To Life Being Full (Book Three of The Unmatched Records)

Arrow ~ All For Nothing ~ Part One

Electricity crackled from the earpiece, lancing al through Alex's body. Quentin, Hill, and Dinah all grabbed Oliver at the same time, stopping him from helping Alex further as his body dropped to the ground. Wind whistled past them, and a blue blur followed by a black one and dark purple one, dove down into the water, just as electric crackles started appearing. Oliver stopped, already knowing the worst had happened, even as Kara, Mon-El, and Imra started pulling dead divers from the water.

***

Oliver clicked a button on his keyboard, sighing and watching the transaction take place for the seventh time that week. "Seventy million dollars," he muttered, shaking his head in disbelief as he stood, Thea walking towards him, a similar look on her face. "At this point, we've got maybe another day or two."

"What about the federal government?" Thea asked. "I mean, don't they have plans for this kind of stuff?"

"ARGUS was our best shot, and Cayden James was ready for it," Oliver told her grimly. "I think that we are on our own."

"So does that mean I go forward with the emergency bomb shelters?" she asked.

"Yeah," he nodded. "We need a contingency. We have Kara, her team, and the Legion, and if we can do our part, too, that's a place to start."

Thea nodded, making a mental note. "How's William holding up?" she asked quietly.

"Are we talking about here or National City?" Oliver asked.

Thea winced, remembering the conversation Oliver had had with her, Quentin, Dig, and Felicity about the discovery they made regarding Reign. "Both," she replied.

He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Doing as well as can be expected," he answered. "He's worried about Ruby – rightly so – and he's holed up at an ARGUS safehouse with Raisa and a PlayStation 4."

He walked back to his desk, Thea frowning after him. "You look like you could use some rest."

"I'll get some if you will," Oliver gave her a look.

Thea snorted fondly, folding her arms. "Like brother, like sister, I guess," she teased, making Oliver smile slightly and nod in agreement. "Hey," she put a hand on his arm. "Don't worry, OK? Cayden James is not the first guy to try to take our city hostage. We will figure it out."

Oliver nodded, watching Thea leave, then reached over to turn off his computer. He paused, however, when he heard wind rustling outside the windows. He turned to look, but saw nothing outside. A moment later, there was a knock on the door. "Hey," Kara said quietly, stepping into his office.

"Hi," Oliver smiled, turning off his computer and walking around his desk. "How are you holding up?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" Kara smiled weakly.

"I'm not the one who flew into the river to save those divers," Oliver reminded her, giving her a hug, which Kara relaxed into. "I'm . . . as OK as is expected. You?"

"I don't like not being able to save people," Kara mumbled, closing her eyes.

"Me, neither," Oliver agreed, kissing the top of her head.

"Thea's right, though," Kara looked up at him. "We'll figure this out."

Oliver just nodded, relaxing more as Kara put her head back on his shoulder.

***

"Cayden James' hold on Star City has reached eight days and counting now with all routes in and out of the city under James' control. Though Mayor Queen has urged for calm, tensions are running high as the threat of the thermobaric bomb continues to loom. With supplies running low and desperation growing, many are left wondering: how long will the city last before it implodes?"