Well, here we are. The chapter that introduces the third Champion for the story. Not going to lie, the last chapter made me feel really satisfied, especially with the way the final battle went since I made sure it went off differently. Now, I won't say the fight with Lullaby was AS disappointing as I made it out to be, but I did expect a little more. Trust me: a lot of Canon fights will be a lot more intense.
But enough about that for now. ONTO THE REVIEWS!
TheFreezerStreets: Glad I got you hyped with this chapter. This was my favorite out of the eight so far.
DB-20: You'll learn who they are in this chapter.
TheEmeraldMage: Glad I made the chapter enjoyable for you, my friend. Trust me, a lot of the arcs will have intense fights and I will make them as unique as I can.
Fpinheiro96: Thanks!
Fairydragon2099: Yeah, I probably shouldn't have said Yusei died cause that would just be pouring writing on my part. But this version of Lullaby was much stronger, so even if Natsu and Erza were able to hurt it, it would still fight.
BanRedfox: Glad I made this chapter enjoyable, but don't worry. Yusei won't always be the guy who saves the day.
Kamen Rider W: I loved that Death Battle, my dude. I'll keep them in mind just for you.
So I got some negative responses in regards to the way Yusei defeated Lullaby on his own, and I just want to clear that up.
For one thing, Yusei DIDN'T think he could summon Stardust Dragon. He DIDN'T know the limit to his magic and he sure as hell didn't know about the pain he would feel when his monsters were destroyed. I didn't put these limitations for nothing and he won't be the one who solves every battle for the gang. But because he is the most mature out of the current group, he does have more logic in his plans, despite the fact in his world, card games on motorcycles help save everyone multiple times. Hell, there might even be times where Stardust Dragon isn't enough and his evolved forms will be needed. Again, Yusei WON'T always be the one to solve every issue. And as I said before, the villains in this story will be much stronger than they were in canon, hence some characters will either team up or fight alone.
But anyways, let's go to the recap: Things at the train station escalate as the Fairy Tail team try their best to escape Erigor's wind barrier and after some convincing, Kageyama was able to free them. Once they were free, Natsu and Happy rushed to face Erigor and thanks to the arrival of Yusei and Maki, they were able to defeat him. Though Kageyama stole Lullaby and planned to use it on the Guildmasters, he was soon convinced to stop thanks to Makarov. However, an outside source used the blood of Ankhseram and forced Lullaby to transform. Though they put up a valiant fight, the Fairy Tail group were outmatched and it was only by the summoning of Yusei's Stardust Dragon that they were able to win.
What strange new things will occur after such a large battle? Let's find out...
Oliver Jonas Queen hadn't had the easiest life in the past ten years.
Any who had seen what he had gone through would ask how he was able to stand, let alone live.
Ever since that fateful day, he had changed from the arrogant party boy he was known as in the public to a hero that Star City needed.
The day he and his girlfriend's sister Sara Lance went on the Queen's Gambit with his father Robert was a day Oliver would never forget. An explosion occurred inside the yacht and Sara was sucking underwater, seemingly dying. Oliver barely escaped with his father and two crewmen, but to ensure his son would survive, Robert shot the other two men and then himself, but not before telling Oliver to right his wrongs.
Since coming on the island of Lian Yu, Oliver had endured some of the toughest challenges in his life: being tortured by mercenaries bent on starting a war with the Chinese Government, meeting his brother in arms Slade Wilson, being trained by Yao Fei and his daughter Shado. After a year on the island, Oliver thought it would be over.
But it was only the beginning.
From that point, he suffered more: losing Shado to Professor Ivo, having Slade turn against him in honor of Shado, Sara's second 'death,' being forced to do A.R.G.U.S' dirty work in Hong Kong and finally, working with the Bratva and Talia Al Ghul to become the man who would redeem his father's name and save Starling City.
Oliver Queen died, and in his place was the Hood.
Returning to his home city and living with his mother and sister, Oliver worked hard to eliminate the people in his father's journal, eventually forming an alliance with former soldier John Diggle and the nerdy, yet snippy tech genius Felicity Smoak. Together, they worked to ensure Stat City became a city that the people could truly live in.
But alas, that proved to be difficult.
Malcolm Merlyn/The Dark Archer, Slade Wilson/Deathstroke, Ra's Al Ghul, Damien Dahrk. Many others came to bring Star City to its knees, breaking Oliver in more ways than one, at the cost of his mother, his best friend Tommy, his first love Laurel and countless others. Yet through all that, Oliver pushed on and did what needed to be done, even if it hurt those he was trying to protect.
But after five long years as the Hood, the Arrow and eventually, the Green Arrow… Oliver had met his match in the form of Adrian Chase, also known as Prometheus.
The son of a man who was the unfortunate victim of Oliver's early days as the Hood, Simon Morrison, or Adrian Chase as he was now known as, made it his mission to make Oliver as miserable as he could, whether it'd be through physical or psychological means. Spending four years studying everything about the Hood, as well as uncovering his secrets and training in a similar manner to Oliver, Adrian worked his way towards District Attorney, pretending to be Oliver's ally in order to get close to him. As Prometheus, Adrian did everything he could to mess with team Arrow, whether it'd be murdering innocent people whose first initials matched the Hood's victims, luring one of Oliver's allies into working with him or even going so far as to melt down Oliver's arrows into throwing stars.
But the one thing that pushed Oliver to his limit was the kidnapping of his son, William.
'Lian Yu'
Oliver didn't keep track of how long he had been running, but frankly, he didn't care. There was only one thing on his mind.
Rescuing William from Adrian's clutches.
Having learned that his allies were captured by Adrian and taken to the place where he died, Oliver was forced to rely on some unlikely help in order to save them: Malcolm Merlyn, Nyssa Al Ghul and his enemy turned friend again, Slade Wilson. After some betrayal and clever trickier, Oliver was able to free his friends and sister, yet William's whereabouts were unknown.
However, upon learning of the deadman switch inside of Adrian's body, Oliver knew there could be one place his son could be.
Away with Adrian and away from him, which meant he was on a boat.
So here he was, sprinting through the island known as Purgatory while panting. Finally making his way out of the forest, Oliver saw a dock near the ocean, along with a white boat and Adrian preparing to leave. Adrian turned his head and noticed Oliver's panicked expression, making him smirk.
To make the archer feel worse, Adrian turned on the boat, allowing the engine to start running. He then pushed the gas, allowing the boat to start moving away from the dock. All while looking at Oliver as if telling him 'you lost.'
'No… nonononononoNONONONO!' Oliver thought before he started running towards the boat. Thankfully, the dock was long, so he still had a chance to get onboard. Leaping onto the dock from a small cliff, Oliveer ran as fast as he could, not taking his eyes off the boat. Reaching the end of the dock, Oliver jumped to the side, grabbing onto the front of the boat before climbing on. Once he was onboard, Oliver climbed up on the roof, making his way towards Adrian, who still watched him with his smile. "ADRIAN!" Oliver roared in anger as he jumped off the roof of the boat, swinging his bow in an attempt to strike Adrian, only for him to step back. However, this didn't stop the Green Arrow from rushing him, tackling him until they were on the edge of the boat. Oliver raised his head to make sure Adrian was staring into his rage filled eyes. "Where's William?!"
However, all Adrian did was shrug with an uncaring expression, boiling Oliver's blood even more before the hero of Star City began punching his blood covered face
"WHERE!" One punch to the jaw.
"IS!" Another punch to the gut.
"WILLIAM?!" And a third punch into Adrian's cheek, making him spit out a bloody tooth.
"You really love the kid, don't ya?" Adrian suddenly questioned, as if Oliver's punches did nothing to hurt him. Oliver let out an angry cry as he continued to punch Adrian in the face, not just for kidnapping his son and his friends. But it was for all the people Adrian killed as Prometheus. It was for making Quinton Lance think he was the Throwing Star Killer when he blacked out.
But most importantly, it was for torturing Oliver and breaking his spirit.
With one last punch, Oliver pulled Adrian up and threw him to the steering wheel, causing him to stop the boat entirely. Adrian leaned against the wall, taking in deep breaths, yet ignoring the taste of blood in his mouth. Yet he still couldn't help but mock Oliver a little more. "For an absentee father, your devotion is impressive." Adrian mocked as Oliver reached for an arrow on his quiver, yet he held back for now. "You're worried about your kid when everyone else that you care about is on an island about to get blown up sky high." He then started laughing at Oliver's expense, much to his annoyance.
"My friends and my team can take care of themselves." Oliver hissed with venom in his voice. He was all but done with all of Adrian's mind games, especially with William still missing.
"By using my plane to escape, right?" Adrian asked rhetorically, much to Oliver's confusion. Seeing this, Adrian chuckled before spitting more blood out. "I knew you'd try escaping in the air, so I made sure you couldn't."
"Oliver, are you there?" Felicity spoke from Oliver's comm, making him turn it on.
"Yeah?" Oliver asked, not taking his eyes off Chase.
"Chase sabotaged the plane. We can't get off the island." Felicity stated and from the way she spoke, it was clear she and probably the others were afraid. Letting out a breath from his nose, Oliver turned back towards Lian Yu, just to make sure Adrian didn't hear anything.
"There's an A.R.G.U.S supply ship on the eastern shore. Slade knows where it is. Go there, now!" Oliver ordered to show his urgency. He needed everyone to get to safety before Adrian decided to do something drastic.
"They'll never make it in time." Adrian suddenly spoke up, forcing Oliver to turn back to him.
However, what he saw made his heart stop.
Adrian was standing up and closing the door to the inside of the boat… with William in his arm. The teenage boy was shivering in fear, obviously traumatized with what had been happening. Oliver automatically drew an arrow while putting it on his bow, aiming it right at Adrian's head. However, the killer wrapped an arm around William's neck, making the boy gasp in pain. "Don't do that." Adrian said in a mocking tone. "Even if you had a shot, you've already told me that you wouldn't kill me, or have circumstances finally changed?" To add salt in the wound, Adrian used his other hand to pet William, stroking his hand through the boy's hair to make Oliver even more nervous. Oliver tried his best to calm down, but seeing the sick bastard hold his son made even his steel resolve weaken. "If I die, everyone you care about dies… except your son. But if you don't kill me, I kill him."
"... You son of a bitch." Oliver said in a broken tone, his grip on his bow shaking as he struggled not to let out any tears.
"William, or everyone else." Adrian said before he smiled. "Your choice. Either way, it proves me right, huh? Either way, it's exactly like I told you." He then lost his smile while glaring at Oliver. "Everyone around you, everything you touch DIES."
This was one of the hardest decisions in Oliver's life, even more than when he had to choose between Shado and Sara when Ivy threatened to shoot one of them.
If Oliver killed Adrian right now, then the deadman switch would activate and all the explosives on Lian Yu would detonate, killing everyone on the island. John, Felicity, Thea, Rene, Dinah, Curtis, Nyssa, William's mother Sammantha. Al; their lives would be extinguished in a fireball of explosions.
But if he decided not to shoot the arrow, then Adrian would outright snap William's neck and Oliver's one chance to be a father that was better than Robert Queen would be gone. Oliver had just met William a little over a year ago and while he did hide the fact that he was the father due to Sammantha's demands, Oliver still had fun knowing the boy who was his son. He couldn't let William die when he was so young, especially since all of this was Oliver's fault.
This was what Adrian wanted: to make Oliver's life miserable, and forcing him to choose was just the way he wanted to do it.
So with his mind made up… Oliver began lowering his bow.
William's eyes widened in horror while Adrian smirked in satisfaction. He knew that Oliver was a killer at heart, but sacrificing the life of his own son just for a few people? Now that was-
*STAB*
"AHHH!" Adrian let out a cry of pain as Oliver released his arrow the moment it reached his knee, which was left unguarded. Because of this sudden shot, Adrian released William, who didn't waste a second in running towards Oliver. Dropping his bow, Oliver pulled William into a hug, finally able to calm down.
"Hey! Are you okay? Are you all right?" Oliver asked while holding William's face, making sure to examine his face in the event he was injured. "Did he hurt you?" William shook his head, allowing Oliver to hug him once again.
"He's gonna be fine." Adrian said while sliding down the door of the boat, sitting down while rubbing his leg.
"Don't you talk to him!" Oliver shouted, pointing at Adrian with one hand while holding William in the other. "DON'T EVEN LOOK AT HIM!"
He did it. It took a lot of effort, but Oliver was finally able to rescue his son from Adrian Chase. And all without killing anyone.
"You won." Adrian said simply, getting Oliver's attention. He didn't have a cocky smirk or anything. Adrian just sat there, looking completely weak. "Your son has his father back, and he learned exactly who his father was … just like you learned who your father was right here." Adrian looked to the left, gesturing towards the ocean. "On these very same waters."
"What?" Oliver questioned, utterly lost. What the hell did Adrian mean by that? In fact, how would he know about Robert Queen dying while in the water? For all he knew, Robert could have made it to shore and died on Lian Yu.
"William's a lot younger than you were, so he's gonna be fine, you know…" Adrian spoke before looking back at Oliver. "And you have each other."
"What are you saying?" Oliver questioned while hugging William tighter, a feeling of dread taking his heart.
"It's good. Oliver, that's good you have each other…" Adrian said, his right hand reaching into his pocket. "Because it's gonna be lonely without mom… and Felicity." With that, Adrian took out a silver revolver, aiming it not at Oliver or William… but at his own head.
"NO, ADRIAN!" Fully realizing what he meant, Oliver reached out in an effort to stop Adrian, who could only smile in what looked to be true enlightenment.
*BANG*
A gunshot. A single gunshot echoed through the waters of Lian Yu. The gun that Adrian had fell on the boat with a thud, followed by Adrian's limp arm. Oliver could only stand there in shock, not being able to process what just occurred, but he knew one thing.
Adrian Chase, aka Prometheus, was dead.
One would think this would be cause for celebration… but it wasn't.
*BOOM*BOOM*BOOM*
The sound of explosions in the distance rang through Oliver's ears as he slowly turned back towards Lian Yu. His blue eyes widened as he saw multiple explosions erupt all over, burning the trees and forest alike. William noticed the explosions and watched with tears running down his cheeks. Oliver unconsciously pulled William into another hug, turning his head away so the young boy wouldn't see this.
It didn't matter what his choice was. Oliver still lost, just like Adrian planned. Even in death, he was still ten steps ahead.
"Ummm, M-Mr. Queen?" William's shaky and timid voice called out, getting Oliver to look down. "W-What's that?" Seeing the boy looking at the water, Oliver turned his head to see what William was talking about, only to gasp.
Emerging from the distance was a massive wave, followed by dark clouds and thunder.
'You've got to be kidding me.' Oliver thought in irritation. It looks like even god doesn't want to give the emerald archer a break.
"What do we do?" William asked while looking up to his father, who bit his lip in thought. There could be a chance some of his friends were alive and the boat didn't seem fast enough to outrun a tidal wave.
"Get inside. NOW!" Oliver shouted as he and Willaim rushed towards the interior of the boat, though Adrian's body was still leaning against the door.
Even in death, he still wore that same cocky smirk.
With a frown, Oliver picked up the body and threw it into the water, allowing the body of his most cunning enemy to sink into the ocean. Opening the door, Oliver gently shoved his son inside before closing it. Grabbing the wheel of the boat, Oliver turned on the engine… only to hear the engine start up before dying. "No. No, no, no!" He desperately tried to turn the engine back on, yet no matter how many times he did it, it still wouldn't do anything. "NO!" Oliver slammed his fists on the wheel out of frustration. Just as he was about to get his son out of harm's way, the engine died. He looked back at the tidal wave and saw it fast approaching, which didn't help him at all. They were too far from the shore to swim away, so what could he do?
"Mr. Queen? What happened?" William asked while opening the door, seeing Oliver look down in shame. Hearing the voice of his son, Oliver turned towards him with a sad frown, much to the young boy's horror.
"The engine isn't working. We're stuck." Oliver said in a defeated tone as a bolt of lightning struck the ocean not too far from them.
"What do we do?!" William asked in full panic. There had to be something they could do. There had to be!
Unable to find the right words to say, Oliver walked up to his son and pulled him into one last embrace.
"Just close your eyes, William. Keep them closed." Was all Oliver could say, letting himself cry as all hope was last. Crying as well, William hugged Oliver as tight as he could, trying not to hear the wave as it got closer.
The last thing Oliver saw was the tidal wave rising over him, prompting him to close his eyes.
Then… nothing.
'Unknown'
Oliver didn't know if he had actually died or not. There wasn't any noise, no water entering his lungs, he couldn't even feel William in his arms, despite how tight he was hugging him.
All Oliver knew was that he felt nothing.
Mustering up the courage, Oliver opened his eyes… only to find himself in an area colored completely in white.
"What?" Were the first words he spoke as he started to look around. Sure enough, all he saw was white for miles. Looking down, Oliver noticed he was still in his Green Arrow outfit, his bow in hand, yet oddly enough, the tears he had received from Adrian's sword were gone. It was as if he was given a new outfit. "What's going on?"
"Mr. Queen?" Came a young, surprised voice from behind. Just hearing that voice made Oliver's heart stop as he turned around, only to find William standing there, looking at him with the same surprised expression.
"W-William?" Oliver whispered, feeling his body tremble at the weight of seeing his son. Both father and son looked at each other for what felt like hours before they took a step forward and pulled each other into a hug. Neither cared what was going on. All they wanted to do was ensure the other they were alright. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Those were the only words Oliver could repeat. It was true that if it wasn't for him killing Adrian's father all those years ago, maybe Prometheus wouldn't be born and William could still be with his mother. The duo just held each other, with William letting out some tears. Having felt the embrace of his father long enough, William pulled away from him, looking to the side as if it was hard to look at him.
"So it's true… you're my dad?" William asked, making Oliver frown.
"It's true. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you." Oliver confessed, feeling a heavy amount of guilt weigh on his heart. "Your mother and I… things were complicated and she wanted to make sure I wasn't a part of your life."
'Because you're the Green Arrow?" William asked, this time looking at Oliver. In all honesty, a part of him was kind of excited to have the Green Arrow, the hero of Star City who teamed up with the Flash, as a dad, especially since his mother never told him anything about Oliver. Yet despite this, William felt a bit hurt that both parents kept this secret from him all his life.
"Yes… that's why." Oliver said with a sigh. He couldn't tell William that he was born because he and Samantha didn't use a condom. That would just be terrible to tell someone so young.
"Oh." William said sadly before a new question came up. One that terrified him to the core. "So… are we… dead? Is this heaven?"
"Actually, there isn't an afterlife per say." A new, young voice called out from nowhere, making Oliver and William tense up. Without a moment's hesitation, Oliver quickly put William behind him, taking out an arrow before drawing a bow. He quickly scanned the area, yet he couldn't find the speaker. "When you die, you just get reborn into someone or something else."
"Who are you?" Oliver demanded, his voice as cool as metal. He might not have stopped Adrian from destroying Lian Yu, but he could at least protect his son as long as he could.
*Clap*Clap*
A slow clap echoed through the limitless space, causing Oliver to look around to find the source of said clapping.
The moment he turned right, however… he found the person speaking to him.
"Oh no, he's got a bow. Whatever shall I do?" The newcomer said in mock surrender while raising their hands. The newcomer was a relatively young male, maybe two to three years older than William, with messy black hair, pale skin and brown eyes. He wore a white cloak with several symbols on it and open toe sandals. But what caught Oliver and William's attention was the fact that this teen was HOVERING in the air, legs crossed.
"I-Is he… Is he flying?!" William asked with wide eyes, unable to believe what he was seeing. Oliver was also surprised by this, though he kept his surprise inward as he lowered his bow just a bit.
"Who are you?" Oliver asked in a serious tone, making the other teen smirk.
"You know, it would be great if you could say that in your Hood voice." The teen said with a joking tone. "Maybe go like 'Tell me who you are or I'll shoot an arrow in your eye.' Like what you did with Floyd Lawton in your first year back in Starling-I mean Star City. Wow, they really wanted to shorten the name, huh?"
'How does he know that? Can he read my mind?' Oliver thought with narrowed eyes. He didn't know what kinds of tricks this kid was playing, but he didn't like them.
"I'm not playing tricks on you." The teen said with a knowing tone, getting Oliver to widen his own eyes. "Oh, and yes, I can understand what you're thinking. Nifty little ability, though we have to be careful with it cause some humans have REALLY dark thoughts. And I don't mean the kinds that you hide from your girlfriends or wives, but the really bad ones. Like-"
"Are you trying to stall?" Oliver cut him off before raising his bow again, aiming at the teen's head while William hid behind him. "I asked who you are, but you haven't said anything."
"Wow, you really don't like small talk, do you? Then again, I wouldn't if I went through the kind of hell you did." The mysterious teen said before he uncrossed his legs, allowing himself to stand on the 'ground.' "Name's Gumir, or Gum if you want, and I am your god."
"... What?" William couldn't help but ask. Was this… kid serious about that? Sure, he could float in the air, but there was no way he was a god… right? Meanwhile, Oliver just kept his eye on Gumir, who let out a sigh.
"You know that can't hurt me, right?" Gumir said with a hint of annoyance before he raised a hand and snapped his fingers.
The moment he did… Oliver's bow and arrow turned into bubbles, floating up in the air. This got a surprised reaction from Oliver and William, though the younger of the two was more shocked than his father.
"I know, I know. 'Why bubbles?' I just saw someone in another universe do this and I thought it would break the ice. Guessing it didn't." Gumir said with a mild shrug before he spoke again. "Alright, let's get down to business." Once again, he raised his hand and snapped his fingers. Oliver and William only blinked and found themselves seated on wooden chairs, with Gumir sitting on a golden throne. "Drink?" Both father and son were unable to answer as cups suddenly appeared in their hands: a cup of hot tea for Oliver and a cool glass of milk for William.
"Milk?" William asked Gumir, only to see him holding his own cup of milk.
"You need to grow." Was all Gumir said while sipping from his cup.
"Where are we? Is this the afterlife?" Oliver had to ask, not wanting to beat around the bush anymore. Even when he temporarily died during his duel against Ra's Al Ghul, Oliver only briefly saw the light of the afterlife, and this place didn't have the same glow. Either he and William were taken to some kind of metahuman prison or they were transported to another Earth… the second option was something Oliver would rather not experience.
"Like I said, this isn't heaven. Think of this place as my own playground." Gumir said as William drank his milk, only for it to refill the instant his lips left the cup. "You've seen magic before, but unlike the magic Damien Darhk and John Constantine used, the power I have is on a much more cosmic level. Anything I can imagine can be created. That's why I was able to heal some of your wounds during that whole skirmish on Lian Yu." Hearing the name of the island, Oliver decided to ask his next question, and he was hoping it would bring some good news.
"You took me and William away before the tidal wave hit us… but what about Lian Yu?" Oliver said in a tense tone. "Did anyone survive?" William looked at Gumir as well, giving a pleading expression in order to find out if his mother survived.
Gumir lowered his cup, giving a rather soft smile. "They're alright. In fact, time has slowed down the moment I took you and your son off your Earth." Gumir answered honestly, earning relieved sighs from both Oliver and William. Just hearing the fact that Samantha, Felicity and everyone else was okay eased some of the tension in their hearts, though it raised another question.
"You said time. What do you mean?" Oliver asked, more calm than before. The only instance of time manipulation was when Barry went back in time to help him and the Hawks defeat Vandal Savage.
"That is a little complicated to explain, but I'll do my best." Gumir admitted while leaning back on his throne. "Essentially, time works differently on other Earths and universes. Months could pass in one world while only a few days will pass in another. No matter what world you go to, time will always function differently." He paused for a moment to look at their reactions.
William was obviously getting overwhelmed by this information, but that was to be expected from someone his age.
As for Oliver, he took in everything with a collected expression. 'Fitting for someone like him.' Gumir thought.
"But why bring us here?" Oliver asked while leaning in a bit, his blue eyes staring straight into Gumir's brown ones with the same stare he would usually give those he was hunting. However, Gumir wasn't remotely affected, which told Oliver much about his character.
"Okay. I was hoping to lead into this, but I see you're suspicious of me." Gumir said with a heavy sigh as he crossed his legs again. "I've kept an eye on special individuals in the multiverse in my spare time and when I came across your world… let's just say you caught my interest."
With that, Gumir explained everything to Oliver, from the Overseers and their mission to Ankhseram and the Champions Initiative. He explained what had been going on in Earthland and the threat Ankhseram posed on the Multiverse if he was allowed to conquer it. During his explanation, Oliver listened with narrowed eyes, occasionally drinking his tea as he took in everything. Meanwhile, William tried his best to understand some of the things Gumir was telling them, but it became clear that he understood very little.
"And that's where you come in, Oliver." Gumir said before he took a deep breath, filling his lungs full of air after his rather long explanation. "I was asked to choose a Champion to help the others in Earthland fight off his forces, and I choose you."
"But why me?" Oliver questioned. "If you know about my world, why didn't you ask the Flash? Or the Legends? Or Supergirl?"
"Why? Because they all have powers?" Gumir asked rhetorically before he chuckled. "You would think they would be the first ones I ask. Allen and Danvers would be ideal for this, but if I were to take the Flash out of the Speed Force, it would mean the end of Central City. Not to mention the mess Supergirl's in. Oh, and don't get me started on the Legends and their mission to 'save' time." From the way Gumir was speaking, it was clear that he held Oliver's friends in low regards. "Besides, they don't have your fire."
"My fire?" Oliver asked with a raised brow.
"You went through five years of hell on Lian Yu, Hong Kong and Russia." Gumir started listing off while raising a finger. "Not to mention everything you do for the people of Star City and the world after the whole Dominator fiasco. You were stabbed, punched, shot, yet no matter what, you kept fighting, even when you were forced to make tough choices. That's something I respect about you, Oliver." Gumir then uncrossed his legs and looked straight into Oliver's eyes with a serious gaze. "But I understand if you don't feel like you can do this. Take as long as you need." He then glanced at William. "I'm sure you and your son want some time to talk." With that, Gumir snapped his fingers, causing a bright flash of flight to envelop him before he disappeared, leaving the Green Arrow and his son alone.
Oliver turned towards William, who had stayed silent for the duration of the talk and needless to say, he was reluctant. How else would you be able to explain all this Overseer and multiverse stuff to a pre teen? Taking a deep breath through his nose, Oliver stood up from his chair and kneeled in front of William.
"Are you gonna do it?" William asked, looking at his father with a reluctant expression, as if it was hard to look at him.
"I don't know." Oliver answered honestly with a soft tone. "I don't know if I can do this. All I want is to make sure you're okay." He then held his son's shoulders, staring him straight in the eyes. "But I promise that I will do whatever it takes to protect you."
"And what about the people in that world? Don't they need help?" William asked with a surprised tone. Oliver should have expected him to ask about that, especially since William was still rather naive about this whole situation.
"William, I don't know how long I would be in that world. It could be weeks or months or even years until I come home, and I almost lost you once." Oliver said, trying to help his son understand this issue.
"But if what Gumir said is true, then everyone might be in trouble. Don't heroes help others in need?" William asked while standing up, surprising Oliver a bit. "I might not know everything about you, but I know that you helped Star City a lot, and with heroes like the Flash. Don't you want to help them?" Oliver didn't say anything at first. He was caught off guard by William's argument and even more by the fact that William sounded like he WANTED Oliver to go. It meant he would be traveling in unknown territory, fighting an enemy he didn't even know existed with heroes from other worlds.
It was crap like this that made Oliver miss the good old days of hunting petty thieves and occasional assassins.
"Do you want me to go?" Oliver suddenly asked William, who shifted his feet a bit out of nervousness.
"No… Yes? I don't know." William said as he walked away from his dad, stopping just a few feet away while looking at the endless white void. "When Gumir told us about how everyone could be in danger, I thought about mom and all your friends on the island. If there's a way we can help, shouldn't we do it?" He took a moment to collect his thoughts before turning towards his father. "I don't want to see you go, but… heroes to help people. So I think you should take Gumir's offer."
To say Oliver was surprised and admittedly proud of his son would be an understatement. For an eleven year old, William was surprisingly mature in his words, especially with something this big. This must be how parents feel when their children surpass their expectations… not like Oliver set any expectations for William besides being a better man than he was. And if William is willing to be apart from Oliver and his mother for a little while longer, then Oliver should be more than willing to as well.
Without saying a word, Oliver walked up to William, wrapping his arms around the boy's body and pulling him into a hug. "I'm proud of you." Oliver confessed with his eyes closed. William was mildly surprised by this before he returned Oliver's embrace, feeling a bit of warmth that he hadn't felt since hugging his mother. It was soothing.
The two pulled away before Oliver spoke up. "Gumir."
"You called?" Gumir asked knowingly while appearing in his throne yet again, looking at the Green Arrow with a raised brow. Oliver and William briefly looked at one another before they nodded, with the former giving his answer.
"I'll be your Champion." Oliver said with a tone of pure determination, earning a smile from the Overseer.
"What changed your mind?" Gumir asked with a hint of interest.
"You said Earthland was in danger, and people need help." Oliver said honestly, looking back at William. "It took some convincing, but I see now why you need me."
"Hmmm, I can see why the Spectre will choose you for Crisis." Gumir muttered to himself while rubbing his chin before he shook his head. "Alright, then it's settled. Now there's the matter of what to do about you." He turned his head to refer to William, who blinked in surprise.
"Me? But I thought I couldn't go with my dad." William questioned, clearly confused about the whole ordeal.
"That is true, but sending you back to your world wouldn't be fair to your father, which is why I have an idea for you." Gumir said with a smile. "Which is why I'm offering a place for William with the Overseers. He will be taken care of, of course. We'll feed him, make sure he's healthy and even continue his studies. If you want, mister Queen." Oliver took a moment to think about this before he nodded. At least this way, he would know where William would be and can always call Gumir to check on him… maybe. "Great, now there are a few things I will need to sort out with you. First and foremost: magic."
"What about it?" Oliver asked curiously, making Gumir's smile grow a bit.
"Since the world you're going to thrives on magic, you will need something to give you an edge against some… unfriendly people." Gumir said before he stood up from his throne, walking up to Oliver, despite the size difference between them. "I have some magic for you. Just relax."
"What do you mean by-" Before Oliver could answer, Gumir hovered up to his head, placing his hands on both sides of his head. Gumir closed his eyes while taking a deep breath before opening them, his brown eyes glowing a bright green energy. Oliver let out a gasp as the same green energy enveloped Gumir's hands, entering the archer's body. It was oddly warm, like a warm blanket covering his whole body. Then, a large amount of info entered his mind, giving him techniques even he didn't know about. William watched in interest before Gumir removed his hands from Oliver's head, allowing him to take a breath. "Woah…"
"Sorry about that. Usually, I would give you the magic when you get transported to the world, but since I'm giving you two different types of magic, I had to improvise." Gumir apologized while hovering away to give Oliver space. "Congratulations, Oliver Queen. You have arrow and requip magic."
"Arrow… and requip?" Oliver repeated to himself while looking at his hand. All this new information was rather overwhelming, but at the same time, it was interesting. Deciding to test his new powers out, Oliver concentrated on his hands, thinking about his main weapon.
*Whoosh*
A green magic circle with the symbol of an arrow appeared over Oliver's hands before his bow and an arrow appeared. "No way!" William exclaimed with a gasp. Oliver didn't stop there as he pulled his arrow back on his bow string, aiming at Gumir's throne. He narrowed his eyes, which briefly glowed green as the tip of his arrow turned red. With that, he fired the arrow at the throne, piercing the cushion… and causing a burst of fire to emerge from it.
"Really? You shot my chair?" Gumir asked Oliver with annoyance in his voice. He understood Oliver's need to try out his magic, but using it on something Gumir liked to sleep on? That was just heartless.
"So this is magic from Earthland…" Oliver said to himself while looking at his bow, ignoring the Overseer's complaint before a small smile appeared on his face. "Nice."
"Glad you like shooting innocent furniture, Oliver." Gumir said while shaking his head before he snapped his fingers yet again, causing a white portal to appear behind him. "Now, if we can keep this up. I'm sure the other Champions would love to meet you." Nodding in understanding, Oliver and William looked back at one another before they embraced each other one last time.
"I'm going to miss you… dad." William said while trying his best to hold back his tears. Even if he encouraged Oliver to accept the role as Gumir's Champion, it still didn't make it any easier.
"I'll miss you too." Oliver said in a sad tone before he pulled away to look William in the eyes. "But I'm going to save as many people as I can. And when I'm done, we'll go home with your mom and we'll be a real family, okay?" William wiped his eyes with his arm before he gave his father a nod, making him smile. Oliver then stepped back, walking towards the portal, but not before he looked over to Gumir. "How will I know who the other Champions are?"
"With that." Gumir said while reaching out and placing a hand on Oliver's chest, a small orange light emerging from it. The Overseer then pulled back, satisfied with his work. "There. When you're close to one of the Champions, you will feel the energy course through your body via your tattoo."
"My tattoo?" Oliver questioned before his eyes widened. He quickly unzipped his jacket, pulling up his black shirt underneath before he saw something he never thought he would see again.
The mark of the Bratva over the left side of his chest. It was completely burned off when Adrian was torturing him, yet Gumir was able to heal his scar and remake the tattoo. If Oliver was being honest, he would prefer not to have it back, but if Gumir brought it back, then it must hold some significance.
"I know you're not too fond of it, but it'll help. Trust me." Gumir said while hovering back, giving Oliver a serious frown. "I wish you the best of luck, Green Arrow. Don't die, okay?"
'I won't." Oliver replied with a nod as he looked at the portal. A small part of him felt a bit anxious, but he had to swallow his fear for the betterment of the multiverse. 'I wonder how Barry would react to this.' A low chuckle escaped Oliver's mouth before he shook it off.
With one last breath, Oliver Queen stepped into the portal, ready to face whatever challenges Erathland would throw at him.
Not a bad way to introduce the next Champion, huh? Considering how the last chapter went, it's only natural I write a chapter that is more calm(if you can call the beginning of this chapter calm). Don't worry, the next chapter will have a bit more action and comedy.
So, how surprised are you guys with seeing Arrow's Oliver Queen as the third Champion? I'll be honest: in the first version of this story, I planned on Oliver coming in to fight with the others, mostly to see his reaction to the overwhelming magic of Fairy Tail. For those that don't know, Oliver isn't really a fan of magic or aliens, which gives me all the more reason to add him. There will be times Oliver will be a hardass on some characters, but I also see him adding a sense of seriousness to the story. Hopefully you guys will like seeing how he and the others meet.
I hope all of you are doing well and staying safe with all these riots happening. I understand the death of George Floyd was horrible. The officer who killed him will get no sympathy from me, but looting stores? I feel like people are just using his death as an excuse to do whatever they want. Hopefully it will all pass soon.
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Next time: High Noon.