Disclaimer: Arrow is owned by The CW, Berlanti Productions, and Warner Bros. Television. The character of the Green Arrow and the Justice League is owned by DC Comics. I own nothing; I'm just playing in their universe.
Pre-A/N: There is a note at the end regarding the mid-season finale of Arrow. If you haven't seen it yet, don't read it. Actually, if you haven't seen it yet, why the fuck are you reading this? Go watch it!
Chapter 8: Muse of Fire
The scene opened up with Oliver driving his Ducati downtown. He pulls to a stop in front of Q.C. and pulls off his helmet, answering his phone at the same time.
"Hello?"
"Hi." Thea said over the line. "Mom said I'm supposed to remind you to pick her up for lunch."
"Was I supposed to have lunch with her today?" Oliver joked.
"She said she left you like 5 messages." Thea sighed, lounging on a couch at home. "Just bite the bullet and have a Cobb salad with the woman."
Moira shot her daughter a look. Thea just shrugged in reply.
"You know, Thea, sometimes it's difficult to remember which one of you is my mother." He tapped off the Bluetooth headset and looked at the front doors, where his mother and another man were exiting.
"Mrs. Queen, all I'm asking for is a chance to sit down and discuss our proposal." The man begged, talking and walking to try and keep up with the woman.
"If that's all it is, then I can save us both the time." She replied, finally stopping to look at the man. "It's rejected."
"I see. May I ask why?"
"Because he's mobbed up to the eyeballs?" Quentin ventured. Moira nodded in reply.
"Say what you want about Malcolm's list," she said, "But it is extremely useful in pointing out who not to do business with."
Moira gave the man a look. "Do I really need to answer that, Mr. Copani?" she saw Oliver on his bike across the street. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm meeting my son for lunch."
Oliver waved at his mother to let her know that he had seen her, but suddenly the sound of another motorcycle caught his attention. He looked over his shoulder to see a rider, dressed all in black and riding a Harley Davidson jump the curb. The rider pulled out a gun and aimed it at Moira and Copani.
"Get down!" he shouted, jumping off his bike. Too late, the other rider opened fire, hitting Copani several times in the chest. As he fell back, he crashed into Moira, and both tumbled to the ground hard. The biker took off just as Oliver crossed the street. Ignoring the rider, he went to his mom.
Thea shrieked in terror, seeing her mother laying there. Laurel looked at Moira, then got up and gestured for her to take her seat. Laurel went and sat next to her father, while Moira sat down next to Thea after the siblings had scooted down. Moira took her hand and held it tightly.
"Mom? Are you okay?" he asked her, looking her over for any wounds.
"I'm all right." She gasped out.
"Are you hurt?"
"No, I'm-I'm-" She saw Mr. Copani lying dead next to her, and quickly turned away.
"Are you sure?" Oliver asked again.
"I'm fine." She assured him.
"You're sure you're fine?" at her nod, he stood and yelled at an oncoming security guard. "Call 9-1-1!" With that order, he took off through the plaza, running after the biker.
"Where the hell is he going?!" Thea demanded.
"He's trying to run down the shooter." Malcolm said, hoping to ease his daughter's distress. "He wants to make sure he won't be a threat to Moira again."
"He should have stayed with mom." Thea mumbled, leaning in to her mother's side.
He ran parallel to the bike, dodging cars as he crossed the street. He saw the bike turn on to a side road, and ran down an alley. As he ran, he grabbed a piece of rebar in a dumpster and, timing it perfectly, threw the rebar like a spear, damaging the bike's rear tire as it went past. Before he could pursue, though, a large semi's horn blared and he stopped millimeters from being hit as the semi sped past. By the time the truck cleared and Olive could get a clear look, the bike was gone.
"Nice shot." Slade noted. "Bad luck with the truck, though."
The scene changed to Starling General Hospital. Moira was in a private room getting checked over by her doctor when Thea led Oliver into the room. "Hi." he said to the doctor, moving next to his mother's bed. "Are you okay?" he asked.
"I'm fine." At his look, she repeated "I'm fine." Moira looked to Thea. "Did you reach Walter?"
"No." the girl replied quietly, leaning against the doorframe. "I'm sorry."
"As I was telling your mother and sister, the CAT-Scan showed a grade two concussion." The doctor explained. "She can go home so long as someone stays with her just to make sure there are no after effects."
"Thank you." Oliver said. After the doctor left, he looked sheepishly down at Moira. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have left you." He said. "I thought you were fine."
"What did you think you were doing anyway?" she asked. Oliver took a breath.
"Yeah, I wanted to get the license plate of the guy who took a shot at you." He lied. Moira gave him a look.
"Well, that was foolish." She said.
"Yeah." Oliver agreed, then leaned down and hugged her.
A short time later, Oliver left Moira's room. Thea followed closely behind, once again leaning against the doorframe.
"So did you get the license plate?" she asked coldly.
"Yeah, you're pissed." Tommy noted.
"No." Oliver said. "He got away."
"Maybe you should spend a little less time trying to be a hero. You're obviously not very good at it." She spat.
Oliver forced a grin. "That's cute."
"I wasn't trying to be." She replied instantly. She stared at him with cold, angry eyes. "You left her on the street, alone and hurt. In the street." She repeated, and then scoffed. "To get a license plate?"
A chill went down Oliver's spine, and he stepped forward, adopting an innocent, hurt look. "You don't believe me?" he asked.
"I love you." She affirmed. "Mom loves you. But it's getting hard when you won't be truthful with us." With that, she turned and went back into the room, closing the door in his face.
"Okay, that was a bit harsh." Thea admitted, calming down some. "Accurate, but harsh."
Oliver closed his eyes, burying the hurt deep down, before turning to leave. As he walked down the hall, Detective Lance and Hilton appeared.
"Detectives." He greeted. "Do you have any leads on the shooter?"
"Not yet." Hilton said. "Did you get a good look at him?" he asked. Oliver shook his head.
"No. He was wearing a helmet."
"Don't worry. We'll find him." Hilton promised.
"My head of security is on his way." Oliver continued. "I want to make sure there are men outside my mother's door. She needs to be protected."
"Well, you know your family's at the tippy-toppy of my list of priorities," Lance said sarcastically, "but the guy that she was with was connected, mobbed up to the eyeballs connected. She wasn't the target." Oliver looked at the man, and then walked past the cops down the hall. "And you're welcome." Lance finished needlessly.
"Do you have to be such a jerk?" Laurel asked.
"I can't help it. He brings out the best in me." Quentin replied.
The scene changed to Laurel's apartment, where she was busy working on her laptop. A knock at the door caught her attention, and she rose to get it. Upon opening the door, she found Tommy holding a bag of take out, standing next to a delivery boy holding a pizza box.
"Technically I did get here like 10 seconds before this guy." Tommy joked.
Laurel smiled, then handed the delivery boy a wad of cash. "Keep the change." She said, taking the box from him. The boy left, and Tommy walked in after Laurel. "So, Tommy, what brings you by so late?" she asked.
"Well, I assumed, rightly, that you would be at home working tonight," he started, "And I also assumed that you might be hungry." He noted the box. "Also rightly."
"I don't know." Laurel held up the box. "This is a mushroom and olive pizza from Mario's."
Tommy made a show of wincing. "That is damn good pie."
Laurel put the box down on the table. "All right, what do you have to offer?"
Tommy held up the brown bag. "Spicy tuna on crispy rice from Toro's."
Laurel's eyes narrowed. "Ohh. Damn you, Merlyn." She grabbed the bag. She headed to get some plates, then turned and looked at Tommy. "I hope Sushi was all you had in mind."
"Uh, actually, there was something that I wanted to ask you." He started nervously.
"And what's that?"
"Will you go out with me?" he asked. "Like on a date."
Laurel looked over at Tommy in amazement. "Now you want to go on a date?"
Tommy shrugged. "Obviously I'm trying to spice things up."
"Can we go back to the shooter now?" Thea asked. "Because I have no desire to witness my brother's love life."
Laurel raised an eyebrow. "You brought me dinner to ask me to dinner?"
"Well, I also did throw you a really big charity gala."
"See, I thought you threw it for the hundreds of people it would benefit."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Hundreds of people. Plus one more." He joked.
"Tommy…" she laughed.
"Laurel, I get it." He moved in front of her. "Okay, this is all happening for us in the wrong order. You know, first we're friends for many years, and then briefly we are friends with benefits, extremely excellent benefits." Laurel blushed.
Thea groaned.
"And now I am just hoping that we can be two people sitting at the same restaurant at the same table at the same time." He smiled. "See, when I say it like that, it doesn't sound so scary, does it?"
The scene changed to the Lair, where Oliver was taking out his frustrations on a training dummy.
"Oliver, your mom was nearly killed." Diggle said, coming into the lair. "I think you can take a day off from training."
"My mother wasn't the target." Oliver gasped, moving away from the dummy and dropping to his chair at the desk. "This man was." He indicated a picture on the screen. "Paul Copani. He was trying to close a deal with her when they were shot at. Copani works for Bertinelli Construction and Frank Bertinelli."
"The mob boss?" Dig asked.
"I did some Diging." Oliver said. "Copani isn't the first member of Bertinelli's crew who's been hit."
"You did some Diging?" Dig asked, unbelieving.
"Boy has a one-track mind." Diggle noted.
"Bertinelli has a lot of enemies. The best way to figure out who's trying to target his organization is to get inside of it." Oliver sat back in his chair as Dig continued to stare at him in disbelief.
"So let me get this right, Oliver." He began. "Your mother's shot at, nearly killed, and the way you process this emotionally is by going undercover with the mob."
"Well, when you say it like that…" Felicity said.
"I'm not trying to process anything emotionally." Oliver denied.
"Yeah, well, maybe that's your problem, man." Dig retorted. "You ever thought about just being there for your family?"
"I tried that today with Thea." He started, his frustration finally showing. "She told me I wasn't being honest with her, and she's right. I can't very well explain to her that I left our mother alone and bleeding on the pavement because I'm fast enough to almost run down the attacker."
This time, Thea winced.
He turned back to the computer. "But what I can do is protect my family. And, Diggle, when I found out who this guy is, he's a dead man."
The scene changed to a garage across town. The rider rode the damaged Harley in, the rolling door closing behind her. She got off the bike and went up to a corkboard filled with pictures and, taking a sharpie, put an X through Copani's. The woman pulled off her helmet to reveal the face of Helena Bertinelli, and she stared at the picture of her father, loathing in her eyes.
Malcolm's eyes widened in surprise. Tommy noticed. "Someone you know, Dad?" he asked coolly.
"That is Helena Bertinelli." Malcolm said. "Frank Bertinelli's daughter."
Tommy blinked. "Wait, didn't that Copani guy work for Frank Bertinelli?" he asked, confused.
"Yes." Malcolm said. "And I have no idea why she would want to kill him. All that would do in the long run is hurt her family."
The scene changed to Queen Manor the next night. Thea was dressed to kill, walking down the stair when…
"Speedy!"
She looked over to see Oliver, dressed in a business suit, walking down the opposite stairs. "Where you going?" he asked.
"Clubbing." She replied. "Which is difficult to do when you're in a house and not in an actual club."
Oliver had the decency to look somewhat abashed. "I have to go out tonight. I thought you'd be watching mom."
Thea stared at her brother. "I spent the whole day with her. I thought you were taking the night shift."
"I'm sorry, but this thing, it's important."
Thea crossed her arms and shook her head in annoyance. "You know, sometimes, Ollie, I just don't get you. And by sometimes, I mean ever."
"You're actually not the first person to say that to me today." He said with an apologetic smile. Thea didn't return it.
"Why am I not surprised?" She said as Tommy walked in the door.
"Oh, nice dress." He complimented her. "Where you headed?"
"Upstairs. Apparently." She ground out as she turned and walked back upstairs.
Moira raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry I'm such a chore." She said archly.
"Well, if I had known what he was doing, I would have been a lot more understanding than that." Thea replied in defense.
No, you wouldn't. Mia said.
"Oh shut up." Thea grumbled.
Tommy looked to Oliver.
"Long story." Oliver whispered, heading into the sitting room to get his car keys.
"Hey, I heard about your mom." Tommy started. "Is she all right?"
"She's resting upstairs. More shaken up than anything." He smiled tightly at his friend. "I got to run to this business thing, but I do appreciate you stopping by."
"It's no problem." Tommy assured him. "Just so long as your mom's all right."
"Yeah." Oliver nodded, walking past him.
"Hey, one more thing." Tommy said, stopping Oliver in his tracks. "Mainly because I don't want you to find this out from someone else, that someone else especially being Laurel." He paused for a moment, gathering his courage. "We're going to dinner. As in a date." He clarified.
"That's good." Oliver finally said, a smile plastered on his face. "Laurel deserves someone special, and so do you."
Tommy smiled. "Thanks, man."
"I gotta run to this thing." Oliver said, heading out to his car.
"All right. Absolutely. I'll catch you later." Tommy said.
Oliver paused and turned back to his friend. "Oh, and, Tommy, if you hurt her, I'll snap your neck." He said deadpan. Then he smiled. "I'm just kidding." Tommy let out a laugh of his own as Oliver left.
Tommy gulped, because he had the distinct impression that he wasn't kidding.
The scene changed to the Bertinelli residence. Oliver rang the doorbell, and moments later a man opened the door. Oliver smiled.
"Mr. Bertinelli." He said with a smile, extending his hand.
"Call me Frank." He replied, shaking Oliver's hand and leading him into the house.
"Call me Oliver." He countered with a smile.
"Thank you for agreeing to meet me at my home." Frank started.
"My father used to say that living rooms make the best conference rooms."
"Oh, I'm gonna steal that." Frank said with a small laugh. He indicated a tall gentleman standing nearby. "Nick Salvati, my associate."
"More like his heavy." Quentin said. He wanted to pay extra close attention to this. Maybe there would be something he could use to take down Bertinelli when he got back.
"So, his Luca Brasi?" Felicity asked.
Quentin shook his head. "No, more like his Sonny Corleone. He'd be the one to take over after Frank- the mob's still heavily patriarchal." He explained.
"How do you do?" he said, shaking the man's hand.
"Let's have a drink." Frank said, leading the way into the study. As they walked, movement from upstairs caught Oliver's eye. He looked up to see Helena walking past the stairs. Their eyes met briefly before she moved on.
"What's the over/under of Oliver sleeping with her?" Laurel asked.
Thea scoffed. "You really think that Oliver would... yeah, he would." she finished with a sigh.
The scene shifted back to Queen Manor. Thea and Moira were in Moira's bed in their pajamas, with Thea controlling the remote while Moira flipped through magazines.
"So what are you in the mood for?" Thea asked her mother. "We could watch reality housewife cooking show… or 'Cop Docs'." She looked at her mom and explained, "It's where doctors run around fighting crime when they're not all sleeping with each other."
"I actually like that show." Laurel admitted, earning a grin from Thea. She had relaxed considerably now that she knew her mother was out of danger.
"I was always fond of 'Diagnosis: Murder'" Malcolm said absently. He noticed everyone staring at him. "What? I watch TV occasionally."
"Yeah, when he's not planning to destroy parts of the city." Tommy grumbled.
"Sometimes during." Malcolm said archly. "It's called multitasking."
Moira laughed lightly. "Whatever you want, sweetheart. You're the one who's given up your evening out."
"Oh, it's not like there's anybody else who could be staying with you." Thea said, then gasped in mock surprise. "Oh, wait, yes, there is."
"Don't be too harsh on your brother." Moira advised. Thea looked at her.
"Why not?" she asked. " I mean, aren't you getting sick of his lies?"
"Thea, everyone has secrets." Moira began. "We all have things that we want to keep to ourselves."
"I just don't get him sometimes." Thea groused. Moira pulled her closer. Thea leaned her head against Moira's shoulder.
"I know, I know." She affirmed. "You know, being in that hospital and seeing Dr. Lamb again, it made me remember the day that Oliver came home. It was Dr. Lamb that told me that the Oliver we'd lost might not be the Oliver that they'd found." She explained. "I think it's easy to forget, but he lived apart from civilization for 5 years."
"So what, he gets like a free pass?"
"No. No, no, no, not at all. I just think we need to stop judging him for the Oliver he was and start accepting him for the Oliver that he is." Moira said softly.
"That's good advice." Diggle told the woman. "War changes a man; they're never the same after they get back. But sometimes we forget that." Moira nodded in understanding.
The scene shifted back to the Bertinelli residence.
"So, Oliver, I'll be honest with you." Frank was saying, handing Oliver a drink. "I was surprised to hear from you. It was my impression from the local news that you weren't going to be involved with your family's business."
"Well, apparently there were a few catch phrases that I missed while I was away for 5 years. One of them being 'lame-stream media'." The three men laughed. "The press never gets anything right."
"Oh, I know a thing or two about that." Frank assured the man. Nick's phone rang, and he got up to answer it. Frank leaned back in his chair and stared at Oliver confidently. "So, Oliver, I'll be blunt. I want the contract to build Queen Consolidated's new Applied Sciences Division."
"And I am inclined to give it to you." Oliver assured him.
"Your mother wasn't quite so enthusiastic." Frank noted. "How is she, by the way?"
"She's recuperating at home." Oliver said. "Thank you."
"What a terrible thing that happened." Frank said sincerely. Oliver nodded.
"And Frank, I was very sorry to hear about what happened to Paul Copani."
"Paul was a good friend." Frank stated. "He was a good man." He sighed, rubbing his eye. "Yeah. The violence in this city. You know, sometimes I wonder why I stay." He said, taking a drink.
"I've had the same thought." Oliver confided.
"So why did you come back?" Frank asked. "After that island, you could have settled anywhere in the world."
"Because Starling City is my home." Oliver replied simply.
"Chi si volta, e chi si gira, sempre a casa, va finire." Helena said, entering the room. "No matter which way you go or turn, you always end up at home." She translated. Oliver and Frank rose.
"Oliver, this is my daughter Helena." He introduced.
"Hello." Oliver said. Helena gave him a polite smile.
"Nice to meet you." She said, and then turned to her father. "I'm heading out."
"All right. Take one of the guys with you."
"I can take care of myself." She protested.
"I wasn't asking, sweetie." He replied, touching her lightly on the chin. Before she could argue further, Nick came back in.
"Frank, that meeting you requested. They can do it." He told his boss, giving him a significant look. "Now."
"I can come back another time." Oliver started, but Frank shook his head.
"No, no, no." he put his drink down, and then looked at his daughter thoughtfully. "Just, uh.. just excuse us for a moment, would you? Thank you."
Frank and Helena walked out into the Foyer, followed by Nick. "Oliver Queen." Helena harrumphed. "The rich man's Lindsay Lohan."
Tommy snorted; Thea and Laurel both chuckled.
"Look, um…" he started, "I've got to go to this other meeting, but I need someone to take him to dinner."
Helena gave him a disgusted look. "So you pimp out your daughter."
"No. I ask her to help me close a business deal." He countered. "A reminder that the family business is dying and that we need this contract, and Oliver Queen can give it to us. Please, Sweet Pea. For us. For me. Hmm?" she finally gave him a reluctant smile. "That's my girl." He said warmly. Just then Oliver walked into the foyer. "Oliver, I'm so sorry. Something has come up. But Helena would love to take you to dinner and discuss the deal further." He said, indicating his daughter.
"Oh." Oliver didn't try to hide his disappointment. "I was hoping to speak with you."
"Well, as you speak for your family, my daughter also speaks for ours."
"It's…It's really not necessary." He looked curiously at Helena. There was an attraction there, and possibly something deeper. A look deep in her eyes that he recognized and that she, in turn, recognized in him.
"It would be my pleasure." She lied.
"Sure." Oliver finally agreed. Rank held out his hand, and Oliver shook it.
"I look forward to working together." He told the younger man, patting him on the arm as he and Nick left.
The scene changed to the Bertinelli Construction Yard. China White and her associates got out of her Mercedes and walked up to Frank and Nick, who stood waiting.
"Oh, goodie. Crazy Asian lady is back." Felicity noted.
"Thank you for coming."
"Anything for a friend." China White replied. Her associate spoke in Mandarin, and she translated. "We're not responsible for the attacks on your people."
"These attacks on my business, on my family's life blood- they stop now, or I'm coming for you." He threatened. The four stared at each other for a moment before the two Asians headed back to their car.
"What does the Triad have to gain by provoking you now?" Nick asked Frank. Frank shrugged.
"Well, no one ever credited the Triad with rational thinking." He noted, and then asked "If not them, then who?"
Malcolm leaned forward, his eyes narrowed. What was Helena's endgame?
The scene changed to the SCPD, where Lance and Hilton were listening to the wiretap of the construction yard. 'Whoever it is, when I find out who's behind this, there will be blood.'
"Sounds like Bertinelli's ready to put the screws to everyone who pays him protection money." Hilton noted.
"Yeah, well, 3 of his best earners have been murdered." Lance replied. "He's gotta make up the cash somewhere. Whoever is pruning the family tree is looking to make Bertinelli suffer." Lance got up and looked at the board that detailed Bertinelli's operation.
"So you do think it's one of the other families." Hilton guessed.
"No." Lance said.
"Then who?"
Lance turned to look at his partner. "Well, according to the coroner's reports, none of the vics took a clean shot. Half the bullets missed." He shook his head. "Our killer's not a pro."
"That's not stopping him from pulling that trigger." Hilton stated.
"That's up to us." Lance turned back to the board. "Or this is gonna blow up into an all-out mob war."
"Why would Helena target her won family's business like that?" Quentin wondered.
"Vendetta." Slade said suddenly.
"What?" Quentin looked up at the man. Honestly, he was so quiet that sometimes he forgot he was even there.
"She is looking to make her father suffer as much as possible." Slade explained. "She is burning his world down around him, so that he knows only true despair. And when he is at his lowest, she will reveal herself to him, and then more than likely kill him."
Malcolm studied the man. "That's an interesting hypothesis."
Slade smiled. It was a smile that sent shivers down most of the other's spines. "It is something I have given a lot of thought to over the years."
The scene changed to a small Italian restaurant. The owner, Mr. Russo sat Oliver and Helena at a small table in the corner and passed them menus.
"You are an angel, Helena." Mr. Russo gushed "So beautiful. Well, we are gonna take good care of both of you tonight. You'll tell your father hello from us?"
Helena smiled at the man. "Of course, Mr. Russo."
"I'll give you a minute." He said, moving away.
"Thank you." Helena said. She looked at Oliver. "I heard about your mother's accident. Is she gonna be okay?" she asked.
Oliver smiled, picking up his menu. "She's gonna be fine. Thanks."
"I'm glad." She said sincerely. They both took a moment to look at their menus. "So, why would you want to go into business with my father?" she asked suddenly. "You know who he is and how he made his money."
"You don't approve of your family's enterprises?" he asked.
"We share a name, and that name defines us whether we want it to or not." She gave him a brittle smile. "You've already made judgments about me, just like I've already made judgments about you."
"Right. I'm the rich man's Lindsay Lohan." Her smile now looked apologetic.
"Sorry." She apologized.
"That's okay." He assured her.
"Hey, can I ask you something?" she asked suddenly.
"Yeah."
"I know it must have been hell for you, alone on that island for 5 years, but I'm…"
Oliver looked at her curiously. "But what?" he prodded.
She looked at him, a serious look in her eyes. "But was there ever a day when you were just… happy to be away from everything? No pressure from your family, no need to be the person everyone else expects you to be. Was there ever a day when—"
"When I didn't feel lost and I felt free?" he finished. She nodded slightly. "More than one." He admitted. "And, uh those are the days that I miss." Helena smiled and took a sip of her water.
The scene changed to an Indian restaurant where Tommy had taken Laurel on their date. Laurel was smirking at Tommy, who was suffering through very spicy curry.
"Pansy." Laurel teased.
"What, is it too spicy for you, Merlyn?" Laurel joked, casually sipping her water.
"No! No, not really" He denied, wiping his face with his napkin. "I'm just, um, I'm just crying because I was thinking of a Hallmark commercial I saw earlier today, featuring a sick kitty. It was very emotional." The two laughed.
Their waiter came up to their table. "Will there be anything else?"
"No." Tommy said, handing him his credit card. "Thank you." He smiled at Laurel. "Thanks for letting me take you to dinner."
"Well, thank you for letting me choose Indian." Laurel replied.
"I knew it. You wanted to see me suffer." Tommy said lightly. The two shared a smile.
"You know, I read this article by a film critic once, who said if he could have one wish, it would be to watch his favorite movie again for the first time." Tommy said suddenly. "I kind of wish that was us."
"So you want dinner and a movie." Laurel joked.
"No. I wish we had just met and that all this was just beginning and there wasn't so much of me I wish you'd forget." He admitted.
"Well, keep saying nice things like that and maybe next time I'll let you choose the restaurant." She said with a smile.
"Mr. Merlyn?" Tommy looked up at the waiter who had suddenly appeared.
"Yeah?" he asked.
"I'm sorry, I'm afraid you credit card has been declined."
Tommy watched in surprise. His cards didn't have limits; so why would it have been declined.
Malcolm smirked slightly, but sat back and schooled his features. This was something he had been thinking about more and more, and apparently he had finally had enough.
Tommy looked up in confusion. "Did you swipe it a few times? You know, sometimes those things can be a little glitchy."
"I did, and, um, I'm afraid the credit card company wants me to confiscate it." The waiter replied. "Sorry."
The scene changed back to Russos. The restaurant was empty, all other tables cleared. But Oliver and Helena were still sitting, chatting amicably.
"People are always asking me, what did I miss the most?" he was saying. "Air conditioning. Satellite radio. Tagliet-uh-ta—"
"Tagliatelle?" she supplied.
"Mm. Right." He agreed. "But those are the answers that I give people because those are the answers they're expecting."
"Why can't you just be truthful?" she asked.
"I don't know how truthful I can be." He admitted.
Helena considered the man. "You've been through a crucible, and it changed you." She announced. "How can it not?"
Not knowing how to respond, Oliver just looked at the beautiful woman across from him. A glint of silver caught his eye. "That's beautiful." He said. "Your cross."
Here smile was almost a grimace. "It's a gift. From my fiancé."
Oliver smiled awkwardly. "Fiancé."
"Mm."
"I didn't know you were engaged." He began, but she cut him off.
"I'm not, anymore. He died." She explained sadly.
"I'm sorry."
"Me, too." She sat back, fingering her cross. "That was my crucible."
It suddenly clicked with Quentin. "Her fiancé was gunned down." He said suddenly. "How much you want to bet that dear old dad had the fiancé murdered, and she found out?"
"It makes sense." Slade said. "You always want someone to suffer the most when they take someone you love away from you."
Oliver took a sip of water. "You know, it's nice to It's really nice to be with someone that I can be myself with." He said sincerely.
"It's nice to be with someone who knows how hard it can be." She responded, equally sincere.
"I'm really sorry." He said again.
"It's okay." She assured it.
Suddenly his phone rang. He looked at her apologetically as he pulled out his phone and answered. "Yeah."
"It's Diggle. Something came up. You gotta get out of there and call me back." Oliver sighed as he hung up. He looked sadly at Helena, sorry that the night was over.
"Helena, I have to go." He said. "There's something that I have to do. It's about my mother, otherwise I would, uh, I would stay."
"And I would like that." She admitted. Oliver smiled at her and pulled out a wad of cash. He set it down on the table, but suddenly his hand was covered by hers.
"My father would kill me if I let you pay." He just smiled, withdrawing his hand, but leaving the money.
"I have a confession." Oliver said as he rose. "I didn't want to go out with you tonight."
Helena smiled. "That makes two of us."
"But I'm really glad that I did." He finished.
"That makes two of us." She replied quietly. He gave her one last look, then turned to leave. "Oliver." She said suddenly, and he turned around. "Be careful with my father." She advised him. He nodded, then left.
The scene changed back to Queen Manor. Moira was in bed flipping through a magazine when there was a knock on the door.
"Thea, you don't need to knock, sweetheart." She said absently.
"What about me?" Moira looked up in alarm to see Malcolm Merlyn standing in her bedroom. "I hope you don't mind; Thea let me in."
"What are you doing here?" she asked with a tremor in her voice.
"Good question." Thea said darkly.
"I wanted to see how your recovery was going."
"Well, surely someone of your means has a telephone." She argued.
"I like to see someone when I have something important to talk about." Malcolm said, sitting on the edge of the bed. "We used to be friends, Moira. I still remember that time. You, me, and Robert." He said, almost wistfully. "Which is why I came by. You are a vital part of Starling City's future. Robert feared that future. He lost his conviction." His voice sharpened, tinged with threat. "It's been my experience that when someone has a brush with death like you experienced today, even their deepest held convictions can change. Have they?"
Moira looked him in the eyes. "No." she assured him.
Malcolm smiled. "You didn't have to say it." he said, suddenly her eyes couldn't meet his anymore. "I can see that they haven't." The implied threat clear, Malcolm rose and left a trembling Moira alone in her room.
Thea glared at the man. "You son of a bitch." She growled. "You leave her the hell alone! Or so help me god, I'll beat the shit out of you myself!"
"Thea," Moira warned, putting a hand on her arm. Malcolm stared at the girl, smiled slightly, then looked back to the screen.
The scene changed to the Alley next to Russo's. Oliver quickly called Diggle back. "What happened?" he asked.
"Yeah, it's what's about to happen." Dig began. "Bertinelli's enforcer Nick Salvati?"
"Yeah. We drank a scotch together. He seems like a real stand-up mobster." Oliver said dryly.
"Yeah, well, he's been paying visits to everyone who owes the mob protection money."
"Diggle, I'm trying to figure out who took a shot at my mother, not take on all of organized crime." Oliver argued.
"Well, listen, Oliver, Salvati and his goons have already put 4 people in the hospital tonight," Dig shot back, "and if somebody doesn't stop them, the poor bastard who owns Russo's is gonna be next."
"Wait, wait." Oliver said, halting Diggle's rant. "Russo's?" he asked to clarify.
"It's at the corner of Adams and—"
"I know where it is, Diggle. I'm here right now."
That brought Dig up short. "What?"
Oliver grimaced. "I was having dinner with Bertinelli's daughter."
"Oliver, you're supposed to be going undercover, not speed dating." Dig scolded.
"I didn't have a choice."
"Yeah, well, uh, I've seen her on the web. You made quite the sacrifice." Dig quipped.
"Hang a big roger on that." Dig muttered to his on screen self.
Oliver looked down the alley and saw a town car park across the street. He cursed. "Salvati's here."
Inside the restaurant, Mr. Russo was counting the night's receipts as his daughter finished cleaning up. She was about to lock the doors when Nick Salvati and to other enforcers walked in.
"I'm sorry, we're closed." The girl said timidly. Salvati just gave her a look, and then walked over to Russo.
"Oh, Mr. Salvati. Buona sera." He said nervously to the gangster. "I have some fresh-made lasagna—" he tried, but Nick cut him off.
"We're not here for food, Mr. Russo." He said. "Your payment's due."
"I already made my payment this month." Russo argued.
"You need to pay again." Nick said coldly.
"Please. I can't afford to make another payment if I'm going to—"
"Going to what?" he asked. He saw several bottle so wine sitting on the bar. "Restock your bar?" he swept the bottles off the bar, and they crashed to the ground sending wine and broken glass everywhere. "Break his fingers." He nodded to one of the men.
"Leave him alone!" his daughter yelled, pulling at the goon.
"Break hers, too." Nick decided. The other good grabbed the girl.
"No! Don't touch her!" Russo yelled. Suddenly an arrow struck the fuse box, sending the restaurant into darkness. And then the Hood was among them, taking out the two goons and yelling for the Russo's to get out. He turned his attention to Nick, who was trying to shoot him, and didn't see the second gangster start to get back to his feet.
Suddenly the biker was there, opening fire and taking out the two goons. The Hood threw a flechette, disarming her, and moved in to attack, and Nick took the opportunity to escape. The two masked vigilantes traded blows furiously; obviously the girl was better trained hand to hand than she was in firearms. But The Hood was better, and he landed a blow on her helmet's visor, shattering it. He then took the opportunity to yank off the helmet- revealing Helena underneath. The Hood stood, shocked, and Helena took the opportunity to escape, leaving the stunned Oliver behind.
"Careless." Slade noted. "He does have a habit of being distracted by pretty girls."
The scene changed back to the Foundry, where a frustrated Oliver was pacing as Diggle sat at the computer.
"I don't understand. Why is she targeting her family?" he wondered aloud.
"I don't know. And here I thought you had parental issues." Dig joked.
"It's not a joke, Diggle." Oliver ground out, his frustration building. Diggle gave him a look.
"Oliver, you're not falling for this girl, are you?" he asked. "Because I know you can't be that crazy."
"I'd like to argue that…" Tommy said wryly, earning an elbow from Thea.
At Oliver's silence, Dig pressed on. "Helena Bertinelli shot at your mother. She also murdered four men in cold blood."
"She has to have reasons for what she's doing." He defended. Dig scoffed.
"Reasons? Since when do you care about the bad guys' reasons? Oh, she is the bad guy, Oliver. She's the killer. And whatever's going on in your head, you better get it straight, man." He stood to stand in front of Oliver. "Any attempt on his right hand is gonna send your new friend's father on the warpath."
Oliver looked him in the eyes. "I know what I'm doing."
Dig scoffed again. "Now I know how your family feels when you lie to them."
The scene changed to the SCPD. Lance was with Kelton, watching video surveillance of the fight at Russo's.
"Is this the only angle you got?" Lance asked, frustrated. Kelton shrugged.
"The Russos chintzed out a bit on their security package." He explained.
"Somebody is in the wings with a gun shooting at these guys." Lance sighed. "What do you got from earlier?" he asked.
"You mean before the shooting?" Lance nodded yes. "A business dinner, a birthday dinner, a couple of blind dates…"
"Any guests of the Chinese persuasion?" at his confused look, Quentin said "Humor me."
Kelton rewound the video file to earlier during dinner. He started looking at one of the closer tables when Lance spotted something. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a second. What was that?" He exclaimed, taking over the keyboard.
"Help yourself." Kelton muttered as Lance zoomed in on a far table. He spotted Helena Bertinelli, then panned over to see her date.
"Son of a bitch."
The scene changed to later at Queen Manor. Oliver answered a knock on the front door, and found Detective Lance standing there.
"Detective." He said pleasantly. "Is everything okay?"
Lance looked uncomfortable, but spoke. "Your, um, your buddy with the arrows was at Russo's last night."
Oliver smiled grimly. "And I was there earlier with a date. So what? You think I'm the hood guy again?" he asked.
"No." Lance denied. "Your date. Helena Bertinelli. If I were you, I'd stay away from her. Her family's bad news on a good day." He warned the younger man.
Laurel looked over at her bather in amazement as the Detective shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Huh. I figured you'd be happy that he was making a move on someone other than me."
"Why the sudden concern for my well-being?" Oliver asked, curious despite himself.
Lance sighed. "A few weeks ago I made a mistake. I almost got you killed."
"And you felt like you owed me one?" Oliver realized.
"If I did, as far as I'm concerned, this clears the books." Quentin spat, then turned and left.
"You felt like you owed Oliver a life debt." Felicity realized. "It's like Harry Potter, only with bows and arrows instead of wands." Thea cackled at that, and even Lance smiled. Tommy chuckled, but the smile died when he recognized his home in the next scene.
The scene changed to Merlyn Manor. Out on the Patio, Malcolm was in the middle of a furious session of fencing when Tommy stalked up to him.
"Can I talk to you?" he asked his father. Upon getting no response, he yelled "Dad!"
"In case you haven't noticed, I'm a little occupied at the moment." Malcolm said, not breaking his attack.
"I just talked to the accountant." Tommy pressed on. "He said my accounts were frozen. He said my credit cards were all canceled!"
"I pay Sandy a king's ransom each year in fees, Tommy. When it comes to money, if he says it's so, it's so."
"Do you think this is a joke?" Tommy demanded. Malcolm finally signaled to his opponent for a break, then turned to his son and whipped off his helmet. "No." he answered. "You are. Although I must say, your chronic irresponsibility and terminal laziness has lost its humor." Tommy stared at his father, stunned and seething, "Hmm. You're wondering why now." Malcolm continued. "The better question is, why not sooner?"
"It's my trust fund." Tommy argued.
"Which is comprised of my money." Malcolm rejoined. "Oh, excuse me. Was comprised." He mockingly patted his son on the cheek, then put his helmet back on and turned to his opponent. Without another word, the two began dueling, while Tommy stalked off, dejected.
Tommy glared at his father. "Don't hold back, DAD." He spat. "Why not tell me how you really feel?"
Malcolm gestured at the screen. "I just did. Though I must say I held out far longer than I was planning to."
"Yeah?" Tommy said. "Well, while we're talking about our feelings, here's mine- I'd rather be irresponsible and lazy than a psychotic son of a bitch like you!"
Malcolm sneered at his son. "I would feel proud that you are finally showing some backbone, if I didn't know you'll just cave in and slink away like you always do." He laughed humorlessly. "Thea's shown more guts and determination to me in two days than you have in 28 years!"
"Malcolm!" Moira exclaimed.
Tommy made to get up, but Thea put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't." she pleaded. "You're better than him. Don't stoop to his level."
Do I need to come in there? Mia's voice sounded over the intercom. Dad, do everyone a favor and shut the fuck up.
Malcolm shrugged and sat back in his chair. He had said what he needed to say. Only time would tell if it forced Tommy to finally grow up.
Tommy sat back in his chair, steadfastly refusing to look in his father's general direction. Moira Looked to Laurel and indicated again switching seats, which they did. Moira sat down next to Malcolm and gave him a hard look.
"You didn't need to be so hard on your son." She cautioned.
"Yes, I did." Malcolm said resolutely. "My son can be a great man, if he'd only grow up. So lay out all of his faults and say that he'll never amount to anything. I make him hate me, so he'll be absolutely motivated to prove me wrong."
"But at the cost of your son's love!" she exclaimed quietly.
"As long as I can be sure he will survive- and thrive- in the future; as long as I know he can be happy in life while standing on his own two feet, and not my shoulders- it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make."
The scene changed to outside a church later that night. Helena sat in its small cemetery in front of a tombstone. Oliver walked up softly behind her, stopping a respectful distance before calling out.
"Helena."
She didn't even turn around. "How did you find me here?" she asked.
"I followed you from your house." Oliver said. He looked at the headstone that read 'Michael Staton'. "Your fiancé?"
"Yeah." She replied, laying a single rose at the foot of the gravestone before rising to meet his gaze head on.
"You said that losing him was your own crucible." He started. "That it changed you. You didn't say how."
"When you love someone as much as I loved him, with all of your heart- you can't just turn that emotion off when they're taken from you. You still feel things as deeply. And if it can't be love that you feel, then," she took a calming breath, "Then it becomes hate."
"Hate for who?" he asked. Helena just shook her head.
"Oliver you should stay away from me." She said sadly, walking away.
"Helena?" Oliver called, moving after her. They both stopped suddenly when a van pulled up next to the church. Nick Salvati got out, his gun aimed at Helena's head. "Get in." he demanded, and both Helena and Oliver were ushered into the van by two other gangsters.
"So, how many times can the guy get kidnapped?" Tommy asked, trying to lighten the mood.
"It's hardly something to joke about, Tommy." Moira said thinly.
"Why not? I'd be more worried for the mobsters at this point." He reasoned. Moira silently concurred.
The scene changed to an old warehouse down by the docks. Helena and Oliver were seated on chairs, their hands zip-cuffed behind them.
Helena looked up at Nick with disgust. "My father is going to kill you for this." She said boldly. Nick smiled, then back-handed her, knocking her and her chair over. Helena hit the ground with a grunt.
"I've been wanting to do that for years." Nick snarled, and then indicated to his men to pick her back up. "Spoiled bitch. I knew it was someone from the inside waging war against your father and me. I just never thought it'd be this inside." He held out his hand, and Helena's silver cross necklace dangled from his fingers. "You dropped this at Russo's."
Helena smirked up at the mobster. "You're smarter than I gave you credit for, Nicky." She admitted.
"You're not." He raised his hand to hit her again.
"Hey!" Oliver yelled, getting his attention even as he worked to free himself from the cuffs. "You're a businessman, right? So let's talk business." He began. "I can offer you a lot of money if you let us go."
Nick looked at him with disgust. "This isn't about money, Richie Rich. This is about loyalty."
"He's got nothing to do with any of this." Helena argued. Nick whirled to face her.
"Then what the hell is it about?" he demanded.
"My father had Michael murdered." Helena snarled. Nick scoffed.
"Of course he did. He didn't want you to know the truth." He leaned over her and yanked back her hair. "Your rat of a fiancé was gathering evidence. He was talking to the fucking FBI!" He let her hair go and stood. "The love of your life was going to destroy your father."
"You're wrong." Helena said.
"I found a laptop in Michael's bag, Helena." Nick stated. "Everything that could send your father and me to prison for the rest of our lives was on it. That computer—"
"Was mine." She declared, shutting Nick up in surprise. "Michael wasn't the one talking to the FBI, I was." She admitted boldly.
"Well…" Laurel started. "Didn't see that coming."
"You?"
"My father is a monster." She spat. "He doesn't care who he hurts to keep his money and power, and I wanted it to stop."
Nick shrugged. "Well, then it's your fault Michael's dead. Not your father for ordering the hit or me for carrying it out." He pointed at her. "Yours."
"That was a mistake." Slade noted.
"You shot Michael." She said in dawning realization.
"In the chest, so he knew it was me." He bragged, placing the cross back around her neck. He stood and moved back slightly, pulling his gun. "Just like this"
Oliver burst free at that moment, tackling Nick to the ground. His gun skidded away from him. The two goons moved in to attack, but Oliver caught them, taking them down while Helena also broke free and handled Nick. The two traded blows before Helena forced Nick back up against a forklift, her hand squeezing his throat. Oliver killed the last remaining goon and looked over at the woman.
"You're gonna burn in hell for what you've done!" Nick choked out.
"It'll be worth it." She replied, and then broke his neck.
"Helena!" Oliver exclaimed in shock and surprise.
"I didn't have a choice, Oliver." She said, breathing heavily from the fight. "No one can know my secret."
"Wow, Ollie sure knows how to pick 'em, doesn't he?" Thea asked rhetorically.
The scene changed to SCPD, where Hilton was briefing Lance on the latest Bertinelli family murders.
"CSU didn't find any usable prints except for the 3 victims." He said, handing the file to Lance. "One of them had a GSW to the chest."
"So who broke the necks of Salvati and his buddy?" Lance asked rhetorically.
Hilton sighed. "Look, it's been a while since The Hood broke anyone's neck. And I didn't see any arrows lying around."
"We better pray that Frank Bertinelli blames The Hood for this." Lance said darkly. "'Cause if he thinks it's the Triad, Starling City is ground zero to World War III."
The scene changed to Laurel's apartment. There was a knock on the door, and she opened it to find a dejected Tommy Merlyn standing in the hallway.
"You okay?" she asked.
Tommy sighed. "I spoke to my dad today."
"I bet that was fun." She quipped as Tommy came in.
"Oh, you betcha." Tommy muttered darkly.
"He explained to me what happened with my credit card yesterday." He began. "And my checking account, my savings account, my brokerage account, my stock portfolio." He sighed, dropping down onto her sofa. "He cut me off completely."
"What?" she exclaimed softly, sitting next to him.
"My car got repossessed." He continued. "That was fun. Oh, and I have to move out of my apartment by the end of the month."
Laurel took a hold of his hand. "You are gonna be fine, Tommy." She promised him. "In fact, you are gonna be great. Merlyn money or not." She smiled. "And you know, I have a mushroom and olive Mario pizza in my refrigerator waiting to be eaten."
Tommy smiled back. "I suppose it's already paid for, right?"
"Exactly." She agreed.
Laurel reached over and took Tommy's hand, squeezing it in silent support.
The scene changed to Queen Manor. Walter walked into the bedroom silently, going over to the bed and sitting down on the edge, stroking his sleeping wife's hair. Moira awoke and looked up in surprise.
"When did you get back?" she asked.
"Just now."
Moira sat up in bed. "I'm so happy to see you." She said softly. "But did you come home only because you heard I was hurt?"
"No. I was already on my way when Thea called. I actually came home because I miss my wife."
"Ohh." Moira kissed him, and he held her tight.
"It's okay." He assured her. Outside the door, Oliver looked in, satisfied that his mother was alright. He moved away from the door to give them privacy, and spotted Thea walking towards him.
"Is she all right?" she asked.
"Walter's home." He whispered, smiling. "She's gonna be fine."
Thea smiled awkwardly. "Look, I'm sorry if I was a bitch with you earlier."
"There were a few times. Could you be more specific?" he joked.
"Ain't that the truth." Tommy teased, his mood lightening.
"Shut it." Thea said warningly.
Thea laughed lightly. "Don't push it."
"Don't worry. You weren't a bitch." He paused. "At the hospital you were a little." he held up his fingers a small distance apart. "A little bit."
"Look, I'm just worried about you." She said. "You seem really lonely. And we all have our secrets, Ollie. Clearly you have yours. And it's fine if you don't want to share them with us, but I just really think you should share them with someone." She kissed him on the cheek and moved on, leaving Oliver with his thoughts.
The scene changed to the Bertinelli House. Helena was just coming out of the bathroom in a robe, her hair wet from a shower, when she paused. "I'd ask how you got in here," she said, "but the Starling City vigilante comes and goes as he pleases, doesn't he?"
Across the room Oliver stood, looking out a window. "How'd you know?"
Helena crossed her arms. "I saw you fight. And I saw your eyes. That island changed you in ways that only someone like me could understand."
"No." he denied. "What you're doing right now, I know that if feels like justice, but it's not. It's revenge."
"Sometimes revenge is justice." Helena stated.
"Your father killed your fiancé."
"And what did your father do to you?" she demanded. "Isn't the man in the hood fighting to set things right? Why is your vendetta more valid than mine? We're the same, you and I."
"No, we're not."
Helena scoffed. "Hiding in plain sight. Concealing our anger with smiles and lies." Tears pooled in her eyes. "Don't lie to me, Oliver. You feel the same as I do, I know it."
"Why are you crying?"
"I don't know. Maybe it's because I have been alone in my hate for so long, it feels—"
"It feels so good to tell the truth." Oliver finished for her. Almost in desperation he reached for her, pulling her in close and kissing her. After a moment, she responded, clutching him to her tightly, afraid to let go.
As the screen faded to black, Thea sighed in relief. Tommy looked over at her. "Happy he opened up to someone?" he asked with a smirk.
"Could have chosen better." Thea said. "But no. I'm glad I don't have to watch my brother have sex."
"Could be worse. We could have been watching you have sex." Tommy said, shuddering.
Thea chuckled.
Wait for it.
Thea looked up at the ceiling in outraged annoyance. "Oh, come on!" she complained, ignoring the evil eyes her mother and Malcolm were giving her.
TBC
A/N: THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR 'THE CLIMB'. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.
So, how about that mid-season finale? I guess they'll be changing the name of the show to Black Canary now.
Ah, who am I kidding? Someone will throw Ollie into a Lazarus pit around the fourth episode back (as the first three are forming a Canary trilogy according to the producers).
So now we know that Thea killed Sara under the influence of mind control drugs from Malcolm. And that Malcolm set this up to either A) have Oliver kill Ra's, thereby erasing his blood debt or B) have Ra's kill Oliver, thereby getting revenge against him. Either way it appears that Malcolm is ultimately using Thea as a disposable weapon and cares more about his plans than her.
This kind of screws with my story.
I've said I will be cherry picking things from Season 3 to put into my story. The whole drugging aspect may or may not be a part of that. I don't want to give anything away, but I will say that my Malcolm will differ greatly from the Malcolm on the show. I'll say no more until we get to the chapters that deal with this explicitly.
-Naitch03
A/N2: Okay, I have a confession to make. I got ZERO writing done last week. That is because I found an awesome new tory to read. And I highly recommend you all check it out. The story is: Still Waters and Quiet Men; A Starling Mystery by Lademonessa. It is an epic, highly detailed and highly enthralling story that focuses on Felicity and her ties to two vigilante groups- Team Arrow, and the Bat Family. It was so engrossing I couldn't stop reading it, and I highly recommend you check it out. You can find the story both on FanFic and AO3, though the story is illustrated on AO3 and includes hyperlinks to her research. Be warned, though- it's 57 chapters in, and the chapters are LONG. I love that kind of story, but some of you may not. I recommend you give it a try, though. Also check out her story 'Sunshine Suits Her', which is just as good.