"Oliver Queen is alive." Nyssa said as she entered Al Thaelab's room. He turned to Nyssa, "What did you just say?" He asked with a fake growl.
"Queen has somehow survived your battle and has returned to Starling." She informed him. Al Thaelab let out another fake growl as he began to walk with Nyssa and headed towards Ra's.
It had been weeks since he had left Oliver in Tatsu's care, so to hear that the man returned to his city to protect it put a smile on his face.
"Why are you smiling?" Nyssa asked, "Because it means I can kill him again." He lied. The two found Ra's in the Lazarus Pit when they walked in.
"Oliver Queen still lives. Somehow Ta-we al-Sahfer's killer still yet breathes." Nyssa said, her tone carrying rage.
Ra's stood up from the tub and nodded his head, "Yes, I know. He has returned to Starling City, apparently." He told them as one of his servants put a drape over him.
"Why was I not informed? Nor Nyssa? He was my kill." Al Thaelab asked, he had been the one to struck down the Starling vigilante. Queen's death was a means of showing his loyalty. Would Ra's now question due to Oliver's recovery?
Nyssa nodded her head, "I had a right to know that justice has not been done." She said. "Because Oliver Queen did not murder Ta-er al-Sahfer." Ra's stated. "Do you not believe his own confession because you doubt his motives?" Nyssa asked her father.
Ra's only chuckled at this, shaking his head he turned around, directing his gaze to Al Thaelab. "If someone dear to you had killed one of my people. Would you not risk your own life for them?" Ra's asked him.
Al Thaelab nodded, "I would. And I see where you are going with this. For I have a suspect." He told his master. The two Al Ghuls raised their brows at him. "Who do you believe killed my daughter's lover, Thaelab?" Ra's asked as he too had a suspect but wanted to see if Thaelab would confirm it.
Al Thaelab stood quiet for a few moments before speaking, "His sister. Thea Queen." He said as he knew that now both of the siblings will have to die either by his hand or Nyssa's.
***
Al Thaelab and Nyssa had arrived at Star City, the two along with a couple of men from the League had been jumping rooftop from rooftop before they found themselves on the roof of Thea's apartment building.
"Are you certain she is here?" One of the men asked Al Thaelab, the supernatural nodded, "Her scent leads to here. If she is not, I want you two to check the club." He ordered them. The two assassins nodded as they left Nyssa and Al Thaelab.
Al Thaelab turned to Nyssa to see that the woman had a smile on her face, "Why the smile?" He asked her. "You've finally become one with the League." She told him.
Al Thaelab thought about it, growing up he never wanted to kill people, his parents had taught him that it wasn't a right thing to do, hell he even accepted Scott's no killing rule because he was his friend.
But now, after so much death, after everything he had seen in the two years since he had entered the supernatural world, he knew that it was either kill or be killed.
Al Thaelab said nothing as he jumped off the building and landed on the terrance of Thea's apartment. The young Queen quickly stood up and grabbed a dagger, ready to defend herself.
Al Thaelab's eyes glowed and his claws elongated, "Put that down before I put you down." He told the Queen girl. "You first." Thea told him. Al Thaelab smirked, "We can do this the easy way or the hard way. No matter the choice you make, you will come with us." He said with certainty.
Thea then smiled as she thought of something, "What if I can get you someone that's been the cause of all your problems? The actual person that killed Nyssa?" She asked him just as Nyssa landed on the terrance.
"You know the name of Sara's killer?" Nyssa asked, her voice laced with curiosity and doubt. "I do. His name is Malcom Merlyn." Thea said surprising the two assassins.
"Is he not your father? Why betray your own blood?" Nyssa questioned, wondering why this girl would betray her own father.
"He is not my father!" She shouted. "That bastard betrayed my trust, used me. He isn't my father. Robert Queen is my father." Thea added as she placed the dagger down and began to write down something on a piece of paper.
She walked up to Al Thaelab, handing him the paper, "Make that bastard pay." She said, Al Thaelab looked into her eyes to find no regret for the action she had just done.
Al Thaelab glanced down at the paper to find a address, "It's where you'll find Merlyn. You better hurry before Laurel beats you to him." She advised the two assassins.
Al Thaelab and Nyssa nodded at the girl as they turned around and jumped off the terrance as they began to head to the address she had given them.
***
Al Thaelab, Nyssa, and the assassins watched as Malcolm and Laurel in her Black Canary costume were going at it. "She has improved." Nyssa commented, watching the Lance woman's fighting. "Still sloppy." Al Thaelab said before giving the signal to drop down.
Laurel and Malcom's eyes widened at the many assassins that dropped from above them. One of the assassins quickly hit the gun that Laurel had in her grasp, causing her to drop it before holding the sword to her throat.
Al Thaelab and Nyssa proceeded to drop down in front of them as well, "Stand down, Laurel." Al Thaelab said. Laurel's eyes widened, "Al Thaelab. Nyssa." She said shocked that they and the League are in Starling.
"This does not concern you." Nyssa said as she stood in front of Malcolm. Laurel gave a confused look to Al Thaelab, the boy nodded and said, "She is correct. We are only here for Al Sa-her." Malcom stared at Nyssa before swinging his blade at her.
He blocked her sword, kicking her in the stomach causing the Al Ghul to fall on the floor before he found a pair of claws at the front of his throat. Malcolm's eyes widened as he saw that Al Thaelab had his supernatural facial features out.
"That's enough of that." Al Thaelab said before his claws went back into his fingernails. Al Thaelab quickly grabbed Malcom's throat, pulling him up into the air before smashing back down to the ground leaving the man unconscious.
Al Thaelab turned towards the assassins in front of him and gestured to them to grab the unconscious man. They nodded accepting their task as they began to haul him away.
He then heard Nyssa talk to Laurel as he stood up, "It is admirable of you to honor your sister, but you can rest now. Sara's murder is avenged." She told her as the two began to walk away.
***
Al Thaelab punched Malcolm in the face gaining a groan from the man. The two along with Nyssa and the other assassins were at Starling City Aviation.
"You're making a big mistake." Malcom warned Al Thaelab. The boy chuckled at him, "No, you did. When you betrayed the League." He said before taking the hood off Malcolm's head.
"Hell will be a paradise compared to what my father has in store for you, Al Sa-her." Nyssa told the man as she walked towards them before standing in front of him.
"Only because of my undertaking. Your father doesn't care about Sara's death, just as you know in your heart...that your relationship with Sara has cost you any chance of taking your father's place." Malcolm said.
Al Thaelab's eyes glowed at the statement, signaling that it angered him. It wasn't until the sound of a motor bike getting closer caught his and the others attention.
"Get him aboard. I'll take care of him." Al Thaelab told Nyssa and the assassins as the driver was Oliver in his Arrow costume. The two walked up to each other, determination in their eyes.
"Don't make me do this, Oliver. I've already killed you once. You don't want a repeat." Al Thaelab said before Oliver swung his bow at him. Al Thaelab sighed as he dodged the bow, he quickly extended his claws, swinging his arms at Oliver while dodging his attacks.
He quickly manifested a fireball, blasting Oliver in the chest, the Starling vigilante groaned as he was sent skidding across the pavement. "Your sister told us Merlyn killed Sara. Are you so lost you'd deprive Nyssa and I of our justice?" Al Thaelab asked him.
"This isn't justice, it's vengeance!" Oliver shouted at him, getting up. "Vengeance is justice!" Nyssa shouted as she jumped in to fight Oliver as well. Al Thaelab chuckled at the man, "You're such a hypocrite. You've killed men that have raped women, killed families, killed children. But when it comes to this man. The man that killed your best friend, the one that hurt your city. You won't let him die? Why? What's so special about him that gives you the idea that he could be saved?!" He exclaimed.
It wasn't until he caught Oliver's chemosignals that he realized why, "That's why Thea said "used me". Malcom isn't Sara's killer. He's not the one that shot the arrows. He was just the puppeteer." He muttered.
Oliver's eyes widened as Al Thaelab knew why he was saving Malcolm. Nyssa quickly turned to Al Thaelab, "Get out of here now!" He shouted. Al Thaelab complied as everyone got onto the helicopter and began to fly away.
Nyssa turned to Oliver with a stern expression, "Now, Malcom Merlyn will never be seen again." She said as Oliver had a stern expression on his face.
***
In Nanda Parbat, Al Thaelab walked ahead as Sarab and another assassin hauled Malcolm to where Ra's was. "Please don't do this." Malcom begged Al Thaelab. The boy said nothing as they all entered the room. "Master. We have him." Al Thaelab said. Ra's turned and smiled at him.
"Well done, my boy." Ra's complimented him before gesturing for him to stand by his side. "In 1854, I encountered an illusionist in Vienna...and he was dazzling, magnificent, powerful. And then, nearly half a century later, I stumbled upon this man again." Ra's said as he walked around Malcom only to stand by his left.
"He was withered...broken...dying." Ra's then placed his hand on Malcom's jaw, "You see, a magician can cheat many things, except one." He finished taking his hand off Malcom's jaw.
"Please, I was your horseman. Let me hunt for you once more. Allow me to prove to you my reborn loyalty." Malcolm pleaded to him. Ra's turned to Al Thaelab silently asking him if Malcom was telling the truth.
Al Thaelab shook his head.
"Al Sa-her, face your death with honor." Ra's said before standing in front of him. "Or at least dignity." Ra's added. Please don't do this." Malcom begged.
"There is a price you just pay for your crimes...that can only be measured in agony and blood. But know I will take no pleasure in this. Take him away." Ra's said.
Sarab and the assassin grabbed Malcom, hauling him away as the man screamed out for mercy. Ra's then turned towards Al Thaelab who appeared to be deep in thought.
"What seems to be the problem, my child?" Ra's asked him. "If I may my liege?" Ra's nodded, "I believe something is off. I don't know what. But there is something that we are not seeing." Al Thaelab stated.
"Like what?" Ra's asked, intrigued. Al Thaelab shrugged, "That's the thing. I have no idea." He said as he felt like something drastic would happen sooner rather than later.
***
Al Thaelab walked towards the cell that contained Malcom Merlyn, he came there with the intention of asking one question and getting one answer. To say he was surprised at the sight in front of him would be a lie. In front of him stood Malcom, his face bloody and bruised by the the men that had been dealing his punishment.
"Give me a few minutes alone with him." Al Thaelab ordered the men. The men nodded as they all walked out.
"What...do...you...want?" Malcom asked in between breaths.
"I'm going to ask you a question. And you're going to answer it." Al Thaelab said. His eyes beginning to glow orange as he walked up to him. "What's the question?" Malcolm weakly asked.
"Did you have Thea do it?" Al Thaelab asked him. Malcolm's eyes fluttered open at the mention of his daughter's name, "Do what?" He asked acting dumb. Al Thaelab's eyes glowed brighter as his claws came out.
He swiped his hand at Malcolm's chest, leaving three scratch marks that began to bleed, "DO NOT TEST ME MERLYN! DID YOU MAKE YOUR DAUGHTER KILL HER?!" He shouted his voice carrying that of an Alpha.
Merlyn groaned in pain and nodded his head, "I did." He told him. Al Thaelab's glowing eyes dimmed back to their normal hazel. "Why?" Al Thaelab asked. "What's the only way of handling a blood oath?" Malcom asked him.
"You either kill the debtor or the person in debt gets killed." Al Thaelab replied as he froze now understanding why Malcom did it. "You did it so Oliver would fight Ra's in the chance he would succeed, your blood oath would be erased." He realized, he then walked out and turned towards the men.
"Make it hurt." He told them. All of the men nodded as they went back into the cell to do their jobs, the sound of Malcolm's cries of agony made him smirk as he walked down the hall.
***
Al Thaelab walked with Ra's and two assassins as the four headed towards Malcolm's cell. Al Thaelab and Ra's knew that Oliver would try something in order to get Malcom back. So they had implemented a surprise cell door in the event that anyone would try to rescue the Merlyn man locking them up.
Al Thaelab smirked at the shocked looks on Oliver and John's faces as the two men looked in between him and Ra's, having thought that they would be able to get Malcom in and out with no problem.
"Mr. Queen. Welcome to Nanda Parbat." Ra's told the man before a smoke filled the cell room knocking the men out. Ra's turned to the men, "Chain them up." He ordered them before turning to Al Thaelab. "Walk with me." He told the boy.
Al Thaelab nodded as the men did as they were told, "What is it my liege?" He asked him. "When Mr. Queen and his friend awakens you and Sarab will bring him to me." Al Thaelab nodded, "It will be done. But why do I feel like you're hiding something?" He asked him.
Ra's turned to him and smiled, "It will not be hidden for long, my boy." He said as he placed his hand on his cheek before walking away.
***
Al Thaelab didn't have to wait more than ten minutes for Queen and his friend to wake up from the knockout smoke. He and Sarab had their arms underneath Oliver's as they hauled him to Ra's.
They roughly placed him down on his knees, making the man look up to their master.
"You tasted death. And you wanted more. But the truth is everyone and everything must come to an end. Even for one such as me." Ra's said as he took out his sword and directed it to Oliver's throat.
Oliver spared a glance at the sword before looking Ra's in the eyes once more. "Kill me. And be done with it. But spare John Diggle's life. Let him go. I will beg for it."
"You have shown tremendous strength, fortitude, power." Ra's said as he lowered his sword. "No, Mr. Queen, I don't want to kill you. I want to offer you a place by my side. I want you to become my Horseman."