny be the person to raise him, but they didn't. Instead, both his mother and his father had fully desired to be involved in every step of his growing up.

He'd truly had a great dad in Robert Queen. The man was a wonderful role model, and a young Ollie found himself hoping one day he might be just like him.

Meanwhile, Tommy Merlyn, one of his two closest friends, had lost his mother in a senseless murder. And he didn't have the type of father Oliver did, despite how much Tommy may have wished he did. Even though Oliver was a fairly self-absorbed child, he had noticed that the man, following the death of his wife, barely even seemed to notice that his son existed. It was beyond obvious that Malcolm Merlyn was… lacking as a dad.

So, without thinking about it, Oliver began to frequently invite Tommy to come over.

In addition, Oliver asked Tommy to join him and his dad when they went out to fancy restaurants – usually on those nights his mom was busy dining with her own friends, so it'd be just the three of them. It was also 'the two boys plus Robert' when 'the men' decided to head out to the golf course, or to the lake.

Sometimes, if they were going on bigger and better vacations, such as to luxury beachside resorts, Moira came too. Oliver loved his parents, but it was a no-brainer to let his best friend join him for all of it. Having Tommy there made everything more fun. It wasn't just a kindness he was granting to his friend. Bringing him along was also a selfish pleasure.

Ollie would've brought Laurel Lance, his other closest friend, on all of these adventures as well – if her parents had granted her permission more often. But she and her family did things together a lot of the time. And she was required to be a part of those. He didn't mind. He still saw her plenty often.

Oliver had, on a couple of occasions, seen where she lived. He'd played board games in her family's living room. He'd played video games with her, Tommy, and sometimes Sara, in their basement. The house was modestly sized.

On the other hand, the Queen home was a luxurious mansion. Oliver's family was known as the wealthiest around, so of course they also happened to live in what seemed to be the equivalent of a castle. Growing up, he'd felt like a prince. He'd been granted a special birthright – fame – simply for having Moira and Robert Queen as parents. He may not have deservedall of it. As he got older, tabloid magazines liked to paint the Queen son as entitled and oblivious. But that publicized portrait wasn't accurate. On the contrary, Oliver knew that he didn't deserve any of it. If he stopped to really think about it, he almost felt guilty sometimes. But it didn't matter if he deserved it, or if he was aware of how many unfair advantages he'd been granted in his life.

Oliver was a very lucky guy.

When he was twelve-years-old, however, there was a new addition to the Queen family. His parents certainly never expected him to care about the baby in the house. They knew what boys his age were into, and it certainly wasn't babysitting. But they paid a lot of attention to Thea. Too much attention, in Oliver's opinion. They didn't even care much when, within the next couple of years, he got into sex at a bittoo young an age. Not long after, he started experimenting with illicit drugs.

Oliver may have started participating in these activities in an attempt to become the center of attention again. Before long, though, he stopped caring that his parents were distracted. He stopped caring because he was having fun. He was having the time of his life, truly.

His fame helped him get whichever girls he wanted.

His wealth helped him try out whatever highs he wanted.

His parents had, intentionally or not, given him these opportunities. He was merely taking advantage of them. Who could blame him?

Almost a decade later, he hadn't grown out of these habits. In fact, he was excited to be able to take advantage of his family's amazing yacht and all of the champagne and other delights one could enjoy on it. He wanted to keep living in the mansion with his parents, and not move in with his girlfriend. By this point, Laurel was someone he cared for deeply, but the idea of living with her didn't sound very fun. Having sex with her was fun, and maybe they'd have more sex once they lived together, but the pro vs. con list in his head about moving in with her… well, it kind of terrified him. 'More sex' was the only pro. The cons seemed to clearly outweigh it. Oliver worried he'd have too many new responsibilities. He worried too many of the joys in his life would be stripped away from him.

So instead of behaving like a mature human being, he decided on a whim to invite Laurel's little sister on the trip. He knew Sara wanted him. He'd seen the way she'd looked at him. And besides, every girl wanted to sleep with Oliver Queen. So of course she did too. He and Sara would undoubtedly have fun together. He'd wait to worry about his life-of-fun ending until after he got back home. But first, somewhere near China, out on the vast ocean? He could literally escape from the things that frightened him.

If Oliver had known that going out on The Gambit would mean witnessing his father shoot himself in the head? Of course Oliver never would have gone. If he knew it would mean five years on a hellish island?

That it would mean his twelve-year-old sister would be tortured by the loss of both her father and her brother?

That it would mean Laurel and Tommy both thinking their soulmates were dead?

Oliver had always figured he just wasn't meant to have a soulmate. He'd been granted so many other advantages in his life. The universe probably knew better than to let him experience the happiness of "hearing", too. And if he'd had any hopes that he was wrong about the universe's plans for him… all of his hopes disappeared once he arrived on Lian Yu. He felt sure he would die without ever experiencing sound. He soon felt sure that the universe was playing some sort of cruel joke on him. Even deaf as Oliver was, on some of those bleak nights, he could've sworn he heard laughter – cruel and cold, off in the distance.

In an ironic turn of events, the first sound Oliver ever heard in his entire life was laughter – actual laughter, not from some abstract notion of a universe that was sadistic, but rather from someone who had become a true friend to him over the course of only a few months.

Oliver Queen was The Starling City Vigilante. If ever there was a person who didn't need a bodyguard, it was Oliver, who had learned to become an insanely skilled fighter – and killer – in the time he'd been on Lian Yu.

And yet… the universe maybe really did have a sense of humor. Because this bodyguard – John Diggle – was now his soulmate. The person he needed more than anyone. Someone he could trust with his secrets. Someone to have his back both in his civilian life and on the streets.

"You brought her a laptop with bullet holes in it?" he repeated incredulously, still laughing as he spoke. "But claimed you spilled coffee on it?"

Oliver blushed. "I was kind of desperate."

"I'll say!"

"Well we kind of need her on our team, don't you think?" Oliver countered, trying to defend himself. He was enjoying the conversation too much. He didn't want to pause and reflect upon this new thing he was experiencing – the sound of his own voice, and Dig's!

"Yeah, the system update is pretty cool," Diggle admitted.

They both were hoping Felicity would work out as the newest member of their little team. Diggle had already talked to Oliver the night before about how dangerous it was, bringing Felicity into this. But Oliver hadn't had much of a choice, needing someone to help save his life after his mother shot him. And now, she was "in the know". Now, there was no going back. She was with them, for better or worse.

One of the fancy new computers on the desk behind Diggle began blinking and beeping in an alerting fashion. Diggle turned around.

"Wait, Dig?" Oliver asked.

"Yeah?" Diggle replied, turning back.

"Did you… hear that?"

Oliver wasn't sure why else Diggle would've turned his head in that exact direction. He couldn't have noticed the blinking. It was directly behind Diggle.

"Oh," Diggle replied, it now being his turn to blush. "Yeah, well you know, I never thought after losing my brother I'd find another person who felt like a brother to me, but…"

Oliver was touched. "You're mine too," he replied. It wasn't necessary to verbalize the word. They both understood. They were clearly each other's platonic soulmates. And wow. In the long run, that would probably really come to Team Arrow's advantage, wouldn't it? Being able to hear what was happening around them as long as they were together?

Oliver fell asleep that evening, alone in his bed, feeling a lot lighter than he had in weeks. He couldn't hear anything at that moment, but he'd be able to hear again the next time he saw Diggle, which would be soon. They saw each other every day.

A few weeks ago, Tommy and Laurel had announced to him that they were in a relationship – and not just a friends-with-benefits kind of thing. He'd already learned that they'd done that when he'd been presumed dead. But no, now they were in an actual romantic relationship. This was serious. This was real.

But that hadn't been their only announcement that day.

Tommy said that Oliver had been his soulmate since even before the Gambit sank, and that he still felt that close to his best friend, and still heard the sounds of the world when in Oliver's presence.

As if that wasn't going to be more than enough of a shock to Oliver… Tommy also mentioned casually, in practically the same breath, that he and Laurel surprisingly enough had developed a soulmate bond with each other.

The universe had apparently deemed the perfect timing for Tommy & Laurel's soulmate bond to be revealed was only about a week after Oliver had returned to Starling City and reunited with both of them.

At the time, Tommy did reveal his suspicions as to why now to Oliver. "It's probably because she needs it more than ever now. I got you back. But…"

Oliver had understood, and finished his sentence for him. "But Laurel didn't get Sara back," he'd sadly said with a nod.

A year or so later, Oliver and Diggle were both in The Lair, so they heard Felicity coming the moment the door creaked open and high heels began to tap on the steps. They both turned to look at her and even after a year, she wasn't used to it.

She scoffed. "You know, no one really has scientifically proven that it's better to spend time with a soulmate." Her defensive outburst made Diggle chuckle, and Sara, who was also down there with them on that particular evening, was confused.

"Wait, what did she say that was so funny?"

Oliver looked between the girls sympathetically. He understood why Felicity was a little frustrated that the men essentially possessed a superpower and she didn't. Felicity was so amazing though. He was sure she'd experience a soulmate one day. There was no way a girl as intelligent, and gorgeous, and amusing, and strong could go through her entire life without a soulmate.

Diggle, facing Sara, explained what led to his chuckling.

Oliver was distracted by the amazing, form-fitting blue dress Felicity was wearing. Sara was showing off her stomach mere feet away, but it wasn't doing nearly as much for him. Felicity finished her descent down the stairs and Oliver turned back toward his current girlfriend and his soulmate.

"Yeah," Sara was saying to Felicity, "Nyssa turned out to be a soulmate for me. I needed that for a time, but now… I don't care if being around her means I can hear. I think… I think I'd rather be here, away from the League."

Oliver could tell that Felicity desperately wanted to give Sara a warm, comforting hug. But Felicity also was good at reading people and also could clearly tell that Sara would hate that. So instead, Felicity respected who Sara was and just shot her an understanding smile.

"Laurel probably could use some more time with me, though," Sara began to say, a bit wistfully. Oliver knew she had a point. Laurel had been a wreck ever since Tommy's death. "But she says she doesn't w-"

Sara was cut off by the computer's beeping alert system. All four people turned to look, because lights were also flashing for Felicity's and Sara's benefit as well. What was happening?

They all saw the text on the screen at once. The police were dealing with four robbers, at least two of which were carrying guns, at a family home!

"What could warrant four armed robbers breaking into a house with children inside?" Felicity muttered, not remembering that the guys would hear her.

Oliver grabbed Dig's ski mask and tossed it in his direction. "You're gonna need to hide your face for this one," he said. Diggle was already making sure his pistol was loaded and ready for the task. Sara was slipping into her black costume and preparing to grab her batons. Oliver headed toward his own green suit. Everything was happening quickly.

Before leaving Felicity, he reminded her, "We can relay a message to Sara if there's anything you wish you could say to her over the radio. And we know you can't hear us, but we're setting up the cameras and we'll do our best to keep you in the loop."

"I know," Felicity replied strongly. Oliver reminded her of these things every single time the rest of them went out on a mission. She wasn't about to forget. But Oliver couldn't help himself. He hated abandoning her to silence while he fought off the bad guys. He knew how, every single time, she worried about them.

Team Arrow began to approach the house, which already had a police vehicle in front of it. Oliver heard the sirens even before he saw the flashing lights.

He, Sara, and Diggle came up with a plan to try to protect the family, hoping they weren't too late. He knew there was only so much a cop and his partner could do, and Starling City's police department had been stretched thin at nights ever since the earthquake and the mass escape from Iron Heights, so who knew if backup was even coming for them?

Oliver shot an arrow through a window on the side of the house, shattering it. Sara, who by that point was perched on the roof, acrobatically jumped inside. Someone on the inside fired off a gunshot. Diggle and Oliver exchanged a worried glance, despite the fact that they knew Sara was skilled at taking care of herself. They had hoped things wouldn't be escalating quite so quickly. And they certainly hoped that bullet hadn't hit anyone.

Oliver noticed that both of the cops were still outside, and at the sound of the gunshot, one of them had hurriedly retreated and was now frantically texting back to the station from inside the car. A meager two cops were clearly not enough for the current situation – the poor men were utterly unprepared. Team Arrow had to take over.

Oliver could tell when the news that a bullet had been fired must've gotten back to the police scanner, since, predictably, Felicity urgently admonished the guys to "Be careful!" over her radio.

Diggle and Oliver followed Sara's path inside. They would've split up to look for all of the people in the house, but then they wouldn't be able to hear anything anymore. They needed to stay in the same room as each other at all times. They also knew there was a chance, with four criminals, that maybe soulmates were a part of their team too, and so they tried their best to step softly. It was made a bit easier by sections of the house being carpeted.

Before long, Diggle and Oliver heard Sara's voice in an upstairs bedroom.

"Drop that weapon," she said forcefully.

Something clattered on a hardwood floor.

"Only one of the robbers is in that room, but the whole family is in there, tied up," Felicity explained, knowing because of the camera she'd set up on Sara's suit. "Sara's got it under control. They seemed to be being threatened, likely for information. But I don't see anyone suffering from a gunshot wound."

As she said it, Oliver heard someone approaching from behind him. He swiveled and, seeing a gun pointed at him, immediately shot an arrow to knock it out of his hand. Diggle drew his own gun as a precaution.

In a room beside them, two voices began to be heard.

"It's probably in the safe," a man was saying.

"Well it's certainly not in the desk!" a second man replied, before a large thud, likely the desk being overturned, echoed throughout the house.

"Okay, so shoot the lock! Come on, the pigs are already here!"

"You got this, man?" Oliver asked. There was no need to use his voice modulator when there was only one other person in the room – when there was no chance that the criminal had a soulmate in the vicinity.

Diggle had already put away his own pistol and successfully kicked the robber's gun out of said criminal's reach.

"I got this," he replied confidently.

The robber ran toward Dig with his fist and with a loud grunt tried to punch him, but Dig ducked out of the way in time, so the man was punching air. Then Dig grabbed the man's arm and began to retrain him.

"Agh!" he croaked out, and then he wiggled out of Diggle's grip, but Oliver trusted that Dig really did have that one guy handled. So Oliver proceeded to the room with the desk and the safe. Behind him he heard someone kicking someone, and the sound of a cracking arm as the bone broke, and Dig beginning to say, mockingly:

"It'd be less painful if you stopped strugg-"

But everything fell silent as soon as Oliver exited that room and entered the house's den. It was clearly an office that belonged to someone very tech savvy. There were multiple computers and cracked monitors now strewn over the floor. There were software and hardware books both lining the bookshelf along the east wall. And the final two robbers were both standing on the other side of the overturned desk, a gun aimed at the safe on the west side of the room.

Oliver shot an arrow that again successfully knocked the gun out of a man's hand. That got his attention, and once the man was facing 'The Arrow', Oliver asked, "What is so valuable that you'd be willing to terrorize a family and end up with you and three of your friends all facing many years of prison time?"

"You wouldn't understand," he replied.

Oliver knew Felicity probably had figured it out by now. He pulled out some more arrows and managed to trap both men in front of him along the wall beside the still secure safe, violent criminals now gift-wrapped for the police and stripped of all threats.

At that, he began to hear footsteps and turned around to see Dig.

"We ready to tell the cops to come in?"

"Ready," Oliver agreed. "And is Sara…?"

Just then, she entered the room too.

"Glad you boys were able to handle the other three. The parents and two little boys are a bit traumatized, but they'll be okay," she informed them.

They exited the house in confident strides, knowing the two cops outside would be grateful for their help rather than arresting them for their vigilantism.

By the time another year had passed, so much had changed for so many people. Oliver's sister knew the truth about her biological father. The loss of their mother had hurt bitterly.

But Thea had seemed to be doing okay. She even knew his secret now, and it had brought the siblings closer together rather than driven them apart. Desperately, Oliver wished away the little problem that it had been Thea, drugged and manipulated by the nefarious Malcolm Merlyn, who had killed Sara. God, if only Nyssa and the League of Assassins weren't out for blood.

"What was the favor you wanted to ask me?"

"I don't think now is the right time," Dig replied.

"We're not dead yet. Now might be the only time," Oliver commented.

"I always assumed if I ever got married again that Andy would be by my side."

Oliver realized what was coming and felt a rush of happiness, despite their ridiculous situation. Diggle kept talking.

"So pretending… for a moment… that we aren't two dead men chained to the floor, how you feel about being my best man?"

Oliver smiled. "I feel pretty good about it."

Diggle and Lyla were raising a precious little girl now, and Dig had proposed marriage to that mother of his child – for the second time. Oliver knew that despite the couple having been married once before, it was only after the birth of their daughter that they finally became each other's soulmates, and Oliver couldn't be more thrilled for them.

"Hey, did you ever get around to telling Laurel-"

"Yeah," Diggle replied before Oliver had even finished his statement. "I told her. I think she… has some hope again, now."

What they were talking about was the fact that Diggle was one of those lucky souls in life to have three people whom he was bonded to. His brother, than Oliver, and now Lyla. After Laurel had lost Sara twice, and Tommy too, she had seemed sure she'd never have another soulmate again, because she'd never met anyone who had three. She even had told Oliver, sounding so forlorn, that she was pretty sure Sara had died only having one. But Dig… Dig could provide her with evidence that it was possible to find herself with a third one. She could find happiness again, another person who meant that much to her. She could.

"You said you'd train me," Felicity said, frustrated at not being challenged enough. She'd set up wonderfully upbeat folk music which was now playing in the new Arrowcave. She and Oliver had happily become each other's soulmates, somewhere along the way. It made being down there always an auditory experience for the core team of three. The only challenge was being able to properly prepare for times out 'in the field' when they wouldn't be able to hear. So blasting some music during training sessions often helped to make it harder to hear footsteps from behind or the sound of an arrow swooshing. It helped simulate those kinds of silent environments in a much more enjoyable way than simply wearing earplugs would.

"I am training you," Oliver replied with a chuckle. "You're just getting… really good at this," he told her honestly. He was sincerely impressed with how much she'd improved over just a short time of training. She'd wanted to learn to fight, now that even Laurel was insanely skilled, and just in case someone broke into this new location for their secret hideout. Things had changed so much for the team. Oliver was the Green Arrow now. There was a White Canary in addition to the Black one sometimes stopping by for visits. And like Diggle's daughter, who was now able to walk far distances without even stumbling, Felicity was picking up the skills for both self-defense and even also some offensive strategies as if she'd always been a natural.

Felicity blushed at the compliment Oliver had just paid her. "Thanks." She turned toward Dig, who was doing his own work-out a couple feet away. "But John," she insisted. "Come on. Two against one. Really test me!"

Diggle got up and smiled. "Okay. Just remember… you asked for it."

Diggle and Oliver turned to look at each other, and then gave a silent signal as to which group attack they should try first.

There was something so easy about being in-sync with one another when you had the soulmate advantage.