Disclaimer: Arrow is owned by The CW, Berlanti Productions, and Warner Bros. Television. The characters of the Green Arrow and the Justice League is owned by DC Comics. I own nothing; I'm just playing in their universe.
Chapter 14: Vertigo
"Well, let's see how much jail time I get." Thea said sourly, pressing play.
The scene opens with a drug dealer running through the docks, ducking in and out of warehouses as the Hood pursues him. The dealer made it out onto the docks and started climbing up to a catwalk, and had one hand on it when and arrow pierced his leather jacket, hanging the man fifteen feet in the air by one arm.
"Oh, come on, man! I'm just trying to make an honest living!" he shouted to the Hood that stood on the docks behind him.
"There's nothing honest about what you do!" The Hood yelled back. "Who supplies you with Vertigo? Tell me now and you live."
"Please! They'll kill me!"
"Whoever you fear?" He drew an arrow and aimed. "Fear me more! "
Laurel rolled her eyes. "Jeez, that's corny."
"Okay, okay! We call him The Count, that's all I know." He screamed in fear. "I swear to God!" he closed his eyes, waiting for the arrow. When it didn't come he opened his eyes and looked around to see the Hood had vanished. "Hey! Get me down from here!" he yelled to no one.
"The Count?" Tommy said derisively. "Really?"
"When he sells his drugs, do you think he goes 'One pill! Ah-Ah-Ah!"" Felicity joked, causing the younger people to bust out laughing.
"This is not a joking matter!" Moira objected.
"It was still a good joke." Laurel argued.
"Plus, this is apparently the tamest thing I do." Thea said darkly, starting the memory up again.
The scene changed to the Lair. Diggle followed Oliver down the stairs as he returned from his hunt.
"Find what you're looking for?" Dig asked.
"Took down three Vertigo pushers tonight, Diggle." He replied, walking over to his computer. "Last one finally knew a name. The Count."
"The Count? That's worse than The Hood." Diggle quipped. Seeing Oliver wasn't taking off his gear, he frowned. "You're not going back out there."
"I'm not done for the night." He replied, entering information into the computer. "Whoever this Count is, he has a lot of blood on his hands, and it is long past time he started paying."
"Well, slow down, I think you're missing the point here." Dig argued.
"What?" Dig looked at him, and Oliver closed his eyes in frustration. "Thea."
"Her hearing's in a few hours. You think she cares more about some drug lord getting his just desserts, or you being by her side when she needs you the most?" Dig asked. Oliver nodded, acquiescing.
"I seem to keep thanking you, Mr. Diggle," Moira said. "For things you haven't even done yet."
Dig shrugged. "Sometimes we lose sight of what's more important. He just needed a reminder."
The scene changed to Queen Manor. Thea was in her room, making herself presentable when Oliver came to her door.
"Hey, we should get going. Judges don't appreciate the value in being fashionably late." He quipped.
Thea chuckled lightly. "Got any other tips?"
"Let the lawyer do all the talking." Oliver started, walking into her room to stand by her. "They'll give you a pad and paper but do not play tic-tac-toe. Judges don't appreciate that, either." Thea sighed, and he smiled at her. "Come on, Speedy." He encouraged her.
"I know, I know." She said tiredly. "I keep on trying to get up and go, but just don't." she sighed again. "I wish dad were here."
Malcolm looked over at Thea, a sadness deep in his eyes. It might have been necessary, but he never like the fact that he had killed Robert; and he hated that it brought his daughter so much pain.
"I'm here." Oliver offered, placing his hands on her shoulders comfortingly.
Moira walked up to the door. "We should leave now, Thea." She said.
The scene changed to outside the courthouse. Much like the last time Oliver came here, the press was swarming, though this time it was for Thea. They shouted questions as the three Queens waded through them.
"Ms. Queen!"
"Thea, over here."
"Can we get a comment?"
"Just one comment!"
"Thea, are you going into rehab?"
"Miss Queen, are you being expelled from Balliol Prep?"
"Are you worried about the outcome?"
Thea nervously reached back towards Oliver, and he grabbed her hand in support. He shielded her as much as he could until they finally reached the courthouse doors.
"Vultures." Malcolm snarled.
Tommy looked over at his father. "Finally something we agree on."
Inside the courtroom several mintues later, the pre-trial began.
"Docket ending 1-10-5-6, People vs. Thea Dearden Queen." The bailiff read out. "Possession of a controlled substance, driving under the influence of a controlled substance." The bailiff handed the trial sheet to the Judge, who read it over briefly.
"Counselors, I understand you've reached a plea agreement." Judge Brackett said.
Thea's lawyer Marcus Bradley rose. "We have, Your Honor." He started. "Given that my client is a juvenile, the people have generously agreed to probation."
"Juvenile?" Brackett said, looking down at the sheet. "Says right here she's 18."
"She is 18 now, Your Honor, but at the time of arrest, she was still two days shy of her 18th birthday." The lawyer responded. Ms. Queen has no priors."
"Well, just because Ms. Queen's family sweeps her priors under the rug, doesn't mean they don't exist." Brackett argued harshly. "You get your client off," he looked over to the prosecutors' table, "and you help your boss avoid dealing with the drug that's sweeping across our city like the plague. Everyone wins, except us, the people of Starling City."
"Someone's up for reelection." Tommy said gumpily.
"Your Honor, with all due respect—" Bradley started, but Brackett cut him off.
He looked down at Thea. "Ms. Queen, like it or not, you are now the poster child for this menace." He stated. "Maybe if people see that the Queen family can't get away with using Vertigo, they'll think twice before using it themselves. The plea arrangement is denied." He banged his gavel. "This case will proceed to trial." Whispers filled the courtroom as Thea looked back at Oliver in fear and confusion.
The scene changed to Queen Manor as Moira, Thea and Oliver came in, followed by Bradley.
"They can't do this." Moira said, indignant. "That man cannot send my daughter to prison."
"What are our options?" Oliver asked as Thea sat on the back of a chair.
"An interlocutory appeal." Bradley said. "But trial judges have discretion to reject plea agreements. I think you might want to prepare yourself for the possibility that this isn't going to go our way." Thea looked at him in shock. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Queen. I'll get to work on the appeal." Bradley promised, and then left to get to work.
"Well, so much for the best criminal defense attorney in the city." Moira said, shrugging helplessly. Oliver put a comforting hand on her arm, and she took a breath. "Thea, we will handle this, I promise." She told her daughter.
Thea scoffed. "Like you promised Walter you'd always stay faithful to him? I feel better already." She said, sarcastically.
"That's enough!" Moira shouted.
"Don't worry. Sounds like you won't have to be putting up with me much longer." Disgusted, she walked out of the room.
"You know," Kara said thoughtfully, looking at the youngest Queen. "You and Stephanie would have gotten along famously back then." She smirked. "Very similar temperaments."
"You mean we were both bitches." Thea said.
Kara nodded. "When she wanted to be. And usually at the most improper times."
Moira turned to Oliver, helpless. "What, does she not realize how serious this is?" she asked rhetorically. "She took drugs. She drove. She could have killed someone, or herself."
"I know." Oliver said.
"All that judge is looking for is someone to make an example of." Moira ranted. "What does it have to be her?"
Oliver considered for a moment. "Maybe it doesn't." he said thoughtfully. "Listen, I have to go do something. Are you going to be okay?"
"I'm not the one facing prison." Moira remarked sadly. Oliver turned and walked out, remembering…
FIVE YEARS AGO
The scene flashed back to the island. Oliver was locked in a cage while Yao Fei circled outside.
"You working for them now?" he asked as the man paced outside the cage silently. "Why are you doing this to me? I thought we were friends." He paused. "Or something. I mean, why'd you bother keeping me safe if you were just going to hand me over to them? Just… get me out of here." He pleaded quietly.
Yao Fei looked at him for a long moment. "I can't." he said finally, setting a cup of watered down soup in the between the bars.
"Hey!" he shouted. "Don't leave me here! I came back for you! Do you hear me? I came back for you!" he knocked the cup of soup to the ground and threw himself back against the cage, defeated.
PRESENT
The scene flashed back to the present at the SCPD as Oliver walked in to Vice's squad room.
"Hi, I'm looking for Detective Hall." He said to a patrolman. "I was told he works in Vice."
"Oliver?"
He looked over to an attractive Indian cop in her late twenties, dressed sharply and very familiar to him.
"McKenna Hall." He said, surprised.
"They know each other?" Quentin said, surprised.
"I think they dated briefly." Moira said.
"Hi." She said with a surprised smile of her own.
"Here I was, expecting a middle aged guy in a bad suit…" he said walking over to her. "And I got McKenna Hall."
"I live to surprise." She said, giving him a hug.
"Well, I remember. What was that club that you got us kicked out of?" he asked. "The Club Deville?"
"Okay, in my defense, there was no sign that specifically said you had to keep your clothes on." She said, chuckling at the memory.
"So, a cop? I guess you're not hitting the party circuit anymore." He stated, following her as she moved around the office.
"I still go to raves." She said, filling some paperwork. "I just go undercover now. And I have to dress slightly more appropriately to hide my badge and gun."
"Right."
"So what do you need with a vice cop, Oliver?" she asked, pausing to look at him.
The smile vanished from his face. "Vertigo." He said simply. McKenna looked at him in sympathy.
"Right. I saw your sister on TV. I'm sorry." She told him. They started walking again.
"The judge is trying to make an example of her" Oliver explained. "So I was thinking, if you could find the person selling the drugs, it make take some of the heat off Thea."
"Easier said than done."
"Did some digging and came up with a name." Oliver continued. "Um, The Count?"
McKenna stared at him for a moment. "Oliver, we've known about The Count for months." She said finally.
"Oh." Oliver replied, dejected. McKenna made her way to her desk and picked up a thin file folder.
"I wish this was thicker," she said, handing him the folder, "but we really don't have much on him. Love to say we're going to catch him before your sister's trial, but it's highly unlikely." She looked at her watch. "Oh, I am late for my shift." She said, gathering her things.
"Well, if you hear of anything about this guy, just…let me know?" Oliver asked politely. McKenna looked at him with a soft smile.
"I always loved how much you cared about your sister." She said. "But leave the policing to the police, okay?"
Lance chuckled darkly. "Yeah, right."
"Okay." They smiled at each other as Oliver walked out of the squad room. As he walked out, Detective Lance walked in. He glared at Oliver's bask as he left, then turned to Hall.
"What did Queen want?" he demanded.
"He's an old friend, sister's jammed up." McKenna said. She looked at the older cop. "Anything else, Sergeant?" she asked
"No." he replied. He considered her as she walked out of the room.
The scene changed to an old abandoned juvenile detention center. The drug dealer The Hood had roughed up sat alone in the darkened kitchen, waiting. He wasn't waiting for long as three men entered, and he sat up straight and gasped as the first man pulled a gun and held it to his head.
He was tall, dressed in black with a black pea coat, his black hair spiked. He walked up to the dealer, who had raised his arm in front of his face to protect his face. The Count looked at the whole in the man's jacket. "You need a tailor." He quipped.
"You know about the hood guy." The dealer complained. "He just cornered me, man."
"The hood guy?"
"I didn't say anything." He promised his boss.
"Oh, I know." The Count said. "You can't divulge secrets you don't know." The dealer smiled a little in relief. "But examples must be made." The Count continued, walking behind the dealer. As he did, he pulled out a double syringe and jabbed it into the dealer's neck and injected its contents. "Vertigo, in its purest form." He explained, pulling out the needles. The dealer started shaking and sweating profusely. "When injected directly into the bloodstream, it affects the thalamus region of your brain. Which is where all of the information from your pain receptors is collected. No doubt you're in excruciating pain." The Count continued to circle the man. "But actually, you're not. You just think you are. I've seen it last for days, until finally the heart gives out."
The dealer screamed in pain. The Count kneeled in front of him and wagged the gun in front of his face, getting his attention. "One bullet left." He said, placing the gun in the Dealer's hand. "Now, you can use that bullet to shoot me and take your revenge," he said with a smile as the dealer shakily raised the gun, pointing it at the Count, "or you could shoot yourself. It's your choice." He raised his hands and backed away. The dealer raised the gun, trying to aim through the excruciating pain. Finally, though, the pain became too much and he jammed the gun under his chin and pulled the trigger, killing himself.
"Jesus." Quentin said. Most everyone else was shaken up, too.
"Is that guy completely nuts?" Thea asked.
"I wouldn't say he's crazy." Malcolm said. "He's a true anarchist. He doesn't care what happens, as long as it causes disorder. If he had been shot, then it would have been surprising to him, and he'd be happy. Or the dealer kills himself, and it gives him a little thrill." He pointed at the screen. "That is a dangerous man."
"More dangerous than you?" Thea shot back.
"Much." He replied calmly. "Men like me? We may cause death and destruction, but it is always limited and always with a broader goal in mind. I wish to destroy The Glades so that I may rebuild them, and make out city great again. But him?" he shook his head. "Some people just want to watch the world burn."
"The Hood." The Count said after a moment. "Coming for me." He withdrew a handkerchief from his jacket and used it to pick up the gun, then pocketed it. He stood and considered. "Interesting." He said, and then led his men out of the room.
The scene changed to Laurel's apartment the next day. Laurel was sitting at her table, looking at an article about Thea's trial on her tablet when Tommy walked in.
"I'm learning you're not much of a morning snuggler." He said, kissing the top of her head.
"And I'm learning that you don't like to wake up at any hour that ends in a.m." Laurel quipped.
"That's true." Tommy nodded. "Yeah. So if you're busy being a lawyer all day and I'm managing a night club all night, when exactly do we get to see each other?" he asked, taking a sip of coffee. There was a knock at the door. "Hmm." He put the cup down. "I got it." Tommy walked to the door and opened it- to see Oliver standing there.
"Hey." Tommy said, surprised.
"Hey." Oliver replied, equally off-put.
"Well, this is awkward." Thea quipped.
"Hey, how- how is Thea holding up?" Tommy asked, trying to recover from the awkwardness.
"She's doing okay. Thank you." Oliver replied. He looked past Tommy to Laurel. "Umm… actually, I- I came to talk to Laurel."
"Yeah." Tommy said, moving aside to let Oliver in.
"Hi." Oliver said as Laurel came over.
"Hi." She replied.
"Thank you for coming to court yesterday."
"Yeah, of course." She said. "But I don't think the judge is willing to move off his position. Taking a hard line against criminals is a platform for his reelection." Laurel advised.
Tommy snapped his fingers. "Knew it!" he exclaimed. "Who's the guy running against him? I'll give him a ton of money…"
"Tommy!" Laurel exclaimed, outraged. Tommy shrugged his shoulders. He noticed his father smirking at him, then nodding in agreement.
"I need you to talk to your father." Oliver said without further preamble. "He's inside the system, and maybe he cashes in a chip with Judge Brackett, gets him off throwing the book at Thea."
"Oliver, I don't—" she started, but Oliver cut her off.
"Laurel, I am working on something on my end, but…" he paused for a moment to collect himself. "If it doesn't work out, this is my best chance to help my sister. Please." He pleaded.
Laurel sighed. "I'll see what I can do." She said. "But no promises." She added.
"Thank you." He told her, then patted Tommy on the arm and left the apartment.
The scene changed to outside the SCPD later that night, where Laurel and Quentin were walking outside in the motor pool.
"Absolutely not." Quentin was saying. Laurel sighed.
"Dad, I know how you feel about Oliver…." She began. He cut her off.
"Then why would you even ask me to do this." He asked.
"Because Thea, she's only 18 years old." Laurel stated.
"Which makes her an adult. She can take her medicine." Quentin scoffed. "It's about time someone in the Queen family did."
Moira glared at the cop.
"What about the Lance family?" Laurel shot back. She began to plead her case. "A young girl acting out, engaging in reckless behavior, does that sound familiar?"
"Laurel, don't go there." Quentin warned.
"Thea, she's just like I remember Sara."
"That is not how I remember your sister."
"That's because you remember her the way that you wish she had been, not the way that she actually was." Laurel said bluntly. They both stopped walking, and Quentin turned to face her. "She's not the Saint that you make her out to be." Laurel added. "I know she was arrested for shoplifting and I know you made it go away."
"Well, maybe if I let her go to jail, Queen wouldn't have had her on that damn boat." Quentin growled.
"Dad, you make it sound like he kidnapped her!" Laurel exclaimed. "For so long, you and I have blamed Oliver for Sara's death, but Sara's to blame, too. When I look at Thea, I see Sara's potential in her. And her flaws, too. Yes, Thea made a mistake! But she's been through a lot. She lost a father and a brother. She doesn't need prison, she needs help. So please…" She looked at her father, a pleading look in her eyes.
Quentin sighed. "I'll make some calls." He said grudgingly, and then walked away.
Thea looked at Laurel, tears in her eyes. "Thank you."
Laurel smiled. "Well it's true, now that I think about it."
The scene changed to the Russian auto repair shop the next day. Oliver and Diggle walked in, Oliver carrying two large duffle bags.
"I've seen a fair amount of Cyrillic back in Afghanistan left over by the Soviets." Diggle noted. "Is this Russian owned?"
"This is the not so hidden headquarters for the Starling City chapter of the Bratva." Oliver explained, stopping the man. "Diggle… whatever I say, whatever goes down, just go with it." He told his friend as Alexi approached. "Rad videt' tebya snova." He greeted the man in Russian.
"Long time." He replied. "Particularly for Bratva captain."
"I was trying to figure out where to put my interests." Oliver replied. "I decided on pharmaceuticals." He dropped the bags at Alexi's feet. "I don't mean aspirin."
"A wise choice." Alexi replied. "Mepheodrone would be a good investment for you. It's the newest thing."
"I was thinking Vertigo." Oliver countered. "Newer thing."
"Tough market, Vertigo. Only one seller." Alexi noted.
Oliver nodded. "I know. I was hoping you could do me a favor and arrange a meeting."
"He's difficult man. And he does not like new friends."
Diggle handed Oliver a folder, and Oliver held it out to Alexi. "This is everything the police have on him." He said. "Tell him it's a gift."
"I will see what I can do." He said, taking the folder. "Provided you do favor for me."
"Vse"
Alexi looked to one of his comrades, who moved off. "It is unusual for an American to hold such a position of esteem in our organization." He looked at Oliver hard. "Mr. Queen." Oliver nodded, acknowledging that Alexi knew who he was. "Anatoli Knyazev." He continued. "He speaks very highly of you."
"He should." Oliver replied as Diggle looked on, "I saved his life." He and Diggle stared as Alexi's associate dragged a man into the room. He nodded towards the man. "What did he do?"
"Something I told him not to." He replied. "Now the favor. Kill this man for me, and I will believe your interest in our organization is genuine. And then I will arrange a meeting with The Count."
Oliver considered the man for a few seconds, and then moved over to him. He took the man from the goon and held him in a tight choke hold.
"Oliver…" Diggle said softly.
"Hey, shut up!" Oliver growled. He tightened the hold, and moments later the man went limp. Oliver dropped him to the ground, and the goon moved over to check for a pulse, finding none, he nodded at Alexi, who in turn smiled at Oliver.
"Spasibo." Alexi said.
"What are friends for?" Oliver replied.
"Oh, my god…" Moira said. Lance looked on in interest too, but didn't say anything. Something felt- off, about that.
"Pause it." Lance ordered, and Thea did so. He looked at Kara. "You said that this Waller woman pretty much press-ganged Oliver into working for her, right?" Kara nodded, and he pointed to the screen. "Did that include undercover work for the Bratva?"
Kara smiled. "You're as smart as I remember you being." She said warmly. "And yes, it did. Oliver saved a man's life once, and that got him an in into the Russian Mafia. Waller made sure to exploit that."
Lance nodded, then gestured t Thea to continue.
FIVE YEARS AGO
The scene flashed back to the island. Yao Fei was escorting Oliver out of his cage.
"So I'm out of the gates now." He was saying as Yao Fei pushed him on. "What's going on? Are we getting out of here?" The Asian man said nothing. "Where are you taking me?" Oliver demanded. Soon, he found out.
Fyers men were in a circle, surrounding two men who were fighting. One looked to be another prisoner, the other was the man in the blue and gold mask. Wintergreen was taking the other man apart, and soon he had the man down. He looked over to Fyers, who nodded in ascent, so Wintergreen picked the man up- only to send him back down a moment later, this time without a head.
"Christ!" Tommy exclaimed. "That guy is a freaking nightmare!"
"Yes, he is." Slade agreed coldly.
"Friend of yours?" Tommy joked.
"Yes, he was." Slade said, and Tommy sat back, uncomfortable.
"While I admit that bout was particularly one-sided, would anybody else like to give it a try?" Fyers asked, and Yao Fei shoved Oliver into the circle. "The point of these little gladiatorial distractions is to strengthen unit cohesion." He continued. "To that end, I think our newest recruit ought to be afforded the opportunity to try his hand." He grinned cruelly at Yao Fei, who handed his AK to another soldier and stepped into the circle. The two men faced off as Wintergreen stepped out, sheathing his sword.
PRESENT
The scene flashed back to the present. Oliver and Diggle were walking out of the shop towards their car, with Oliver carrying the body of the man he 'killed' over his shoulder.
"I can't believe you just killed that guy." Diggle growled softly.
Oliver scoffed. "You really have a low opinion of me." He shot back as Diggle popped the trunk. Oliver dumped the man in the trunk, then looked around to make sure no one else was looking. Seeing it was clear, he reached down and touched a spot on the man's neck. Instantly the man shot up and gasped, very much alive.
"Hmm. Thought so." Lance said. "For some reason, I didn't think Oliver would kill a guy like that at the drop of a hat. Figured he used some kind of kung-fu voodoo."
"Whoa! That's a neat trick." Diggle exclaimed. "You going to teach me that one day?"
Oliver delivered a sharp elbow to the man's face, knocking him back out. "No." he said simply, closing the trunk.
"What are you doing?" Dig asked.
"You need to arrange a new identity for this guy." Oliver ordered. "Get him out of the city."
"Right, so your Ruskie pal draws out The Count, vigilante takes him down." Dig surmised.
"No, Diggle, because then the Bratva would know that I used them, and that relationship is too valuable." Oliver retorted. "I do the meet with The Count as myself, let him leave, then we follow him to his hideout."
"Just that easy, huh?"
"Well, I will still need my trusty bodyguard." Oliver quipped, getting into the passenger side of the car.
"Fantastic." Diggle groused. "Looking forward to my new and exciting career as a drug dealer."
Inside the shop, Alexi was on the phone. "He's a captain. And he has money. Are you interested?" he asked.
On the other end of the phone, The Count considered with a smile. "Hmm. Let's say…yes."
"Well, that was fast." Diggle said, impressed despite himself.
"Yeah, and I can't wait to arrest every single one of them." Quentin said.
The scene changed to the next day at Queen Manor, where Laurel and Oliver were seated across from Thea in the sitting room.
"My father was able to get Judge Brackett to back off his hardline stance." Laurel was telling the younger girl.
"Your father hates me." Thea said, glowering.
"No I don't." Lance said, then pointed at the screen. "I hate him."
"No." Oliver argued.
"No." Laurel agreed, nodding towards Oliver. "My father hates him."
"Look, nobody asked you to get involved." Thea started.
"I did." Oliver interrupted, drawing a surprised look from his sister.
"The judge has agreed to a sentence of 500 hours of community service and two years of probation." Laurel said. "Provisional on the appointment of someone to act in loco parentis."
"In loco what?"
"It means that the court will appoint an individual to assume responsibility for you." Laurel explained. "Me."
"I say thanks, but no thanks." Thea said snidely.
"Thea!" Oliver said sharply. "You don't actually have a choice."
"Oh, actually, I do." She replied. "See, I'm 18 now and I can make my own decisions. So I decide not to be your ex-girlfriend's office monkey." She said sarcastically.
Laurel looked at her awkwardly. "Well, if you change your mind, then." She said. She rose from the couch and Oliver showed her out.
"Thank you." He told her softly.
Thea looked at Laurel. "And once again, let me apologize in advance for being such a bitch."
Laurel chuckled. "Actually, right then you really did remind me of Sara."
'Hey!' Sara's voice called out over the intercom.
"Yeah." She replied, walking out. Frustrated, Oliver turned back to his sister.
"Thea," he started. "You're in real trouble, and rightly so. Doing drugs and driving? It is beyond stupid. That is a good deal that Laurel got you!" he exclaimed. "Why aren't you jumping at it?"
Thea scoffed. "I already have a mother."
Oliver sighed. "So you're going to go to jail and it will ruin the rest of your life."
"No." she chuckled, rising from the couch. "I want to ruin mom's life." She snarled. "She's a liar and a cheat. I mean, deal with it Ollie. You can pretend all you want to that she's a saint, but I hate her. And she betrayed dad." She began to storm off.
"So you're just-you're going to go to jail to spite her?" he said incredulously. "Thea, Mom didn't cheat on dad." He said, stopping her in her tracks. "He cheated on her."
She stared at him, her arms crossed. "Is that the best you can come up with?" she asked.
"Dad wasn't the man he said he was." Oliver stated. "On 'The Queen's Gambit' right before he died, he admitted to me that he failed us." He continued, admitting a truth he had vowed he never would. "You. Me. And mom. That he wasn't the man he said he was and that he just wished he wished he had more time to right his wrongs."
"I don't believe you." She said shakily, heartbreak written on her face.
"Yes, you do." Oliver countered.
Thea glared at her brother. "Leave me alone." She demanded, storming out of the room. Oliver sighed and turned around- to see his mother standing there.
Moira sighed. "Secrets and lies." She repeated tiredly.
Thea laughed shortly. "Yeah. Beginning to see how much they suck?" she asked mirthlessly.
"How dare you." She growled quietly. Oliver stared back at her impassively.
"She was old enough to know the truth." He said simply. They glared at each other for a moment before Diggle walked in. Moira sighed in frustration and walked out of the room.
After she was gone, Dig walked over to him. "Oliver, the Russians called. The meet is set." Dig told him. "It's tonight."
The scene changed to a parking garage later that night. Oliver and Diggle stood with Alexi and his associate.
"You know why they call him The Count?" Alexi asked. When Oliver said nothing, he explained. "When he was developing this drug, he experimented on the homeless. Prostitutes, runaways. The police would find their bodies, puncture marks on their neck, like a vampire." He looked at the younger man. "You should not be in such a hurry to meet this man."
Tires squealed and a SUV pulled up. Several men came out, and Oliver and Diggle held up their hands to be frisked. Once they were cleared, The Count stepped out of the car.
"Thank you for this." He said, waving the folder Oliver had given Alexi. "But I'm not overly concerned about the SCPD. Now, I understand you gentlemen wish to participate in the feel good business."
Lance snarled. "I'm going to bust his ass." He vowed.
"Yes." Oliver said.
"And why is that?" The Count enquired.
"Well, I am opening a nightclub, and I'd like my customers to have a little… something extra."
Malcolm nodded. "Good cover. Risky, but good."
"Well, as it happens, I'm looking to expand my brand." The Count said happily. The bags of money were thrown down, and one of the Count's men produced a small briefcase. "A good wine's value is measured by its vintage. The number of years it took to ferment." He said, opening the case to show it was filled with baggies containing the little green and black pill. "Vertigo is measured in lives. 56 people died to perfect this high." He waved a baggie in Oliver's face, and then threw it back in the case. "Believe me when I say that they did not die for nothing." He closed the case and was about to hand it to Oliver when more squealing tires caught everyone's attention.
"The cops! We've been set up!" someone screamed as several patrol cars arrived on the scene.
"NOW the cops get involved?" Thea said incredulously. She glared at Quentin. "Great timing."
"Let's get out! Go! Go!" The Count, his men, Alexi and the Russians, and Oliver and Diggle scrambled to leave as Lance and dozens of other Officers got out of their cars with their guns drawn.
"SCPD! Put your weapons down!" Lance shouted. The Count's men and some of the Russians opened fire, which the cops returned. Oliver looked around and saw The Count making a getaway and took off after them, ignoring Diggle's shout.
He caught up to them and decked the first man, but when he reached his boss the Count spun and jabbed his dual syringe into Oliver's chest, injecting the pure vertigo.
"No witnesses." The Count said as Oliver staggered back, his body on fire with pain.
Up top, the Count's men managed to take off in the SUV, but were blocked from escape by McKenna Hall. She drove at straight at them as they drove towards her, firing her service pistol out the driver's side window while driving one-handed. He managed to tag the man hanging out of the passenger side, then the driver, causing the SUV to skid to a halt. She did as well, jumping out of her car, her gun pointed at the SUV.
"Get out of the car!"
"Damn!" Felicity said, impressed. "Go Sarah Connor!"
Back in the stairwell, Diggle ran up to Oliver as he pulled the syringe out of his chest.
"You ok?" Dig asked.
Oliver handed the syringe to Diggle. "Keep it." He gasped out.
"Yeah, we got to go." He said, throwing the younger man's arm over his shoulder. "Steps. Let's go."
The scene changed to the Lair. In a reversal of roles, Dig laid Oliver down on a table, then ran over to his case and pulled out the herbs. He quickly mixed up the potion and ran back over to his friend. As he leaned down Oliver, lost in the pain, instinctively lashed out, grabbing onto Diggle's throat. Dig managed to pry the fingers loose and press Oliver back into the table.
"Oliver!" he exclaimed, trying to break through the haze. He held the bowl up to Oliver's lips. "Drink." He poured the herb-infused water into his mouth, and Oliver began to drink. As the water ran out, Olive threw his head back and screamed.
FIVE YEARS AGO
The scene flashed back to the island, where Yao Fei was beating the crap out of Oliver. Finally, Yao Fei spun into a choke hold, squeezing tightly. Finally, Oliver went limp, and Yao Fei dropped his lifeless body to the ground.
"So THAT'S where he learned that move!" Lance exclaimed.
PRESENT
The scene flashed back to the morning. Oliver awoke, handcuffed to the table in the lair.
"Mornin'." Diggle said pleasantly as Oliver groaned. "How you feeling?"
"I feel like I'm getting the worst hangover of my life." He replied, sitting up.
"That coming from a guy who spent most of his twenties in a hangover, that's really saying something." Dig joked.
"You think you can uncuff me?" Oliver asked. Dig stared back at him. "Not going to kill you." Oliver assured him. "Promise." Dig uncuffed him and Oliver stood, stretching painfully. He groaned as Dig looked on, impressed.
"You're standing. That's pretty impressive." He noted. "The Count only got you with half a dose, but you still sweated out a small swimming pool coming down."
"The Count. Any chance our friends in SCPD took him down?" he asked.
Dig shook his head. "None at all, but we did manage to get this." He held up the dual syringe. "Think we should analyze it." He looked at Oliver critically as the man got dressed. "Listen, Oliver, maybe you need to give it a few hours." He suggested. "A near drug overdose isn't something you just walk away from."
"Neither is Thea." Oliver replied.
Thea smiled warmly at the image of her brother.
The scene shifted to Queen Manor. Oliver and Diggle walked in to see Moira sitting with Detective's Lance and Hall.
"What's wrong? Is everything okay with Thea?" Oliver asked, worried.
"This isn't about your sister, this is about you." Lance said, rising. "Last night we got a call from a C.I., busted up a drug sale between a big time dealer and the Russian mob."
Oliver looked at McKenna. "'We'? I thought you worked Vice." He stated.
"Joint task force. Vertigo's got everybody holding hands." McKenna said.
"Like I said Last night, drug deal gone south." Lance interrupted. "An eyewitness put you at the scene."
"Whoever he is, he's mistaken." Oliver denied.
"Yeah?" Lance said, moving in closer. But it was McKenna who spoke next.
"I saw you, Oliver." She said. Oliver looked at her.
"Is this true?" Moira asked.
Oliver sighed. "I was checking into The Count." He began. "He's the guy who sold drugs to Thea. And I figured if I could find out what he looked like, then I could give your sketch artist something to go on. So I paid a low-life with a Russian accent an obscene amount of money to arrange a meeting."
"And? Did you get eyes on him?" McKenna asked.
"No." Oliver lied to the cops' disappointment.
"All right, are you pressing charges against my son?" Moira demanded.
Lance glared at Oliver, but there was understanding in his eyes. "You get involved in this again, you'll see the inside of a cell, and unlike last time, you will not see the way out." He promised.
"Detective." Oliver said, stopping the man before he could storm out. "Thank you very much. Thank you for what you did for Thea." He said sincerely.
"My daughter asked me for a favor and I did it. And that's the end of it." With that, Lance turned and walked out.
"Such a charming man." Moira said dryly. Lance chuckled.
McKenna walked up to Oliver. "Hope you don't think I sold you out." She said.
"No." Oliver assured her. "Just doing your job." McKenna smiled and walked out.
Moira sighed and rose to her feet. "What on earth were you thinking?" she demanded.
Oliver scoffed. "I was trying to help."
"By running around with the Russian mob and a murderous drug dealer? Are you out of your mind?!"
"Mom, look, the real reason that you're upset is because I told Thea the truth about dad." Oliver stated bluntly.
"She never needed to know that." Moira exclaimed.
"Yes, I did."
They turned to see Thea walk into the room. "I'm old enough to know the truth, Mom."
Moira sighed. "It wasn't about your age. It was about preserving your memory of your father. He loved you." She continued. "No matter his faults, he loved you."
"I said that I wished you had died instead of him, but you still didn't say anything. Why?" she asked tearfully.
"One day, I hope you're lucky enough to have a daughter, and you'll know why." Moira said. Thea threw herself into her mother's arms.
"I'm so sorry for what I said." She said, crying into her shoulder.
"I know, I know." Moira whispered, holding her daughter close. Oliver watched them for a moment before walking out of the room.
"What, no group hug?" Tommy joked, earning a slap on both arms from Thea and Laurel. "Ouch."
"Now what?" Diggle asked as he came into the foyer.
"Like you said, we analyze the Vertigo." Oliver replied, bounding up the stairs. "It's in liquid form, which means it contains water. So maybe we can trace back to where in the city The Count is cooking up this garbage…." He trailed off as suddenly the world spun around him. He collapsed to his knees, a sensation of floating passing over him, and then fell back onto the floor as Diggle hovered over him.
FIVE YEARS AGO
The scene flashed back to the Island. A Merc dropped Oliver's body onto a small rocky outcropping overlooking a waterfall. He was about to roll it into the river when Yao Fei spoke up.
"Děngdài." Yao Fei said. He looked to Fyers' "Wǒ huì zuò" Fyers nodded to the man, and Yao Fei jumped down. He leaned by the body, reached underneath, and then a moment later rolled Oliver off the outcropping and into the river below.
PRESENT
The scene flashed back to the present at Queen Consolidated. Oliver staggered out of the elevator followed closely by Diggle.
"Hey, we need to get you to a hospital." Dig told his friend.
"No." Oliver growled back.
"Oliver, God knows what was in that drug. It could be causing permanent damage." Dig argued. Oliver continued to ignore him, seeing the person he had been looking for.
"Felicity." He said, causing the woman to turn from the people she had been talking to. "Hey, they said you'd be up here."
"You look like something the cat dragged in." she remarked. "Not that there are cats in this building. Well, once a cat did get in, but a guard tazed it." She leaned in and whispered, "It smelled like fur and static in here for like a week."
Thea looked over at Felicity. "Seriously?" she asked, horrified.
Felicity shuddered. "Not a memory I like thinking about."
Oliver tried to focus on the woman, but the drugs in his system were making it hard for him to focus on anything. He cleared his throat to interrupt her usual babble.
"Would you mind stepping away from the window for a moment?" he asked in a raspy voice. "I have a little bit of a hangover."
"Sounds like you need a bloody Mary and a pretzel, not the I.T. Department." She noted.
"Actually, my buddy Kevin is starting an energy drink company." Oliver began, withdrawing the syringe from his coat pocket.
Everyone groaned at this line. "That is HORRIBLE!" Tommy complained. "How has he not been caught yet?"
"I still think he's testing her." Malcolm said.
"He says it's fantastic for curing hangovers, but I am very particular about what it is I put in my body."
"I've noticed." Felicity blanched. "I said, not noticed. Right?"
Thea smirked at the IT girl.
Olive chuckled weakly. Normally he enjoyed her babble, but right now he was having a hard enough time staying in an upright position. "I'm trying to find the secret recipe. Could you please do a spectroanalysis of the sample and find out exactly where in the city it's made?" he handed her the syringe.
"If it's an energy drink, why is it in a syringe?" she asked.
"I ran out of sports bottles." Diggle looked over at Oliver, then without saying a word walked over to the elevators to call a car.
"See? Even Diggle is like 'Man, that was lame.'." Tommy said, trying and failing at imitating Dig's voice.
Felicity gave him the same 'Really?' look Dig just had, then said "Okay." and walked off. Oliver shook his head and walked over to the open elevator.
"Your B.S. stories are getting worse." He said dryly.
"I'm well aware." Oliver replied as the doors closed.
The scene changed to the lair later that night.
"Looks like Felicity came through." Dig was saying, staring at the info the I.T. girl had emailed them.
"Of course I did!" Felicity said, earning chuckles from everyone.
"The solvent used in the Vertigo sample was run off water originated within a ten block radius of where East Glades meets the bay. Nothing there except for an old juvenile detention center abandoned about three years ago." He looked over to Oliver. "Cutbacks." He explained. As Oliver went to grab his gear, Dig looked at him in alarm. "You can't go out there, though, Oliver. You're still suffering the aftereffects of the Vertigo."
Oliver spun to face Diggle. "Did you hear The Count? He's taking this drug citywide. If we don't stop him now, this becomes an epidemic."
Diggle rose and stood in front of Oliver. "I can stop you from leaving." He threatened.
Oliver stared back at the man. "Try."
Diggle nodded, and then moved over to the workbench. He picked up a tennis ball and held it loosely next to his head. "Oliver, you hit this and you can leave."
Oliver picked up his bow and nocked an arrow. He took careful aim- but his senses were still damaged by the vertigo, and he couldn't be sure he would hit the ball and miss Dig. Reluctantly he lowered the bow and removed the arrow, putting both back in the case.
Diggle smiled. "I'm glad you came to your senses." He said, turning back to the computer.
"You should always remember one thing, Dig." Oliver said, causing the man to turn around.
"What's that?" he asked.
"I don't need the bow." Oliver said coldly, and then grabbed his leathers to change as Diggle chuckled in disbelief.
Thea shook her head. "Oh, Ollie…"
Malcolm leaned forward, watching with interest. He looked forward to seeing how Oliver fought while handicapped.
The scene changed to the Count's hideout. The Hood was making his way unsteadily up the stairs inside; still suffering the effects of the vertigo. As The Count's goons attacked, Oliver managed to defend himself and take them down, though it took more effort than it normally did.
Dig shook his head. "I can't believe the man…"
"It's vengeance." Malcolm said. "The Count hurt his sister, and now he'll hurt The Count. Whatever it takes."
And as he worked his way up, the SCPD arrived outside in force, led by Hall and Lance.
"And once again the police arrive five minutes late…" Thea said sarcastically, earning a light slap on the arm from Laurel.
"My C.I. swears this is the place." She told the elder detective, who motioned to another officer.
"Bring your men up on the flank." He ordered. "Okay, this way. Follow me."
Inside the main hall, one of the Count's men ran in to raise the alarm.
"He's here!"
"He who?" The Count asked
"The Hood!" Just then The Hood busted in, taking out the guards as fast as he could manage as they fired their submachine guns at him.
In the stairwell, Lance noted the gunfire, along with the unconscious men lying about. "Looks like we're not the only guests." He remarked, moving onward.
In the main hall, Oliver had just managed to toss the last guard through a glass table and turned his attention to the Count.
"You should have stuck to your depraved elite." The Count raged, holding a gun on the vigilante. "I am merely providing people with what they want! I am providing a public service!"
"So's Ollie, by taking out the trash." Tommy remarked.
"So am I." The Hood threw a flechette, disarming the crazed drug dealer, then leapt up onto the table he was standing. They traded punches before The Hood grabbed the Count's double syringe and jammed it into his arm. "Enjoy the fruits of your labor." He hissed as he squeezed the plunger, injecting the drug into the Count.
"Oh, that's nasty." Dig said.
"Some would call it poetic." Malcolm noted.
"Freeze!"
Oliver moved directly behind The Count, keeping the man between him and the half dozen cops who had just arrived.
"Put down the needle, or I will shoot you!" Lance shouted. "Put down the syringe!"
"He deserves this!" Oliver argued.
"Not according to the law!" Lance shot back. "The people that think you're a hero, people like my daughter, if they could see you now… you're no hero." He sneered. "You're what I always said you were- a killer."
Oliver snarled in annoyance, then cutting his loses tossed the Count directly on top of Lance, sprinting away.
"Get him!" Lance ordered, but the Hood had disappeared. Looking down at the doped drug dealer, he pulled out his radio. "Get me an ambulance." He ordered. "Now!"
"You know, the sad thing is that if he would have let us do our job, we would have gotten the guy anyway." Lance said. He gestured at Thea. "As Miss Queen so eloquently put it, we were only a few minutes behind him every step of the way."
"And then he gets off on a technicality, and goes back to producing his poison." Malcolm said snidely. "Yes, that's much more preferable."
"We live in a country of Laws, Merlyn." Quentin snapped. "If you don't like 'em, then leave."
The scene changed to CNRI where Oliver was escorting Thea to her community service.
"Juvenile delinquent reporting for duty." Thea said nervously to Laurel as the older woman approached with a smile.
"Since you lost your driver's license, I'll pick you up at five." Oliver told her.
"Six." Laurel interrupted. "We have a lot of work for her to do."
"Well, then, let's say seven." Oliver said with a grin.
"Is it too late to choose jail?" Thea wondered aloud.
Moira, Tommy, Laurel, and even Malcolm all said "Yes!" in unison.
Both Oliver and Laurel said "Yes." In unison, and then laughed.
Thea just rolled her eyes.
Laurel handed Thea a stack of folders. "I need you to go through these files and pull out all the documents dated March 2007. Do you think you could do that?" she asked.
"I think I can." Thea assured her. She moved towards an empty desk, but stopped and turned back to Laurel. "I know I messed up." She said. "I really appreciate this, Laurel."
Laurel smiled at the younger girl. "We are going to make an upstanding citizen out of you yet, Speedy."
As Thea sat down to start working, Oliver smiled warmly at his Ex. "Thank you." He told her. "And this will be good for her, having a role model, somebody better than me."
"Oh, you're not so bad." She argued.
"Yes he is." Tommy said, earning a glare from Thea. "And so am I, for that matter." He added, causing Thea to smirk.
"You're damn right you are." Laurel muttered softly.
Laurel smiled wistfully, staring at Thea. "And besides, it'll be nice to have her around."
Oliver's phone rang and he looked at the screen. "I got to take this. Excuse me." He told her, and then moved off, answering the phone. "Hello?"
"We got The Count." McKenna said. "Busted up his lab, got him on everything from drug trafficking to homicide. He'll be gone for a long while." She assured him.
"That's great, thanks." Oliver replied.
"It was great seeing you, Oliver." She said.
"You, too."
"See ya." McKenna hung up the phone with a smile.
The scene changed to Iron Heights Penitentiary's hospital wing. Lance was standing with the doctor, looking down at The Count, who was strapped to a gurney.
"He's still critical." The doctor was telling Lance. "I've never seen anyone OD on this much Vertigo and live. There's just no way of knowing what kind of damage has been done to his brain and nervous system. Or if it's irreparable." She finished as the Count was wheeled away with Lance looking on.
"You know, from the amount of his product he probably regularly consumed, I'm not sure how damaged he truly is." Quentin said thoughtfully.
Malcolm's eyes narrowed. First thing when he got back was to find this man, and end him before he even got started.
The scene changed to Big Belly burger. Oliver was sitting at a table by the window, staring out into the rain as he remembered.
FIVE YEARS AGO
Yao Fei leaned next to Oliver's body. He reached underneath and, unseen by Fyers or the other Mercs, slipped a map into Oliver's vest pocket. He looked back at Fyers, who nodded, and then reached down to roll Oliver off the cliff. Before he did, though, he touched a spot on Oliver's neck, just below the chin, and then a moment later rolled Oliver off the outcropping and into the river below.
Oliver landed in a deeper part of the lagoon and floated for several moments before blot awake. He gasped as he pulled his had out of the water, then weakly struggled to swim to shore. He crawled onto the rocks and hauled himself further onto dry land before collapsing, utterly spent. Feeling something in the pocket of his vest, he frowned and reached in, pulling out a map. Unfolding it, though, he found that Yao Fei had left him a message. On the map a path was marked in red, with an 'X' marking the end of the path. Above the 'X' was written one single word.
"Shengcún." Oliver read aloud. "Survive." He folded up the map and staggered to his feet, then tiredly began walking the path.
PRESENT
"I do believe we will be seeing me soon." Slade noted thoughtfully.
Back in the present, Oliver's recollections were interrupted as he saw a familiar blonde walk past. He waved, and she came inside, stopping at the table.
"Hi." He told the woman.
"Hi." Felicity responded. "Thanks for meeting me. I was too nervous to come to your house." She chuckled nervously. "Okay… the thing is, I've been debating whether or not to share this with you for weeks." He gave her his undivided attention. "Can I trust you?" she asked. At his confused look, she scoffed. "I'm not an idiot." She snapped. "You've dropped some fairly ridiculous lies on me, and yet I still feel like I can trust you." She chuckled. "Why is that?" she wondered aloud.
"I have one of those faces." He quipped.
"Not to mention bodies…" Felicity thought out loud, then realizing that she said it out loud she blushed. "Not that I was staring at his body…"
"If you weren't, I was." Laurel said. Tommy looked over at her sharply, jealousy rising in him like a flame.
At her look, he smiled apologetically. "Sorry. Yes." He said firmly. "You can trust me."
"Then I have something to show you." She reached down into her handbag and withdrew a small, tan notebook. Oliver looked at it as she handed the book to him. Oliver took the book with a frown, which only deepened as he opened the book to see a very familiar list of names.
"The plot thickens…" Felicity said.
"Have you ever seen this before?" she asked.
"No." He wasn't lying. He had never seen THIS notebook before. Still, he was trying his best to reign in his emotions as he asked the next question. "Where'd you get it?"
"From your stepfather." She replied to his surprise.
"From Walter." Oliver confirmed. "Um… well, where did he get it?" he asked, his emotions escaping his control.
"He said he found it in your house." Felicity explained. "That it belongs to your mother. Walter thought she was hiding something. Something more, and he wanted me to look into it, but then he vanished." She took a breath. "I think this list might have cost Walter his life." She admitted as Oliver stared into space, his jaw clenched in anger.
"No, just his freedom." Thea said darkly as the memory set ended. She glared at Malcolm as she hand the remote to Laurel. He looked calmly back, but said nothing.
CONTROL ROOM
"So…" Sara started, glancing over at Mia, "At what point are you going to cut your losses with daddy dearest?"
"I'm not." Mia said simply as she pulled up the next memory set.
"Really?" Sara said in disbelief. "You do know what he's doing right now, don't you?"
"Plotting to kill The Count- for which I say more power to him."
"AND plotting to kill Oliver, AND plotting to kill Walter, AND plotting to kill Felicity, probably…" Mia glared at her friend, but Sara merely raised an eyebrow in return. "You're only mad because you know I'm right."
Mia sighed. "After The Undertaking." She said finally, starring at the screen at her father. "He needs to see the cost of his actions. After that, if he doesn't turn that corner… we'll wipe him and send him back."
Sara nodded. "Alright then. Next memory set?"
"Load it up." Mia replied.
TBC
A/N: The name for Thea's lawyer, Marcus Bradley, was made up on the fly. Poor guy wasn't even listed on IMDB.