Author's Notes:
I needed to clear my head. So, I started a story in another Universe. The Arrowverse. This is AU mostly because I am a huge DCU fan and the TV Show butchered some of the characters. BUT… I did like some of them too.
2022/11/22: I updated this whole background story. I renumbered it as well. I made it 0X in the Series to allow me to place it at the END of the series. Lots up updates to the World Building stuff. The biggest change was in the name of the League of Assassins. From now on it is just the League. The League of Assassins is what the outside world calls the League. Minor spelling and grammar.
WORLD BUILDING: ALTERNATE UNIVERSE QUIRKS
Let me start by saying that this story is the result of my frustration with the (now complete) series of Arrow (TV 2012). Movies are not TV Shows. TV Shows are not comics. Comics are not FanFic. Each genre has its own challenges and limitations. This story is FanFiction. Written word. Your imagination supplies the visual. Hopefully, my writing allows your imagination to run wild.
When I started writing this story, I found that I had MANY, MANY options to vent my frustration. Did I want to use a PeggySue approach? After all, Oliver ends the series as the Specter with a fade-to-black scenario (I don't count the appearances after Arrow ended). Left to the imagination, it would be easy to bring Oliver back with his memories. Where and when are left up to the author.
OR… I could have just started over and fixed the VERY obvious flaws and errors in the show. Pure Arrowverse reboot. Flaws and errors by my way of thinking. This has the benefit of fixing things without the memories clogging up Oliver's thinking process. I can also get rid of the events that made no sense to me. Especially when a character is OOC. I can remove any history that was imposed by the TV Shows writers for their pre-teen audience. I write for a more mature audience. I address those issues from an adult perspective. I don't assume you are all children (seriously, Supergirl wore a freaking skirt as her superhero costume? She freaking flys. That means the entire city can easily look up her skirt).
OR... I could even write a 'Let's Watch Our Show' approach. This uses the Mystery Science Theater 3000 approach (MST3K). You narrate the audience as the Canon TV show is displayed. Mostly so the characters can comment on how OOC they are acting on the screen. I kind of see this trope as a revenge fic. It allows the author to demonstrate how badly the TV Show writers screwed up. BUT… The show writers were horrible to so very many of the characters that they did highlight. That sort of makes the audience crowded. Not to mention that most of the characters in the audience don't know the superhero's secret identity (ackward!).
Canon sucked. Like horribly and viciously sucked. They used quick fixes to cover up their mistakes which led to even more errors. Then they compounded their errors by retconning without any reason. Characters presented in Season 1 are vastly different than those same characters (now dead) are presented in Season 7. Very ugly. Quick fixes like twins, 'magic drugs', magic, alternate realities, etc. (Seriously, twins are the easiest quick TV Show fix when you kill a character your audience loves and then bring them back in another season. Because... Ratings. AND Mirakuru? Slade is an Aussie? Insane writers! We already have the metagene. WTF!)
I love the DCU. But I have some major issues with a few of the characters in it. I even have issues with how they like to retcon everything they find is too way OOC in the comics, how they use their audience to create unrealistic scenarios, or worse, don't want to address an issue because of their audience (mostly pre-teens, there is a reason Robin would swear like he did. Trust me. My kids swore like sailors at that age). As I have matured, these issues become glaring. Then they reboot the whole universe to reset the ages of the main characters and change their history (Original, Flashpoint, New52, Rebirth...). This makes trying to figure out what is Canon and what is not very hard in the DCU.
I love Batman, but the man needs therapy. BADLY! It is insane. Seriously, child soldiers… What is he thinking? Then there is Superman… a man who is afraid to sneeze without taking out a city. Too much power by far. How is this idiot vulnerable to mind control so easily? And how many times do they brush off the rape of a male character? Not cool. Women can be just as evil as men and usually it is the men committing the rape on another man, not the women (stupid teenager fantasy that is totally not consent). TV and Movies are only slightly better because of their intended audience is more mature. Slightly.
Still, I love the DCU. It has much more hope than Marvel and the MCU. I like to escape from my reality and find hope. I don't do it to get depressed.
I finally decided to start over with a Fusion AU. I took what the Arrowverse started and fixed the glaring DCU errors (seriously, it was like these guys never read a DCU comic before, like ever...). Since I needed to clear my head from my usual FanFic genre, I started to outline a story in the Arrowverse.
IMPORTANT AU NOTES:
CHARACTERS: I BORROWED some of the characters that were featured in the Arrowverse. I even used some of their Arrowverse histories. But I also tailored them with their DCU histories. But I changed their motivations and quirks to fit the story. I enjoyed Arrow (TV 2012) even while it drove me crazy with its wrongness. DCU was sometimes better. Sometimes worse. Hence, my own creation.
I also FIXED some of the characters that showed up in the Arrowverse to make them more in line with their DCU personality. I like some of the characters that the Arrowverse presented, but found that they would be better if they had their DCU personality in place. Then I could cherry pick which part of DCU Canon I would use as their history.
Slade Wilson is a perfect example. Arrow (TV 2012) took a shortcut to explain his healing, strength, etc. Then they made him an Aussie. Then they made up a stupid story about how he lost his eye. Seriously, bad work. I fixed him. The Terminator is back in form. A hired merc. American. Not Aussie. He had already lost his eye from Adeline. The actor for Slade did an awesome job. I just think it could have been better. (Yes, this eliminates the whole Mirakuru arc. It was stupid. It was a fabricated reason for the Season 2 arc).
The Arrowverse had some good character ideas that the DCU got wrong or went in a weird direction with. For this reason, I MERGED the two to create a new AU version of the same character.
Ra's al Ghul is an example of this. I liked the Arrowverse Ra's. The DCU one was more stable, but bent on world domination. HE only went full insane for a few minutes when he emerged from the pit. Combine the two to get a more stable Ra's that has a much shorter-life span and is bent on keeping the balance between good and evil. I also eliminated the whole long-term effect of Pit blood lust. He didn't go insane from constant use of the Pit. Technically, mine is a Good Ra's. The Pit blood lust felt forced to me. A reason for Nyssa to seek out Oliver in Season 4. Likewise, the Lazarus Pits are always located on a mystical convergence. A Nexus. I elaborated on what is a Nexus and how it interacts with the world. There are more than 7 Lazarus Pits in Season 7, but I don't know if I am going to go there yet. Regardless, you can't 'make' one.
ORGANIZATIONS: I mostly stuck with the organizations that were presented in the Arrowverse. But then I needed more organizations. ARGUS, Shadowspire, the Bratva, and the Cult of Blood are all Arrowverse organizations. The Cult of Blood was featured, but it was totally different from DCU. Yes, those organization also exist in the DCU. But they are not the same. I added a few DCU organizations as well. The Yakuza is one of them. The stated purpose of those organizations is mostly from the DCU and Arrowverse Canon. I just eliminated the whole Comic wholesomeness angle (We are not freaking pre-teens). Then I went back and created a history that is more in line with the DCU. For example, the Cult of Blood is from Zandia the country, not Zandia the orphanage.
The people in an organization are not that organization, but they shape it. Amanda Waller uses ARGUS for her own purpose. She declared that she was doing it for the US, but I have worked in an organization whose sole purpose was to defend and protect the US. Waller was evil with evil intentions. She was as bad or worse than Shadowspire. At least Shadowspire didn't pretend to be the good guy. That said, I will highlight how Waller is using her organization for her own purpose.
Anatoly is Bratva. The Bratva are the Russian mafia. They do not respect women. But there is a major difference between respect and victimizing. Anatoly was a victim of human trafficking under Ivo's insane experiments. He would NOT tolerate human or sex trafficking once he becomes Pakhan. Hell, one of the main values of the Bratva is supporting family. That includes women. Wives, mistresses, mothers, daughters (…because let's be honest... those pirates would run out of women fast. They would then use the men for their pleasures. I don't see any of the caged people tolerating sex trafficking after that experience). Weapons, yes. Drugs, yes. People, fuck no. Anatoly would value women more after that experience. He would not tolerate any practice that victimizes people. He would have to be brutal to enforce his will on those old school Bratva who wanted to keep it. I easily see him executing Bratva Captains (Kaptains) who fail to follow his new leadership.
CULTURE: One of my biggest challenges was how to present the different culture for the League. I have been in the US Military. I get that the Army has a different culture then the Navy and Air Force. Yet all three are American and are totally different than non-military Americans. The League would have similar issues. They would have to integrate various cultures and religions from around the world into their own. To make those individuals conform to the new culture. For this reason, the League is a culture of immersion. First, isolation and indoctrination. Then new members are thrown into the deep end of the pool and are told to sink or swim... and sinking is not an option. This affects their mental attitudes and outlook. Malcolm is an example of someone who suppressed his own goals to survive in the League.
I liked parts of the League in both the Arrowverse and the DCU. But they were both flawed. So... I created my own. I kept those parts that I liked and eliminated those I hated. The League has its own culture. A culture that existed for thousands of years. It had its own religion, but their clergy are more counselors than a religious icons. They keep the information vault. They maintain the Lazarus Pits. But most importantly, they raise the children.
The League is a vast army. Hundreds strong without taking into account the support personnel. Membership is selective. You get enough people to follow one organization, you are going to get kids. Even considering how many of the new members are traumatized when they arrive. Eventually people are going to get busy and babies will result. This is my ideal take on what happens to those children. How they are raised. What values they are given.
The League also need support staff. Someone to cook, clean, sew, forge, etc. I made this an integral part of the League. Everyone must first complete basic Eadi training then then can change to a support position. Everyone can fight. Just because the old lady likes to cook, doesn't mean she can't kill your ass faster than you can blink. Then they have dedicated allies all around the world.
And Ascension to Ra's al Ghul is vastly different than both the Arrowverse and the DCU. The Heir is chosen. There is no bloodline of kings. The children of Ra's are placeholders only. They are raised in the League to EXPECT to hand over their positions to the chosen Heir. The chosen Heir CANNOT be a blood child (Because seriously, being forced to kill your own father... That is just asking for a psychopath to take over the League. Yes, that totally eliminates the Talia revenge arc. It was stupid and Talia was OOC for that whole season. She was cool in the flashbacks though).
That said, I also allowed Ra's al Ghul to retire into the priesthood once he gets too old. They retake their former name and the new Ra's ascends. This saves the Heir from having to kill an old man. If Ra's dies, the Heir will take his place. Not sure I follow the whole assassination angle. But I think it is still an option for those Ra's who do not want to die of old age, but in battle. That is why it's ritualized. That is also why Damien Dahrk didn't try to ascend himself.
ENVIRONMENT:
In my alternate universe, magic exists. Mythical creatures exist. This is an integral part of the DCU. But I down play the importance of magic in my AU. Yes, it exists. But it is very rare and difficult to master. Most of the world doesn't believe it can or does exist. However, the world is all connected and magic is a vital part of balance in the world.
I have also created another gift. The sight. The Sensing Gift. Ruya. This is a totally different gift from magic. It takes training. It is very rare, like magic. However, it does explain how an untrained person with the Ruya gift can follow their intuition to find the answers they seek. Cops with gut instinct. People who are wary of a friendly face. The untrained get flashes of intuition. It also explains more about the magical convergences mentioned by John Constantine. They are not magical convergences. (Constantine only said that because he is a mage. He doesn't know about the Sight). They are mystical convergences. They are formed over ley line intersections. The larger or more intersections, the stronger the convergence. The Nexus. Those trained in the sight can converse with a nexus. But, my favorite, they can talk to ghosts. This lets me have a conversation with a dead man... One who knows he is dead... Also the stronger a nexus, the more sentient it becomes. Lian Yu, Nanda Parbat, Gotham, Starling... This allows a dead character to relay vital information. Hell, it's a part of the Ruya training to use the ghosts to track your target.
TIMELINE:
The most important thing I can point out about this AU is this timeline. Time has passed in the real world. But writing doesn't have the same limitations as TV. Our young heroes are only 20 with no real-life experience. They have only completed two years of college. Sara is still three years younger (in High School). Thea is only nine years younger. They were eight when Rebecca was killed.
1992 - Tommy, Laurel, and Oliver are born (This puts them all in the same classes for school)
1995 - Sara is born (Three years younger than Laurel)
2000 - Rebecca Merlyn is shot and killed. Malcolm disappears after the funeral.
2001 - Thea is born (9 months after Malcolm disappears, 9 years younger than Oliver)
2006 - Malcolm returns to Starling City (absent 6 years) [1]
2010 - Tommy, Laurel, and Oliver graduate High School
2012 - Malcolm announces Undertaking to Tempest. The yacht goes down afterward. (Tommy, Laurel, and Oliver are 20, Sara is 17, and Thea is 11) [2]
[1] I think that it is unrealistic to train in the League (of Assassins) for only two years and achieve Horseman Status. In theory, it takes years to gain that kind of martial skill. But with determination and focus, it can be done much sooner. It doesn't mean that Ra's would appoint said prodigy as a Horseman. They have not proven their loyalty. However, in my AU, a Horseman is not chosen for martial skill. They are trained to be generals. They manage the Branches of the League. The Horseman is NOT the most skilled warrior, but the best commander for the team. The best manager of the League in that region of the world. Malcolm can be a good leader when he chooses to be. He can motivate and communicate well. He is good at tactics and strategy. His release was not a given. He had to convince Ra's to release him to return to his son. That is why I made his absence a 6-year absence. One year to train. Four years to gain experience and skill in leadership... to prove his loyalty. One year as a Horseman (Fasir).
[2] The Arrowverse Timeline was the result of poor TV choices. They wanted to match the age of the actors to the story. They failed. Their choices don't make any sense. I don't have that issue. I need naive young adults. I can write about naive young adults. The best thing about writing is that your imagination can fill in the blanks. It provides the visual. That is one major limitation of visual media. You have to SHOW the audience. A writer can describe it.
NEXT:
I setup this story to allow you to search for the information you require without sorting through all of it. Each chapter is named for a character or organization or gift. All of these chapters apply to ONLY my AU. I referenced and updated them frequently to write my AU.
These files are to help you understand where the characters are coming from. This is not a criticism of other works. These are just my thoughts on paper. My summaries for how I created the characters I used in my AU. I know that many DCU fans will take issue with some of my choices. I'm okay with that. Please provide CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM. Don't just vent because your favorites were not featured or I modified them in ways you don't like. Tell me why you don't like it. By Constructive Criticism, I mean that I am looking for issues I may have missed with my attempts to merge the two and make this story realistic. I am not all-seeing. I am not remotely an expert in anything. I frequently find spelling and grammar errors in my works from over a decade ago. Yes, I re-read them constantly.
~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~
End Notes:
References:
Arrowverse Wiki (2022). Arrowverse various links. Retrieved on October 9, 2022, from wiki/Arrowverse_Wiki
DC Database (2022). Various DC Character links. Retrieved on October 10, 2022, from
wiki/DC_Comics_Database/
Quotes (2022). Arrow Quotes. Retrieved on October 13, 2022, from movies/arrow_(2012)_100398
Wikipedia (2022). Truth Serum. Retrieved on October 11, 2022, from wiki/Truth_Serum
Word Hippo (2022). Chinese. Retrieved on October 10, 2022, from .com
Word Hippo (2022). Russian. Retrieved on October 10, 2022, from .com
Word Hippo (2022). Arabic. Retrieved on October 10, 2022, from .com
DCU-DCU-DCU-DCU-DCU-DCU
Work Title: Arrow Enriched: Background, Part 0X
Summary: This is a summary of this Alternate Universe and how I got it. It includes Character and Organization Summaries for each character and group. How they develop differently from Arrow (2012) and the DCU; How they are the same; How I made them my own; Arrow Enriched Series: Part X
AO3 Sequel Information: None
AO3 Series Information: Arrow Enriched
Rating: AO3 [Teen (T)] [Teen (T)]
AO3 Archive Warnings: AO3 [No archive warnings apply]
Fandom Category: Arrow (2012), DCU Universe
Spoilers: None
AO3 Relationship Categories: AO3 [F/M]
AO3 Pairing: Slade Wilson/Adeline Kane, Malcolm Merlyn/Rebecca Merlyn, Robert Queen/Moira Queen, Robert Queen/Kazumi Adachi, Malcolm Merlyn/Moira Queen,
Characters: AO3 {List all}: Slade Wilson, Ra's al Ghul, Anthony Ivo, Robert Queen, Malcolm Merlyn, League of Assassins, ARGUS, Shadowspire, Maseo Yamashiro, Tatsu Yamashiro, Obeah Man, John Constantine, Franco 'Frank' Sanchez, Georgio De La Vega,
Original Character(s):
FF Genre: [NOTE: Limit 2] General
AO3 Additional Tags: Background, Alternate Universe,