Chapter Text
Lian Yu, north China Sea
Mid-day
A man in a green hood walked in the flush, green forest. As he walked, some pierced the quiet of the forest, something that gave him hope: the sound of a plane flying overhead. Words were not needed as he sprinted out of the forest. With ease, the figure climbed the mountain on the side until he reached what he was looking for. Notching the air in his bow, the man flicks a knife on tar covered arrow head, thus setting it on fire. Aiming his bow at a barrel on the beach, the man lets the arrow fly. The arrow hits its mark and explodes, causing the boat nearby to be alerted to their presence.
He made his way down to the beach as the boat approached. The men on the boat docked on the beach the man fell to his knees, the man finally pulling off his hood. He was a man in his late twenties with shaggy blonde hair and a long beard with blue eyes.
Starling City, several days later
Early morning
"Oliver Queen is Alive!" A new reporter exclaimed before continuing with his broadcast, "The Starling City resident was found by fishermen on an island in the North China sea five days ago. Queen was a regular tabloid presence and regular at the club scene until six months before his disappearance where he became seeing an anonymous woman who was revealed to be Sandra Wu Sun, daughter of local police officer Quinten Lance and his wife Dinah. Queen is the son of billionaire Robert Queen, who has been confirmed as deceased."
"Twenty percent of Oliver's body is covered in scared tissue, second degree burns on his back and arms, x-rays show twelve fractures that never properly healed.
"Has he said anything?" Moira asked once the doctor stepped away.
"barely so. I want to warn you, the Oliver you lost might not be the one they found." The doctor warned her
"Oliver?" Moira called hesitantly.
"Mom." Oliver said in greeting.
Queen Mansion
Next day
“Welcome home, Oliver,” Moria said to her son happily as she showed him into the mansion he hadn’t seen in years.
“Your room is exactly the way you left it.” She began. “I never had the heart to change anything.”
“Oliver, it’s damn good to see you.” A dark-skinned man with a British accent announced as he approached him.
“Oliver, you remember Walter, your father’s friend from the company?” Moria asked.
”Seems like he’s been here for a while now,” Oliver said, guessing he was more than just a friend.
“Robert trusted him, and he was missed by everyone.” Moria revealed as they heard more footsteps come down the steps and Oliver turned to see his little sister Thea running down the stairs.
“Hey sis.” Oliver said to her.
”I knew it. I knew you were alive.” Thea said as she ran into her big brother’s arms.
“I missed you so much.” Thea said.
”You were with me the whole time.” Oliver told her.
Queen Mansion
That night
"What I tell you buddy, yachts suck." A familiar voice spoke up behind Oliver.
"Tommy Merlyn." Oliver smiled as he turned around to see his best friend.
"I missed you buddy." Tommy said the two friends embraced.
The doorbell rang and the two separated as Oliver went down with Tommy following him. Oliver and Tommy walked into the greeting room just as Raisa set the table. A little while later, the group sat at the dining room table as they finished up dinner. Walter sat at the head of the table with Moira right opposite him. Thea was next to Tommy.
"So let's see, what else you miss? Super bowl winners Giants, Steelers, Saints, Packers, Giants again. A Black president, that's new. Oh and Lost, they were all dead I think." Tommy told Oliver.
"What was it like there?" Thea asked ignoring the glares that just about everyone shot her.
Oliver did not respond right away. He seemed to be having a silent conversation with himself.
"Cold." He simply said.
"Tomorrow, you and me, we're doing the city." Tommy insisted as he looked over at Oliver.
"That sounds like a great idea." Moira approved.
At that moment, Raisa came back into the room with desert, a chocolate cake, Oliver's favorite. As she neared Oliver, she stumbled and dropped the cake. However, Oliver caught it rather impressively and handed it back to Raisa.
"Oh, I am so sorry Mr. Oliver." Raisa apologized but Oliver just smiled and replied in Russian as everyone stared at him stunned.
"Dude, you speak Russian?" Tommy asked in awe.
"I didn't know you took Russian in college Oliver." Walter mentioned as Oliver shot him a cool smile.
"I didn't know you wanted to sleep with my mother Walter." Oliver said coolly as everyone froze.
"I didn't say anything." Thea said before her mother could blame her.
"She didn't have to." Oliver assured her.
"Oliver, Walter and I are married," Moira told him as she took Walter's hand, "And I don't want you to think either one of us did anything to disrespect your father."
"We both believed that Robert was, like you, well, um, gone." Walter said awkwardly.
"It's fine." Oliver said in a biting tone that made it clear it was anything but.
"Oliver." Moria began.
"…I'm sorry," Oliver apologized, "I guess being home after all this time is a little overwhelming. May I be excused; I don't really feel up to desert?"
Moira nodded and Oliver stood up from his seat before going up to his room.
The Queen's Gambit, five years ago
Night
"Okay, I love you daddy," Sandra Wu Sun hug up the phone as Oliver walked over to her, "my dad says hi."
"How much do you think he'll hate me when he finds out what we're planning?" Oliver asked as he sat down next to her on her bed and handed her a glass of Champaign.
"I think you can forget being invited over for the next family dinner. So any luck in finding a place?" Sandra asked as she took a sip of Champaign.
"I found a few places that look nice; we can check them out after we get back." Oliver said as lighting nearby.
"Wow that was really close." Sandra said beginning to grow concerned.
"That's not very scientific." Oliver laughed.
"So says the Ivy League drop out." Sandra teased.
"Hey, I know stuff." Oliver said defensively.
Any reply Sandra may have had was cut off when the boat toppled over. Oliver and Sandra fell of the bed, both dazed for a moment as they tried to process what had happened. Suddenly, both were swept from the room and into the Water. Oliver grabbed hold of Sandra, determined not to lose her in the cold, dark waters. The couple came up for air, the rain hitting their drenched bodies hard, but she was swept away and never seen again. They felt someone grab them and realized it was Oliver's father Robert as he and the captain lifted them both into a lifeboat.
Oliver gasped as he shot up in bed, his breathing hard and labored. Out of instinct, he looked over to his right side before he realized he wasn't on the island anymore.
Starling City, the Glades
The next day
"So why's you want to check this place out?" Tommy asked as he drove Oliver through downtown.
"No reason." Oliver said as he looked over at the foundry.
"This city's gone to crap," Merlyn pondered aloud. "You know, your dad sold his factory just in time."
"Yeah, he used to take me, too remember?" Oliver pitched in.
"So," Tommy started, cutting into the mutual silence, "what did you miss the most? Steaks at the palm, drinks at the station?" "Big Belly Burger!"
"Dinah."
"Everyone is happy you're alive," Tommy said cautiously. "You wanna see the one person who isn't?"
CNRI
Later
Oliver and Dinah went outside, walking down the plaza.
"You went to law school. You said you would." Oliver said.
"Yeah. Everyone's proud." Dinah said.
"Adam Hunt's a heavy hitter. You sure you want to get in the ring with him?" Oliver pointed out.
"Five years and you want to talk about Adam Hunt?" Dinah questioned as Oliver shook his head.
"No. Not really." Oliver said and Dinah sighed as Oliver faced her.
"Why are you here, Ollie?" Dinah asked.
"To apologize. It was my fault. I wanted to ask you not to blame her.' Oliver said.
"For what? Falling under your spell? How could I possibly blame her for doing the same things that I did?" Dinah demanded.
"I never meant to—"
"She was my sister. I couldn't be angry because she was dead. I couldn't grieve because I was so angry. That's what happens, when your sister dies while screwing your boyfriend." Dinah sneered angrily. "We buried an empty coffin because her body was at the bottom of the ocean, where you left her. It should have been you."
Oliver looked hurt at hearing Dinah’s words but didn't blame her for how she felt. "I know that it's too late to say this but I'm sorry."
"Yeah, I'm sorry, too. I'd hoped that you'd rot in hell a whole lot longer than five years." Dinah said angrily as she was about to go back to CNRI as she faced Tommy. "How did you think that was gonna go, Tommy?"
"About like that." Tommy said.
"OK, so we took care of that." Tommy said as he and Oliver were going back to Tommy's car. "Good call. Now we can make up for lost time. If you're not too sick of fish, I suggest we find some leggy models and eat sushi all day. What do you say?"
Suddenly, two men in demon masks and black hoodies showed up out of nowhere, shooting both Oliver and Tommy with tranquilizer darts as they both passed out.
Warehouse
Later, afternoon
"Oh Mr. Queen?" Oliver awoke to a man in a demon mask in his face.
Oliver realized he was bound to a chair with Tommy with him in the room. Oliver began paying attention to his surroundings. There were three men, two with demon masks and one with a black ski mask, this would be easy. He had handled much worse before.
"Did your father survive that accident? Did he make it to the island with you? Did he tell you anything?" The Demon mask in his face demanded as he pointed a gun at Oliver.
"Yes." Oliver said tonelessly.
"What did he tell you?" Demon mask demanded.
"He told me I'm gonna kill you," Oliver growled.
"You're delusional. You're zip-cuffed to that chair." The man said before Oliver showed him his now-freed hands.
"Not anymore." Oliver said. The man immediately attempted to punch Oliver but he dodged and grabbed the chair and used it to block the man's punch before slamming it in his face as he jammed the wooden stake into the chest of another one and jammed the Taser under the jaw of another abductor before using him as a human shield as one of the thugs shot at him with a submachine gun.
Oliver touched Tommy's neck, measuring his pulse before he went after the kidnapper, chasing him and dodging as the man fired at him again as he climbed to the upper level. Oliver chased the man on the rooftops as he slid down to avoid gunfire. Oliver jumped down as the man ran downstairs and followed him into another warehouse as Oliver dodged the gunfire and jumped on the chains, swinging around as he got the kidnapper in neck lock.
"You killed that man." Oliver said.
"You don't have to do this." The abductor choked out.
"Yes, I do. Nobody can know my secret." Oliver said as he snapped the man's neck.
Queen Mansion
Afternoon
"So let me get this straight," Quentin said as he stared at the two witnesses, you were rescued by a guy in a green hood?"
"Well, who was he? Why, why, why would he do that?" Quentin pressed.
"Find him and you can ask him." Oliver says cheekily.
"What about you two, you see the hood guy?" Quentin asks Merlin.
"I just saw…movement." Tommy said with a hesitant look Oliver's way.
"Yeah. It's funny, isn't it?" Quentin started, looking directly at Oliver. "One day back and people are already gunning for you."
Thankfully, his mother stepped in at that moment, and said, "Were you able to identify the men?"
"Scrubbed identities, untraceable weapons. These were pros."
"All right, well, if the boys can think of anything else, we'll be in touch," Walter's voice cut through her inner turmoil. "Thank you, gentlemen, for coming."
And with that, the police officers got up and left the mansion.