Chapter 5: Taken

Present Day – September 5, 2016

"I'm glad we decided to do this," Thea said, sipping on her milkshake. "It's been too long since just the two of us have hung out." The too-bright lights of Big Belly Burger washed out the off-white tabletop in contrast with the evening darkness.

"Yes, and your brother is not fun to shop with," Felicity agreed biting into a French fry. "Did I tell you that the last time he came with me, I had just started looking through a sale rack when a retail associate walked by me with a chair? I was so confused until I saw her bring it over to Oliver so he could sit down. It had been, like, five minutes! I was so embarrassed. Never again!"

"I can't believe he agreed to go at all!" Thea said laughing.

"He came to pick up some things too, but let me tell you, I think he just took everything the woman suggested and just paid for it without trying anything on."

"Guys are wild," Thea said, chuckling as she popped a French fry in her mouth. "But seriously, anytime you want me to come along and gush over a new pencil skirt, I am in!"

Felicity grinned in response. She chewed thoughtfully on her burger, then asked in a conspiratorial tone, "Did I tell you that Noah is back in Star City?"

"Um, no!" Thea said, eyes wide. "Isn't your dad … kind of evil?"

"He's a scammer … a thief … a liar. He left me and my mom to struggle when I was little. He tried to hold our entire city hostage. So … yeah, he's not the best." Felicity shrugged her shoulders. "But, he did help me save the world from a nuclear Armageddon, so that's something."

Thea leaned forward in interest. "So, what's he doing in town?"

"If you can believe this, and I'm not sure that I do, he said he wants to get to know Oliver and I better."

Thea snorted. "It's a bad sign when you include your own child on your 'need to get to know' list."

"That's just it!" Felicity exclaimed, pointing a fry directly at Thea. "See, you get it, you get the evil dad thing! Like, your dad cares about you, except that he's horrible and toxic and…"

Thea held up a hand to stop Felicity's rambling. "I don't think comparing Malcolm to your situation is going to be helpful," she advised.

"What is your status with Malcolm these days?" Felicity asked curiously. She added quickly, "No judgement, whatever you're doing. Malcolm tends to be all evil, and then throw in a little surprise humanity to shake things up just when you think you have him pegged."

"Malcolm knows to keep his distance," Thea said darkly. "I feel like he or one of his minions is always hovering around somewhere, but he knows better than to show his face."

"Fair enough," Felicity said, eyes wide and giving a quick nod of her head. "You don't need him, Thea. You have made an incredible life for yourself. I am wildly proud of you." Felicity grabbed one of Thea's hands from the table and gave it a squeeze. "You've overcome so much."

Past – May 18, 2016 – 4 months ago

Thea's head still felt cottony, but she was able to slowly wrench open her eyes. The light was bright and made her head throb. While she felt warm and tired, she also had a warning feeling deep inside of her that told her she needed to wake up.

Thea pushed through the drowsiness and began to take stock of the room around her. Thea noted the room was large, with a row of windows going from the floor to the second-floor ceiling, bringing in sunshine which made her eyes throb. Under her feet was fluffy, beige carpet. She looked up and saw a walkway with a tidy handrail and spindles going from one wall to the other. She could clearly hear birds singing and a dog woofing outside of the window. Was she … in the suburbs?

Thea pulled at her arms and found that her hands were unbound. She made a concerted effort to feel her legs and, with a wobbly, uncertain motion, stood up. Cruising like a child learning to walk, Thea gripped onto the backs of chairs and the kitchen table, slowly making her way to the line of windows and the glass sliding door. Thea popped what appeared to be the lock on the sliding door and then tried to pull it open. The door didn't budge. Thea looked over the lock and pushed it back and forth, feeling confident that she had it unlocked. She put all her strength into pushing at the door. The door failed to so much as vibrate with the effort.

Thea stumbled to the nearest window. She yanked aside the blinds and quickly flipped the window locks, tugging at the window. It didn't even shake it. Thea began to inspect each window and door, and by the time she was done, she came to the terrifying conclusion that she was imprisoned.

Thea heard the opening and closing of a door, then multiple sets of footsteps. Malcolm Merlyn, accompanied by three men in full SWAT gear filed into Thea's living room. Thea's eyes narrowed. "Malcolm," she hissed. "What the hell did you do?"

"I apologize for the way you were brought here," Malcolm said evenly. "I thought if I asked nicely, you might have said no."

"You're hell right I would have! Where am I? What is this?"

"This," Malcolm gestured around him. "Is Genesis."

Oliver reached the Hub and walked behind Felicity so he could see what she was working on. Laurel and Diggle stood by, each focused on the screens in front of Felicity.

"Where is Thea?" Oliver demanded, voice sharp.

"I don't have an answer to that," Felicity admitted. "It was hard to track her down because, like you said, her phone is off. Or broken. Or just not transmitting."

"Umhm," Oliver said, losing patience.

"Her phone went dead at 9 am. I actually had to pull phone records to figure out the area where her last location was before her phone signal stopped. Unfortunately, cellphone pings generally show us a region, not anywhere specific. I just had that she was in the Glades within about a twenty-block radius. So, I started grabbing footage from cameras in that radius for the time around 9 am, and bam! Found this."

Felicity hit play on grainy camera footage. Even with the poor recording quality, Oliver immediately recognized his sister as she entered the frame approaching the road and hailed a cab. She opened the door, climbed in, and the cab drove away.

Oliver peered back at a triumphant Felicity. Digg said, "She got in a cab. Any idea where it took her?"

"That's just the thing," Felicity said, growing a little more somber. "I found video tracking the cab's movements. By the next time we see the cab, it doesn't even look like it has a passenger: you can't see Thea in the back seat." Felicity pulled up traffic camera footage. "Then a minute later the cab appears for the last time on camera. It's like it vanished into thin air."

"Do we have information on that cab?" Laurel asked.

"Yes, it was reported stolen last night and has not been seen since. When I spoke with the owner of the cab company, he said that his entire fleet is tracked with GPS, but the signal for this one is off."

"Where was she when she picked up the cab?" Oliver asked, peering up at the image of his sister approaching the cab.

"Um," Felicity hit a few keystrokes and a map came up. "It looks like she was at the Rebecca Merlyn Memorial Clinic."

"That's odd," Oliver said. "Why would she be at a clinic in the Glades on a work morning?"

"When Thea needed stitches a few months ago, that's where she went," Digg noted. "She told me that the clinic is part of a trust that Tommy and Merlyn were signatories on: with Merlyn presumed dead, Thea gets final say on that trust. Maybe she was there for some official business."

"Maybe," Oliver said, voice uncertain. He shook his head and added, "I can't believe she never said anything about the clinic."

"Can't you?" Felicity asked in a disbelieving tone. Oliver shot his wife a look to say he wasn't amused.

"Look, this feels like Darhk," Oliver said. "At Iron Heights, before he stabbed Laurel, he said that, thanks to Malcolm, he knew who we were behind the masks and he would be sure he took everything from us." He looked around, "Is it that far of a leap to think he would start taking us down, one at a time?"

Diggle's brow furrowed taking in Oliver's commentary. He said, "I'm going to check in on Lyla and Sarah in the safe-house – just to make sure Andy hasn't found them." He dialed his cell as he took the steps down from the hub. Ever since his younger brother Andy had revealed himself as an operative for Damien Darhk, Digg had been desperate to keep his family safe from any potential familial retribution.

"I don't know, Ollie," Laurel said. "As far as we know, Merlyn is still working for Darhk. I know things have been tense - maybe even patricidal for her part – between Thea and Merlyn, but would Merlyn willingly stand by as Darhk took Thea if he meant to do her harm?"

"I don't want to wait to find out, Laurel!" Oliver responded heatedly. "Malcolm has put Thea in harm's way before! He drugged her to kill your sister, just to put a target on Thea's back with the League of Assassins so that I would help him! He's not exactly known for his winning paternal instincts."

Diggle stepped back up onto the platform. "Lyla says she is fine. I still have a bad feeling. Felicity, any recent sightings of Andy?"

"Nothing since Iron Heights." Felicity confirmed.

Diggle turned to Oliver. "Look, Oliver – if we find Andy, we have an in with Darhk's plan, including where they're keeping Thea. We get him off the streets, make sure he sees justice for what happened with Laurel."

"John, I know you're worried about Lyla and Sarah-" Oliver began.

Diggle seemed to bear himself up, appearing intimidating and angry. He growled, "Andy is a traitor and he has been in my home with my wife and baby daughter. Forgive me if I am ready to do anything to protect them."

"I hear you, John, but Andy is in the wind and your family is safe right now. Thea's not!" Oliver responded emphatically. "I think our best bet is suiting up and canvassing where that cab was last seen."

"Oliver, you know Thea is family" Digg said firmly. "But something feels wrong. I'm going to see my wife."

Oliver studied Digg for a moment. Then he nodded. "I understand." He looked over the group. "Okay, I will canvas where the cab was last seen. Digg will meet up with the safe house. Overwatch," he looked at Felicity. "Can you keep eyes on us both?"

Laurel broke in, "You mean eyes on us all." Oliver turned quickly to look at Laurel. "I'm going too." Oliver cocked his head in question. "Look, I meant what I said in the hospital about wanting this new chapter away from the Black Canary," Laurel explained. She added, "But I also meant what I said when I said I loved you guys. Thea is family. I'm suiting up."

Malcolm gestured towards the table. Thea shot Malcolm a scowl and then pulled out a chair, sitting down. Once seated, Malcolm grandly pulled out a second chair and sat down, laying both hands on the table. Thea glanced at the prosthetic hand. "Cool new hand," she intoned.

Malcolm gave her a look which was outwardly calm, but his eyes held a dangerous fire. "Your brother would do well to mind his own sword hand in the future."

Thea narrowed her eyes at the threat. "Well, he wouldn't have had to take your hand if you hadn't been willing to let me die of bloodlust. It's insane that Ra's Al Ghul's ring had be cut off your hand to save my life because you weren't willing to make the sacrifice on your own."

Malcolm practically snarled, "And maybe if I still had that power in my hands, I could be helping your little band save the world with the resources of the League instead of simpering at the power of Damien Darhk!" Malcolm seemed to work to calm himself and glanced over his shoulder as if concerned he had been overheard. He said in an even tone, "But, what's done is done. And Darhk's plan is inevitable."

Thea, likewise, evened out her tone, knowing how much Malcolm preferred dispassion in conversation. And right now, she needed information. "You said Darhk's plan is called 'Genesis'."

Malcolm seemed to appreciate the chance to refocus on the topic at hand. He nodded. "Darhk plans to burn the world in a nuclear fire while we are protected down here."

Thea sat up straighter and turned to look out a nearby window. "Down here?"

Malcolm smiled, his canine teeth sparkling wickedly. "Yes, dearest," he said snidely. "You're in the Ark, sixty feet under Star City." Thea gaped, standing up and walking slowly to see out the window. Everything in Thea's eyeline looked like a well-to-do suburb in any state in the United States. The sky was blue and speckled with small white clouds over lawns dotted with picture-perfect landscaping. Breaking the illusion were families dressed in identical gray jumpsuits wandering down the streets pulling suitcases. "And once the world burns away, Darhk and his followers can rebuild." Malcolm gave a little shrug. "Truth be told, it's not dissimilar to the plan I had for the Glades once upon a time, but on a much, much larger scale."

Thea held one hand against the window and turned back towards Malcolm. "Let me guess, you don't think that destroying the entire world is completely insane?"

"The world is what's insane." Malcolm said sharply. Thea watched the fire spring back into his eyes and knew she was face to face with the furious, avenging widower of Rebecca Merlyn. "It is beyond. Saving. It needs a do-over, a reset."

Malcolm seemed to visibly work to calm himself. Thea was gratified to realize that she still had the ability to infuriate Malcolm like no one else. She mused that it was likely because she was maybe the only thing left on earth that Malcolm cared about – either that, or she was just genetically predisposed to the fine art of nettling people due to being the daughter of Moira Queen and Malcolm Merlyn.

"Look," Malcolm said coolly. "Once I realized Darhk's plan was inevitable, the math was simple."

Thea gave Malcolm an unimpressed look, saying, "Save yourself."

"And my daughter," Malcolm affirmed with a nod. "Even if she doesn't want to be saved."

Something about being told he wanted to save her triggered a panicked thought in Thea's mind. She spun around, eyes wide. "Wait. I can't be here!"

"Understandably, you're struggling with the idea of everything you care about at the surface ending," Malcolm said in an understanding tone.

"No!" Thea cried out. "I mean, yes, but – I can't be away from home." She shot a look at Malcolm. "I have medication. Life-saving medication! I can't be without it!" How long had she already been here? She couldn't miss even a dose of her antivirals, not when she was already in treatment failure. She had two more doses due today alone.

Malcolm tilted his head interestedly. "When we were surveilling you to find the best time to bring you here, you were at that clinic an awful lot." He studied her for a moment as if considering that maybe he had made a mistake. "Never mind. We have time. I will send someone to get a supply. What do you need? Insulin? Statins?"

"You idiot!" Thea said heatedly. "If you burn the world down, how would a few months' supply of a medication do me any good? You would just be dooming me to a slow death whenever your supply ran out."

"Clearly I didn't know you were sick, otherwise I would have made other arrangements," Malcolm bit back, but he was clearly thrown by the unexpected chink to his plan.

"So make other plans now!" Thea said wildly. "Let me go! Let me have a fighting chance to stop Damien and maybe live!"

Malcolm looked at Thea less confidently. "It's too late. Tell me what you need and I will get it myself."

"I don't need you in my business," Thea said sharply, "I just need you to let me go!"

Malcolm stood up from the table abruptly. "I will give you time to think about your next steps. Take the time to get familiar with this house – it is ours for the foreseeable future." Malcolm waved for one of the three SWAT-clad officers to follow him, leaving two guarding Thea. Thea watched as he reached a panel and punched in a code – Thea only caught the last number, but she was sure she knew what the rest was. Of course, it was Malcolm's fricking date of birth.

"There's nothing here, Overwatch!" Oliver said in frustration. He and Laurel, suited up as Arrow and Black Canary, had already canvassed each of the blocks where Thea's cab had disappeared.

"I don't know what to tell you," Felicity replied over comms, sounding equally chagrined. She continued, firm in her conviction, "I can't find the taxi on any other camera – it has to be somewhere in that area."

Oliver spun around in a circle, investigating the street and the walls of the buildings around him. Nothing appeared out of place. There certainly didn't seem to be a hidden trapdoor or garage that a stolen taxi could enter undetected. The pressure of Thea being missing while Damien Darhk was clearly setting plans in motion left Oliver irritable as he said snidely, "Well, Darhk has death-magic – who's to say he doesn't have taxi-vanishing-magic?"

Laurel came to stand directly in front of Oliver with a look on her face that Oliver knew meant she had something to say that he wouldn't like. Laurel said seriously, "Malcolm is known as 'the magician' because of his ability to disappear. We need to consider the possibility that Malcolm is fully a part of this." Oliver crinkled his brow, considering her words. Oliver hated Malcolm with everything within him, yes. Malcolm had even been willing to allow Thea to die to hold onto power only a few short months ago when she was ravaged by bloodlust. But to actively place Thea in Darhk's grip?

Felicity's panicked voice broke through the comms. "Oh my gosh, guys! I need you to get to 52nd and Peters, now!" Felicity ordered. "The safehouse is compromised! Andy is hot on the trailer's tail."

Oliver's heart stopped. Diggle had been right.

Oliver had been so confident in Lyla and ARGUS' ability to keep her and Sarah safe. The fact that the safehouse was ever moving, stationed on the back of a tractor trailer constantly trekking across the city had given him as much confidence as the thick, blast proof walls. And yet Andy had tracked them down.

Oliver and Laurel began to jog to their motorcycles. Oliver called out, "Is John with them?"

"Yes, but he needs backup, now," Felicity said, the low tone of her voice indicating her fear. "Andy has some heavy-duty machinery. And he means business." Oliver looked back to ensure Laurel was with him as he mounted his bike and then took off, flying through the city at Felicity's instruction.

Felicity relayed, "Digg and Lyla are coming up with a plan. Give me just a minute." She went silent and the only sound Oliver could hear was his heart pounding in his ears, amplified by his helmet. Felicity's voice rejoined them. "Digg is taking Sarah out on his bike. They're counting on Andy staying behind with Lyla so Digg can get Sarah out safe." Oliver's heart clenched. He knew Digg and Lyla, and knew they would be willing to sacrifice anything to keep Sarah safe - just like Oliver's own parents had given their own lives to keep him and Thea safe. Oliver could recognize the determination and desperation inherent in their plan and the kind of fear that had to be present for Digg to ever agree to leave Lyla behind.

Moments passed as the streets flew by carrying Oliver and Laurel closer to the trailer. Felicity's voice became anxious as she reported, "Wait. It looks like Andy is following John?" Shit. Oliver squeezed onto his handlebars in anger as he listened to the plan devolve while he was unable to help. Felicity immediately refocused and provided them with a new plan. "Black Canary, can you get to John? He's at 220 East and Sycamore." They had to get to Sarah. John would never recover if something happened to his daughter. Oliver and Laurel took the next turn together, redirecting their motorcycles according to Felicity's updated directions. Felicity cried out, "Oh man, shit, shit. Guys, it's Darhk." Dread spiked into Oliver's heart as Felicity called, "Darhk is with Lyla!"

Oliver urged his bike faster as Laurel turned off at the next intersection. Darhk. Resurfacing now could only mean one thing – whatever he was planning was well underway. He wouldn't make his presence known unintentionally. And what could he want with Diggle, Lyla, and Sarah but to get to Oliver. And Oliver wasn't ready to let his friend's family become collateral damage.

As his speed steadily increased, Oliver mused that this would be the first time he would meet with Darhk since he had trained and failed under the tutelage of the immortal shaman, Esrin Fortuna. He had wanted to go into his next fight with Darhk equipped with Esrin's techniques for diverting Darhk's magic; instead, Oliver was running into a battle knowing he was certain to lose.

"I've got Sarah," Laurel called over comms. "John is going after Andy. He needs backup!"

"Get Sarah to safety," Felicity ordered. "John's going to have to hold his own."

Oliver pulled up next to the stopped tractor trailer which contained Lyla and Sarah's former safehouse. He stepped off his motorcycle and drew his bow. The trailer was twisted up from the crash which had halted its endless journey through the city. Oliver climbed through the trailer doors. He could see Darhk with his back to Oliver, but Oliver's eyes were immediately drawn to Lyla's face. She was held aloft, hanging in the air, by Darhk. Her face was drawn as she was choked, eyes wild with lack of oxygen. She locked eyes with Oliver.

Oliver felt resolve flow throughout his body. He straightened his stance and discharged his bow, watching as the arrow sliced into Damien's back.

Damien gasped at the shock of the direct hit and dropped Lyla to the ground where she lay still. Oliver strode over to Damien, springing in for an attack with his bow. As Oliver brought his bow down towards Darhk's head, Damien raised his hand and stopped Oliver in his tracks.

Oliver was held motionless by Darhk's magic. It was a feeling he was far too familiar with by now. It felt the same as when he had been held in place and watched Laurel getting stabbed by his own arrow.

Slowly the sensation changed. The magic redirected from grasping to dissolving. Oliver felt his very essence as it began to fade away. He was dying. Being drained of life while his family, friends, and the world hung in the balance.

He panicked. As if in fast-forward, Oliver was confronted by every awful moment of his life. The deaths of Shado, his mother, his father, Tommy, Sara. Thea's stabbing by Ra's. Felicity's shooting by Darhk's men. Laurel's stabbing by Darhk. Oliver realized as he watched, how often and profoundly he had failed to protect the ones he loved. Somehow these people he cared about would always be the ones to suffer. No matter how hard he tried to protect them, the very fact that he let them close to him had placed them into danger. He should have pushed them away, gone his way alone, because he had killed them. He had let them all down.

Then, as though she were besides him and speaking the words to him, he heard Felicity's voice from months before assuring him that he had found his path, saying, "You're no longer that man. You've become something else, become someone else. Your heart – it's different now. Because, despite your best efforts, you've allowed yourself to feel something."

Could his love for his friends be his strength? Oliver heard Diggle's voice rumble in Oliver's head. "When I lost my brother … I never thought I would get another one."

Then he could hear Roy, telling him, "You saved my life. Made me realize it wasn't much of a life. But I could do what others couldn't or were too afraid to do – I could help you save this city."

He could see the awe and gratitude in Thea's face as she realized, "You're him. The night with the Hoods and the woman in black – it was you. Those times I thought you were being a flake or telling me an obvious lie - you were saving someone's life. Thank you."

And finally, Laurel reminding him a month ago when he had been discouraged, "You can save this city, you do it every night. You're a beacon of hope to people."

Oliver felt a pleasant warmth heat his body. His waning strength blinked like a flickering light, and then increased. Oliver felt himself being lowered to the ground until his feet regained purchase. Oliver's vision was whited out with blinding light as he felt the hope of his loved ones and his city flooding him.

As the surge of power waned, Oliver's vision cleared. He looked down to find Darhk at his feet, face gray and weak like a sick old man. His face held shock at the display of power he had witnessed.

Oliver blinked to peer across the floor at Lyla and when he looked back, Darhk was gone.