A Dangerous Love: Athena and Prometheus (An Arrow: Season 5 Fanfiction)

Chapter 14: Dark Side

Adrian pulled the last of the arrows out of Oliver's shoulder as he laid on the ground again, exhausted from the pain. 

'What's next?' Oliver asked weakly, tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. 

'You said something to me when I brought you here, about how your friends are your strength now.' He pulled a pair of glasses from his shirt pocket with a sickening smile. 'She didn't even know I was in her apartment.' 

'Oh, I swear to God, if you hurt her-' 

'You'll do absolutely nothing,' Adrian taunted, 'because you're here.' He stood again. 'You see, until you confess your secret, Oliver, everyone that you love is at play, including your son.' He showed him a photo of William. 

'You're bluffing. He - he's in hiding. I - I - I don't know where he is.' 

'That's because you haven't really looked. But for me, we both know it's just a matter of time. Confess.' 

'I don't know what you want me to say,' Oliver said, his voice cracking. 

'Then I guess I should leave you here to think about it and wonder who I might kill while I'm gone.' He turned to leave, but Oliver cried out. 

'Adrian! Adrian, please!' 

'All you have to do is say the words.' 

'I - I-' 

'That's what I thought. See you soon.' He turned and left the cell, closing the door and leaving Oliver alone. 

Adrian stepped in, Oliver raising his head from the ground to see Evelyn Sharp next to him, the former member of Team Arrow. He opened the door to the cell and pushed her in. 

'What did you do to her?' Oliver asked angrily upon seeing the girl that was a shell of the fighter she once was, with slightly unkempt hair and dried tears adorning her cheeks. 

'I made her more... compliant,' Adrian replied. He came over, punching Oliver in the stomach, making him groan. He let out a cough. 'Get up. Give yourself a chance.' He pulled out a small blade and dropped it on the ground between the two of them. 

'Um... I'm not going to fight her,' Oliver said. 

'I don't want you to fight her. I want you to kill her. I'm gonna leave now. When I come back, either she's killed you and I let her go, or you kill her and I let you go.' 

'No. Neither one of those things is going to happen.' 

'If you don't kill her, you're gonna watch me snap her neck.' 

'Adrian!' Oliver yelled. 'What is the point of this?' 

'You seem to be having a little bit of trouble figuring out what your secret is. I thought this might remind you. Good luck.' He left the room, leaving the teenager and Oliver alone. 

'I'm sorry, Oliver,' she said, sobbing. 'I can't take another day here.' 

Hours later... 

'Evely-Evelyn. Hey, look at me.' She looked up at him. 'Listen to me. I need you to - to bring the knife over here. I want you to get me out of these things. And when he comes back - we will ambush him.' 

'No. We can't beat him. I didn't know what I was buying into when I sided with him, but I -' 

'It's okay. I forgive you. I - uh, just - we can - together, we can get through this.' 

'I'm dead,' she said, holding the knife in her hands, starting to sob again. 'That's all he kept telling me. I'm dead because I was a part of your life.' 

'Uh, would you bring me the knife? Would you bring me the knife and I can save us.' 

'No!' she shouted, rushing forward, in an attempt to stab him. He grabbed her wrist and twisted it, freeing the knife from her grip, throwing her to the ground. She began to sob.

'I'm sorry,' he started to say. 'I'm so sorry.' Just then the door opened and Adrian stepped through, his face turning angry when he saw the two of them still alive. 

'Oh my god - come on! Are we serious?' he asked angrily, slamming his hand against the wall. 'Oliver, what are you trying to prove, man? Evelyn betrayed you. You've killed people for less.' 

'I'm not gonna kill her. I won't. Just let her go.' He grabbed Evelyn by the hair and pulled her up, flush against his chest, wrapping her in a headlock. 

'You keep forgetting what I told you what would happen if you didn't kill her.' 

'Adrian, listen to me, please. Okay? You've made your point,' Oliver said desperately. 

'Confess, Oliver. Tell me your secret.' 

'I don't know what you want from me!' he yelled. 

'I want you to tell me what you've been too afraid to tell your sisters, Felicity, Diggle. Tell me!' Evelyn sobbed in his arms. 

'I - I don't know,' Oliver finally replied brokenly. 

'Wrong answer.' He snapped Evelyn's neck suddenly, and she dropped dead to the floor. He fell to his knees, staring at her body in horror. Then he looked up at Adrian, all the tears gone and an angry look in his eyes. 

'I'm gonna kill you,' he growled. 

'Finally, we're getting somewhere,' Adrian said. 'Confess.' 

He tried to break the shackles. 

'Confess,' Adrian repeated. 'You killed my father because he was a name on a list. But that's not really true, is it?' He turned to Oliver from where he was standing at the wall decorated with photos of Oliver's victims. 'No. The list was just an excuse. The hood, the disguise - just an excuse. The idea that all of this is some heroic crusade is just an excuse.' 

'Excuse for what? Huh? Tell me!' 

'You tell me, Oliver. You tell me.' He knelt down to look into Oliver's eyes. 'I know what's going through your mind, Oliver. You're thinking that you can get yourself free from those chains, slam me to the ground, and snap my neck just like I did to Evelyn,' he said with a small chuckle, getting to his feet. Oliver stood to face Adrian, pulling at his chains. 'There it is. There's the look I've been waiting to see. But it's not just about stopping me, is it? No. There's something else in there. Confess, Oliver.' 

'You told yourself you kill because you have to. Confess, Oliver. You don't kill because you have to. So why? Why do you do it?' 

'Because I want to,' Oliver said softly. Adrian's brows furrowed at the revelation. 

'What?' 

'I want to. I want to! And I liked it!' he screamed in Adrian's face. A smile lit up on Adrian's face at hearing the admission.