Oliver stuck around Central City long enough to help the team catch Dr. Wells. Or, well, Thawne, actually. It was oddly comforting that things were at least equally as odd in Central City as they were in Starling City.
He knows Felicity is keeping tabs on him, but he puts it out of his mind. He's been in the lab several times to hear Barry answer the phone when she called. It always started off innocuous enough, but at some point, he would hear Barry sigh. He'd look up to see Barry looking at him in exasperation and then "Yes Felicity, he's still here." Typically, some kind of argument followed.
The final time, he spun around to look at Oliver and threw his hands up in the air.
"Why is she mad at me for this?" Barry yelled in frustration. "She asks if you're still here, I tell her you are, and then she's mad at me. You're recovering from surgery – does she want us to throw you out on the street?!"
Oliver grinned. "She thinks that if you kick me out, I'll go back to Starling." He shrugged. "She doesn't really comprehend the issue here."
"Why did you lie to Ray that night?" Barry asks suddenly, changing the topic.
"When did I lie to Ray?" the archer questioned, legitimately confused.
"You told him nothing ever happened between you and Felicity?"
Oliver gave him a strange look. "Nothing ever did happen between me and Felicity. At least not in the way Ray was thinking. We were never together."
"Oliver…" Barry reminds him of his mother scolding him as a child. "You're are… insanely in love with Felicity."
"So?" He can tell his answer surprised the younger man. Barry already had his mouth open, probably to argue with what he expected to be Oliver's denial, and snapped it shut quickly.
"But then why?" Barry didn't seem to know what he wanted to ask, or how to ask it.
"Why did I leave? Because I have to let the League of Assassins think I am dead. Why am I trying to avoid her? Because we fought when I left and I wasn't a particular fan of how she was trying to manipulate me into staying. Why did nothing happen between Felicity and me? Because I was too late and she had already moved on. A lot can happen when you're dead, Barry."
Thinking, Oliver let out a short laugh. "Although, you know, if you still have feelings for her too, you and I could try to figure out that firestorm thing and combine as one. Her type is apparently your brain in my body. We might stand a chance against Palmer that way."
He heard Caitlin choking behind him. He bound over to her and clapped her on the back a few times.
"How did you know about that?"
"Oh Dr. Snow, I have excellent hearing."
He stayed in the lab for the rest of the day, allowing himself to relax with the group. Team Flash was considerably more laid back than Team Arrow. Although he was sure they wouldn't make it long in Starling City, their attitude was perfect for Central City. He almost felt like their big brother – they were still so young.
He stepped away to pack his bags and prepare again for the road, and when he returned, there was food and alcohol.
Is that confetti?
"What's going on guys?" he asked slowly, setting his bag down.
"Going away party," Barry answered, smiling wide.
"And for our present…" Caitlin grabbed his arm and pulled him around the corner, and Oliver laughed as she presented a salmon ladder. "We've been told you have a love for these things. So we had one installed, you know, just in case you decide to come back to visit."
At Caitlin's blush, Oliver lightly elbowed her, giving her a nudge. "You just want to see me do it."
They cheered for him, so he rolled his eyes, but couldn't drop the grin that was spread across his face. He quickly shed his jacket, leaving him in a light t-shirt, and proceeded to run through a few rounds on his favorite piece of gym equipment.
As the night calmed down and he announced his goodbyes, each member of the team gathered outside to wave him off. He mounted his bike and held his helmet in his hand as Caitlin once more came up to hug him goodbye.
"Don't wait so long to get medical attention," she told him, trying to sound stern. "We're always here and you're welcome at S.T.A.R. Labs anytime."
"You're amazing, Dr. Snow." His voice was full of gratitude and before she pulled away, she turned her head to give him a kiss on the cheek, whispering to stay safe.
Cisco came forward next, practically bouncing up and down in excitement. He shoved something into Oliver's hands and stepped back.
"I made these for you," the young scientist told him, barely able to contain his excitement. Oliver looked down at the gadget in his hands – they appeared to be sunglasses. "They have communications in them that will always allow you to get into contact with us. They're encoded to your iris, so no one else would be able to use them or unlock them. To the regular world, they're just cool sunglasses. Oh, and they'll work for daytime or nighttime, just turn that dial on the side to adjust."
Oliver slid the glasses over his eyes. At first, it was like putting on a pair of sunglasses and he couldn't see anything in the darkness of the night. But after turning the dial as Cisco had instructed, his vision cleared and he had an incredible range of sight.
"These are amazing," Oliver awed. "Thanks guys, these are great!"
His goodbye to Joe was brief – a firm handshake and a nod. To Barry, Oliver simply nodded, reminding him that he could call him for anything, anytime, and he would be there to help.
Gotham City
"Why am I here, Amanda?" he groaned, glaring at the woman in front of him. "Can't you just… I don't know, call? This whole scavenger hunt to find the meeting spot is so tiring."
"You're the one who reached out first," she reminded him. "I believe you said something about assistance in defeating the League of Assassins and offering your services in exchange."
"Yes, but phone calls, Amanda. I know you know how phones work."
"I prefer to do my clandestine meetings face to face. Or, I guess face to mask, as it were. And I have your first assignment. You were already halfway to the east coast when I called, so I didn't want you to have to turn back."
"So it was in deference to me?" he asked, not believing a word she said.
"That, and your team is already in Gotham."
At that, Oliver jumped up in anger. "No, no team, Amanda. I'm working alone. I'm not risking the lives of ARGUS agents. I'm too much of a target if I'm found."
The look on her face made him nervous. "I thought you may say that." She picked up a phone and whoever she called picked it up immediately. Her short instructions were "Bring them in" and the door opened.
As the door opened, he immediately turned on his voice modulator upon seeing Lyla walking Floyd Lawton and Carrie Cutter into the room.
"No," he said immediately, moving to leave the room.
"Stay," she ordered him. "Stay or the deal is off and I'll leave you to your own devices."
He hesitated for a moment, before sitting back in his seat.
"Thank you," she said shortly before turning to their newest additions. "Agent Michaels, I have a partner for you, if you will, for your next outing with Task Force X."
That surprised Oliver. Waller wasn't going to out him. Immediately, his mind started racing to come up with a suitable cover, but apparently Waller had that part figured out as well.
"This is a contracted freelancer – goes by Spectre." Her pointed look at him let him know there was no room to argue with his new nickname. "He'll be helping out with some future Task Force X missions."
If Lyla was shocked by the news, or even recognized him, it didn't show on her face. She simply walked forward and held out her hand in greeting.
"Lyla Michaels," she greeted. "Codename Harbinger. I'm looking forward to working with you."
Going with it, he grabbed her hand to exchange a brief handshake. "Let's just stick with Spectre," he replied, making it clear she wouldn't learn his real name.
"And I believe you're already familiar with Floyd Lawton and Carrie Cutter," Amanda said, continuing introductions. He glared at her and she kept talking without pause. "Or better known as Deadshot and Cupid in the files I provided to you to get you caught up."
Glancing down at the file in front of him, he gave a short nod.
"We're sending Task Force X to Kasnia," she started as they all gathered around the table.
"Suicide Squad," Lawton interrupted, seemingly unphased by Amanda's glare.
As Amanda explained the hostage crisis at the hospital, Oliver was immediately suspicious. When he spoke his concerns, he realized Amanda shared them.
"The Republic of Kasnia is a nightmare right now," he said, tilting his head. "But a group of insurgents taking an American senator hostage seems incredibly unrealistic. The United States has let the civil war go on for quite a while now – kidnapping a US citizen, a Senator no less, seems like an insane escalation that they have to know would bring in US forces."
"Yes, well, this is just the official intel we were provided with when the President assigned us the rescue mission. I'm not here to question their motives."
Arriving in Kasnia, the rest of the group seems to get irritated as they all settle into their motel room and Oliver refuses to unmask.
"So I'm supposed to trust you with my life, but you won't tell me your real name," Lawton quips, looking unimpressed.
"Something tells me you'd be even more unlikely to trust me if you knew who I was," Oliver responded in an eerie tone.
"But Amanda Waller trusts you?" Lyla confirmed, seeming to also have issues with trusting the unknown man.
"Trust is not a word I would use to describe my relationship with Amanda Waller," he responded drily. "It's a relationship of need. I need ARGUS resources – and money, for that matter – and Waller needs my skills."
"What can you do that we can't?" Cutter interrupted, looking offended. "I think the three of us could handle ourselves just fine."
"You can't be too good at your jobs if you're in ARGUS custody."
The other two couldn't find a way to argue with that logic, but Lyla still wasn't convinced. Her eyes moved up and down his figure in speculation.
"And me? What can you do that I can't?" Lyla questioned in disbelief.
"You're good at your job, Agent Michaels. You're also very good at taking orders." Oddly, his reply didn't sound like a compliment.
"How did she find you?" she asked.
"This time around, I went to her," Oliver replied. "But as to how she found me originally… How does Amanda Waller do anything?" He shrugged. "Generally – I think kidnapping is the most appropriate word."
"Prior service – military, CIA, some other government organization?" she questioned. He shook his head. "Criminal, then." Her voice was so final, like she was certain.
"Not that I would be in disagreement with that assessment, but I know many that would," he replied, tilting his head to the side in thought. "But I think you know intimately that the world isn't so black and white, Agent Michaels." Her eyes widened as she understood his implication. "Your husband should really consider wearing a mask while he runs around with a bunch of criminals."
He can see the wheels turning in her head and wonders for a moment if he said too much. Then again, he knows that Lyla and John were generally pretty good about not talking shop at home. She seems to be considering her next words carefully, because if she's right, she certainly doesn't want to out him in front of their comrades – both of whom Oliver had brought down.
"Have we met?"
"Oh Agent Michaels, that would be telling."
"See," she started slowly. "A friend of mine. Or you could say a friend of a friend. He came to me a few months back asking me to have Amanda get into contact with him. Wouldn't say why."
He stood up as Lawton made a sound behind him, indicating they found something on the computer.
"Who would deliberately reach out for Waller?" he asked, laughing. "Your friend – whoever he is – sounds like a masochist."
"You just told me you did," she reminded him, stepping up next to him behind Lawton. "And he is."
He considered his options. Two words and it would confirm it for Lyla. But he wasn't actually sure he wanted Lyla to know. It was better if she stewed on her suspicions.
"You should get better friends. Friends like that will get you into trouble."
She wasn't completely convinced, he knew, but she dropped the subject and they both focused on battle plans with Lawton and Cutter.
The Hospital
Nothing ever goes as planned, but Oliver felt oddly comforted by the fact that he was absolutely correct in his prediction. The entire thing was a setup by the Senator to boost him up for the upcoming election.
He honestly didn't hesitate to kill him.
"This is why you wanted me for this mission, right?" At first, Lyla thought he was speaking to her, but realized with a start that he's communicating with someone. Their coms weren't connected to ARGUS, but she assumed he's speaking with Waller based on the one side of the conversation that she can hear.
"You always loved to point out to me what a monster I am." As if he's talking about the weather, Lyla thought to herself. "But I don't particularly love you only calling me in to do your dirty work. If we try to turn him in, it all gets swept under the rug and covered up, right?"
He must have heard what he was looking for, because at the next opportunity, Lyla didn't have time to even attempt to stop him before he shot the Senator point blank between the eyes.
One thing holding her back from being absolutely sure that this was, in fact, Oliver Queen, was his lack of typical weapons. She'd never seen Oliver go into a fight without his bow, and she knew he wasn't a fan of using a firearm.
The other was his absolute lack of hesitation at murdering a US Senator.
Lawton argued that the only solution is for him to provide cover from the roof while they got the civilians to safety. Lyla was trying to take his place instead.
"You have a baby girl to get home to," he told Lyla.
"You have a daughter out there too," Oliver reminded him. "Honestly, I would say if we have to sacrifice anyone, Cupid would be my vote."
His tone is sarcastic, but she still gets offended.
"However," he said, "No one would miss me. I'll provide cover for you guys."
They made to argue with him – well, Cupid didn't – but raised a hand up, stopping them.
"I'm not intending to kill myself," he assured them. "I've been in – oddly enough – very similar situations a number of times. And I'm very hard to kill."
When the hospital explodes, none of them see him. Last they'd seen him, he was still on the roof, providing cover fire while they ushered the civilians out of the blast radius under heavy gunfire from the mercenaries.
The three of them returned stateside to Starling City. As she sat down in front of the ARGUS director, she desperately hoped she was wrong as she gave her mission debrief. "Spectre didn't make it out." She says it like it's just another fact of the mission, but her insides are turning at the possibility that her husband's best friend just died to save her and a couple criminals.
Amanda Waller didn't seem too concerned. "He knew the risks."
"Did he have a family?" she asked, fishing for some tiny piece of information. Hoping to find something to convince her that wasn't Oliver Queen.
"No," Amanda Waller said calmly. "His codename was Spectre because he was a ghost. He doesn't have any friends or family. There is no one to serve a death notification to."
The problem with Amanda Waller was that she was so good at lying, such a natural, that even if you always suspected she was lying, you couldn't actually tell for sure.
When Amanda Waller returned to her office, she slid a small ear pod into her ear and, after pressing a few buttons on her phone, spoke without pause. "You didn't return for your mission debrief."
"You don't own me, Amanda. I'm not an ARGUS agent," came the gruff reply over the line. "I circled back after the explosion to make sure there's no evidence. Cray's body was damaged enough from the explosion that they'll never be able to identify the body."
"Excellent work." After a pause, she continued. "And since this relationship is give and take – I have something else for you. It's an ongoing mission for ARGUS, but it's also something that I think will assist you with your crusade against the League of Assassins."
"I'm listening," his voice drawled over the line.
"What do you know about an organization called H.I.V.E.?"
Hong Kong
Apparently Starling City was important enough to make international news. Or maybe it was just Palmer Tech. Nonetheless, the news broke while he was leaving the ARGUS hangar in Hong Kong.
It was innocuous to the ARGUS employees – the security guards just had CNN up on the televisions behind them, not really paying attention. The moment he saw it, he already had his phone pulled out looking for updates.
PALMER TECH STOCK PRICES PLUMMET IN INTERNATIONAL MARKETS AFTER EXPLOSION AT HEADQUARTERS IN STARLING CITY
SEVERAL EMPLOYEES STILL UNACCOUNTED FOR AFTER PALMER TECH EXPLOSION SHOOK STARLING CITY TONIGHT
POLICE AND FIREFIGHTERS ON SCENE AT PALMER TECH – CEO RAY PALMER STILL UNACCOUNTED FOR
The reports all indicated the explosion originated from the executive floors – where Felicity's office was.
Stepping onto the streets of Hong Kong, he was already waiting for his coms to connect with Detective Lance.
"Captain Lance," came the gruff answer in his ear.
"Quentin," he breathed, unable to identify the emotion in his own voice. "What happened? Is she-? Have you found any survivors?"
"Who is this? How did you get this number? I've told all you damn reporters not to call me. The SCPD will make information public as soon as we can."
"Don't hang up!" he yelled frantically into the phone. "Quentin, it's Oliver."
"Queen." His tone lost its gruffness, but Oliver could still hear the tension in his voice.
"I just stepped off a plane and saw the news – what do you know so far?"
"We've can't even get to the floors impacted yet," the police captain told him. "The building is too unstable. And it's difficult for the fire department to get to the top floors. We're lucky – if you can call it that – that it happened so late at night. Records show only 32 employees in the building at the time."
Oliver sucks in a breath, almost afraid to ask. "Do we know who those employees are?" Quentin is silent on the other end. "Quentin." He knows his voice must sound desperate, but he doesn't care. Captain Lance recognizes it too.
"We know who was in there, according to access logs," he admits. "It's – Oliver – how quickly can you get here?"
No amount of effort would have stopped the sob that broke through the line, but Oliver didn't even care at the moment.
"Quentin, no." He doesn't have the wherewithal to even feel embarrassed that he's breaking down in the middle of Hong Kong, on the phone with his ex-girlfriend's father, with whom he already has a fairly tumultuous relationship.
"We don't know, Oliver," he replied, trying to keep his voice calm. "Your guys are here, but well, even they're having problems getting in. The employees from the lower levels have been evacuated and accounted for, but there's still another 13 from the executive floors that we have no information on."
Barry!
"Hold that thought, Captain," Oliver interrupted him quickly. "I'm going to patch someone through that can help."
It's late in Central City, but since vigilantes keep odd hours, he's hoping someone is at S.T.A.R. Labs when he calls through.
As the line rings, Quentin speaks, "Oliver, we could really use your help." Knowing the man on the other end absolutely loathes having to ask the vigilantes for help, Oliver hates that he can't actually do anything.
"Even with a nonstop flight – if I could get back on the plane right now – I'm 14 hours out if the winds are on my side."
Quentin let out a sighed "Dammit" as the line stopped ringing.
"Oliver, it's so good to hear from you!"
The news he was about to break made him a little sad for the cheerful voice that answered.
"Caitlin, you're on the line with me and Capital Lance of the SCPD," he said immediately. "Have you guys seen the news?"
"Cisco, pull up the news in Starling City," she called out.
"There was an explosion at Palmer Tech," he told her, not waiting for Cisco to pull it up himself. "There are still 13 employees unaccounted for on the executive floors."
"Oliver, no offense, but erm… The Flash is a little preoccupied right now," Cisco said in the background.
"And I'm a bit surprised you presumably want us to mount a rescue mission for Ray Palmer…" Caitlin interjected.
"Felicity was in the building," Oliver ground out. "I'm in China, Caitlin, or I'd be there already."
"The Flash will be there in a few minutes," Caitlin promised him, and he can hear Cisco talking to someone else in the background.
"Captain Lance." Turning his attention back to the other participant in the phone call, "You'll be receiving some help in just a few minutes."
"Yeah, give me just a minute, sir," came his response over the line. His voice sounded distanced from the phone. Oliver's eyes widened – sir?
"Sorry about that, I was swapping the call to my headset," his voice was much clearer now. "I assume you'll want to stay on the line for a resolution."
"Absolutely," Oliver confirmed, glancing around looking for somewhere to sit down. He found a coffee shop with outdoor tables and all but fell into the seat. "Caitlin, does Flash have his bodycam on?"
"I'm patching him in to the call now," Caitlin informed him. "If you're sitting, I can go ahead and patch you into his camera."
"Much appreciated," he replied shortly, closing his eyes and running a hand through his hair, trying to find a way to release the tension.
"Hey, hooligans," he hears Captain Lance call out. "I called in backup. Or, well, backup called me."
"Isn't every first responder in the city here?" Oliver sat up a little straighter hearing John Diggle's voice from Quentin's line.
"I believe the favor is coming from Central City."
"Hello, sir." Barry had arrived. He opened his eyes and through the lenses on his glasses, he could see Captain Lance.
"Flash," Oliver croaked into the phone. "You remember where my office was?"
"I sure do," he replied. Oliver was surprised to hear the serious tone in Barry's voice – the kid was always joking around. "Alright, I want you to take the team up to the executive floors. I know you're faster than they are, but you may not be able to move all the debris on your own."
Barry didn't reply, "Mr. Diggle, sir, I've been instructed to get Team Arrow to the executive floors to start search and rescue."
He can see Diggle take a step back. "Man, I don't really handle your speeds very well."
Oliver doesn't even recognize the sound coming from his own throat as growls into the phone, "If he does not get into that building, I'm going to break his fucking neck."
"You're not going to break his neck," Barry replied, still staring at Diggle. Through Barry's bodycam, he can see Diggle's confused face. "Not you," he says to Diggle. "I've got a very angry interested party on the line that has an extremely vested interest in an employee on the executive floors of Palmer Tech. You have a pretty vested interest as well, Mr. Diggle."
Comprehension struck like lightning on Diggle's face. "Then he can come do it himself."
"At top speeds, it would take the Flash four hours, round trip, to get Oliver to Starling City," he heard Caitlin interject, and then Barry recited to Diggle, "It would take four hours for me to get him here."
"I'd be there if I could," Oliver groaned out, closing his eyes again and dropping his head onto the table in front of him. At the same time, he heard Barry say, "You know if he could be here in time, he would be."
"I don't know that," Diggle shot back. But then he saw the tension fall from his shoulders. "But yeah, I want to get Felicity out of the building. Get me up there, kid."
"You can open your eyes now." Oliver wasn't sure if Barry's words were directed to him or to Diggle, but they both obeyed.
"Fuck…" Oliver breathed out. "Flash, get the others up there and start extracting people. Is my sister on site?"
"Who else is on the ground?" Barry asked John.
"Arrow, Red Arrow, and Black Canary," John listed off for him.
"Get my sister up there and tell her she's responsible for evacs. Get a zipline to Kord Industries next door and start pulling people out. Captain Lance, can you send the paramedics up through Kord? As soon as we find out what floor she lands on, I'll let you know."
Quentin doesn't respond, but he hears him begin giving orders to the paramedics to head across the street. Oliver is already feeling the nausea creep up on him as he tries to keep up with the camera on Barry's suit. He's never sure when it's safe to open and close his eyes.
He's vaguely aware of the waitress approaching him. When she asks if there's anything she can bring to him.
"Qǐng hē bēi kāfēi," he mutters quietly before thanking her.
Just a cup of coffee, please.
A moment later, she reappears with a mug and places it in front of him. He gives her a grateful smile and takes a sip of the coffee.
"How many people out so far?" he says into the coms line.
"Paramedics are reporting the Red Arrow has brought 8 people across to Kord already." Before Oliver can ask, he adds in. "No sign of her yet, kid."
"Right, right," he takes a large gulp of his coffee. "That's five people left. Tell Red Arrow to take a pause on evac and everyone start looking. That's one person left for all of you. Flash, have you made it to my office yet?"
He hears grunting from the other side and opens his eyes to watch through Barry's camera. Diggle and Roy are working together to move debris while Barry is crouched down tying to pull someone out from underneath it. They don't see much – just a collarbone.
"That's Felicity!" he cries over the line. "Fuck, Cisco, patch me through to Black Canary and Red Arrow!"
"They're on the line," she announces.
"What?" Laurel calls out in surprise at the new voice in her ear, followed by Thea's "Who the fuck is this?"
"I need you both to get to my old office," he instructs them without introduction. Thea immediately makes a sound of acknowledgement, but of course, Laurel has to argue. She wouldn't be Laurel if she didn't.
"Oh, sure, we don't hear from you for months and all of a sudden you take over our coms and start ordering us around! You're not our leader anymore, Oliver!"
He's attempted to speak over her several times, but she just keeps going.
"Quentin, I really need you to deal with your daughter for me," Oliver begs. "I'm losing it."
"Laurel, honey," he hears Quentin call out to her. "They found Felicity. He's trying to get you to her because they need help."
"I'm on my way!"
"Thank you," Oliver breathed out in a relieved sigh. As he took a deep breath, his vision started to blur.
Fuck, I'm tired.
He blinked several times, trying to refocus his eyes on the screens in his lenses and picked up his coffee cup, polishing it off in one last swig. He kept his complete focus on the rescue efforts in front of his eyes – they were making good progress on getting Felicity out. There was a big enough space at the top for Thea and Roy to slide through and start working from a different angle. Roy lifted a beam enough for Thea to slide under – he saw her hand peek through under the debris and touch Felicity's neck.
She's checking for a pulse.
"Theeee…" he muttered out. "Carrrreeeeful."
"You alright, kid?" Quentin's voice sounded extremely concerned – concerned about Oliver – which he didn't understand. "You sound a bit drunk."
He flipped off the lenses on his glasses and saw a table of men next to him glancing over at him, trying their best to remain inconspicuous. His eyes trailed down to his empty coffee cup in front of him – the one he had just drained in an attempt to wake himself up.
"Fuuuck," he slurred out. "Drug." He cleared his throat. "Drugged," he managed out, realizing he could barely understand himself.
"Oliver! Oliver!"
He couldn't hear and see at the same time – his focus was completely gone. The men at the table were starting to stand.
"Oliver, you need to activate the tracker in your glasses!" Caitlin repeated her instructions a couple times before he managed to press the right button with his unbearably heavy hand.
"It's activated! Flash, I'm sending you his coordinates!"
"F'lic'ty," he slurred out. "First. F'lic'ty."
"Yeah, yeah, I hear you man. Felicity first. We're getting Felicity out first and to the hospital, and then I'm coming to you. Keep your glasses on you."
Oliver didn't get to hear the last instructions as the cloudiness in his vision edged in, and he gave into the darkness.