TW: Glad to hear it. Wouldn't have made sense to do that, them doing it now made more sense.
Former SHIELD base
Morning
The day after Slade's attack, Thea awoke in the bunk that had been gifted to her by the Avengers as she sat up in bed, still trying to process the events of the previous day.
The Avengers had saved her mother's life, the freaking Avengers. It was still hard for Thea to wrap her head around. And they knew her brother. Even in her shock induced state at the time, she had noticed how the Black Widow had almost joked with Oliver as she untied him, like they were sharing an inside joke.
How many more secrets did her brother have?
Like Slade for instance. He knew Slade too, and Slade despised him. But this clearly hadn't always been the case, as Oliver had openly said they had once been friends. Why had Oliver not told them there was such a psychopath in their lives?
She'd wanted to confront Oliver last night, but it had been clear to everyone he had been as effected by the events of the nights as she was. So she hadn't said a word. No one had said a word as the Avengers had brought them here, Captain America pointing out that Slade didn't know about this place and they would be safe here, for the time being.
After a few moments of lying in the bunk, Thea threw the covers off and got out of bed. It was time for her brother to give her the answers he had promised.
Elsewhere in the building, Moira was walking around, curiously examining the base. It hadn't escaped her notice that this was a former SHIELD base, the symbol had been clear to see on the wall.
The mysterious organization had always been shrouded in mystery, especially after the Hydra uprising. Moira never thought she would be standing in one. But she also never thought her son would rise from the dead and return a vigilante.
"Mrs. Queen," Moira looked over her shoulder, seeing Natasha had rounded the corner. "How are you feeling this morning?"
"As well as I can, when a madman tried to kill me to hurt my son," Moira said softly and Natasha looked at her sympathetically. "Thank you, for saving my life."
"It's what we do," Natasha said simply.
Moira nodded, staring at Natasha as she wondered just how she knew her son. Like Thea, she too had noticed the interaction between Natasha and Oliver, like two old friends who had known each other for years.
Moira was broken out of her thoughts when Thea rounded the corner, pausing as she saw her mother and Natasha.
"Thea. How are you feeling?" Moira asked, worried for her daughter.
"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" Thea asked dryly before sighing. "I don't know, I guess I'm okay considering…what happened."
"I don't suppose any of us got much sleep last night," Moira noted and Thea nodded before turning to Natasha.
"Have you seen Ollie?"
"No, he was up already when I went by his room. But I have a feeling I know where he is," Natasha noted.
In the gym, Oliver was taking out his feelings on a training dummy, each hit seeming to bring about a different memory.
Oliver punched Slade after freeing himself, taking Slade by surprise. Slade grabbed Oliver by the front of his shirt and Oliver was sure Slade was going to kill him. Instead, he laughed, to Oliver's surprise before he took Oliver's hand in a handshake.
"Slade Wilson."
"Oliver Queen," Oliver said, still expecting Slade to attack him before Slade let go of his hand.
"Well, Oliver Queen, there might be a fighter inside of you after all."
"I thought you said if we didn't get on the plane, we weren't gonna make it," Oliver pointed out as Slade got to his feet.
"Well, that dumb kid that I trained? He would never have made it. You?" Slade held out a hand to Oliver, who took it in a handshake. "You just might have a chance."
Oliver and Slade were training with Escirma sticks, as they did every day. Slade moved to strike him but Oliver held him back, putting Slade on the defensive. Oliver moved to strike him but Slade blocked with his own Escirma stick. They paused in their training, laughing.
Oliver and Slade stood on the island, overlooking the Amazo before their attack.
"When we first tried to get off this island, it was as strangers. Now, it's as brothers," Slade noted and a beat passed before Oliver looked over at him.
"See you on the Freighter," Oliver said before walking off, the last true time they would meet as brothers.
Natasha led Moira and Thea into the gym and they paused, seeing Oliver taking out his frustrations on the dummy, not relenting. After a few minutes, Oliver finally paused, taking a breather.
"You two okay?" Oliver asked after a beat, not even turning around.
"Are you?" Thea asked and another beat passed.
"No," Oliver said honestly.
"How long you been at this?" Natasha asked as she walked up behind him.
"A couple hours, at least. Couldn't sleep," Oliver said with a sigh.
"I can tell," Natasha said, looking at his hands.
Oliver followed her gaze to see his knuckles were bleeding. So engrossed in his work out, he hadn't even noticed or felt it.
"Oliver," Moira said in concern as she walked over, looking at his injured hands.
"I think it's time to head to the infirmary," Natasha noted as Oliver continued looking down at his hands.
Not long after, in the med bay, Sam was checking over Roy's vitals when the Queens and Natasha entered.
"Roy!" Thea exclaimed upon seeing him. "Is he all right?"
"Same as he was when we got him here," Sam said, glancing over at Oliver. "I see you haven't filled her in."
"Not yet, no," Oliver said evasively, ignoring Thea's look.
"You have any wrappings? Oliver hurt his hands," Natasha said.
Sam looked over at Oliver and, after a moment, nodded before beginning to search through some cabinets.
"What happened to Roy?" Thea demanded and Oliver sighed, wondering how to put it into words.
"Deathstroke," Oliver finally said, looking confused. "He was injected with the same stuff Roy was when we were on the island. And he used Roy as his own personal blood bag, used him to make an army of people just like him. It's left Roy….I don't know. He's in some kind of trance, he's not…Roy when he wakes up."
A beat of silence passed, Thea looking at the man she loved worriedly before Sam returned, holding bandages with cotton swabs.
"Let me clean those wounds before I wrap y our hands," Sam all but ordered and Oliver grimaced but held out his hands. "What'd you do, smash glass?"
"I got a little…carried away with training," Oliver said lamely.
Sam gave him an unreadable look but didn't say anything else, taking one of Oliver's hands and rubbing it with the swab. Oliver grimaced slightly, it certainly stung but it didn't hurt as much as some things.
"Does it hurt?" Thea asked, turning her attention from Roy to her brother.
"No," Oliver said as Sam finished.
"It should be oaky after a few weeks. Just don't get…carried away again," Sam said as he wrapped Oliver's hands. "And get some sleep."
"Don't think I have the option," Oliver noted as Sam finished.
"About that…"
Oliver looked at Sam oddly before he saw his vision blurred and began unsteady on his feet. "What-"
"You need sleep. Figured this was the only way to get you to do that," Sam said, stopping Oliver from falling as the others looked startled. "You can be mad all you want when you wake up. For now, get some sleep."
Oliver grumbled weakly as Sam placed him in the chair by Roy's bedside. Oliver had passed out by the time Sam stood to his full height. For a moment, it was silent.
"Honestly didn't think you had it in you to pull something like that," Natasha admitted and Sam looked over at her.
"Guess I'm spending too much time with you," Sam quipped and she shook her head, an amused grin crossing her face.
"Was that truly necessary?" Moira asked, looking torn between annoyance and worry for her son.
"He told me yesterday he hasn't slept a full night since Slade showed up at your house," Sam said, surprising Moira and Thea. "He needs to be rested if we're gonna stop Slade."
"Why? I mean, I'm happy he's getting some sleep, but why do you need him rested? What can he do against Slade?" Thea asked and a moment of silence passed.
"That's something Oliver has to tell you when he wakes up," Natasha said and Thea scowled. "I understand you want answers Thea, but…they should come from Oliver."
"Fine," Thea groaned, turning and walking out, knowing she wouldn't get her answers right now.
When Oliver opened his eyes next, he was alone in the med bay, save for Roy's sleeping form.
"Damn it Sam," Oliver said grumpily.
But, as he pulled himself to his feet, Oliver did note he felt more rested and alert. So maybe a rest had been what he needed.
Making his way out of the med-bay, Oliver wondered the halls for a bit before coming upon what seemed like the living area of the base. Oliver saw his family and the Avengers were there, along with Sara, Felicity and Diggle. They were all watching a holographic screen, which was showing a press conference Blood was showing.
"My sympathies go out to Moira Queen and her family for this vicious attack. But it is just one more reminder of the damage the Queen Family has wrought to Starling City. Who knows what Slade Wilson's motivations for targeting the Queen family are, but do we truly want to put our trust in a woman who seems to bring chaos and destruction wherever she goes?"
"He never misses an opportunity, does he?" Thea asked dryly.
"Welcome to politics," Sara said in a matching tone.
"Yes, Sebastian Blood never misses an opportunity to remind the people of this city how much they have suffered at my hands," Moira said bitterly.
"At least you didn't accidently join Hydra and accidently cause Tony Stark to create a robot that wanted to destroy the world," Wanda said with a grimace as she remembered her mistakes.
"No, perhaps I did not," Moira said after a moment, appreciating that the younger woman, in her own way, was trying to make her feel better. "But I doubt the people of this city feel that way."
"Recent poll numbers say you're ahead of Blood in every area, so I think you're doing fine," Natasha said and Moira merely nodded.
"Ollie," Sara said, looking over and seeing her boyfriend standing in the doorway.
"When did you guys get here?" Oliver asked as he stepped into the room, all of them turning their attention to him.
"Yesterday afternoon. You've been out for almost twenty four hours," Felicity said, to Oliver's disbelief.
"The sedative was only supposed to make you sleep for a few. Not sleeping for so long has an effect," Sam said with a pointed look at Oliver.
Which Oliver pointedly ignored, already knowing Sam was right. Instead, he looked over at Diggle, who was eying him curiously.
"How are you doing, John?"
"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" Diggle asked sarcastically before sighing. "I'm…managing. But there are more important things going on, you know?"
Oliver nodded, getting it before turning to his sister, who was looking at him with a look that was part concern, part annoyance and part desperation for answers. And he knew it was time, he couldn't put it off any longer.
"Before everything went to Hell last night, I promised you a conversation about the truth, Speedy. So grab your coat," Oliver said before glancing at over at Moira. "You too, Mom."
"Why?" Thea asked and Oliver smiled tightly.
"I'm gonna take you to a place where you can understand why I've kept so much from you."
Verdant
Afternoon
"Why are we at my club?" Thea asked as Oliver led her and Moira inside the deserted club.
"It used to be mine, if you recall. And I need to show you something," Oliver said before leading them down a hall.
"Where are we going?" Thea asked confused, following after him.
"Basement," Oliver said simply as they stopped in front of the door.
"You told me we couldn't get in there," Thea said in confusion.
"Thea, honey," Moira started, realizing what Oliver was about to do. "Let's just go down there."
Thea was still confused until Oliver put in the code and the door unlocked. Oliver swung open the door and walked inside, looking back at his sister, silently telling her to follow him. After a moment, Thea did so, their mother following her. The family of three slowly walked down the staircase.
"Ollie, what's going on?" Thea asked as they reached the bottom.
Oliver still didn't answer, walking to the light switch. With a heavy breath, Oliver flipped the switch and the lights came on.
As they did, Thea looked around, stunned as the Arrow Lair was revealed to her. Behind her, Moira looked around as well. She had already known Oliver's secret of course, but even still, it didn't remove from the effect.
"I know this probably won't mean much right now, I've certainly given you no reason to believe me when I say it…but I lied all this time to protect you," Oliver told Thea gently.
Slowly, Thea walked forward, taking it all in, pausing as she saw the Arrow suit in a glass display. And suddenly, a million pieces of a puzzle came together, revealing a secret she had perhaps always known but hadn't wanted to admit to herself.
"You're…you're him," Thea said, as if saying it out loud would change the truth but also knowing that she needed to hear it from his lips.
"Yeah," Oliver confirmed as he walked up behind her, Moira watching her children nervously.
"So that night with the Hoods…that was you. All those times I got so mad at you for being a flake or…telling me something I knew had to be a lie…" Thea laughed before finally turning around to face her brother, viewing him with new eyes and feeling, perhaps for the first time, that she finally understood him. "You were saving someone's life."
Thea slowly made her way over to her brother as Oliver waited for the screaming that usually came with this part of when someone found out his secret.
"Thank you," Thea said, taking Oliver aback before she hugged him.
Still in a bit of shock, Oliver returned the hug, hardly being able to believe this had just happened.
Former SHIELD base
Later that afternoon
"So how do you think it's going?" Felicity asked randomly as the other members of Team Arrow and the Avengers waited for the Queens to get back.
"I don't know. I hope it's going well but knowing Thea…" Diggle trailed off.
"You should have more faith in her," Steve said and Diggle looked at him blankly.
"I'd like to but Thea has a history of lashing out, trying to hurt those she feels wronged her or those she loves when she gets this upset. And the way things have been going…" Diggle trailed off and it was silent for a moment.
"I have to put my faith in people. For the most part, they haven't let me down. I have to believe that the same is true for Oliver," Steve said and Diggle stared at him for a moment before shaking his head, barking out a laugh.
"I wish I could see things the way you do, Captain Rogers, really I do. But living in this city for so long, hard to have that kind of faith," Diggle said wistfully.
"And maybe we all need it. To have that faith that people can be good again," Natasha said after a moment of thought.
"Well, never thought I'd see the day where you of all people would be saying that."
At the sound of the voice, everyone reacted, although very differently. Steve, Natasha, and Sam looked up sharply, looks of disbelief on their faces. Sara picked up her baton, stepping in front of the startled Felicity protectively as Diggle drew his gun, aiming at the intruder. Wanda merely watched the proceedings, looking amused.
"So, who feels like catching me up to speed?" Fury asked an amused smirk on his face.
Verdant
Same time
"So, the time you ran after the guy who almost shot Mom-"
"Not a guy, Helena Bertinelli."
"And when you disappeared during Mom's sentencing-"
"The Count had Felicity."
"And when you bailed on Sara's party-"
"Meeting Detective Lance about a Homicide," Oliver finished and Thea nodded.
The family of three was currently sitting at the bar in Verdant, Oliver having whipped them up some burgers; surprising both his mother and sister that he knew how to cook.
"You don't seem surprised by any of this," Thea noted, turning to her mother before taking a bite of her burger.
"I figured out your brother's secret the night of The Undertaking. So many things had never made sense. You are not a good liar when it comes to the people you love, Oliver," Moira said amused and Oliver had the grace to look sheepish. "And perhaps, in the back of my mind…I always knew."
"Well, if one thing good came out of this, it's that we're all finally being honest with each other," Thea said dryly and a beat passed. "There's still one thing I don't get."
"What's that?" Oliver asked and she looked him right in the eye.
"Why didn't you tell us about Slade? I get that this couldn't be an easy conversation, but you knew he was going after you, and that he'd use us to get to you. So why didn't you warn us?" Thea asked, looking at her brother as she tried to understand.
It was silent for a long moment, Oliver trying to come up with an excuse. But, after today, he just didn't have it in him to lie to his sister again.
"Do you remember last year, when Malcolm got shot by a sniper during his award ceremony?" Oliver asked and Thea nodded, seeing their mother stiffen slightly but assuming that it was about the mention of Malcolm. "The sniper's name is Floyd Lawton; he's called Deadshot because he never misses his target. He uses a rare poison called Curare, he coats it in his bullet so even if the target gets winged, it's still a death sentence. He shot Malcolm and I knew the only way to save his life was a blood transfusion. He would never make it to the hospital, so I had to convince Tommy to trust me enough to let me give him one. There was only one I could think of to do that."
"You told Tommy your secret," Thea realized, she and Moira looking at him in surprise as he nodded.
"And you know what the first thing he called when he found out was? He called me a killer, a murderer. I can still see the look on his face when he did," Oliver said, a haunted look in his eyes as he remembered that moment. "And I know it was selfish, but I just…I couldn't bear to have the two of you look at me the way he did. Like I was this…"
"Monster," Moira said softly and Oliver nodded, not looking at them.
For a moment, it was silent before Thea reached over and took his hand in hers.
"Tommy was a dick," Thea said bluntly, causing Oliver to let out a surprised laugh as Moira looked torn between disapproval and appreciation. "I loved him, but he was a dick. Yeah, you killed people but if he knew you at all, he would understand you never would have done that unless you had a good reason. If he was here right now, I'd tell him to get over himself."
"I'm sure you would," Oliver said with a laugh, realizing he hadn't laughed since he found out Slade was alive.
"This isn't over, is it?" Moira asked after a moment, looking Oliver in the eye, remembering his warning to Lyla last night. "You don't seem to think so."
"No, no it's not," Oliver said with a heavy sigh, feeling the brief reprieve wash away. "Deathstroke cannot be contained. Five years ago, I put an arrow into his brain, it did nothing. And when he had Thea, he told me his arms were cut down to the bone and it all came back. If ARGUS thinks they can control Deathstroke, they are fooling themselves. It's not a matter of if he'll break out, but when. Because I have a feeling he's just getting started."
ARGUS base
Same time
Alarms were blaring as Waller and Lyla, accompanied by several ARGUS agents, made their way down the hall.
"What happened?" Waller demanded.
"Unsure, Ma'am, the medics were operating on Slade Wilson when they suddenly triggered an alert," one of the agents said.
They came upon the sight of the med bay, staring at the bloody carnage of the dead surgeons. Slade was nowhere in sight.
One of the agents silently signaled to the others to cautiously move forward. They did so, their guns at the ready as they entered the med bay. Then, Slade jumped out, grabbed one agent by the neck and grabbed his pistol. The other ARGUS agent opened fire but the bullets had no effect on him. Slade tossed the ARGUS agent he had captured away and the agent was killed by the onslaught of bullets. Slade then fired the pistol, killing the ARGUS agents one at a time. Dropping the pistol, which was now empty, Slade picked up another one, exiting the med bay as Lyla and the remaining agents took aim at him.
"You just saw me survive those bullets. Do you really think you stand a better chance than they did?" Slade asked with a sadistic grin.
Without waiting for a response, Slade had rushed forward, hitting an agent so hard they could hear his neck snap from the blow as he went flying. Slade then grabbed another agent by the neck and, to the disbelief of the other agents, used him as a whip, striking another agent in the face. The agent was sent flying as Slade tightened his grip, snapping the agent's neck. Slade dropped the lifeless body of the agent as the other agents began opening fire on Slade while Lyla grabbed Waller, desperately trying to get them away.
Slade lazily fired his pistol, killing all of the remaining ARGUS agents before he raised his pistol towards Lyla and Waller, firing twice. His aim struck true, both women hit in the shoulder and falling forward, clutching their wounded shoulders. Slade dropped the pistol and slowly walked towards them. Lyla looked up at him fearfully, her life flashing before her eyes as Waller glowered at him.
"Did you really think you could make me one of your recruits? Maybe your tactics would work on a mercenary, but I'm little above that," Slade said with a smirk. "Now, the reason the two of you are still alive is because I know your tactics Waller. You're going to give me some information. And Agent Michaels, I know you are involved with John Diggle. Oliver trusts him, so he'll trust you. And you're going to give him a message for me…"
Verdant
Same time
"You really think Slade can break out of this ARGUS place? Isn't it like the next SHIELD?" Thea asked and Oliver smiled tightly.
"SHIELD's director ran a tighter ship. If half of what I've heard about Amanda Waller is true, it's only a matter of time until she makes a mistake that lets Deathstroke get the upper hand. Then, we're back to square one," Oliver said grimly.
"Oliver…what are you going to do when you see Slade again?" Moira asked, Oliver having told them enough of what Slade wanted and why he hated Oliver.
"Not sure yet. I just know I have to stop him. Maybe for good," Oliver said and they immediately understood what he was saying.
"You mean kill him," Thea said and Oliver sighed.
"If I have to. Slade cannot be reasoned with. He cannot be bought. He's beyond any feelings of pity or remorse he might have felt for any of us. He won't stop until we are all dead. It's kill or be killed. I've been in denial about that for…a long time. But I have to face him. Whether he dies or I do, I know that's how this ends," Oliver said with a sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Really just hope STAR Labs can get that cure. Since he couldn't get to the two of you, who knows where Slade will strike next."
SHIELD Rehabilitation Facility, North America
Later that afternoon
"So, same time next week. See you then, Agent Morse."
Bobbi smiled politely at her psychical therapist before heading the door. It had been a few months since Ward and Kara had abducted her and, while it was going slowly, her physical rehab was making progress.
As she headed out of the center to where she had parked the car she had taken to the, Bobbi checked the time on her phone, wondering if she had time to stop at a bar before heading back to the Playground.
She loved the team, but she really needed a break from Hunter's hovering, especially given she'd had to have Coulson order him to let her come here alone.
As she neared her car, she saw a homeless man, doubled over and seeming to be in pain.
"Hey, you all right?" Bobbi asked as she slowly approached them.
The homeless man didn't respond, and, so focused on them, Bobbi was startled when she felt something hit her neck. She didn't even have time to react when she felt two more of whatever it was hit her in the back. Pulling it out of her neck, she saw it was a tranq dart before her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she fell back, out cold.
The homeless man then got to his feet, grabbing Bobbi by the legs as one of the Iron Heights Prisoner rushed out, pocketing the gun and grabbing Bobbi by the arms, lifting her up.
"Throw her phone out when we get to the car. And then call Brother Blood; tell him we've acquired the target."
Mostly a filler chapter but did have some important things take place, so hope you enjoyed it anyway.
While season three of Arrow is not my favorite season by any means, the scene where Oliver reveals his secret to Thea is one of my favorite scenes in the scenes. It's the standard by which all superhero reveal scenes should be judged, heartwarming yet heartbreaking at the same time. Heartwarming because it's such a sweet scene between Oliver and Thea, but your heart breaks for Oliver because he's so used to people turning on him when they find out the truth that he doesn't know how to react to Thea's immediate acceptance.
And Fury has finally entered the story.
I'll be honest; Bobbi really wasn't supposed to have a big role in this story. She was originally just supposed to have a cameo towards the end of the story, but due to something that happens later on, it made sense to have Slade target her.
Preview for next chapter: news of Slade's escape spreads, more familiar faces show up, and the Wolverine finally arrives in Starling City.