Well...fuck! It's been two freaking years since this has been updated. I am so sorry guys, but life has gotten in my way. I mean I literally have 3 jobs now! That's how busy I am, but it's still no excuse. Tbh this was going to get deleted and forgotten about, but after rewatching the Arrowverse again, I've decided to try again. So this time I rewrote this entire first chapter and planned this much better than I did previously. I really hope you all will love this rewrite as I made a lot of changes to the old one. So enjoy and stay tuned in the end.


Warning: I do not own Arrow. They are owned by the CW and it's creators such as DC. Fictional events are mine as well as my OC.


Two figures run through a dense forest, swinging from tree branches over fallen trees, and jumping over other obstacles. As the forest thins out, the first figure can clearly be made out as a man who stands to be 6'1, wearing a familiar green hood. As the second figure was younger and was at least 5'11, while wearing a familiar blue hood. They both scramble up a sheer rock cliff face and, as they come to the top, the face finally comes into view.

The first figure was none other than twenty-seven-year-old Oliver Queen. He looks older, with his long stringy dark blond hair, his blue eyes still the same, and a scraggly beard, but he is clearly recognizable.

The figure next to him was none other than eighteen-year-old David Callahan. He too looks older with his black slightly long stringy hair, his blue eyes still the same, and a small beard is grown, but he is clearly recognizable.

Oliver and David peer over the top of the cliff to the bay, and spots a small fishing vessel. Moving quickly, they both run across the top of the cliff and back slightly into the woods, where a small bundle of supplies lays wrapped in a cloth rapidly. Oliver withdraws his bows and an arrow whose tip was covered in tar. Using a flint, he lights the arrowhead on fire. Oliver nocked the arrow, drew back on the string, and took a moment to aim. Then he let the arrow fly-

Into a pre-made signal on the beach, which explodes into a ball of fire.

On the fishing boat, the two men crew notice the fireball and head towards shore to investigate. As they come onto the shore, they walk past a ragged looking mask on a post. It was half blue and half gold and an arrow was stuck through the right eye hole.

"The name of the island they found us on is Lian Yu. It's Mandarin for purgatory. We've been stranded here for five years." Oliver said in a narrative voice.

"We've dreamt of our rescue every cold, black night since then. For five years, we have had only one thought, one goal, survive. Survive and one day, return home." David said in a narrative voice as well.

Oliver and David fell to their knees in front of the two fishermen and slowly let down their hoods. Their face was filthy, their hair and beard matted with dirt and grime. The survivors look at each in a smile as they are now saved and will finally go home.


Now on the boat, David and Oliver were bundled in a blanket, and one of the fishermen brought them some hot tea to warm them up.

"The island held many dangers. To live, we had to make ourselves more than what we were, to forge ourselves into a weapon. We are returning not the boys who were shipwrecked, but the men who will bring justice to those who have poisoned our city. Our name is Oliver Queen and David Callahan." David and Oliver say at the same time as they look at the island one last time.

Suddenly a TV turned on and it begins to show a news report.

"Oliver Queen and David Callahan are alive." Marrett Green announced into the camera. "The Starling City residents were found by fishermen in the North China sea five days ago. Five years after they were missing and were presumed dead following the accident at sea which claimed The Queen's Gambit."

The news changed from a picture of the yacht to file footage of Oliver staggering around drunkenly. "Queen was a regular tabloid presence and a fixture at the Starling City club scene. Shortly before his disappearance, he was acquitted of assault charges stemming from a highly publicized drunken altercation with paparazzi."

Then the news changed from the drunk Oliver to David, who was in class as someone has filmed it through the windows. "While David was just a regular 7th-grade student, who has never been arrested. But was in detention a couple of times for breaking stuff in schools like chairs and tables."

"Queen and Callahan are the sons of Starling City billionaires Robert Queen and Michael Callahan, who was also on board but now officially confirmed as deceased." Marrett Green tells the news report as it shows a picture of the boys with their fathers. "And now since David has returned would he have to take over Callahan Industries, considering his mother, Abigail Callahan, was killed in an accident four years ago."


In Starling General Hospital Dr. Lamb is giving Moira Queen his assessment of Oliver and David. "Mrs. Queen, Oliver's body is covered in twenty percent of scar tissue. Second-degree burns on his back and arms. X-rays show at least twelve fractures that never properly healed." Dr. Lamb informs her.

"And how is David?" Moira asks as she is worried about him.

"David's body is quite unique as he seems to have only five percent of scar tissue as nothing seems to be broken as well." Dr. lam explained. "We tried to separate them, but they refused to do so."

The doctors try to separate the two earlier, but David and Oliver refuse to leave each other's side. So the doctors have them, in the same room with each other.

"Has he… has either of them say anything about what happened?" Moira asked, looking into Oliver and David's room and watching her son as he looked out at the city. David was sitting on one of the beds, he seem to be deep in thought as he stares at the floor with his arms on his legs.

Oliver looked better now that he had had a shower and a shave, his hair was also neatly trimmed. David was the same with him having a shower and a shave making him have no beard anymore, with his hair neatly trimmed. They both are aware that Moira is there but wasn't paying any attention at that moment.

"They've only spoken to each other and barely so." Dr. Lamb Replied.

"Is there anything else I should know?" Moria asks.

"No, but Moira, I'd like you to prepare yourself. The Oliver and David you lost might not be the one they found." Dr. Lamb told her.

Moira didn't respond. Instead, she entered the room, letting the door close behind her.

"Oliver." Moira said quietly.

Oliver turned around, a myriad of emotions playing across his face. "Mom." He finally said after a moment. The words came out almost like a whisper, yet raspy as if he hasn't say anything in years.

Moira slowly walked towards him, and Oliver met her halfway. "Oh. My beautiful boy." She said tearfully as they hugged.

After a few moments, they let go as Moria turns to David with tears still in his eyes. David didn't move from where he was sitting before he notices Moria walking up to her. He immediately sat up and stare at the person who was like an aunt to him. She looks back at him as she looks at his appearance. He has grown so much as he was taller than her and maybe almost to Oliver's height.

"Hi, Mrs. Queen." David finally said after a moment.

Moria merely laughs at that. "I told you to call me, Moria." She tells him.

He laughs as well. "Looks like it didn't stick." He said as he was then pulled into a hug. The teen wasn't expecting it but gave her one as well. Then after a few moments of silence, they let go as David looks at her. "Moira." David said.

"Yes dear." Moira answered.

"Where is Mom?" David finally asks.

Moira's heart shattered at that moment as she didn't know what to say at first. She was going to lie and say she was running late, but decided it was best to tell him right now. "David…um something happen to your Mom." She said softly.

"Why?" David questioned. "What happened to my mom?!" He begged as tears are starting to come out of his eyes.

"I'm sorry to tell you this David." Moira began to say as tears were coming out of her more. "But your mom died four years ago in a car accident."

David shook his head in denial. "No. No!" he yells out in anger after hearing the news. It was at this moment that he couldn't take it anymore as he broke down crying. He dropped to his knees as Moria and Oliver leaned down to comfort the boy on the loss of his mother. Not only his father is dead….but so was his mother.


It was the next day as the Queen's Bentley pulled up to the front of the stately old Queen mansion. Oliver and David step out as they look at the mansion in front of them. It was big as before, for David it feels smaller. Maybe it has to do with his height back then, but the Queen's home still looks the same as it did five years ago. The trunk opened to reveal two long wooden crate with Chinese writings and a padlock. As the driver reached for it, Oliver and David cut him off.

"I've got it." He said, grasping the case instead.

"Thanks anyways." David said with gratitude as he grab his case, hiding the contents they had secretly brought o the city.

Moira opened the front doors and led Oliver and David inside. Oliver was in awe of finally being home, trying to see what is different from the memories he had. David watch his reactions at first before doing the same, it was almost like he never left as nothing changed much.

"Your rooms are exactly as you guys left it." She said to them, leading him into the house. David had his own room here in the manor after spending his young life here hanging out with his friends. "I never had the heart to change a thing."

David continues to look around the place as no matter how many times he comes here, it was always too grans. Sure his home was like that too, but it's different when it's someone else's home. He stopped at that moment when he saw a familiar picture frame. In the picture were three pre-teens laughing together. The one on the left was obviously him, although much younger. He also seems to have shaggy hair back then, with his crystal blue eyes still shining as ever. The one on the right was another boy he had auburn hair, with brown eyes. And last but not least, there was the girl in the middle. She seems to have her arms around him and the boys neck in a friendly manner as the three of them seem to be laughing. It was almost like she came up from behind them as the boys kneeled on the ground. David smiles seeing this as he missed the days like that, when everything was so simple.

"Oliver. David." A refined British voice called out, bringing David out of his thoughts.

"It's damn good to see you two." A tall black man came in from the other room.

Oliver looked at him in confusion, as David watch his brother's reaction.

"It's Walter," Walter tries to remind Oliver. "Walter Steele."

Moira tried to clarify. "You remember Walter, your father's friend from the company." She said as if that would explain why he was at their house.

Another figure entered the foyer, and Oliver walked past Walter, ignoring him completely. David being polite as he can, walks up him. "Sorry about him, he's a little out of it." David explains.

"No need." Walter said, fully understanding the situation. "How are you, David?" he ask, as he has his hand out to shake.

"Well, this trip was certainly fun. That's for sure." David jokes, bringing in a few laughs from Moria and Walter.

Oliver walked up to the older woman in the maid's outfit and took her hands in his. "It's good to see you, Raisa." He said warmly.

"Welcome home, Mr. Oliver." She replied in equal warmth. She looked over to Moira. "Mr. Merlyn and Mr. Pintor phoned." She said. "They want to join you for dinner."

"Wonderful." Moira said, even as Oliver was distracted by the sound of a door slamming. David followed Oliver's eyes to the stairs.

Oliver looked up towards the top of the stairs as his mother continued. "Oliver? Did you hear that?" He ignored her as he walked around the pillar to the bottom of the stairs as felt his breath catch.

Oliver smiles at this as he expected a twelve-year-old girl, but saw a teenager, David's age, instead as she turns a corner towards the top of the stairs. The two look at each other for a moment. The girl seems to have brown luscious long hair, that goes past her shoulders. The girl seems to be slender yet athletic build to help with it. She also seems to have bright green eyes, that sparkle in the light.

"Hey, sis." Oliver finally says as Thea didn't say a word at that moment. Here she was, looking down and seeing her older brother, who she has not seen in five years. She couldn't hold the emotions back anymore

"I knew it." Thea was saying as she ran down the stairs, jumping into her brother's arms. "I knew you were alive! I missed you so much." She said, hugging him very tightly.

David watches as the siblings have their little reunion. He couldn't tell if the girl he knew for so long was going to cry or not, but he won't judge. It feels a little surreal seeing her after five years of being gone, but yet here he and Oliver are. Back home in their city, with the family, they love….or in this case Oliver's family that David loves since his parents are gone.

Oliver wasn't fazed by it as he hugs Thea back, almost equally tight. "You were with me the whole time." He replied, a genuine smile on his face.

After a few more moments, the sibling souls away as Thea looks at David. The two didn't say anything to each other, almost like the world has stopped and they were the only ones left. They were speechless to be precise as they look at the changes the others have done over the five years.

David notices that she was taller than before, but still not tall enough to reach his or Oliver's height. She still have a bubbly face, but almost all of it was gone. David remembers all the times he, Thea, and this other boy used to hang out and play with each other. All three of them have known each other since they were born, considering their parents were always friends with one another. It made it easier to have play dates or hang out in the same school too. David just didn't know what to say as he soaks in this new appearance of Thea, he used to think girls were ok and a bit weird. But he doesn't know how to describe it, but Thea just looks pretty as he always thought she was as a kid. But still the best friend he knows and loves.

Thea was on the same boat as well. She didn't know what to say at all, but she did have tears forming in her eyes. One of her best friends looks ways different than when they were kids. Sure her brother looks almost the same, but David was another story. Thea could tell he was much taller than her, like five inches taller as her brother was like eight inches taller. His shaggy hair was now gone and was replaced with his hair trimmed, along he seems to have quite a muscular build. Something Thea noticed almost trite away as David wasn't like that five years prior.

But after a few moments of silence, it became awkward for the two. They didn't know what to say after being missing for so long. Deciding to break the silence, David took the initiative to speak first. "Hey…." He said, almost in a whisper.

Thea sniffled and hold back her laughter and tears as she spoke. "Five years on an island and all you have to say is 'hey'?" She questions with sarcasm.

"Well, I could always go with wassup, if that'll work." David jokes back as Thea laughs.

"Come here, you dingus." She said, using her nickname towards him, as she pulls him in a hug.

David was surprised once more to be pulled into a hug. What is with these ladies pulling him in a hug? That's twice in a day this happened. The boy wondered if more people would be doing that. But David didn't say anything as he hugs her back as well with a smile. "Miss you too dweeb." He spoke after another moment of silence.

The two best friends pull apart just as Oliver decided to mess with David. "You know, Thea, David talked about you quite a lot that first year or two." He teases and embarrasses his little brother figure, as he messes with David's hair.

David didn't seem to like it as he pushes Oliver's hand off of him. "Shut up!" he said as he playfully punch Oliver's arms, Thea laughs at their little interaction.


In another part of Starling City called the Glades, it shows CNRI with Joanna de la Vega as she was arguing with a woman with brown long hair and green eyes.

"Come on, Laurel." Joanna was saying. "We're lawyers, not miracle workers. We can't win this."

"If we can't win a class-action suit against a man who swindled hundreds of people out of their homes and life savings." The woman, who was now called Laurel replied. "Then we're not fit to call ourselves a legal aid office."

"And if we go bankrupt in the process, we won't be a legal aid office." Joanna shot back. "Hunt has an army of lawyers, and they're ready to bury us."

"You and I against an army." Laurel said with a small smile. "I love those odds." She said with a smirk.

"Why do you hate me?" Joanna groused as Laurel sat down at her desk.

She stared up at her board that laid out Adam Hunt and his 'alleged' criminal activities, searching for something concrete that she could sink her teeth into. As she was looking, a news report on one of the office TV's caught her attention.

"And in other news, details as to the castaway story you've all heard about the two sons of two very wealthy billionaires will soon become a legendary story. Jessica now has more details and the complete castaway story. Jessica?" Laurel got up and walked over to the TV that her colleagues were all gathered around.

Jessica spoke about the news. "'The Queen's Gambit' was last heard from more than five years ago. Mr. Queen and Mr. Callahan have reportedly confirmed that they were the only survivor of the accident that took the lives of eight people, including local resident Sarah Lance. Survived by her sister, Laurel-" But the Tv was soon shut off as everyone look at the person who has done it.

Laurel shut the TV off, not wanting to hear anymore as her colleagues look at her in sympathy.


It's been a couple of hours as it was nighttime in the Queen's mansion. After settling in his old room, David decided it would be best to take another shower, something he and Oliver didn't have the privilege to have on the island. Before going into his bathroom, he took out a photo he had with him on the island and put it on his nightstand. It was him, Thea, and the other boy in a Christmas sweater, smiling at their heart's contents. After a long, very hot shot David emerged from his respective bathroom, with steam filling in the cold air of the room. He stands there only in his towel.

"After five years, everything that was once familiar is now unrecognizable." David said to himself as he walked over and looked in a mirror as he looks at himself over, cataloging his various scars. "The face I see in the mirror is a stranger."

For a moment looking in the mirror, he saw himself in his familiar blue hood. But as he turned away, his mind flew back to where it all began.

Flashback

The Queen's Gambit made its way through stormy seas. Inside the boat, Robert Queen and his best friend/billionaire partner Michael Callahan along with a much younger David Callahan were looking at a weather map on the wall as one of the crewmen came in from the storm.

"How bad is it?" Michael asks the crewman, who was drowning in water.

"The storm's a category 2." The crewman replied. "The captain's recommending we head back."

Robert sighed. "All right. Inform the crew." He said as a younger-looking Oliver ducked out of a stateroom.

"Are we in trouble?" he asked.

"One of us is." Robert replied with a small smile.

Oliver let out a small laugh, but before he could say any more a blonde-haired girl came out of the room in nothing more than her lingerie and a short silk robe.

"Ollie?" she started, then noticed Robert, Michael, and especially David. Grinning, she wrapped the robe around herself. "Where do you keep the bottle opener on this thing?"

"I'll be there in a minute, Sara." Oliver said with a grin.

Sara grinned and went back into the room, her hair swaying behind her.

Robert came up to his son and put a hand on his shoulder. "You know, son, that is not going to finish well for either of them or for you."

"And here is another lesson David." Michael said as he got on his knee to look his son in the eye. "Don't be like Oliver by sleeping with other girls. It's just not right to do that, plus it will only end in misery."

"Alright, Dad." David said in understandment. "I promise, I won't do that."

"That's my boy." Michael says with a smile as he hugs his son, while Robert watches with a smile.

Flashback Ends

The flashback ended as Oliver was standing in the foyer of the mansion, looking at a picture of his younger self and his dad. He was staring at it pensively, and then he heard the front door open. He put the picture down as a grin came to his face knowing who it was.

"What did I tell you? Yachts suck." The voice said.

Oliver immediately turn around to face the person who spoke. "Tommy Merlyn." Oliver replied hugging his best friend.

Tommy hugged him back strongly, happy to have his brother back.

"I missed you, buddy." Tommy said as a door slammed.

The two pulled apart just as David walk towards the railing that overlook them. David had some new clothes on that he got from Moria, who bought some and shipped to the mansion. The teen had a nice blue dress shirt, along with some black jeans, with some dress shoes. "You two are done gazing into each other's eyes yet?" David asks with a smirk.

"Haha, very funny." Tommy said as David walks down the stairs towards Tommy.

"I thought it was hilarious." David said as he hugs Tommy. "How have you been Tommy?"

"I'm doing good, man. It's great to see you." Tommy said with a smile as he then notices his height as they seem to match it. "Man, you've gotten big."

"That's what everyone been saying." David said with a smile.

"Yeah because it's true." Oliver agrees as there was a knock on the door.

Tommy shrugged at who could it before walking towards the door and opening it up. Upon opening, two familiar people emerge from the door. One was a teenager, who seems to be 5'7 in height with an athletic build. He had auburn hair with brown eyes as he had on purple dress shirt, with dark brown pants.

"Oh, my God!" The boy said as he immediately looks at David. "I can't believe you are alive!" The boy was shocked to see David.

"Well, you better believe it." David said with a small smirk but smile nonetheless. "Five years on a deserted island was almost worth it seeing the look on your face." David casually says.

The boy walks towards David and pulls him in a big hug, making David not even surprised anymore. But David didn't care as he hug the boy back equally as tight as he should.

"Oh man." The boy said with glee seeing his best friend alive. "I thought you and Oliver died." The boy said as they pulled away.

"Well, fate has bigger plans for us." David said as he looks at Oliver who nods at him in understandment. "But how have you been Leonidas?" David asks the boy who was now called Leonidas.

Before Leonidas could speak, another voice came in. "Well, Leonidas hasn't changed that's for sure, David." The voice said causing the four men to turn towards the voice, which leads to another man. More specifically Leonidas's father Drew Pintor.

"It's good to see, Mr. Pintor." David said as he shakes the man's hand.

"It's damn good to see you and Oliver made it back from that hell." Drew said as he shakes the boy's hand. "Was afraid you two were gone too soon." Drew said sincerely.

"It wasn't easy living off the island." Oliver informs.

"I imagine it wasn't." Tommy chimes in.

"But we are sorry about your mother." Drew told him with sadness. "It broke her heart when we couldn't find you guys. But I am glad that you and Oliver are home at last."

"Thank you, I appreciate it." David said with a slight sigh. He was still reiling in his mother's death and hasn't properly mourn.

That's when Thea walks in wearing some nice clothes for the dinner, she then notices the guesses that arrived. "Good, everyone's here." She says. "It's time to eat anyways."

"Sweet, I'm starving." Tommy said.

David laughs at that, drawing his attention away from his mom's death. "Same old Tommy. Looks like he didn't change that much either." David said to Oliver who agrees.

"Well, I for one am glad that all three of us are back together." Leonidas said as he walks towards the middle of David and Thea. "Us friends back together once more." He says as he pulls David and Thea in a hug around their necks, similar to that old photo.


Five minutes later, Walter, Moria, Drew, Tommy, Oliver, David, Leonidas, and Thea were seated around the dining room table. Oliver sat at one end, with Thea and Tommy to his left and right respectively; David sat next to Thea on his right while Leonidas sat on his left with his father next to him. Moira sat at the other end with Walter to her right.

"Ok." Tommy started. "What else did you miss?"

"We missed the Super Bowls." David said. "So who won each year?"

"There was the Giants, Steelers, Saints, Packers, and Giants again. A black president, that's new. Oh, and 'Lost,' they were all dead I think." Tommy finished with some confusion.

"Honestly, no one really knew how Lost ended." Thea said.

"But don't forget about Hockey." Leonidas tells them. "Let's see there was Red Wings, Penguins, Blackhawk, Bruins, and Kings."

"Yikes, makes us we were on the island and not watch that." Oliver jokes at the NHL Champions.

This made Thea ask her own question. "What was it like there?"

There was silence as everyone turned to look at Oliver and David. They both look at each other as they marveled at how they communicate with each other without words, they seem to hold a conversation with their eyes. They then plastered fake smiles on their face.

"Cold." They said in unison after a moment, an air of finality in that one word.

"Tomorrow, you and me, we're doing the city. While Eon and Thea show David around as well." Tommy suddenly announced, sensing that it was time to move on. "You two got a lot to catch up on."

"Yeah, it'll be great for you to see what's change." Thea said to David. "

"Great idea, that way it'll get you out of the house Leonidas." Drew approved in almost a scorn tone. Moira and Walter didn't seem to notice but did approve of the idea. Mostly so Thea wouldn't have a go to school, which she and Leonidas originally had tomorrow. Meanwhile, Leonidas looks away from his father, as Tommy, David, Thea, and Oliver noticed the tension in the room once more.

"Good." Oliver replied after a moment of silence as he and David exchanged looks with each other as if they are communicating once more. "Then I was hoping that me and David could swing by the office."

Walter and Moira exchanged glances. "Well, there's plenty of time for all that." Walter responded. "Queen Consolidated isn't going anywhere."

Moira looks at David. "Besides David, the boards said they'll be happy to let you in since it is your company now. But they would like you to take the time to get used to the modern time." She explains as David understands her intention.

At that moment, Raisa came back into the room with a bowl of pears. She tripped on the rug and stumbled into Oliver, who deftly caught her and the bowl.

"Oh, I am so sorry, Mr. Oliver." She said.

Oliver smiled at the older Russian. "Ni dlya kogo ne volnuites." He replied.

There was a beat in the room as everyone processed that.

"Dude, you speak Russian?" Tommy finally exclaimed.

"I didn't realize you took Russian at college, Oliver." Walter said, slightly confused.

"I didn't realize you wanted to sleep with my mother, Walter." Oliver replied bluntly, while David let out a small chuckle which his two friends look at him.

The conversation again died, and Walter and Moira glanced at each other. Moira looked back to her son, whose face showed only polite interest, no anger or disappointment. Moira looked over to Thea.

"I didn't say anything." She said.

"She didn't have to." David added as everyone look at him in surprise as he knows as well. "It was pretty obvious with the way you two interact with each other. Plus the ring you try to hide is not that hard to see."

Moira's eyes narrowed slightly, then she nodded to herself, seemingly coming to a decision.

"Oliver." She started, taking Walter's hand in her own, "Walter and I are married. And I don't want you to think that either one of us did anything to disrespect your father."

"We both believed that Robert, Michael, like you and David, was, uh, well, gone." Walter added.

"It's fine." Oliver said as he stared at his mother for a few moments, before he rose. "May I be excused?" he asked, rising from his chair.

Moira nodded, and Oliver turned to leave, but not before he gives David a small fist bump and a small look.

"Hey, don't forget about tomorrow, buddy." Tommy called out as Oliver left, casting one last look at Thea.

Round the table, looks of sadness passed over Moira and Thea's face, as they began to realize that while Oliver may have been home, he still wasn't back yet. They all then turn to David who was eating his dinner. He soon notices them as he looks up at them.

"What?" David asks as everyone stares at him. "Why everyone's looking at me?"

They all look at each other as they begin to worry about him and Oliver.

"Uh...is he alright." Leonidas asks.

"Yeah, he seemed pretty calmed with what just happened." Thea said.

David just took a moment to answer. "He's fine it's just been a very hard time for us to adjust to being home with this new change. But he'll get over it. Oliver just probably wants to be by himself for a while."

Drew took the moment to speak to get rid of the other tension that still filled the room. Drew gave a slight cough as David looks at the man. "So David, do you plan on going back to school?"

Walter immediately drew concern about this. "Uh don't need to pry but don't you think it's a little early to ask him that? I mean he and Oliver just got home last night."

"I don't see the problem in just asking a simple question." Drew told the man nonchalantly.

"It's fine, Walter." David said to him before turning to Drew. "I actually had thought about it. It may seem logical to go back to school with Leonidas and Thea, but being away five years gave me a bit of perspective that the school would never teach." David started to explain his opinion. "That's why I figured it is better if I just get my GED instead, then worry about college a lot more early." After saying that, the whole group was a bit surprised at what David's plans are, not every day a person would make a huge decision like that.

"Wow, that's not what I was expecting." Tommy said still in a bit of shock as he figured David would go back to school.

"Me too." Leonidas and Thea said in unison as they look at each other for a moment.

"What major were you thinking of?' Drew asks before biting into his food.

"Was thinking of business for my company along with engineering in science and technology."

"Wow, your quite the science wiz." Drew said as he was impressed at what David wanted to become in the future. "You know I'm something of a scientist myself." Drew told him with a smile, causing Leonidas to look annoyed once more.

Later that night, as a storm raged outside the mansion, in his room David sleeps on his bed, but seems to be drowning in sweat. He was panting like no tomorrow as he hears the rain on the windows echoing throughout the room. A single thunder startles the young man as he continues to sleep and hears more raging on.

Flashback

David was sleeping in his room as he shares a room with his father. Suddenly the boy hears a loud thundering noise as he wakes from it. He looks around to see that his father wasn't in the room.

"Dad." David calls out, but he never hears an answer.

Suddenly the boat begins to tip over as David uses his strength to hold on to something. But it fails as he fell over with the bed on top of him, pinning him down. Without warning, he easily, yet somehow uses his strength to lift the bed off of him as he was suddenly pulled under water. He swims as fast as he could to the top as he has no idea how long he can breathe. As he got to the top he can see the Queen's Gambit sinking as he sees his father along with Robert and some crew.

"David!" They call out to him to come over, which he did as quickly as he can.

They pulled him up on the boat as Michael immediately pulls him a hug in relief that he is alive.

"What happened?" David asks wanting to know what is going on.

"The storm caused it to be unbalanced and tipped over." Micheal explained.

David looks around and doesn't see Oliver and Sara. "Where are Sara and Oliver?" He ask in concern.

"We don't know, David." Robert answered. "We're trying to find them." Rober explains as another loud thunder strike erupts.

Flashback Ends

Hearing another thunder, easily woke up David, who seems to be in his boxers, as he immediately shot up from the bed. "AHHH!" He screamed so loudly as the rain continues to get loud. The boy took this moment to look around and realizes that he was not out at sea. This calms him down as he takes a couple of deep breaths to settle down from the nightmares. David wipes his hair, which was full of sweat before a knock interrupts his thoughts.

"Yeah?" David calls out and confused about who could it be.

"David, it's me, Thea." Thea calls back from the door. "Are you okay? I heard you screaming." Thea said in concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine." David hollered back. "Just a nightmare." he explains to his best friend.

"Well, I'm here if you ever want to talk about it." Thea said with genuine concern.

"Thanks, Thea. But I'm fine now." David told her, which was a complete lie. He will never get over the horrors he and Oliver had gone through these past five years.

Thea paused for a moment. Part of her want to comfort her friend, but the other part had to respect his wishes. The latter one that decision. "Ok, goodnight." Thea said before walking back to her room, which was down the hall.

"Night." David said before he hears her door shut. Once he knew she was gone, he took another deep breath as he puts his hands on his face to wipe more of the sweat and tears he had on his face. David was not in the mood to have any talk, even if it was Thea or Leonidas as it was something they shouldn't have to hear. No matter how much they would like to know.


A few Minutes Later

The same thing was happening in Oliver's room. As the storm raged outside the mansion, in his room Oliver slept on the floor besides his open window, with rain pelting him as he slept fitfully. A voice could be heard counting.

Flashback

"One, two, three, four…", Sara said.

Oliver was busy opening a bottle of wine as Sara sat on the bed, counting the beats between the lightning flashes and thunder.

"It's getting closer." Sara said, as the lights flashed on and off.

"That's not very scientific." Oliver said teasingly.

"What would you know about science, Mr. Ivy league dropout?" she asked as he brought two glasses of wine to the bed.

"I happen to know a lot about science." Oliver said, handing her a glass. "I know about fermentation. I know biology…" he trailed off as he kissed her.

They broke apart and Sara leaned back smiling.

"Laurel's gonna kill me." She said, putting the glass down on the nightstand. "Oh, she's so gonna kill me."

"Your sister will never know." Oliver assured her, pressing her down into the mattress. "Come here."

Sara laughed and they kissed some more, and suddenly there was a loud crack of thunder. Sara broke away, slightly panicked.

Ok, that one was really close." She said nervously.

"Sara," Oliver said, grinning at the girl. "we're gonna be fine."

Suddenly, without warning, the room seems to flip and suddenly the far wall became the floor. Oliver and Sara were thrown out of the bed, slamming into the wall. Oliver staggered to his knees, pulling himself up on the edge of the bed.

"Sara?" he called out, looking around.

There, across the room near the door lay Sara, a small cut on her head bleeding. She blinked in confusion, then look up and back at Oliver. She reached for him- but was suddenly swept from the room.

"Sara!" Oliver screamed as the water claimed him, too.

It seemed to take forever, but in reality, it only took a few moments for Oliver to break the surface of the ocean. He gasped for breath and looked around frantically.

"Sara!" he screamed.

"Oliver!" Robert called from the life raft, who was with Michael and David as they were already on it.

Oliver frantically swam for the raft, and Robert and Michael pulled him on board.

"Sara! Sara!" Oliver screamed.

He lunged for the side, trying to get back in the water to find her. Robert grabbed him and held him in.

"No! Dad, she's out there!" Oliver tells his father

"She's not there, Oliver. She's gone." Robert said sadly.

"I'm so sorry, Oliver." David said sadly to Oliver.

"I know this isn't easy for you." Michael said as he pulls Oliver into a hug.

Flashback Ends

Moira hears Oliver yelling in his room as she leans over Oliver, shaking him lightly.

"Oliver, wake up." She said loudly, trying to be heard over the storm as she shook his shoulder again "Oliver…"

Suddenly Oliver awoke and, running on five years of survival instincts, grabbed his mother's arm and flipped her over him onto the floor.

His hand came down to her neck just as Walter yelled "Oliver!"

Oliver blinked and looked down, seeing his mother there for the first time. Scarred at his own actions, he rapidly crawled away from his mother back towards the window.

"I'm sorry." he said ashamedly. "I'm so… I'm so sorry."

Walter helped Moira up shakily. She knelt down in front of Oliver.

"No, its ok, Oliver." She said in a soothing voice. "It's all right, sweetheart. "You're home. You're home." She emphasized.


It was the next morning as David pulled his old munitions crate out from under his bed, which he secretly brought with him. Opening the lid, he pulled out a book before turning to an arrowhead-shaped stone. David looks at it for a few seconds before leaving the room with it and sees Oliver already out of his room waiting for him.

"Hey, David, how did you sleep?" Oliver asks as he wondered if his night was anything like his brother figure.

"Yeah, I'm alright. Don't really need sleep so why bother?" David asks before he asks a question of his own. "What about you? How did you sleep?"

"Terrible." Oliver replied. "If you ever want to talk, you know I'm here for you."

"Thanks, Oliver." David said with a smile, as Oliver pats his shoulder.

"But there is nothing I would say would change anything about how I feel." David explains. "Besides you were with me, it's not going to be easy to get out of my head."

"Yeah, your probably right." Oliver nodded in agreement as these past five years were hell for them.

They then proceed to walk to Thea's room, so David can show her something.


In Thea's room, her friend from school Margo was crushing a pill into powder with the edge of her credit card.

"Where did you get these?" Thea asked, smiling down at her friend as she leaned on her desk.

"Roxies. Thank you, daddy's ACL tear." Margo replied smugly.

Suddenly there was a knock on her door, and Margo hurriedly hid the pill bottle in her jacket as Thea hurriedly threw a folder over the line just as David and Oliver entered the room.

"Davie. Ollie." Thea said with a smile.

Oliver and David laughed lightly, not hearing that for half a decade.

"No one's called us that in a while." Oliver replied.

"Yeah, Speedy, it's something we don't hear often anymore," David said with a smirk using the nickname, that Oliver gave her.

Thea closed her eyes, half in annoyance and half in embarrassment. "Worst nickname ever." She said with a slight smile.

"What, always chasing after me as a kid? And then chasing David and Leonidas when you three were kids too. I thought it fit pretty well." Oliver replied. "Maybe it still does." Oliver said with a smile.

Margo took her cue and grabbed her bag. "See you later, Speedy." She said using the famous nickname.

She threw a grin over her shoulder at Thea as she left. Thea laughed.

"Sorry about her." She said.

"I have something for you." David held up the stone.

Thea smiled in amazement."You did not come back from a deserted island with a souvenir."

"Oh yes, I did. It's a Hozen." David explained. "And in Buddhism, it symbolizes reconnecting. I kept it in hopes that one day, it would reconnect me with you." He finished, handing the Hozen to his best friend.

Thea took it and smiled warmly at David for the gift.

"A rock! That is sweet. Giving a girl a present is quite romantic." A voice said from the door.

"Yeah, didn't know after all these years away you somehow manage to whoo a girl after a day back." Another voice jokes from the door.

Oliver and David smiled in half annoyance as Tommy and Leonidas entered the room.

"You know." Tommy started. "I want one of those t-shirts that say 'my two friends was a castaway, and all I got was this crappy shirt'."

"But we wouldn't say no to a souvenir." Leonidas finishes with a smile. "I mean it would show that you care and thought about me too, while you two were marron on that island." Leonidas says as they stand next to them.

David laughs at that for a moment before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a makeshift knife that he had. "Here will this do?" David ask as he tossed it to Leonidas, who easily caught it. "Made it from wood and stone while it's tied around from string and sap." David explains as Leonidas examines the knife and was proud of how sharp it is.

"Wow, this is great!" Leonidas said with glee. "Figure you guys would use bow and arrow."

David just shook his head in denial. "Nah, bow and arrows are lame." he said as he gave Oliver a slight smirk on that statement. Oliver gave him a small glare that no one saw, David noticed but didn't care, and he continues to smile at it.

"And you didn't get me anything?" Tommy asks David, looking a bit offended that he never got a gift.

"Nah, figure Oliver took care of that." David replies as he points toward Oliver.

"Don't worry, Tommy. Yours is in my room, we can get it later." Oliver explains as Tommy smiles that he got something from the island as well.

Thea smiled at their antics, then looked to her brother. "Don't let him get you into too much trouble." She advised. "You just got back. Take it slow." She embraced Oliver, who gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"And you two better make sure to keep an eye on her." Tommy tells Leonidas David as they fist bump each other. "You know how she is when she want to do something stupid."

Thea becomes offended with a little mocking in her voice. "Oh, I do not."

"So true." Tommy said with a smile as Leonidas just smiles as Tommy cleared his throat "Ahem. The city awaits." Tommy announced, and after shooting Thea a smile, the two left the room.

As they walked down the hallway, Tommy looked at Oliver. "Have you noticed how hot your sister's gotten?" he asked, as Oliver's glare at him "Because I have not." Tommy quickly says in a panic.


Back with the trio, they began talking about where to go first. "Where should we go first?" David asks his two friends.

"How about we explore the city and show you what's new." Leonidas suggested with a shrug as Thea puts on a jacket.

"Ugh, no sounds boring." Thea said with annoyance, before forming an idea. "How about the mall?" She ask with a smile.

Before David can input his conversation, Leonidas interrupts him. "Now that's boring Thea. You go there all the time to shop." Leonidas pointed out.

Thea gives him a death stare with her arms crossed. "I mean so we can shop for new clothes for David." She explains. "Unless you want our best friend to wear the exact same clothes every day?" She asks with a smug.

Leonidas turns to David who shrugs at that. "She does have point. I do need new clothes."

Leonidas just rolls his eyes. "Fine, we should be quick though. I wanna show him this burger place he never been too." Leonidas tells them as they walk out of Thea's room.


Tommy and Oliver were driving through the Glades in Tommy's Mercedes with the radio blaring.

"Your funeral blew." Tommy announced.

Oliver looked over at him with a grin. "Did you get lucky?" He asked, and they both laughed.

"Fish in a barrel." Tommy said with glee. "They were so sad."

"No." Oliver said jokingly.

"And huggy." Tommy continued. "And I am counting on another target-rich environment for you and David's welcome home bash."

Oliver looked to his friend in confusion. "At our what?"

"You and David came back from the dead." Tommy stated. "This calls for a party. You and David tell me where and when. I'll take care of everything."

They came to a stop at a corner. Across from them, a dilapidated building stood, with several homeless people out front standing close to a warming barrel. To the right stood an old, abandoned steel mill- The Queen steel mill.

"And this city's gone to crap." Tommy continued. "Your dad sold his factory just in time. Why'd you want to drive through this neighborhood anyway?" He asked as Oliver looked at the factory.

"No reason" Oliver finally said before looking back at Tommy.

"So what'd you miss the most?" Tommy asked him, turning to him and grinning. "Steaks at the Palm, drinks at the station, meaningless sex?"

"Laurel." Oliver answered with a bit of sorrow.

The smile dropped off of Tommy's face. "Everyone is happy you're alive." He said, trying to reason with his friend. "You want to see the one person who isn't?" He ask looking at him.

Oliver just shrugged his shoulders.


In CNRI, Joana was talking with Laurel about their case with Adam Hunt.

"Laurel, I just got this from Hunt's lawyers." She handed Laurel a folder. "They filed a change of venue. We are now in front of Judge Grell." She explain as they walk.

"Hunt funded Grell's reelection campaign." Laurel said, walking back towards her desk. Joanna joined her.

"Mm-hmm." She said with a hint smug.

"He's got Grell in his back pocket." Laurel stated.

"You know, it's fun being your friend." Joanna replied with a smile knowing she is right. "I get to say 'I told you so' a lot." She said as she hug her from their shoulders.

"No." Laurel shook her head. "Adam Hunt is not smarter than we are."

"No, he's just richer and willing to commit multiple felonies." Joana said.

"We don't need to go outside the law." Laurel started.

"To find justice." Joanna finished as Oliver noticed them coming towards him. " Your dad's favorite jingle." Joanna smiled and walked away, and Laurel turned around-

To see Oliver Queen standing by her desk, looking at her board on Adam Hunt. Oliver looked over to Laurel and gave a slight smile

"Hello, Laurel." Oliver greeted.


A curtain opens as David steps out of the changing room he was in he came out in brand-new clothes. He now has on a black leather jacket with navy blue on the shoulders leading toward the collar. David also wore a dark red t-shirt, with dark blue jeans and black combat boots.

"How do I look?" David asks Thea and Leonidas as he wants their input while also giving a three sixty degree turn.

"Looks great!" Thea complimented.

"Yeah, the girls will love it." Leonidas says with his eyes rolled. "Now are we done shopping? I'm starving."

"Fine, dude we're done." David with a slight sigh as he turns to Thea who nodded in agreement. "Let me go just go pay for these." He says as he gestured to a pile of clothes he had tried on for the past hour. Now he doesn't have to worry about running out of clothes.

"Sweet, you'll love this burger place." Leonidas tells them as he notices a cute girl nearby.

"He is really excited about this burger place." David whispers to Thea who began to help him with the clothes.

"You have no idea." Thea said back before the two friends laugh at Leonidas's personality.

The two then notice Leonidas shooting his shots at a female worker, which to somehow be working. "Some things never changed." David said before he and Thea laugh once more.


Oliver and Laurel were walking through an outdoor plaza out of Laural's work so they can have a little privacy.

"You went to law school." Oliver was saying, "You said you would."

"Yeah." Laurel agreed sullenly. "Everyone's proud."

"Adam Hunt's a heavy hitter." Olive tried. "You sure you want to get in the ring with him?"

"Five years and you want to talk about Adam Hunt?" she asked.

Oliver shook his head. "No. Not really."

Laurel sighed and they stopped walking, Oliver turned to face her. "Why are you here, Ollie?" she asked tiredly.

"To apologize." Oliver replied. "It was my fault. I wanted to ask you not to blame her."

"For what?" she asked. "Falling under your spell? How could I possibly blame her for doing the same things that I did?"

"I never meant to-" Oliver tries to explain.

"She was my sister." Laurel cut him off. "I couldn't be angry because she was dead. I couldn't grieve because I was so angry. That's what happens when your sister dies while screwing your boyfriend." She paused to compose herself. "We buried an empty coffin." she finally said, "because her body was at the bottom of the ocean- where you left her. It should have been you."

Oliver looked pained, the truth of her words stinging. "I know that it's too late to say this, but I'm sorry." He said at last.

"Yeah, I'm sorry, too." Laurel replied acidly. "How's David?"

"He's good. He is a little shaken up from what we experience." Oliver tells her

"Probably wasn't easy for a kid his age to go through something like that." Laural said.

"That's true. He said he misses you. Maybe you should give him a call, he would love to see you again." Oliver said as he gave her David's number.

"I think I will." Laural said with a smile.

It was a moment of silence between the two as Laurel was starting to forget being mad at Oliver, but not for long.

"I'd hoped that you'd rot in hell a whole lot longer than five years." She stalked past him back to CNRI.

As she passed by Tommy, she asked. "How did you think that was gonna go, Tommy?"

"About like that." He replied.


A lady hands a tray of burgers, fries, and shakes to the trio who were sitting in a booth. They were currently in a Big Belly Burger place that Leoniadas has been dying to take David too. The place smells like greased food, but that's to be expected at a famous fast-food place. David had ordered the triple cheeseburger, Thea had the double cheeseburger, and Leonidas…well he got five panties on his burger. But they all had fries and shakes to go along with it.

"Thank you." David thanks the worker with a smile.

"Of course, let me know if you kids need anything else." The worker said before she turn around to get back to work.

"Now that's what I'm talking about." Leonidas said with a smile as David looks a bit disgusted by the number of panties he had stacked together.

"You know, I would tell you to chew with your mouth close, but I don't even know how you can do that with this thing." Thea said who was also equally disgusted.

Leonidas holds his burger with a smile. "Five stacks, Thea. Nothing better." And with that, he took a big bite our his burger, which makes David question if his best friend has superpowers or not.

"That's disgusting." David plainly told him. After five years away, he thought of eating a burger again but seeing Leonidas like that just ruins it for him.

Leonidas looks a bit shocked at that but shrugged in response as he didn't care one bit.

"So how does the food tastes, David?" Thea asks, stirring away from Leonidas's disgusting eating display.

David sipped his strawberry shake before replying. "The food is amazing." He complimented. "Five years on that goddamn island and all I dreamt of was eating burgers again." He explains before taking another bite of his burger.

"Glad you love it." Thea said with a smile, which David gave in return.

"Obiah urrse." Leonidas informs his friends with his mouth still full. Turns out that eating a five-stack burger along with fries very fast can hurt your stomach. Who knew?

"Your belly hurts?" Thea asks knowing where this would of lead to. "Yeah. No, that's not surprising." She tells him with annoyance, which makes David laugh.


Soon, Tommy and Oliver were walking back toward the alley where Tommy had parked his car.

"Ok, so we took care of that." Tommy was saying. "Good call. Now we can make up for the lost time. If you're not too sick of fish, I suggest we find some leggy models and eat Sushi all day. What do you say?" Tommy asks.

Suddenly a van came from out of nowhere and pulled up right behind his car, slamming on the breaks before it hit the two friends. Two men in demon masks and blue hoodies came out of nowhere.

"What're they doing?" Tommy asked, startled.

Before either boy could react, the masked men shot the pair with tranquilizer darts. Tommy went down immediately, but Oliver took a few more moments, as he started fading, he saw a cook come out of the back of a restaurant, taking out the trash.

He only had time to say "What the hell?" before a third demon-masked man with a submachine gun shot him. The Last thing Oliver saw before he passed out was one of the demon masks peering down at him.


The three teens were walking out of Big Belly Burger when suddenly a van came out of nowhere as no one was around.

"What the hell?" David ask in surprise.

"What're they doing?" Thea asked, startled.

"I don't know." Leonidas answered with fear. "But I don't think we should stick around and find out."

Before either of the trio could react, the masked men shot the trio with tranquilizer darts. Thea and Leonidas went down immediately, but David spun around dodging the dart and punching one of the men that had come at them. One of the men, who David presumed to be hired thugs, wearing a demon mask, shot another dart at David, but missed by an inch, as it flew past David's nose.

Grabbing the man David had punched, who was wearing a skull mask, David threw him into the dumpster, knocking him out on contact, as David did not want to kill these men, even though he was highly able to, and as he threw the thug, he was sent crashing to the ground, his eyes darkening as he clenched his fists and punched the ground, the concrete cracking beneath it. The thug who had taken him down to the cold ground stood above him like a giant, but David was not afraid of a giant.

David stood up, and sent his fist slamming into the thug's chest; the sounds of the ribs shattering could be heard as he sent another punch slamming into the back of the thug's leg. The thug fell to his knees, and with his knee David sent it flying upwards, knocking him out.

"You'll feel that when you wake up, trust me." During that small altercation, the men in the masks had grabbed Loenidas and Thea and put them into the van. A thug came up from behind, slamming a dart into the side of David's neck, but David kept fighting.

Four guys later and David collapsed to his knees and watched as the five injured men were dragging him sluggishly toward the van. David couldn't do a thing as a sack went over his head and he was thrown in the back of the van. The Last thing David saw before he passed out was his sight going into darkness.

Flashback

The scene is flashed back to the life raft, where the five survivors sat, floating on the rough sea at night. Michael handed David a bottle of water. "Here, son." He said, "Drink up, you too Oliver."

"What the hell are you doing?!" the crewman shouted. "That's all we've got!"

Robert glared at the man. "If anybody's making it out of here, it's gonna be them." He said as Oliver took a drink of water. Robert put an arm around his shoulders and pulled him closer to his chest.

"I'm so sorry." Robert said. "I thought we'd have more time. Were not the men you guys think we are."

"We didn't build our city, we failed it. And we weren't the only ones." Michael said as he puts around David's shoulders and pulled him closer to his chest.

Flashback Ends

Everything seemed to be drowsy once David came to, and as David opened his eyes, he at that moment, was only seeing blurs. He had the terrible urge to vomit, but held it down, as he saw sitting next to him, tied up in a chair, was Oliver. He couldn't see his friends for a moment as he figured Tommy was with them. His thoughts were interrupted when he suddenly hear voices.

"Mr. Queen? Mr. Callahan!" The blackness was lifted, revealing one of the demons masked men as he pulled the bag up from over Oliver and David's heads. The man held two tasers in each hand and hit the activation stud, causing a current of electricity to flow between the two prongs at the end.

The two noticed each other and figured that they took each other as well. They then sent a barely noticeable nod to each other on what to do in a situation like this.

"Did either of your fathers survive that accident?" Oliver and David remained silent, looking around the room. They saw six men, two with a submachine gun, and another two, also with guns, standing near Tommy, Leonidas, and Thea, who was still passed out on a wooden pallet.

"I ask the questions." The man said. "You two give me the answers."

Oliver and David were just still silent, so the man stuck the taser on them in the chest, shocking them. Oliver and David groaned loudly behind clenched their teeth.

"Did they make it to the island? Did they tell either of you anything?" the mask asked again, and again David and Oliver was silent, so he taserd him.

They then let out another groan. Finally, they looked up at the mask. "Yes, he did." Oliver said after a moment of silence.

"What did he tell you two?" The man questioned, happy that they were going to get answers.

David looked right into the darkened eyeholes of the mask. "They told us we're gonna kill you."

The mask and his friends all shared a laugh. "You guys are delusional." He said finally. "You guys are zip-cuffed to that chair."

The two lifted their now-freed hands, shocking them all on how they did that. "Not anymore." Oliver said simply.

Then, before they could react, the duo went into motion. Oliver ducked a punch from his interrogator and then flipped the chair up to block a second. He reversed the chair, sending the hard edge of the seat into the chest of the second man, then ripped out of back seat posts and spun around, staking the interrogator in the heart.

With David, he grabbed his chair to smash on the fourth guy as it was broken into pieces. He grabbed the two broken legs of it and slammed them in two of the men's heart that was coming behind him.

For good measure, Oliver brought the taser up and shocked his guys under his jaw, sending him to the floor. Oliver grabbed the second man and swung him around in front of him as a shield, just as the third man fired. The bullets hit the second guy in the chest killing him. Seeing that, the third bolted from the room with the fourth one trying to follow, but sadly he didn't make it far as he tackle the guy down.

"No please! Don't hurt me!" The mask man pleaded, but David didn't care one bit as he grabs the guys neck and snapped it like it was a twig.

Oliver and David gave each other a look, knowing they don't need to use their words to know their plan. Oliver let the man drop and took off after the third man, while David runs over to his friends to check on them.

Bending down David checked their pulse, making sure Tommy, Leonidas, and Thea were alive. Noting that they were, Tommy and Leonidas started to come around, while Thea was still out cold.

"What happened?" Leonidas ask as he rubbed his head.

"Yeah, I'm not feeling too goo." Tommy complained.

"Well we got kidnapped. Plain and simple." David explains as he doesn't sugar coat it.


As Oliver started gaining ground, the man fired wildly behind him. Oliver was able to duck and dodge out of the way of the fire. He made it into another warehouse and the man fired wildly once more spraying bullets everywhere, once more Oliver was able to stay ahead of the fire, jumping off a platform and grabbing on to some chains, as the man frantically tried to reload. Oliver didn't give the mask man a chance, swinging around and launching himself at the man. A punch to the face bent the men backward, and Oliver spun around, wrapping his arm around the man's neck from behind in a reverse choke.

"You killed that man." Oliver said, holding the man in place.

"You don't have to do this." The third gasped out not paying attention to what Oliver had said.

"Yes, I do." Oliver replied, then with a jerk, he broke the men's neck. "Nobody can know our secret."


It was later at the Callahan Manor, where David and Oliver were being interviewed by Detective Lance and his partner, Detective Hilton. Moira, and Walter were there as well, and on the coffee table before they lay the sketch of Oliver, David, Leonidas, Thea, and Tommy's 'saviors', two men in a hood.

"So that's your story." Quentin was saying. "Two guys in a green and blue hood flew in and single-handedly took out six armed kidnappers."

"It sounds unbelievable, Mr. Lance, but it's the truth." David insisted.

Quentin gave a light sigh, he usually hates Oliver and his family as he blames the boy for his youngest daughter's death. But he can't fault David as he had nothing to do with it, plus out his friends he was the more good child that stayed clear from doing anything wrong. Plus he like the kid for his interest in Quentin's work when he was little. He shrugged as he decided to humor them. "I mean, who are they? Why would they do that?"

Oliver shrugged in return. "I don't know. Find them and you can ask." Oliver said cheekily, while David gave him a glare and a jab in the arm.

"Ok then." Quentin said not liking that answer. He looked over at Tommy, Leonidas, and Thea. "What about you three? You three see these hooded guys?"

"I saw…" Tommy hesitated for a moment, his eyes flickering over to Oliver and David, who was looking back at him with an unreadable expression. "Just movement." He said finally. "Everything blurry. I was kind of out of it."

"Didn't see nothing at all. Woke up the same time as Tommy." Leonidas explains to the detectives.

"And I was still out cold." Thea tells the detectives.

"Yeah." Quentin replied, disbelieving because Oliver sitting here and not his daughter Sara. He looked back to Oliver. "It's funny, isn't it? One day back, and already somebody's gunning for you. And you had to drag David into it as well. Aren't you popular? " Quentin said with a hint of snarl.

Moira's eyes narrowed at Quentin. "Were you able to identify the men?" she asked.

"Scrubbed identities, untraceable weapons." Hilton said. "These were pros."

"Yeah." Quentin added. "Well, they probably figured you'd pay a king's ransom to get your boys back- or a Queen's ransom, as it were." His gaze turned to Oliver especially. "After all, a parent would do anything to keep their child safe."

"I don't find your tone appropriate, Detective." Moira interjected.

Walter slowly stood. "If Oliver can think of anything else, he'll be in touch." He said. "Thank you, gentlemen, for coming."

Quentin gave a cold smile and rose, tucking the drawing back into his travel case. He stared at Oliver. "Your luck never seems to run out, does it?" he said, before he and his partner leave.

The detectives stopped at their tracks at David's voice. "Mr. Quentin, it is good to see you again. I just wish this reunion would of been a bit better."

Quentin just nodded in appreciation. "Thanks kid. I'll tell Laurel you said hi." And with that, the detectives finally leave.

Oliver and David walk over to the window and take a calming breath, before turning back and looking at Tommy, Leonidas, and Thea, who stares back with unreadable expression of their own. The three didn't know what to think but were a bit worried as David and Oliver had only been back for about two days, and was already kidnapped for God knows why.

David and Oliver then gave an exchange-knowing glance. They hadn't exactly lied, the two men in the green and blue hood were there….and they were just getting started.


In Oliver's room, he was currently studying a news clipping on his new computer about Adam Hunt. Oliver looks at Robert's then checked Michael's book, and sure enough, Adam Hunt is a name on The List.

"You are different." Raisa said.

Oliver looks up and smiles at Raisa as she enters his room with a tray of food. As she approaches, he turns the book over and clears his monitor. "Not like you to read a book."

"I missed you, Raisa." He said warmly.

"No kitchen on the island?" she joked.

"No." Oliver says. "No friends either only just David."

He stood and walked towards her, taking the tray. "Hey. Thank you." He took the tray and sat it down on his bed, then looked back at the maid. "Do I really seem different?"

"No." she said. "You're still a good boy."

"Oh, I think we both know I wasn't." Oliver jokes.

"But a good heart." She added warmly as Oliver smiled at that.

"I hope so." He said. "I want to be the person you always told me I could be."


"So what are we doing in the living room?" David aks his two best friends, who had him sit on the couch as they stand in front of him.

"Well because of today's crap…" Leonidas said using air quotes. "We decided that another way to get you up to speed is to binge-watch as many movies as we can."

"But don't you guys have school tomorrow?" David asks. "You need all the sleep you can get." He tries to reason with them….for about ten seconds before they all laugh about that. Even after being away, his two best friends still don't like school as it's a snooze fest.

"Yeah, that's a good one." Thea said as she has her land on Leonidas's shoulder to lean on as she laughs at that.

David sighs with a smile. "That definitely never get's old."

"Very true." Leonidas agres.

"So what are we watching first?" David asks.

"How about Harry Potter?" Thea suggested. "Everyone loves that."

David shrugged in agreement. "Sure."

"You just sit there, while we get the snacks." Leonidas tells him as he and Thea walk off to make popcorn and other snacks to munch on.


The next day Oliver and David both got up early and changed into clean clothes like they'd planned the night before. Today they were both going to go to Oliver's dad's old factory in the Glades. According to Oliver, it would make the perfect place for them to use as a base of operations as they went out as vigilantes. They were both a little apprehensive about it but they were also prepared. They'd been planning on doing this for five years on the island and they weren't going to stop now.

As the vigilantes, David and Oliver would visit each person on the list in the book and bring justice to the city. Depending on who it was and what they had done to the city depended on what they were going to do. So far all they knew was who their first target would be. Adam Hunt. They didn't know how they were going to deal with him just yet.

"I still can't believe we've been back a day and already we're on the news as the vigilantes" David whispered to Oliver who was putting on a jacket whilst David waited by the door for him. When Oliver was ready he opened it and they both walked out into the sun.

"Yeah well, it was going to happen at some point" Oliver replied leading the way out of the Queen property.

"I guess. It's better sooner than later I suppose." David and Oliver stopped when they heard their names called by Mrs. Queen behind them. Oliver turned around and smiled at his mom politely. Walter stands next to her as well as a tall, well-built black man.

"Oliver, David. This is John Diggle. I want him to accompany you from now on." Moria told them.

David and Oliver both looked at each other at the same time, a similar look of shock written plainly across both of their faces. They hadn't planned for this. Not once. "Mom" Oliver said looking back at David again. "We don't need a body guard."

"Or baby sitter." David whispered without moving his lips. Keeping his voice low enough so only Oliver could hear. Oliver felt a smile tug at his lips but he ignored it.

"Darling, Oliver and David are grown men." Walter added. "And if they don't feel they need armed protection…"

"Yes, I understand," Moira interjected, as she then began to use a guilt trip on her son and 'nephew'. "After everything that's happened, just getting you back, the kidnapping. I can't lose you again, either of you."

Oliver looked at David who saw what he was going to say and shook his head not so unnoticeably. Oliver ignored him even when he could see the movement out of the corner of his eye. "Mom." he started but was interrupted.

"Oliver, I want this for you." Moira said showing no sign of backing down.

Figuring they'd get away sooner if he just agreed Oliver said, "Okay."

"Good." Moira said hugging him as she and Walter walked back into the house.

"Where would you like to go?" John Diggle asked. His face was completely emotionless.

"The Glades." Oliver said turning around and walking towards the black car. David followed imitating Oliver as he walked to his own side of the car and climbed in himself.


Soon, Diggle was driving the Bentley downtown with Oliver and David in the back. It was very quite in car for the past fifteen minutes, before Oliver broke the ice. "So…what do we call you?" Oliver asked.

Diggle glanced in the rear-view mirror at his principal as he drove. "Diggle's good." He answered. "Dig if you want."

"You're ex-military?" David inquired noticing the man's form.

"Yes, sir." Diggle replied. "105th Airborne out of Kandahar, retired. Been in the private sector a little more than four years now." He glanced in the mirror again. "I don't want there to be any confusion, Mr. Queen. My ability to keep you from harm will outweigh your comfort. That will be for you too, Mr. Callahan. I've been assigned to keep an eye on both of you. Do we have an agreement? Sirs?"

Diggle heard the sound of the back door opening then closing in rapid succession. He glanced over his shoulder to see that David and Oliver were gone.

"Sirs!" Diggle called out, slamming on the brakes.

He got out of the car and hurried around to the back, throwing open the back door to see the car deserted. He looked around in vain- but Oliver and David were gone. Diggle just shook his head in confusion at how they did that.


Oliver and David manage to get away from their bodyguard as they are now walking down in the heart of the Glades. They had picked up new clothes and gear, and now they made their way back to the abandoned Queen steel mill. The two made sure no one was looking before they tossed their bags over the high fence. Oliver walks back a few feet from the fence before he jumps on a couple of large boxes which gave him a boost to jump over the fence. DOuble checking no one was around, David takes a few steps before jumping the high fence completely while landing on his knees.

"Show off." Oliver scoffs at that, which makes David smiles.

Picking up the bags, they calmly walked into the mill. Long abandoned, the mill was an empty husk. Trash littered the floor, and Oliver and David stopped when something caught their eye. Bending down, they found an old Queen Consolidated annual report, Robert's face along with Robert who help created the building had their faces on the cover.

Oliver picked it up as he as David stared at it. "The abduction was unexpected." David said to Oliver.

"Yeah now it forced us to move up our plans, but what we told the police was true. The man in the green and blue hood was there in that warehouse, and they were just beginning." Oliver said

What followed were a series of images as Oliver and David began building their lair- knocking down walls, breaking through the floor to the basement below, and maneuvering a generator and other equipment they had delivered via unconventional sources.

Soon, they had several tables set up, green and blue lights over each of the tables flickered on when Oliver powered up the generator.

They set up their computer system at the forefront and started uploading and sorting files. While the computer worked, Oliver worked two- first on creating new arrows with the machine tools, as David was creating his sai's weapons as he makes them sharp as he could.

Then they on working out their body- doing several reps on the salmon ladder, inverted crunches, and other exercises.

Finally, they pulled their munitions box out and set it on a table, opening it up. Oliver pulled out his custom recurve bow, strapped his quiver to his back, and loaded up a bucket with tennis balls. Steadying himself, he knocked over the bucket and let the balls bounce out onto the floor.

At once, he started drawing, nocking, and firing arrows, one after the other, until all of the tennis balls were pinned to the wall, each with an arrow dead center.

Meanwhile, with David's finished sai's, he begins to train. Suddenly things drop out of the sky upon them as they were sandbags, David begins to fight them off as if someone was there. He moves around them at super speed as he slashes them and stabs them as the sand falls to the ground.


Later, Oliver and David are sitting at their new computer station watching a news report about Hunt.

"The suit alleges that Hunt committed multiple acts of fraud and theft against the city's underprivileged. Laurel Lance, an attorney for the city necessary…" the news report tuned out as Oliver began speaking his thoughts once more.

"Adam Hunt his crimes go deeper than fraud and theft, but he's been able to bully, bribe, or kill anyone who's gotten into his way." Oliver said as he and David moved from their weapons table to the crate and pulled out a familiar green and blue hood.

"They haven't met us yet." David said with equal determination.


Later that night in a parking garage Adam Hunt is with Laurel's boss Eric Gitter, and two of Hunt's bodyguards as they were swiftly walking.

"You remind Grell, I put him on the bench, I can take him off." Hunt said viciously. "I will turn him into a cautionary tale."

"Yes, Mr. Hunt." Gitter replied.

"And this attorney, Laurel Lance? You said she wasn't gonna be a problem anymore." Hunt continued. "I told you to fix that situation." He stopped and looked at Gitter. "Why are you still here?" Gitter nodded subserviently and left.

The other three men continued the walk to his car, when suddenly a light exploded behind them. The first guard turned to look, his hand going for his gun in his waistband- until an arrow pierced his hand and gut, pinning it there.

The guard fell with a cry, while the second guard pushed Hunt into the back of the limo. "Get in the car!" he commanded, and then turned around, drawing his weapon and firing several times into the darkened garage. He paused, searching for a target.

"Hey." A voice called out. "You missed."

Hunt listened inside the car as his second man was taken down, and suddenly a window shattered. He looked up to see an arrow lodged in the seatback. He reached for it in puzzlement-

And then suddenly he was yanked through the shattered window and tossed to the ground. He scrambled onto his back, to see Oliver and David, in their green and blue uniform, hood, and greasepaint over their eyes. The brim of the hood was pulled low to distort their face.

The Hood, who was on top of the car, had an arrow nocked and aimed right at Hunt's chest, while the Blur had his sai pointed at him, while he was by the car door.

"Aah!" The man screamed. There were beads of sweat on his forehead showing he was scared. "What? What? Just… just tell me what you want!"

The Blur hauled Hunt to his feet, much to his surprise as each step the Blur took made the floor tremble. "You're gonna transfer forty million dollars into Starling city bank account 1141 by 10 P.M. tomorrow night." The Blur demanded.

"Or what?" Hunt shot back, a scowl on his face.

"Or were gonna take it, and you won't like how." The Hood replied as he got off the car as they both then turned and walked away.

Gaining courage at the Hood and the Blur's retreating back, Hunt shouted, "If I see you two again, you're dead!" In response, The Hood in one fluid motion turned and fired an arrow into the back window of the limo. Hunt looked at the hole in shock, then turned back to the Hood and the Blur-

But they were already gone.


The next day, at Adam Hunt's penthouse apartment, he was giving his statement to Quentin and Hilton.

"They both were wearing a hood, a green and blue hood. One of them...I know this going to sound crazy, but he had super speed." He was saying, "And The Hood had a bow and arrow, while...the Blur has two sai's in his hands." The two cops glance at one another, and Hunt misinterpreted their looks. "What, you don't believe me?" he picked up an arrow that was lying on his desk and handed it to Quentin. "Those maniacs put two of my men in the hospital."

Lance took the arrow and looked it over. "Well, thanks for your statement. We'll put out an APB on," he looked back up at Hunt and said, slightly mockingly, "Robin Hood and Speedy Gonzoles."

Hunt scowled and to into Quentin's face. "Hey, pal. I'm not some grocer who got taken for his register. I go to the front of the line." He stepped back and looked at both cops. "Now he said he would be back here by 10 P.M. Make sure you're here first. You can coordinate with Mr. Drakon, my new head of security." He gestured to a tall, thin man in black.

"All right." Lance said finally. "Well, uh, thanks for your time." The two partners turned and left. As they walked to the elevator, Hilton said, "It looks like Queen and Callahan were telling the truth."

"Yeah." Quentin said grudgingly, "Well, there's a first time for everything, well for Oliver anyways. This hooded and blur guy come looking for trouble," he finishes as the doors to the elevator start to close. "They'll find it."


At Queen Manor, David pulled at the collar of his shirt clearly showing his annoyance with the piece of clothing. Even though it felt like it was constricting against his neck the shirt hung loosely on him. Seriously, why did he have to wear this? Couldn't he just wear his normal clothes. Jeans, trainers and a shirt. They were comfortable, not this.

"Relax, it's just a shirt." Oliver stated as David pulled at the collar again this time muttering something under his breath. "It's not gonna kill you."

"Yeah well I don't like suits" David said, irritated. He pulled at the collar again as if that would help. "I don't wear them for a reason."

"I thought the reason was because you've not had the chance, you know being trapped on an island for five years. Unless you found a hidden shop whilst we were there and you didn't tell me."

David laughed bitterly, "That doesn't change the fact I don't like them." David sighed and pulled the suit jacket from the back of the couch and slipped it on. He looked in the mirror and bit back another sigh. He looked reasonably smart, wearing a black suit and white shirt underneath that had the top buttons undone and folded back, until you reached his head where his hair was still messy and sticking up in all directions.

"It's for a couple of hours, and you won't even be in it for the majority of the time." David watched the reflection of Oliver standing in the doorway in a suit of his own, his one grey instead of black.

"Whether it's for a couple of hours or a couple of seconds, I'll be miserable the entire time." It was Oliver's turn to sigh. He made a mental note to never wake David up again, since he had done that this morning David had been in a more than miserable mood. But then again, it was David so Oliver knew he'd be waking the boy up in the future just to annoy him. It was only fair considering David did his best at annoying Oliver in return.

"You moan more than a child does" Oliver stated, moving slightly to lean on the door frame of David's bedroom. David shrugged his shoulders, still getting annoyed by his suit.

"Technically I'm older than you." Oliver rolled his eyes at David's response.

"Biologically you are, not Chronologically." Oliver said. "Now come on we're meant to be at the party." With that David begrudgingly left the room, mocking Oliver as he went, thus showing he was still a boy on the inside, even if he'd learned to hide that side of him on the island.

"So has our good friend Hunt put a transfer into the bank yet?" David whispered to Oliver, slowing down to walk in step with him.

"What do you think?" Oliver asked, making a skeptical sort of grunt as he said it.

"I guessed as much." David hadn't expected anything less, Adam Hunt was greedy, he wouldn't give up anything that he owned, not even a penny, not without a fight anyway. Unfortunately for him, David and Oliver were well prepared to do things the hard way before they'd even spoken to the man in the car park.

"Mr. Queen, Mr. Callahan." a familiar voice said behind the pair as they left the building. They were walking in the direction of the gate, completely ignoring the car parked next to them. "Don't you have a party to go to?" Diggle finished. The man opened the back door of the car and waited for the two to get in. There was a triumphant grin on his face as Oliver smiles in amusement as David spoke.

"Oh, you're good." He complimented as the two vigilantes get in.


In the Iron Works Building, where Oliver and David's 'Welcome Home' party was already in full swing with music blaring and plenty of hot girls writhing on the dance floor. Oliver and David walked down the main staircase, pausing only for a moment as David pulls his new Samsung phone out to see if Hunt had deposited the money yet.

He hadn't. They look at each other as they frown at it. The younger boy put the phone back into his jacket and once again slipped on their 'Oliver Queen and David Callahan's new- party boy' face just as Tommy, Leonidas, and Thea saw them.

"Everybody, hey!" Thea called out, signaling for the DJ to cut the music.

"Man of the hour! Whoo!" Leonidas said. "And, ladies, please give these men a proper homecoming!"

Thea just rolls her eyes as Leonidas said that knowing David is not the type of person to sleep with girls like Oliver.

'We are the champions' started playing as Oliver and David made their way up to the main stage in the middle of the floor.

"Thank you very much, everybody!" Oliver called out.

"It's great to be home and celebrate our return." David calls out as Tommy grabbed their attention.

Tommy then handed each of them a shot. They downed it fast as Oliver yelled. "I missed Tequila!"

While David said. "Tequilla tastes amazing!"

The crowd cheered as the music started up again.


Across the street in Adam Hunt's penthouse, his security contingent was busy prepping clips and checking their automatic weapons, preparing for the coming fight. Hunt, drink in hand, frowned as he looked out his window.

"What the hell's going on out there?" he demanded.

"It's across the street." Constantine Drakon replied. "Party for the guys that got rescued off that island Oliver Queen and David Callahan." Hunt nodded sourly and moved back to his desk.


Back at the party, Oliver smiled across the room at Diggle who stood in a corner, though his eyes never left his principal.

"Hey." Tommy said, coming up next to his friend, "Does he wipe for you, too?" Oliver chuckled as Tommy threw an arm around his shoulders.

"Now by my rough estimate, you have not had sex in 1,839 days. As your wingman, I highly recommend Carmen Golden." He indicated three girls dancing on the stage.

"Which one is she?" Oliver asked.

"The one who looks like the chick from 'Twilight'."

"What's 'Twilight'?" Oliver aksed completely lost.

"You're so better off not knowing." Tommy responded, taking a sip of his drink.


Meanwhile, David, Leonidas, and Thea were dancing with each other as they had fun, with Diggle still watching from the sideline but has't left Oliver's either.

"This is a great party." David tells Thea with a smile as he dances. "You guys did a good job."

"Thanks, wasn't easy though." Thea said as they stop dancing to walk over to the bar and drinks area.

Leonidas puts his arms around David's shoulders as he spoke. "As your best friend, I believe it's my right to show you some girls who would love to have some one-on-one time with you." He pointed to a group of girls, who David notices. The three girls see him and start to giggle with each other.

"They do look amazing though." David said a little dreamily.

"Then get your ass over there and talk to them." Leonidas encourages him.

David just sighs. "Well, I can't."

"Why not?" Leonidas asks.

"Leo, you know we can't just ask David to just hook up with a girl. I mean he did just get back." Thea points out, trying to get David out of that situation.

"Fine…" Leonidas rolls his eyes. "But could you at least talk to them then? You don't have to have sex, just flirt with them."

David just smiles at that. "You make it sound easy."

Leonidas shrugged his shoulders in delight. "Don't worry, now that your back I can teach you a few tricks to try."

"Ugh, it better not be those tricks that you used on that one girl." Thea rolls her eyes in annoyance.

"What happened exactly?" David asks looking at his two best friends.

"Well you see-" Leonidas tries to explain but Thea cuts him off.

"This dingus got slapped in the face." She proudly said with a smirk, causing David to laugh.

"A minor setback." Leonidas explains. "Besides she was too bratty for my taste." This makes David and Thea look at each other and know what he actually meant.

Thea then turns to see her friends begin to call her over. "Listen, I'll be back. Just try to have fun." She then turns to David. "Don't let him get you into too much trouble, you know how he is now." She smirks before walking away leaving the two remaining friends to cheer their treat.

"David…" A familiar voice calls out.

The young man swallows his drink before turning to the voice. And it was non either than Laurel Lance, daughter of Detective Lance and Oliver's ex-girlfriend. "Hey, it's been a while." David starts off.

Laurel smiles giving him a hug, which he gave in return. "Yeah it has." David says as Leonidas walks away to give them a moment to talk.

"How have you been?" David asks after a moment of silence between the two friends.

"Well I'm a legal aid attorney these days." Laurel answered as a bartender hand her a soda.

"That's amazing!" David tells her.

"Thanks, and how have you been adjusting to modern time?" Laurel jokes, causing David to chuckle.

"Well, things aren't so bad. Food's a lot better. We used to cook fish all the time. And the internet is so helpful. Been reading that a lot to catch up." David replied.

Laurel then had an idea. "'Now That's What I Call Music 82' is what popular now." Laurel recommends.

"I'll put it on the list." David told her as he pulls a small book out and wrote it on there. On that list it has Star Trek/Wars (Movie), Harry Potter (Movie), 2012 (Movie), Paranormal Activity (Movie), Mexican Food, and Chinese Food.

"Is there somewhere we can talk for a moment?"

David nodded. "Yeah sure." With that, they walk away from the party as Oliver notices them leaving.


After a few minutes to have some privacy, they stop by a balcony that over look the party. David turns to Laurel. "Now what would you like to talk about?" He asks his old babysitter/older sister figure.

"It's about Sara." Laurel finally said. "There's something that I've been afraid to ask, but I need to know."

"Ok." David said warily.

"When she died… did she suffer?" She asks wanting to know the truth.

David thought back to that moment on the boat where he watches Robert and his father trying to pull Oliver back, who was trying to find Sara but with no luck.

"I don't know." he lied. "She was already gone when we pulled Oliver on the boat. He tried to look for her, but we didn't find her.

"I think about her every day." Laurel said after a breath.

"Me, too." David agreed.

It was silence again before Laurel spoke up again. "Did you know we knew about your little crushes on us?" She asks with a sly smirk.

"What?" David asked in shocked. To be completely honest, he forgot he had a crush on both of them, but it was just a little puppy love.

"Don't think we didn't know about it." She smiles.

"Was it that obvious?" David asks thinking he had a poker face.

"Yes it was." She answered with her arms cross, but still smiling at his reaction.

"Dang…did everyone knew?" He asks.

"Everyone….but Oliver." Laurel answered.

"Hahaha, if he knew he would be shocked." David tells her.

"Yeah, he would." Laurel said, but David can tell that she is still not happy with him screwing with her sister. She then looks back at him with sorrow in her eyes. "David I'm sorry about your parents."

"Thanks." David says clearly doesn't like talking about his parents.

"So where have you been staying?" She asks.

"With Thea and her family." David answered.

"If you need someone to talk to about what happened to you, I'm here." Laurel told him sincerely with her hands on his arms.

David smiles at her. "Thank you. Might take you on that offer." She then hugs him again before the young man spoke again. "Probably should get back, before everyone starts looking for me again." He jokes, as Laurel laughs.

"Yeah, you right." She said with a smile. "It was great seeing you again, David."

"Great seeing you again too." David said back as he looks at his phone for the time. The time read fifteen minutes before ten.


15 Minutes Later

Oliver looked out at the crowd and spotted something he didn't like- Thea, with some of her friends, talking with a guy on the floor. He saw her pass him some cash and palm a packet of pills in return. Oliver frowned.

"Back in a minute." He told Tommy as he headed over to his sister. Diggle noticed his movement and moved to follow. David was with Leonidas when they begins to notice as well as he starts to move towards his best friend, with Leonidas following his movements.

Thea smiled as they approached. "Ollie, Davey, hey!" she said as Oliver grasped her arm, lightly pulling her away from her friends.

"What are you doing with drugs?" David begins to ask as he is surprised that Thea uses it.

Thea narrowed her eyes at David as she pulled her arm free from her brother. "I'm not twelve anymore." She said.

"No." Oliver agreed. "You're seventeen."

Thea scoffed. "Ollie, Davey I love you two, but you can't come back here and judge me, especially for being just like you, Oliver." She noted pointedly.

David sighed. "I know that it couldn't have been easy for you when we were… away," he started, but Thea cut him off with a small, incredulous laugh. "Away?" she started, "No. You died. My best friend, my brother, and my father died. I went to you guy's funerals."

"I know," Oliver started, but Thea cut him off.

"No, you don't." For the first time, Oliver and David caught a glimpse of the pain Thea had been hiding ever since they have return. "Mom had Walter, Leonidas had Tommy to help comfort him, and I had no one. You guys all act like it's cool. Let's forget about the last five years. Well, I can't. For me, it's kind of permanently in there! So I'm sorry if I turned out some major disappointment, but this… me is the best I could do with what I had to work with." She finished, Oliver and David closed their eyes, unable to meet her gaze.

Thea turned back to her friends. "Let's bounce." She said, and the quartet of girls walked away.

"You have the fun dip?" Margo asked.

Thea, a little shaken, fumbles for her purse. "Yeah. It's right…" she felt around her purse, but couldn't find the packet of pills. "No." she said in confused embarrassment, "I…I must have dropped it."


Oliver and David stalked away. David paused at a trashcan to throw away the packet he had palmed from her purse; looking up he caught Diggle and Leonidas' satisfied look at their actions.

David immediately heads over to Leonidas to have a chat about Thea. "And when were you going to tell me about this?" David asks his friend in a stern tone.

"Look man, I was going to tell you later.." Leonidas tries to explain his reasons.


Meanwhile, Oliver turned and started to walk away- only to run into Laurel. "Oh!" Oliver exclaimed as he was surprised to bump into her. "Oh. You're here."

"Tommy, Leonidas, and Thea." Laurel finally said. "They made the point that we have too many years between us to leave things the way we left them." She looked at Oliver, and then glanced around. "Is there someplace quieter that we could go?"

"Yeah." Oliver said.


They headed outside the main room onto the balcony that overlooked the entry hall. They walked together quietly for a few moments before Laurel spoke.

"I'm sorry about saying that you should have been the one who died." She said as they walked. "That was wrong."

"If I could trade places with her, I would." Oliver replied sincerely.

"About Sara." Laurel finally said, stopping and turning to face Oliver. "There's something that I've been afraid to ask, but I need to know."

"Ok." Oliver said warily.

"When she died… did she suffer?" Laurel asks.

Oliver thought back to that moment on the Gambit when Sara was sucked out the door and into the dark ocean beyond.

"No." he lied.

"I think about her every day." Laurel said after a breath.

"Me, too." Oliver agreed.

"I guess we still have one thing in common then." Laurel commented. "I can't believe I'm gonna say this," she started, "but if you need someone to talk to about what happened to you, I'm here."

For a moment, the mask he wore slipped off, and the real Oliver Queen gazed back at Laurel, wanting to take her up on that offer, but knowing he couldn't. The moment was ruined by a buzzing from Oliver's pocket. He took out his phone and glanced at the face- ten P.M. He checked the account app- nothing. Oliver shook his head.

"Something wrong?" Laurel asked.

Oliver looked back up at his former love. "I asked somebody to do something. They didn't do it." The mask slid back into place. "Laurel," he started, "You always saw the best in me. Right now, that's what you're doing, looking at me, and you're wondering if that island changed me somehow, if it made me a better person. It didn't." he smiled slightly. "Stay away from me. Otherwise, I'm just gonna hurt you again, but this time, it will be worse."

The playboy facade firmly in place, Oliver baked away from Laurel. "Got to roll." He said loudly. "I've got five years of debauchery to catch up on!"

Laurel looked at him in pity and disgust. "You know what, Oliver? You're wrong." She stalked up to him. "That island did change you and David. I can see it in his eye. And with you. I can at least see that you're now honest." With that parting shot, Laurel walked away.


Moments later, Oliver was walking through the service corridor when he was stopped by a now familiar voice.

"I'm guessing it didn't go too well?" David asks as he leans on the all waiting for him.

"No, it didn't. Had to lie to her." Oliver said in sadness.

"Well like you said before, if you ever wanna talk about it I'm here to listen." David told him.

Oliver smiles at him. "Thanks, but no let's just finish this mission." Oliver tells him as they both start walking. "I'm in hte mood to punch something."

"Something tells me your going to have it." David smiles as Oliver does as well.

"Something I can help you with, sirs?" Diggle called out making them both stop in their there tracks.

"We just wanted a second to ourselves." Oliver tried.

"Especially being alone together for so long." David tried.

Diggle smiled lightly at the rich kids. "I would believe you, Mr. Callahan if you two weren't so full of crap." Diggle said as he gestured to the doors. "Party's this way."

Oliver and David sighed in annoyance. They moved to the door as Oliver tried the handle, but it wouldn't budge.

"It's locked." He lied.

Diggle looked at him for a few moments, and then moved to open the door. As he moved past Oliver, the younger man's arm shot out and caught Diggle in a chokehold, rendering him unconscious in moments.


Across the street, Drakon positioned his men, then locked the doors to the penthouses' office. On the street, Quentin and Hilton supervised the police and S.W.A.T., barricading the building.

"It's past 10:00." He told Hunt. "He's never getting in here."

Hunt nodded in agreement; outside the window, unnoticed by him, an arrow with a cable struck the wall and anchored itself as well as something too fast to see jumped over to the building.

Hunt and Drakon stood calmly in the office with several other men, when suddenly the lights went out. Then, in the hallway, the elevator dinged.

As soon as the doors opened an arrow shot out, killing one guard. Then the Blur came out as he uses his sai's to slash a guard in the throat, and then the Hood was out as well, using his bow like an escrima stick, beating down the two guards closest to the elevator.

The Blur throws the sai at a third guard in the chest knocking him down even as he moved towards a fourth, jumping out of the way towards a pillar as the guard fired, then propelling himself off the same pillar and coming down hard on the guard, breaking his neck. He rolled, retrieved, and moved behind another pillar as the last guard opened fire but it does nothing to the Blur who just smirks.


Inside the office, Hunt paced nervously as he heard the sounds of gunfire- and then suddenly all was silent. For a moment nothing happened, and then suddenly two figures burst through the glass doors.

A guard in the room opened fire, spraying the figure with bullets, only stopping, too late, when he realized it was one of the guards from outside he had just killed. The Hood then killed him with an arrow to the heart, and then The Blur comes in kills the last guard by choking his neck and breaking it easily.

The Hood pulled an arrow and shot at Hunt; the arrow impacted the wall behind the desk.

"You missed." Hunt sneered at the Emerald Archer, even as the Hood nocked another arrow and held it on Hunt.

"Really?" he said.

Suddenly Drakon was on him, flinging his bow away and attacking him with furious punches and kicks. Oliver held his own as Hunt scurried out of the room, rapidly he pulled out his phone, and called down to Quentin.

"He's here!" he screamed into the phone.


On the ground, Quentin got on his walkie-talkie. "All units, converge! All units, converge!" He cried out to the men on the ground as they stormed the building.


As they all ran up the stairs, the Hood and Drakon continued to fight, before it can escalate further the Blur grabs Drakon and throws him through a wall, most likely it killed him. The Hood fell into momentary unconsciousness after being attacked like that exhausted. The Blur begins to try to wake his friend up before company.

A moment later, the sounds of Police out in the hall startled the young man back to wakefulness. He gasped, as the Blur pulled him to his feet, pulling him around out of his bulletproof vest that had been concealed under his green jacket.

"Lay down your weapons, or we will open fire!" The cops screamed, coming to the door. "I repeat, lay down your weapons…"

Without hesitation, the Hood and the Blur leaped to their feet as the Hood shot an arrow that disarmed both cops simultaneously. But Quentin was right behind them and opened fire, tracing a line of bullets just behind the Hood and the Blur- as they leaped through a window.

Quentin and Hilton ran to the window, only to see The Blur carrying The Hood using his super leap back to the Iron Works. Hilton and Quentin exchanged disbelieving glances.

"Tell me you saw that." Hilton said.

Quentin took a breath. "Ok, The Blur really does have...superpowers" He said, then to the rest of the cops. "Let's go. Move."


Minutes later, the cops stormed the party. A man in S.W.A.T. gear rushed up to the DJ booth and shut it down, just as Quentin entered, giving orders to his men.

"Search the building roof to basement. Find him!" He raised his voice to the crowd. "Starling City police! The party's over, kids." He looked around and saw a familiar face. "Oh, Mr. Merlyn." He said acidly, even as Tommy grinned at the cop in amusement. "Imagine my shock at finding you here. Did you roofie anyone special tonight, huh?"

"Detective!" a voice called out. Quentin turned to see Oliver and David walking towards him. "It's a private party."

"Yeah?" Quentin shot back. "Well, there was an incident at Adam Hunt's building tonight. You know anything about that?" he asked specially to Oliver.

"Who's Adam Hunt?" Olive asked, bored.

"Never heard of him, to be honest." David said as if he can care.

"He's a millionaire bottom feeder, and I'm kind of surprised you aren't friends Oliver." Quentin calls out.

"I've been out of town for a… while." Oliver said mildly.

Tommy and Leonidas let out a soft laugh as the two detecxtives give them a look, which makes them shut up.

"Yeah." Quentin agreed. "Well, he just got attacked by the guy with the hood and the blur, the guys that saved your asses the other day."

"The hood guy." Oliver said.

"And the Blur?" David asks.

"Yeah." Quentin replied.

"You didn't find him?" David asked.

"Nope." The detective answered.

"Maybe I can help. Hey, everybody!" David turned around and shouted to his fellow partiers. He held up two fingers. "Two million to anybody that can find two nut bars in a green and blue hood."

The crowd cheered in response, as David turned back to Quentin. "Cute David, really cute." Quentin gave an amused look as he and Hilton leaves the party.

Oliver and David's face was set in stone, as the cops left, but after a moment they made their way onto the stage.

"It's way too quiet in here!" Oliver yelled with a smile, throwing out his arms.

"This is a party!" David yells with a smile.

The crowd cheered as Oliver made his way off the stage. Leonidas and Tommy came up to Oliver and David, giving them a strange look.

"Some coincidence." Tommy said, "I mean, you two asking to have your party here, and Hunt getting robbed right next door… and by the same guys who rescued us at the warehouse." His tone inferred he was suspicious. Oliver and David just gave him a tight smile.

"If I were you, Tommy, I'd just be glad you're alive." Oliver advised calmly.

Tommy and Leonidas stared back at their friends for the first time since they had met, they truly felt like they didn't know the people standing in front of them.

"What happened to you two on that island?" Leonidas asked haltingly.

"A lot." David replied before walking away.


The next day, Adam Hunt was pacing his office, screaming into his phone at his accountant.

"What the hell are you talking about? Forty million dollars doesn't just up and vanish!" The accountant said something, and he scoffed. "Untraceable?! It is forty million dollars! Find it!" He ended the call and slammed the phone down onto the desk.

He sank into his chair and put his head in his hands, defeated.

"How did they do it?" he asked himself while ignoring the arrow embedded in his wall. He paid no attention to it, or to the electronic device that was attached to it; its indicator light blinking green.


Meanwhile back at the foundry. Oliver and David watched as the forty million dollars transferred from Hunt International's account into a trust account he had set up.

They then glanced over at a second screen, where another program was transferring that money back to the people which Hunt had stolen it from. Oliver picked up the notebook, and calmly crossed Adam Hunt's name off The List.

"One down, only another hundred more." David said after a moment of silence.

"Agreed." Oliver said.

Oliver and David then looked at the picture of their father on the shareholder's report.

Flashback

It's been several days on the life raft. The crewman dozed across from Robert, Michael, David, and Oliver, perched on the side of the raft with a knife held loosely in their hand. Robert and Michael look at each other in agreement as they glanced at the man, and then pulled their children in close.

"There's not enough for all of us." Robert whispered to his son.

"Save your strength." Oliver said, weakly.

"We'll get help as soon as someone finds us." David said as he dosed off.

"You two can survive this." Michael insisted. "Make it home, make it better. Right our wrongs. But you two got to live through this first." Oliver and David appeared to doze off, so Robert and Michael shook them lightly.

"You hear me, Ollie?" Robert demanded.

"You hear me, son?" Michael demanded.

"Just rest, dad." Oliver said tiredly, dozing off once more.

Robert and Michael seemed to come to a decision.

"No." Michael said quietly, as he and Robert kiss their son on the forehead. They gently moved them away from them, as they prop them up against the edge of the raft. Then, eyeing the crewman, they both reached into his jacket-

And pulled out a gun. The crewmen only had a moment to look surprised before Robert and Micahel pulled the trigger, shooting the man in the head and knocking him off the raft. That woke Oliver and David up suddenly, and they scrambled back from their dads in shock.

"Dad?!" They exclaimed in stunned horror.

Robert and Micahel looked sadly back at his son. "Survive." They said, and then they put the gun to their temple and pulled the trigger.

"No!" Oliver and David screamed in horror as a flash of light hit their eyes.

Flashback Ends

Then suddenly David and Oliver snapped back into reality as they were back in the Foundry as they watched the money transfers end.


The next day at CNRI, Laurel spent most of the afternoon and evening fielding calls from happy, if puzzled clients.

"If, hypothetically, fifty thousand dollars magically appeared in your bank account, it might be best for you not to speak about it." She was saying into her phone as Joanna approached her desk. "To anyone. Ever." She smiled. "God bless you, too." She said as she hung up the phone.

"I just got a very grateful phone call from one of our clients against Adam Hunt." Joanna said.

"Me, too." Laurel replied, and the two laughed.

"It looks like Starling City has a guardian angel." She remarked.

Joanna glanced back then said. "By the way, your cute friend's here."

Laurel's face fell as she figured she was talking about Oliver, but when Laurel turned around she saw Tommy standing there, smiling.


"You left the party pretty quick last night." he was saying later as they walked down an ally towards his car. "Even after I made sure the bar was stocked with Pinot Noir."

"It wasn't really my scene." Laurel replied lightly.

"I thought maybe you and Oliver went mano-a-mano again." He threw out, "I saw you two head out."

"There's nothing between Oliver and I," Laurel said with finality. "Not anymore."

"Here I thought the only thing between you and Oliver was us." Tommy said.

"I wouldn't exactly characterize us as an 'us', Tommy." Laurel said teasingly.

Tommy stopped and turned to face her.

"Then what would you call it?" he asked.

"A lapse." She decided.

"That's quite a few lapses" Tommy said with a grin. "Your place, my place, my place again…" they both laughed.

"Oh, come on, Merlyn." Laurel said with a smile. "We both know that you're not a one-girl type of guy."

"Depends on the girl." He announced. Laurel smiled.

"I have to go back to work." She said finally, turning to walk away.

"Dinah Laurel Lance," Tommy called out. "Always trying to save the world." Laurel turned around and smiled.

"Hey." She said, "If I don't try and save it, who will?" she gave him a small wave, then turned and walked away. Tommy smiled and got in his car, and unnoticed by either of them, the Hood and the Blur sat perched on a fire escape high above, watching it all.

"She says the island changed me." Oliver's voice said. "She has no idea how much it did to me and David."

Flashback

Once more we are back on the raft. Oliver and David pull themselves up, looking over the edge of the raft into the distance- where Lian Yu lay waiting for them.

Flashback Ends

"There are many more names on the list, those who rule our city through intimidation and fear. Every last one of them will wish we had died on that island." David's voice said.


Back at Queen Manor, a darkly-dressed man was walking down the rear steps toward the garden where a figures were waiting for him.

"The police failed to identify the men I hired to kidnap Oliver and David." He said. "And they never will. Should we arrange another abduction?"

"No." Moira Queen said. "There are other ways of finding out what the boys know."


AAAAAANNNNDDDD DONE! So tbh, this took like a month to rewrite, mostly because I was having a little writers block on some scenes but I managed to figure it out. Another reason why it took so long was because of my three new jobs as it keeps me busy.

So there will be a new schedule I am making but I just need to take another hiatus to write and map out each story. I know I won't finish all, but it would give me a head start. So I would return on March 27 and start posting two stories, and post five chapters every other day. Then I'll switch it to the next two stories with their five chapters. And so forth.


March 27, 2023 to April 4, 2023

Earth's Mightiest Heroes (Ben 10 Alien Force/Randy Cunningham 9th Grade Ninja/Miraculous: Tales Of Ladybug And Cat Noir/Danny Phantom/American Dragon: Jake Long/YoungJustice)

Fate of Our World (Dragonball, Ben 10, Generator Rex, Young Justice, Danny Phantom, American Dragon: Jake Long, and Marvel)


April 5, 2023 to April 13, 2023

Heroes Collide (Arrowverse & MCU)

Avengers Phantom (Danny Phantom & MCU)


April 14, 2023 to March 24, 2023

My Trio Academia (Young Justice/Marvel/MHA)

Iron Man & Kim Possible: Heroes Are Built (Kim Possible)


April 25, 2023 to May 3, 2023

Heroes United: Unlimited (Ben 10/Justice League: Unlimited/Generator Rex)

Anything Is Possible For A Phantom (Danny Phantom & Kim Possible)


May 4, 2023 to May 12, 2023

DDSK OF RWBY (Marvel/Young Justice/RWBY)

Ultimate Renegade (DC/Marvel/Ben 10/Danny Phantom)


May 13, 2023 to May 21, 2023

Heroes United: Avengers (Ben 10/Generator Rex/MCU)

Arrow and Solar S1 (DC)


May 22, 2023 to May 31, 2023

Unity (Ben 10/Danny Phantom/American Dragon/Marvel/Generator Rex/Kim Possible/Lilo and Stich)