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 16: The Odyssey

"Well then, let's keep going." Lance said. "I can't wait to see what happens next."

"I'll need the Unidac merger finalized by the end of the week." She told the men. "We're on something of a clock here."

Suddenly The Hood crashed through the window. He landed in a roll, coming up to take out one of the guards. He attacked the second bodyguard as the executives fled, knocking him out with a vicious uppercut. The Hood Spun and fired an arrow at the desk lamp, destroying the bulb and sending the office into darkness. He nocked another arrow and held it pointed at Moira's heart.

"Moira Queen, you have failed this city." He said, his voice disguised, as Moira stood, terrified, behind her desk. In desperation she lunged for the phone, which The Hood shot off of her desk "Stand still!" he demanded.

"Please don't kill me." She pleaded, tears in her eyes.

"Do you know anything about your husband's disappearance?"

"What?!"

"Is Walter Steel still alive?!" he shouted.

"I don't know where my husband is." She told him. "I swear."

"An artful dodge." Quentin noted.

"Do you know anything about the Undertaking?" Moira turned and grabbed something off the shelf behind her. "I said don't move!" he shouted.

Moira fell to her knees, holding a picture of himself and Thea in front of her like a shield. "I'm-I'm a mother." She pleaded. "I have a son-Oliver. A daughter, her name is Thea." Oliver stared at her, his face hidden from her view by the hood. "She's just a teenager. Please don't take me from my children. They lost their father. They can't lose me, too. Please, whoever you are, please."

Thea shook her head. "Wow… just, wow."

"You got some stones," Quentin said, "using your kids like that."

"Well, what would you have me do?" Moira shot back. "Shoot him?"

Oliver let out a slow breath. "Okay." He said, slowly lowering his bow. "I'm not going to hurt you."

That was a mistake.

Moira dropped the picture and turned, sliding up a panel on the hutch behind her. She grabbed the gun that was in inside and spun again, opening fire. Oliver, taken completely by surprise, went down with a bullet in his shoulder.

Moira screamed. She hadn't actually meant that…

"And our mother manages to do what a crime boss, an army of goons, and most of the criminal underworld in the Glades couldn't do." Thea said dryly, and then gave her mother a slow, mocking clap. "Bravo."

"I must admit I didn't think you had it in you." Malcolm said with a mocking smile. "You always were so squeamish about such things…"

"Oh, go fuck yourself." Moira snapped, surprising everyone with her vulgarity. "If I had known that it was Oliver under the hood, I would have given him your address and told him 'Good Hunting'."

"And the good news is you'll still have a chance to do just that." Tommy remarked, still stunned by what he had just witnessed, both on the screen and in the room.

"Yes, because going up against me worked so well the last time." Malcolm mocked.

"Enough!" Kara said, shutting down the brewing argument. She looked to Quentin. "Detective, if you would?" she gestured at the screen, and he un-paused it.

The gun emptied, Moira dropped the gun and dug through her purse for her phone. Pulling it out, she dialed Securities number.

"This is Moira Queen, I'm on the 39th floor, I need help." She said breathlessly. "There's an intruder. Please!" Hanging up, Moira rose slowly and peered over the top of the desk-

But the Hood was gone, leaving behind only a large bloodstain.

"Well, that's evidence." Quentin said. "We'll probably be able to identify Oliver from the blood."

Down in the parking garage, Felicity Smoak walked towards her Mini after a long day in the I.T. Department. She got in her car and started it, but when she turned to look behind her to back out of the spot, she received the shock of her life.

"Ohh!" she screamed, startled as she looked at The Hood's bloody form lying on the rear floorboards.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Felicity."

She looked at the hooded man, puzzled. "How do you know my name?"

Oliver pushed the hood back, revealing his face to her. "Because you know my name." he said.

"Oliver, oh wow." She stammered. "Everything about you just became so unbelievably clear."

Thea burst out laughing, and Felicity blushed. "Well, you didn't know either." She said.

Thea sighed. "We're both idiots."

She noticed the hole in his shoulder. "You're bleeding."

"I don't need to be told that." He stated painfully.

"You need a hospital."

"My-my father's old factory, in the Glades." He gasped out.

"No, you- you need a doctor, not a steelworker." She argued.

Thea snickered again. Tommy looked at her askance. "This is funny?"

"I know he survives, so I can laugh at Felicity's ill-timed humor." She replied.

"Felicity," he gasped, rapidly fading. "You have to promise me that you are going to take me to my father's factory and nowhere else."

"Yeah, promise." She breathed. She put the car in reverse and backed out of the space. "Something tells me blood stains are not covered under my lease." She muttered.

"He'll probably buy you a new car." Tommy told the woman.

"Think he'd upgrade me to a Fiat?" Felicity asked?

Tommy paused to consider. "I was thinking more Porsche, but Fiat is good."

The scene changed to the Lair where Diggle was watching a news report of the attack at Queen Consolidated.

'So far the police are unwilling to comment, but unsubstantiated eyewitness reports claims that the Starling City vigilante attacked Mrs. Queen in her office earlier tonight. She was unharmed in the assault.'

"Excuse me."

Startled, Dig spun around, drawing his gun. He was astonished to see Felicity Smoak standing there, her shirt bloody.

"Can you help me?" she asked, ignoring the gun. "He's really heavy!"

Soon Diggle had Oliver laid out on a metal table with his jacket and shirt off. He wheeled the table under a light to get a better look at the wound. "Oh, damn it. He just missed a carotid." He muttered, placing a clean cloth over the hole. "It's a zone two wound." He told Felicity. He placed her hands on the cloth. "Press there." He told her, and then moved to wheel the medical cart over.

"Nice shot, Moira." Malcolm said, smirking.

Moira ignored the man, and instead looked over to Diggle. "You have medical training, Mr. Diggle?"

"Field medicine." He replied. "Special Forces all tend to train for that, so we can look over our wounded until we can get them evac'd."

"I should have taken him to a hospital." She said.

"No, Felicity, that's why he asked you to bring him here." Dig told her. "Because he knew the police would want to know how and why he got the wound."

"I'm guessing how and why are Oliver Queen's least favorite questions." She noted.

"Yeah, well, there's also when and where, he's not too fond of." He replied, pulling out various surgical tools.

"So if we can't bring him to the hospital…"

"We bring the hospital to him." Dig said, opening the bottom drawer, which was refrigerated. He pulled out a bag of blood.

"Wow." Laurel said. "He really thought this out."

"I take it he wasn't much of a forward thinker before?" Felicity asked.

"No." Laurel said, shaking her head. "He lived very much in the now, and later would happen…whenever."

Felicity stared at it in shock. "Is that…"

"Yeah." Dig confirmed. "His blood. He stored it for a rainy day. And I say right now, it's pouring." He moved back to Oliver and gently nudged Felicity out of the way. "I got it. Over there." He told her, directing her to the other side of the table. He quickly donned a pair of surgical gloves.

"Do you know what you're doing?" she asked.

"Yeah, I had some medical training in the army." Diggle replied, pulling back the cloth and checking the wound. "I just hope it's enough." He looked up at the woman. "Remember playing 'Operation' when you were a kid?" he asked.

"Yes." She replied. "And it never made me want to throw up."

Diggle reached over and put a comforting hand on hers. "Hey Felicity, listen-trust me. He'll be fine." He looked down at his friend. "He's been through a lot worse than this."

All the while Oliver lay on the table, remembering…

FIVE YEARS AGO

Oliver and Slade were sparing in the field around the fuselage. Slade was hurriedly trying to train up Oliver, but wasn't having much luck.

Hand to hand? Nope.

Fighting with a knife? Dead in 10 seconds.

Slade was trying him out on escrima sticks, and very soon introduced him to the concept of variable acceleration, sending the young man to the ground. Oliver pounded the ground in frustration, but picked himself back up, holding on to one of the bamboo sticks.

"How did you survive here for six months?" Slade asked. "I know girl scouts who have more fight in them."

"Never underestimate the power of Queen stubbornness." Thea said, looking at Slade. He smirked in response.

"Fighting girl scouts now, Slade, huh?" Oliver jibed. Slade effortlessly smacked the bamboo stick out of his hand. "Oww! What the hell?!" he exclaimed.

"Listen, kid." Slade growled in his gravelly voice. "We have ten days until the supply plane lands. Ten days to turn you into at least half a soldier. So start taking it seriously."

Oliver attacked again, but soon Slade had completely disarmed him. "What is the point of this?!" he yelled. "These soldiers don't carry bamboo! They have guns! So what am I supposed to do if one of them jams a gun in my face, huh? Threaten them with my stick?!" he said mockingly.

Slade glared at him, then dropped his sticks and drew his service pistol. He held it out to Oliver. "Jam this in my face." He told the younger man. At Oliver's hesitation, he gave him a look. "Do it."

Reluctantly, Oliver took the gun. He knew what was coming, but did as he was told anyway and pointed the gun at Slade's face. In an instant, Slade had reached up and grabbed the gun, pushing it up and out. Still holding onto it he spun, driving his elbow into Oliver's spine. He then hooked he arm around Oliver's and flipped him over his back, pulling the gun from his limp hand. Oliver landed hard and Slade stood over him, his recovered firearm in his hands, pointed right at Oliver's head. "I give up!" Oliver exclaimed. "I give up."

Angered, Slade hauled the boy to his feet and held the gun directly in his face. "There is no giving up to these guys!" he shouted. "No crying, or buying your way out of it! You have two choices- escape, or die. So choose."

Oliver glared at the man. "Escape." He said finally.

Slade let him go. "Then let me show you how not to die." He said. He turned and walked over to the fallen bamboo sticks, holstering his gun as he went. He bent down and picked two up, then tossed one to Oliver. Oliver caught it and immediately attacked.

"Did you have to be so hard on him?" Moira asked Slade quietly.

He gave her an even look. "Yes, I did." He replied. "To go soft on him would have meant both of our deaths."

Moira sighed sadly. "I know." She said. "I just hate seeing him suffer." Slade kept his mouth shut and returned his attention to the screen.

Later that night, Slade and Olive were in the fuselage of the plane. Slade pulled out several satellite photos of the island and laid them out on a makeshift desk.

"Lian Yu." Slade said.

"It's the name of the island, I know." Oliver replied. "It's Mandarin for 'Purgatory'."

"It is? Wonderful." Slade said drolly.

"Is that the air strip?" Oliver asked, pointing at the map.

"A.S.I.S. took satellite images of the whole island." Slade explained, pointing to a spot on the map. "This is Fyers' main camp, where I was held for almost a year."

Oliver looked up at the man. "Do-do you think that's where Yao Fei is now? 'Cause we could get a message to him." He said hopefully. "We can tell him we found a way off the island."

"Forget about him." Slade said harshly. He moved over to the airstrip. "This is the airstrip. And these infrared images show there are at last ten soldiers guarding the perimeter at any given time."

"Too many of 'em for you?" Olive said mockingly.

"No." Slade replied with a grin, sobering Oliver's mood fast. "My problem is the guy here in the tower. It's a PTAC. A portable air traffic control tower. The U.S. government set up these for disaster zones, like Thailand after the Tsunami."

Oliver looked at him. "So what's the problem?" he asked.

"The glass is bulletproof. I can't take out the tower guard with my sniper rifle." Slade explained. "And if he suspects anything's wrong, he'll radio Fyers and we're cancelled." Slade looked Oliver in the eyes. "It'll be up to you to take him out. Up close and personal. Are you ready for that?" he asked.

"That was your plan?" Tommy asked Slade, incredulously. "Seriously? Send the college drop-out to shank a guy while you kill a dozen soldiers by yourself, hijack a plane and escape?"

"It was a sound plan." Slade said harshly. "It was the only plan!"

"It was a stupid plan!" Tommy shot back. "What if Fyers had RPG's? The plane lands, and then almost immediately takes off, and you don't think they'll try to shoot it down?"

"And also, this flaw is brought to you by the OTHER college drop-out." Laurel said.

Slade glared at the pair. "After you two are held captive for a year and tortured by a man you called brother, a man you made godfather to your child, and escaped to hide on a miserable, god forsaken island for another six months, THEN you can talk to me about my poor planning. Until then, do not presume to judge me, or my plan." He could have told him that he had already considered Fyers having anti-aircraft weaponry, but their criticisms had offended him.

"Do you think I'm ready?" Oliver asked in response.

"What I think is there's only one supply plane every 3 months." Slade said. "We leave tomorrow, or we die soon afterwards. I pick leaving." He gave the boy one last look. "So get some sleep. We leave at 0600." The two men moved to opposite ends of the plane. Oliver sat down and pulled out the picture of Laurel, and stared at it.

"Don't worry." Slade called out. "You'll be back with your girlfriend soon enough." The two lay down to sleep.

Oliver opened his eyes. He was laying in his bed at Queen Manor. Sighing, he rolled over to stare at Laurel, who smiled sleepily at him.

"Morning." She said.

"Please don't hate me." Oliver asked softly.

"Why would I hate you?"

"For cheating on you with Sara."

Laurel's smile faded, but only a little. "Did it hurt, Ollie?" she asked.

"Did what hurt?"

"When they killed you?" she asked as Oliver lay there, a bullet hole in the head…

Laurel gasped, then sighed as the dream gave way to reality. "Oh, god Ollie…" she whispered, tears in her eyes. Two hands took her own, and she looked down to see that both Tommy and Thea were holding her hands, silently giving her comfort.

Oliver gasped as Slade shook him awake. "Rise and shine." He said, moving off. He grabbed several bags and tossed them to Oliver. He grabbed another bag, then reached into an open crate and withdrew his mask. He stared at it for several moments, then tossed it back into the crate and slammed the lid shut. "Come on. We're moving out." The two men left the downed plane and began the long trek through the woods.

They walked for hours, crossing the rocky terrain and darting between trees. They were crossing a river when Slade motioned for him to stop with a raised fist. He listened hard, but heard no evidence of pursuit. "All clear." He called out and finished crossing the shallow river. Oliver lagged behind.

"It's almost comical." Malcolm noted.

"It is, isn't it?" Diggle agreed.

"We do look ridiculous." Slade said. "I wonder if we looked that bad, or if that is just how he remembered it?"

"Why not both?" Kara said with a small smile.

"Hey, can we, um, can we rest for a second?" he asked.

"You can rest on the plane." Slade growled.

Oliver scoffed, but started walking again. "Gosh, well, really looking forward to that in-flight movie-"

Click

"Come on, seriously?!" Tommy exclaimed, angry for his friend. "First killer mercenaries, now landmines?" he sighed. "Why couldn't he end up on some tropical paradise filled with scantily-clad women?"

"Wrong hemisphere." Kara said. "Plus, they tend to treat any men who wash up there with hostility."

Tommy blinked. "But you are saying there is such a place-" he was cut off by two elbows being jabbed into his sides almost simultaneously. "Ouch."

Oliver froze in place. "Oh, God." He said. Slade, having heard the click, spun around to face the boy.

"Don't move." He ordered him, dropping his gear and lying on the ground in front of Oliver. Carefully he started digging around Oliver's foot with his hands, exposing the edges of a landmine.

"Is it a mine?" Oliver asked.

"Yeah." Slade confirmed.

"The soldiers mine the island?"

"No, it's probably Japanese, left over from World War II." Slade explained. "Still active. Impressive." He commented.

"Can you disarm it?" he asked as Slade rose to his feet.

"Without disarming you?" Slade replied. Suddenly his eyes widened as he glimpsed something over Oliver's shoulder. "Soldiers."

Oliver looked over his shoulder as much as he could. "Can they see us?"

"They can only see you." He replied. Slade ripped the bags off of Oliver's shoulder, and then turned and ran back into the forest.

"Wait!" Oliver yelled. "Stop!" Angered by the desertion, Oliver took a second to think of what to do. Seeing only one option, he pulled out his balaclava and put it on just as the three soldiers came upon him.

"What are you doing so far from camp?" the first soldier said as the three surrounded him.

"I got separated from my unit." Oliver lied.

The soldier grunted. "Come with us."

"I-I can't." Oliver said, gesturing towards his foot and the landmine beneath it. The soldiers all looked down to stare at the device. "I'm kind of having a bad day, you know?"

With a deafening roar, Slade suddenly leapt out of the trees at the soldiers, his sword drawn. Oliver ducked down as Slade impaled the first, then ripped the sword out and wound in a wide arc, slitting the other two's throats. As the last soldier's body dropped, Oliver lifted his head, looking in astonishment.

Slade kneeled down in front of him. "Be still." He said. Then, grabbing the sliders body, he yanked it forward with him as he leapt, pushing Oliver off the mine at the same moment the dead weight of the body fell on it, keeping the mine primed but unexploded.

"Wow." Thea said, impressed. "That was pretty awesome. And terrifying." She added, a little green.

"Thanks." Oliver said after a moment.

The scene changed to the main Mercenary camp. Yao Fei was walking across the main road, nodding to the guards stationed at the command tent before entering. Inside Fyers sat at his desk, going over some paperwork. He looked up and gave him a friendly smile.

"Yao Fei. Come in." he gestured to the chair in front of his desk. "Sit." Fyers rose and turned around, opening a case on the table behind him. "Now the first time I saw you with this contraption I thought you looked utterly ridiculous." He said, taking out a longbow. He turned back to Yao Fei and set the bow down on his desk. "That is, until you took out three of my best men with it." He sat down. "25 compound bows will be arriving on tomorrow's supply plane. I'd like you to train a few of my men on how to use them."

"Archery can take years to master." Yao Fei hedged.

Fyers looked back indifferently. "Well, I trust you'll be a proficient instructor." He said. "That'll be all." Yao Fei rose to leave just as Wintergreen came into the tent. The two men glared at one another. "I hope you are steadfast in your commitment to our cause, Yao Fei." Fyers said. "For her sake."

Yao Fei glanced over at Fyers. "I am." He said, and then walked out, Wintergreen's eyes never leaving him.

The scene changed to the forest later that night. Oliver was rubbing two sticks together, trying to start a fire while Slade was checking and cleaning his sniper scope.

"Obviously you were never a boy scout." Slade remarked at Oliver's lack of success.

"Yeah? What tipped you off?" he shot back.

"We better hurry. The wolves come out at night." Slade said, grinning.

Oliver looked up. "There are wolves here?" he asked, then sighed in aggravation. "Right. Of course there are. Because what would the worst place on earth be without wolves."

"The only thing that will keep them out is fire." Slade said.

"Well, you know, you're welcome to help." Oliver said finally, glaring at the other man. Slade calmly reached into his pants pocket and with drew a Zippo lighter. With a flick the lid was open and the lighter was lit, and he reached down and lit the kindling on fire as Oliver stared in disbelief. "Seriously?" he said. "I've been working on this for two hours."

"I know. I was watching you." He said, attaching the scope to his rifle. "Thank you for the entertainment."

Everyone snickered at that.

"Okay, that was good." Tommy admitted.

Later still, Oliver was sitting at the fire, staring at the picture of Laurel.

"You're going to wear that thing out just by looking at it." Slade noted. "Don't worry. She'll be waiting for flowers when you get back."

"I doubt it." Oliver said. "Remember how I told you I was shipwrecked here?" Slade nodded. "Her sister was with me when the boat went down."

"That's funny. I never took you as being the bad boy." Slade told him. "You seem to lack the spine."

"That's why I've got to get home." Oliver said emphatically. "To make this right."

"If you think you can sleep with your girlfriend's sister and still make it right… you're dumber than I thought. And believe me when I tell you that is saying something."

"Yeah, well, you don't really strike me as the type of guy who accepts apologies, so." Oliver threw his hands up in defeat.

"Well, everybody is in this life for themselves." Slade said with conviction.

"Learn that at Australian spy school?" Oliver asked mockingly.

"No. I learned that here." He sighed heavily. "Do you remember I told you that I had a partner?"

"Yeah."

"Do you remember the guy who tortured you?" he asked. Oliver thought back to the man in the mask who had tortured him so many months ago.

"That freak show was your partner?!" Oliver exclaimed.

"His name's Billy Wintergreen." Slade explained.

"Oh, Ok."

"Our mission was to exfiltrate Yao Fei and to find out why Fyers and his men were so interested in him. But our bird got shot out of the sky before we even saw the airstrip."

"That's where I found you." Oliver said in realization. Slade nodded.

"When Fyers took us prisoner, he asked if we would join him and his men. Billy accepted Fyers' invitation. I declined. He was the godfather to my son Joe. And yet, he turned his back on me without even thinking twice about it. Everybody is in this life for themselves!" he repeated. Sighing, he got up to do a quick patrol around their small camp, leaving Oliver alone with the fire.

"That's a lonely way to live, Mr. Wilson." Felicity said sadly.

"Maybe." He agreed. "But it is a way."

Later that night, Slade and Oliver stealthy approached the airstrip. They stopped at the edge, looking around. Slade pointed to the tower. "If you let him radio camp, we're done." He said. He drew one of his swords and handed it to Oliver.

"What about the others?" Oliver asked.

"You worry about your one. I'll worry about my ten." Oliver nodded, then moved off to the tower, pausing only to pull down his mask.

PRESENT

The scene flashed back to the present. In the lair, Diggle was finishing up suturing Oliver's wound.

"Good job." Felicity told Dig. "I think."

"His heart rate's elevated, but at least the bleeding stopped." Dig announced, putting his tools down. He looked over to the woman. "Thanks for your help. You kept your head on."

"Well, I always wondered how I'd react if I found my boss shot and bleeding inside my car." She said. "Not that I helped because he's my boss. I'd help anyone who was shot and bleeding in my car."

"Well, that's good to know." Tommy said, smirking at the blonde.

"Don't expect me to be a safe haven from jealous boyfriends." She replied sternly.

"I was thinking all of this would be more of a shock." Dig noted, watching as Felicity wandered around the lair, looking at the different arrows. "What, are you saying you called this all along?"

"I'm not saying anything." Felicity replied. "Except Oliver brought me a laptop riddled with bullet holes, had me trace a black arrow, and research a company involved in armored car heists." She looked up at Dig. "I may be blonde, but I'm not that blonde."

"Right on, sister!" Kara said, giving the hacker a high-five. Felicity subtly shook her hand afterwards, trying to get some feeling back into it.

"Yeah, Oliver's not too great with the cover stories." Dig admitted.

"I still think he was testing you." Malcolm said. "Preparing you for this."

"What?" Felicity asked. "Preparing me for finding him shot in the back of my car? Because that is a sucky plan."

"No. Recruitment." He clarified. "I believe that you would find he was looking into you long before he came into your cubicle."

"He was." Kara confirmed. She turned to Felicity. "Every single person that Oliver let in to his circle voluntarily, he had detailed dossiers drawn up on them. He probably knew what your favorite breakfast cereal is."

"Okay, that's…creepy." She replied.

"But necessary." Malcolm countered. "Knowing who to trust is everything, Miss Smoak."

Felicity chuckled. "Neither are you. The two of you with that whole energy drink hangover cure? Please." She paused and looked to Dig. "What was really in that vial, anyway?"

"Vertigo." He answered.

Felicity snapped her fingers. "I knew it! I mean, I didn't know it was Vertigo for sure, but I definitely knew it wasn't something that could cure a hangover."

"Yeah, we needed it analyzed so we could take down the count." Diggle admitted. Felicity looked at him in surprise.

"That was you and Oliver?" she asked.

"And you, Felicity." He said. "Without you, we never would have found him."

"But why come to me?" she asked, confused.

"Hard as it probably is for him to admit, even Oliver needs help sometimes." Diggle replied, sitting down and staring at his friend.

FIVE YEARS AGO

Back on the island, Slade took down the soldiers with mechanical precision, clearing a path for Oliver to the tower. Oliver ran, reaching the tower and clambering up the steps. He paused at the door, slowly peeking in the window inside and seeing only person working at the radio. Slowly, he reached up and opened the door, and moved inside. He crept up on the soldier, but he spotted Oliver out of the corner of his eye and jumped up. Oliver swung clumsily with the sword; the soldier ducked and sent Oliver sprawling into the equipment. The soldier drew his sidearm and aimed it at Oliver, who tried in vain to disarm the man the same way Slade had disarmed him the day before. The solder contemptuously threw Oliver off of him and back into the equipment and held him there, reaching for his radio to call in the attack.

Slade shook his head, though oddly enough he found himself smiling fondly. "Hopeless." He chuckled.

PRESENT

The scene flashed forward to the Lair. The heart monitor Diggle had attached to Oliver was beeping erratically and the man was shaking on the table. Diggle and Felicity ran over to him.

"What's happening?!" Felicity asked, worried.

"There's a syringe labeled Ativan." Diggle said, pointing to the cart. "It should stop the seizure. Go!" Felicity ran to the cart, but suddenly the monitor flatlined. "His heart stopped." Dig announced.

Tommy gripped the hands of the girls, who were watching in terror. Likewise Quentin took Moira's hand. Even knowing he would survive didn't take away from the fear of seeing Oliver flatline.

"I'm calling 9-1-1." Felicity decided.

"No. Wait, you can't." Dig argued. He ran over to the crash cart. He pulled off the shock pads and placed them on Oliver's chest, then reached for the paddles as he turned the machine on.

"You know how to use one of those?" she asked.

"We are about to find out." Diggle replied. He put the paddles on Oliver's chest and hit the buttons, but nothing happened.

"You didn't say clear!" Felicity exclaimed as Diggle lifted the paddles.

"I'm pretty sure that isn't the problem!" Thea exclaimed.

He tried again, but again there was nothing, "I heard the charge." She said, running around to the machine. "That's good news." She reached into the drawer and pulled out a scalpel, then moved around the back and pried open the casing to the defibrillator.

"How's that?" Dig asked.

"It means it might not be the machine, it could be the wiring." She fiddled with the wires while Diggle watched his friend continued to flatline.

"Come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on!" he exclaimed under his breath.

"Try again." She exclaimed, closing the case.

"Clear." Diggle called. The paddles worked, and sent a shock through Oliver's heart. A second jolt restarted his heart, and Diggle put the paddles down with a sigh of relief.

"What the hell did you do?" he asked breathlessly.

"I've been building computers since I was seven." She replied, a little breathless herself. "Wires are wires." Felicity looked up at Dig. "What do we do now?"

"Pray we don't have a heart attack ourselves." He replied.

"Thank you both." Moira said to the pair. She was about to have a heart attack herself, seeing what she had put her son through.

FIVE YEARS AGO

Oliver watched as the soldier reached for the radio- then flinched back as a sword protruded through the man's chest. Slade pulled out the sword, letting the man's body drop to the floor.

"One job to do, and you manage to screw up even then." Slade said sarcastically. He reached for the radio and hung it back up. "I'm going to go make sure that everything is clear. Stay here, keep the door locked. Do not let anybody in except for me. You got that?"

"Yeah." Oliver replied.

"Here," Slade handed him the soldiers' sidearm. "Keep this. And try not to shoot yourself by mistake."

Slade walked out, leaving Oliver alone in the tower. He looked around, looking at all the equipment- and spotted a military satellite phone. Hesitantly he reached for the receiver. Picking it up, he held it to his ear and heard a dial tone. Making a decision, he dialed a familiar number.

"Hello?"

Back in Starling City, Laurel paused in the hallway of Starling University, trying to hear who was on the other end. "Hello?" she checked the phone to see if the call was connected; it was. "Is anybody there?"

Laurel put a hand to her mouth. "Oh, my god." She remembered that day. She thought it had been weird, since she didn't give out her cell number to many people. "Oh Ollie, why didn't you say anything?"

"Shame." Tommy said sadly.

On the Island, Oliver could not bring himself to say anything, he was so overwhelmed with emotion. Before he could speak, though, Slade came back in the tower and ripped the phone off the desk, cutting the line.

"Have you lost your mind?" he snarled. "They might be monitoring the calls."

Oliver sighed, but before he could say anything the radio sounded.

Island tower. This is Skyhawk 801 Foxtrot, we are 700 kilometers southeast of your , three hours, over.

Slade took the mic. "Island tower, Skyhawk 801 Foxtrot. Acknowledged." There was silence. Worried, Slade hit the mic again. "Skyhawk 801 Foxtrot. Acknowledged."

Of all creatures that breath and move upon the earth.

Slade looked worried, Oliver was just confused. "What is that?" Oliver asked.

"It's a challenge code." Slade explained. "They're trying to verify our identity." He lifted the mic once more. "Skyhawk 801 Foxtrot. Please repeat."

Of all creatures that breathe and move upon the earth.

"Wait." Oliver said.

"What?" Slade asked.

"Wait, I know this. I know this!" he laughed shortly. "They picked the one book that I read in college."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Slade demanded.

"It's a quote, from 'The Odyssey'." He explained, thinking furiously. "Of all creatures that breathe and move upon the earth, nothing-nothing is born that is weaker than man."

Tommy blinked. "Wow. He actually remembered something from college."

"Glad to see the money wasn't wasted, eh mom?" Thea joked, earning a small smile for her efforts.

"Are you sure about this? Because if you're wrong, this plane will turn around." Slade said.

"Yes, yes. I'm positive." Oliver assured the man. "Nothing is born that is weaker than man. Say it." Slade lifted the mic, put Oliver put a hand on his to stop him. "Wait! Wait, wait, wait, wait." At Slade's glare, "Sorry. Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry. Bred." He clarified. "Not born, bred. Nothing is bred that is weaker than man. That's it."

Slade lifted the mic up and activated it. "Nothing is bred that is weaker than man." He said, staring at Oliver.

Roger that. The voice on the radio said a moment later. See you in a few hours .Out.

Slade looked at Oliver, impressed. "'The Odyssey'." He said.

"Yeah! It's, uh, well, it's a story about a guy who's trying to get home, so..." He gave a relieved sigh.

"Well, after a few days at Langstughl Airbase, you'll be on your way home." He assured the boy.

Oliver looked at him in confusion. "But you sound like you're not coming with me." He said.

"I'll be coming with you." Slade replied. "After I radio in an airstrike on this location. I'm going to send Fyers and all his men straight back to hell."

"Wait." Oliver said, stopping the man in his tracks. "You can't blow up the island. Yao Fei is still out there."

"He is not my concern." Slade said.

"Really? He's the only reason you came here." Oliver replied. "Rescuing him was your mission!"

"Well, the mission has changed." Slade seethed. "Edward Fyers is a mercenary and he is not on this island by mistake. He has plans for me and you that involve Yao Fei. And whatever they are, they must end."

"Yao Fei saved my life." Olive said plainly.

"That is your debt to repay, not mine." Slade said simply. Oliver looked at him, then walked past him towards the door. Slade reached out and grabbed his arm, stopping him. "Where are you going?!" he demanded.

Oliver stared back at him. "All my life," he began, "all that I've ever thought about is myself. I took my family for granted. I betrayed people that I loved. And I'm not going to be that person anymore." He stood straighter. "I can't leave Yao Fei here to die." He stated. "I won't."

Moira starred at the image of her son, stunned. Deep down, she had always accepted that her son was a selfish person. But to hear him admit it, and to hear the conviction in his voice at wanting to change, to be better…. "Robert would be so proud of him." She whispered sadly. Thea heard her, and smiled.

"So are we." She agreed.

"The plane leaves in three hours." Slade said. "If you and your friend are not on it, I am going to leave without you."

Oliver nodded, then turned back and opened the door. He stepped halfway out, then stopped and turned back to Slade. "If I don't make it back in time, and you get out of here I want you to call my family." He told him. "Call my family."

There were tears in Laurel's eyes, and Tommy pulled her in closer, letting her draw on his strength. He then pulled in Thea close as well as he blinked away his own tears.

Slade stared back, a myriad of emotions playing over his face. "Sure, kid." He said finally.

Oliver went out the door, then ran down the stairs and sprinted across the airfield to the forest, heading for the main camp.

PRESENT

Back in the present, the heart monitor flatlined again.

"He's going into cardiac arrest again." Diggle said, reaching for the paddles.

"No." Felicity reached down and fiddled with the sensor on his chest. "Ah. The leads just came loose."

"Arghh!" Dig exclaimed in frustration. He dropped into a chair. "It's less stressful when he's jumping off rooftops."

Felicity chuckled, walking around the lair again. "Ohh." She said, picking up Oliver's bow. "This bow has put arrows in quite a few people." She said, drawing back the string.

"Yeah, bad people." Diggle noted.

"That doesn't bother you?" she asked. "Because… and I mean this in a good way, you seem like the kind of guy it would bother." She said, putting the bow back down.

Diggle considered her for a moment. "When I was in Afghanistan, my unit was tasked with protecting this local war lord. Gholem Qadir. Qadir was less than human, sold opium. Sold children. One day, we were accompanying him to Mosul when my convoy was ambushed by insurgents. We had them outgunned. Fire fight didn't last more than a minute. When the smoke cleared, I moved in on their position. They were all dead. I knew which one I had killed. When I pulled off his keffiyeh, I could see it was just a kid, no more than 18. Shot him in the throat. I killed this kid to protect this human piece of garbage, and I thought, am I still good? Am I still a good man?" he stood and walked over to Felicity. "Doing this with Oliver; doing what we do, I feel good again for the first time in a long time." He said.

"This is penance for you?" Felicity as Dig.

He considered it for a moment. "Maybe a little." He admitted. "But mostly it's about helping people. Putting hope back on the streets." He looked back at the screen. "Making a difference."

"And that's worth all the collateral damage?" she asked.

"I haven't killed anyone, if that's what you're asking."

"But he has." She looked down at Oliver.

Diggle sighed. "Unfortunately, there are always casualties when you're fighting a war."

FIVE YEARS AGO

Oliver stealthily approached the camp, ducking behind a truck as several soldiers walked past. By chance he spotted Yao Fei entering a tent; once the coast was clear he ran across the road and ducked into the tent.

Yao Fei looked up in surprise. "How did you-"

"Come on, let's go." Oliver said. "I'll explain on the way."

"Stupid boy. You should never have come back here!" he exclaimed.

"I found Slade Wilson and he has a way off the island, but we have to go right now." Oliver said quickly.

"No."

Oliver looked puzzled. "No! What? What do you mean, no? This is our chance. What-what reason could you possibly have for staying here?!" he asked.

"Not what." Yao Fei said. "Who."

Suddenly Fyers entered the tent, followed by Wintergreen. Thinking fast, Yao Fei punched Oliver in the face, sending him to the ground.

"Ah, Mr. Queen," he said as his vision dimmed. "I think its past time you left this island. Permanently."

Slade shook his head. "He was a fool. An honorable fool, but a fool nonetheless."

"I don't get it." Thea said. "Why…"

"Oliver didn't have all of the facts." Slade said. "Yao Fei was not working with them by choice. He worked with them because they control that which was most precious to him."

"What was that?" Laurel asked.

Slade looked at her evenly. "His Daughter."

Back at the ACT, Slade was still manning the radio.

Island tower, Seahawk 801 Foxtrot. We are 5,000 feet and holding, over.

"Skyhawk 801 Foxtrot. This is island tower. You're clear to land." Slade said. He checked his watch, then looked up, considering.

Back at the camp, a bound Oliver was thrown into a ring of soldiers, much like the night Yao Fei 'killed' him.

"Simply to satisfy my own curiosity, why aren't you already dead?" Fyers asked. "I saw Yao Fei choke you to death."

"I guess he's not as strong as he looks." Oliver quipped darkly. The surrounding soldiers laughed.

"Still, you return for him." Fyers said. "So you're either a fool, or is it possible you now think yourself a hero?"

"I'm not a hero." Oliver said quietly.

"Of course not." Fyers replied. "It's not possible to be a hero when there's nobody worthy of saving." Fyers turned and walked out of the circle.

"Is this what you want?" he called out to him. "Did you want me to fight him again?!"

Fyers turned around. "Oh, no, Mr. Queen. That's where you're mistaken." He said. "This is not a match. It's an execution."

"I'm sorry." Yao Fei said.

He felt more than heard the man approach, and Oliver turned to see Wintergreen standing there.

Thea gripped Tommy's hand tight as she watched in growing horror.

"It's Wintergreen, right? Bill Wintergreen?" Oliver asked defiantly. Wintergreen backhanded him hard across the face, staggering the boy. Oliver pulled himself up. "I know all about you. I know you work for the Australian government. And that you used to fight for your country. That you used to stand for something!" he shouted. Wintergreen let loose with a devastatingly quick combo of lefts and rights that sent Oliver to his knees. Wintergreen unsheathed his sword and cut Oliver's bonds, and he managed to push himself back to his feet- just for Wintergreen to hit him twice more, sending him back to his knees. Wintergreen reached down and grabbed Oliver by the throat as the soldiers looked on. "Whatever he's paying you, I'll triple it." Oliver gasped.

Suddenly, and explosion ripped through the camp. Soldiers in the circle started dropping by sniper fire, even as more explosions rocked the camp. Wintergreen dropped Oliver to the ground and stood there defiantly, even as Fyers and Yao Fei ran for cover.

"How many of them are there?!" Fyers shouted into his radio. Oliver ran off and ducked behind a truck as Slade Wilson walked towards Wintergreen.

"Slade." His old friend said. "Come back to die?"

Slade withdrew his sword and attacked. Oliver watched as his former tormentor battled his new found ally in a fast, brutal fight. Both men hit hard, aiming to maim and kill.

"Jesus, you're good." Tommy noted, looking at Slade. He was oblivious to the room, staring intently at the final battle with his old friend.

"Was it so easy to betray me, Billy?" Slade asked through gritted teeth. Wintergreen took a swipe with his sword, but Slade caught his arm, twisting it, then landed several hard shots to Wintergreens head. Finally he took his sword and held it up to Wintergreen's throat. "You know Billy, you always had a good kick." He snarled, and then jammed the sword through his eye.

The ladies all gasped at the brutality, Malcolm raised an eyebrow.

Slade dropped the body and looked over at Oliver, who rose from behind the truck. All of the sudden a shot rang out and Slade went down, hit in the arm. Oliver saw Fyers behind another truck, firing his sidearm, so he ran to Slade, grabbing a Type-95 assault rifle off the ground as he went. He pulled up Slade and returned fire, forcing Fyers to take cover.

"Come on! Come on!" Oliver urged, pulling Slade to cover. He was leading him down the road when suddenly a soldier appeared, jamming his gun in Oliver's face. On instinct, Oliver disarmed the soldier exactly as Slade had done to him days earlier, much to Slade's amazement. Holding the gun on the fallen soldier, he found he was unable to pull the trigger. Instead, he cracked the butt of the gun over the soldier's head, knocking him out.

"Holy shit!" Tommy said in shock.

"I found he learned best under intense pressure." Slade said absently

"Indeed." Malcolm said, intrigued. Oliver had yet to willingly kill someone. He wondered when he turned that corner.

The sounds of engines roaring overhead caused the men to look up to see the cargo plane abort its landing and takeoff back into the sky.

"There goes our plane." Slade said needlessly.

Later, back at the fuselage, Oliver was digging Fyers bullet out of Slade's arm with a K-Bar knife. Slade screamed through gritted teeth, his arms flexing but unmoving thanks to the ropes that secured his wrists behind his back. Oliver finally managed to get the bullet out, and then stepped back to compose himself.

"Wow." Slade gasped in pain. "I'm impressed. You didn't puke."

"I swallowed it." Oliver admitted weakly.

"You can untie me now." Slade said which Oliver did.

"Why'd you want me to tie you up in the first place?" he asked.

"A man in pain is unreliable." Slade explained. "I was afraid I might kill you." He examined the wound. "Thanks." Suddenly Oliver started chuckling. Slade looked up at the boy. "What?"

"It's just… I'm trapped on an island and my only friend is named Wilson."

Tommy, Laurel, Thea and Felicity all burst out laughing, breaking the tension that had built during the battle.

"Well, I know what I'm getting him for a welcome home present now." Tommy said, still tittering.

"So." Oliver moved off, sighing. "What now?" he asked.

"We hope my fireworks show set Fyers back, maybe enough for those who hired him in the first place to call things off." Slade said.

"Hired him?"

"Well, Fyers is a merc. He follows the money. So he's on this island under someone's employ." Slade explained.

"Then what do we do?" Oliver asked.

"We have to make sure that neither of us dies on this godforsaken island." Slade said.

"I thought you said if we didn't get on the plane… we weren't going to make it." He said

Slade looked at Oliver with a genuine smile. "Well, that dumb kid that I trained, he would never have made it. You?" He held out his hand, and Oliver grasped it firmly. "You might just have a chance." Slade declared.

That night at the Mercenary camp, Fyers was talking to employer on his satellite phone.

"Yes, it's Fyers."

Satellites showed multiple heat blooms on the island. A man's voice said. What the hell is happening there?

"There was a complication."

Slade Wilson?

"I'm handling it."

Well, handle it better. I've worked too hard and planned for too long to have complications arise so close to the end.

"I assure you, it won't happen again."

What about Yao Fei?

"I've ensured his cooperation."

Good. I've paid you a lot of money, Fyers. I expect a return on my investment.

The call ended, and Fyers hung up his phone. He looked up to see Yao Fei walking towards him.

"You sent for me." The Asian man said.

"I'm a man of my word." Fyers said. "You made the right call today, turning in your young castaway. And for that, I'll grant you five minutes."

Fyers walked to the command tent, where a young, dark haired Asian woman lay on the ground. She was dressed in a tank top and cargo pants, and her hands were bound in front of her.

Slade sat forward suddenly, his eye wide at the sight of his lost love. "Shado…" he whispered longingly.

"Shado? Shado! Shado!" he exclaimed, running to her and dropping to his knees. He pulled the woman into a hug.

"Fùqīn" she exclaimed.

"Wǒ hěn bàoqiàn" he told her.

She looked at him, confused, tears in her eyes. "Fùqīn, fāshēngle shénme?" she asked.

"Shh, shh, shh." He held her close. "Zhè jiāng hěn kuài jiéshù" he assured her. He held her close, his arms tightening around her back.

On her left shoulder was a tattoo of a dragon's head.

"Hey, isn't that…" he looked at Slade, and then groaned. "And suddenly it all makes sense."

"What?" Thea asked. Laurel looked at him questioningly. He just shook his head.

"I'm sure it will all come out. For once, let's just all be patient, okay?" he pleaded, even as he looked at Slade, whose face was completely closed off behind a mask of indifference.

PRESENT

In the present day, Oliver opened his eyes, noting he was lying on a table in the infirmary. "I guess I didn't die." He said weakly as Diggle and Felicity looked down. "Again." He added. "Cool." Diggle shook his head, causing Felicity to laugh.

Soon he was sitting up, inspecting the wound with a small mirror. "It's not bad." He told Diggle. "So how am I going to explain this one?" he asked.

Dig shrugged his shoulders. "Hickey gone wrong?" Oliver gave him a look, then gingerly pulled a blanket up over his shoulders.

"The police collected a sample of your blood at Queen Consolidated." Felicity said from the computer. "I just hacked the crime lab and ordered the sample destroyed." She smiled. "Oops."

Quentin shot Felicity a look. She laughed nervously, and then quickly looked away.

Oliver walked over to her as she spun around in the chair. He noted the new set up for his computers. "Heh. I hope it's all right." She continued. "Your system looked like it was from the eighties, and not the good part of the eighties, like Madonna and, well, legwarmers."

Dig looked at the hacker. "Legwarmers? Seriously?"

"What? I liked legwarmers!"

"It's a lot of work." Oliver said. "Does that mean you're in?"

"You mean in as in I'm going to join your crusade?" she asked.

"Well, you're practically an honorary member of the team already." He noted.

"Hmm. So Mr. Diggle said." She said. Then added, "No."

Oliver looked at her, confused. "Then why'd you upgrade my system?" he asked, baffled.

"First, because seeing a network that poorly set up hurts me. In my soul." She confided. "And second… I want to find Walter."

Moira smiled warmly at the woman, as did Thea.

"My stepfather."

"He was nice to me." Felicity said. "And Mr. Diggle told me that the notebook you use to fight crime is the same notebook that got Walter abducted." Oliver glared at Diggle, who looked slightly abashed. "I'll help you rescue him, but that's it. Then I want to go back to my boring life of being an I.T. girl. That's my offer." She said.

"Ok." Oliver said at once.

"So I've been meaning to ask…" Felicity started, "Is there a bathroom? 'Cause I've had to pee since I got here."

Oliver chuckled. "It's upstairs to the left." He directed.

"Great." She said, heading towards the stairs.

"Felicity." Oliver said softly, stopping her in her tracks. She turned around and he held out his hand, which she took.

"Thank you." He said, shaking her hand,

"Yeah." She said, and then walked briskly up the stairs.

"Oliver," Diggle started as Felicity walked up the stairs, "I know you don't want to hurt this girl and you didn't have any choice in telling her who you really were, but we're asking her to get involved in some pretty dangerous stuff."

"We can protect her." Oliver said.

"How? Your mother just shot you, Oliver." Dig pointed out. "You can't even keep yourself safe."

"She was scared. She was defending herself."

"Or, she was hiding something." Dig countered. "Like maybe her involvement in Walter's disappearance, or worse."

"Diggle, we don't always know why people do what they do." Oliver said. "But what I do know is that when I was standing in her office with an arrow aimed at her heart, she begged me to spare her, all on behalf of me and Thea. Now, I've taken down a lot of bad people. None of them brought up their kids, Dig."

"Oliver, she had the list. Now she may not be in charge of whatever 'it' is, but she's definitely involved." Diggle said.

"Involved in what?!" Oliver growled. "We don't even know what 'it' is, and until we do, she is off limits!" he ordered. "Am I clear?"

Diggle nodded. Oliver dropped into the chair Felicity had vacated. "But Oliver," Dig said, "are you saying this because you truly believe she's innocent? Or because you don't want to face the fact that your mother might be guilty?" he asked. Diggle grabbed his jacket and headed out, leaving Oliver to think. The blanket slipped off his shoulder, and on his left shoulder was a tattoo of a dragon's head, marred by the new scar his mother had given him.

Thea noted the tattoo, but decided to abide by Tommy and wait for it- whatever it was- to come out.

Moira looked at Diggle. "You are a very astute man, Mr. Diggle." She said. "I'm glad my son had you for a friend."

"And I hope to be one again." He replied.

The next day Oliver finally walked into Queen Manor. As he walked through the foyer, he heard his mother speaking to someone in the sitting room. Walking in he saw Moira, with Thea next to her, talking to Detective Lance.

"… 6'1, and a deep voice." She was describing. She stopped when Oliver entered the room.

"Hey." Oliver said. "What's going on?" he asked, feigning ignorance.

Thea jumped to her feet and stalked towards him. "Where have you been?" she demanded. "I've been calling you all night!"

"I was at the club. I get zero reception in there." He told her.

"And it didn't help that I was unconscious and bleeding while my black driver performed emergency surgery on me." Diggle joked, causing Felicity to snort in amusement. She blushed immediately afterward.

"Well then, maybe it's time you invest in a land line." She said, her arms crossed in annoyance.

"Thea." Moira chastised lightly.

Lance stood. "Your mother was attacked last night." He said. "By the Vigilante."

"What?!" he exclaimed.

"He came after me at the office." Moira said.

"Did he hurt you? Are you ok?"

"Actually, she hurt him." Lance said. "She shot him point blank with a gun hidden in her office."

"That should help with your investigation." Oliver said. "Did you get any evidence, like a blood sample, or..."

Lance cleared his throat uneasily. "There was a screw-up at the lab." He admitted.

"That's too bad." Oliver said, masking his relief.

Quentin rolled his eyes as Thea tittered in amusement. Felicity did her best not to meet his eyes.

"Hmm." Lance replied. He looked over at Moira. "We'll be in touch." he said.

"Thank you." Moira said as Lance walked out. She looked over to Oliver, and then grabbed him in a hug. "Oh, sweetheart. I was so scared."

Oliver gritted his teeth, hiding the pain in his shoulder. "I'm just glad you're ok." He told her.

"And thank you for ripping my stitches open!" Thea joked. Moira shot her a look that clearly said 'not amused'.

"I thought he was going to kill me." She admitted.

"Hey." Oliver pulled back slightly, but kept his hands on her shoulders. "I promise you, he's never going to bother you again." He told her, and then hugged her once more.

The memory file ended, and Quentin sat the remote down on a small table. "I have a distinct feeling that that promise won't be kept." He said, sitting back in his chair.

"You'd be right." Everyone turned to see Mia in the doorway. "I think now would be a good time to take a break. Go freshen yourselves up; I'll have dinner brought in. Then you can decide if you want to watch a few more, or just head to bed for the night." She smiled wanly. "Lord knows it's been a long day."

"That sounds like a good idea." Tommy said, standing.

Moira looked over at her elder daughter. "You could have warned me that I shot my own son."

Mia smiled sadly. "I thought about it, but there was no need."

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO

"Ollie! DON'T!" she screamed. Oliver smiled sadly at her, and then released his arrow. A fraction of a second later, she released hers.

PRESENT

"After all," Mia continued, "You're shot didn't kill him."

TBC

Fun fact- I own the exact same lamp that is on Fyers desk in his command tent. It belonged to my Grandfather, and is probably 40-50 years old. Don't make 'em like that anymore.

Dialogue between Yao Fei and Shadow:

Father!

I'm so sorry!

Father, what is happening?

It will be over soon.