The atmosphere at the gym was drab as we grew to accept the fact that Isaac had passed. It felt too surreal, as if it was all a dream. But it was all real.
The funeral was a small affair, but many came to pay their respects. We tried to keep it quiet, but we soon realised that Isaac had touched many lives in Starling. Not only his colleagues from Queen Consolidated were there, but the Queen and Lance family were too, Tommy by their side, holding Laurel's hand, as if they were in... Love.
'Isaac was... A brilliant friend,' I spoke at the altar, fighting my tears through the eulogy. 'He taught me many things; resilience, bravery, and confidence. I'd known Isaac ever since I was at university, and although we drifted apart for a while, we were reunited once again through this city.'
Looking up at the mourners, I found my faith in numbers. They all were here to remember Isaac, and rightly so - although they didn't know it, Isaac had helped them all so much and defended their city; when Laurel had been followed by a gang after visiting the SCPD, Isaac had joined me and Ted in fighting the group off before they could even touch Laurel. When Queen Consolidated had been under ambush, Isaac had risked life and limb to save the infrastructure of the company. And now he had fallen because of one, stupid drug dealer.
'I'm sorry,' I cried, running out of the church.
It was too overwhelming. I couldn't cope. I had never been to a funeral before, and my first one was too upsetting for me to stay up there. At least Merlyn hadn't been there to rub it in my face.
Oh wait, he was.
It was like he was trying to make fun of us, imposing the sanctuary of the church with his presence. Putting my head down and trying to ignore him, I concentrated on remembering the good times I had with Isaac, no matter how many bad incidents we had experienced together. I just wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.
The funeral was soon over, and the congregation joined me outside as they proceeded out. Many people approached me to give me some indication that they were sorry for me, but I knew they were just doing this out of politeness.
'I'm sorry for your loss, Aria,' Tommy said as it was his turn to pay his respects.
'Is that all you've got?' I muttered quietly, but Tommy clearly could hear me.
'I'm sorry, Aria, but I hardly knew the guy,' Tommy said, slightly annoyed but trying to keep calm. 'I came because of you. To support you.'
'Fair enough,' I said monotonously. 'But Tommy, why are you realIy here? You must have a reason other than that.'
'I don't know how else to say this,' Tommy started seriously, more serious than he had ever been. 'Ollie's still alive.'
'Oliver's dead,' I said in a matter-of-fact tone.
'How do you know?' Tommy hissed under his breath. 'He only went missing. The other day I got an alert from Oliver's email account. He's alive, Aria. I know it.'
'Someone could've hacked into his account!' I exclaimed quietly as we walked to a hidden part of the church grounds. 'Just to mess with you. You can't fall for that.'
I wanted to tell Tommy why I knew Oliver was dead, but I couldn't. Those memories from the island were still too painful for me to relive, and mourning more than one friend in a day was too much for me to handle.
'Then I'll just find him on my own!' Tommy protested suddenly. 'I don't care what you say. I thought you'd understand. I never gave up on you still being alive. But now you won't believe Ollie could be alive too.'
'I just... Know,' I said weakly.
I knew Oliver was dead. I saw the freighter blow up at the island when he was still on it. So how could he still be breathing?
Angered and annoyed, Tommy left me as I tried not to cry. Why did Tommy have to pick this day to tell me? I would've been better off not even knowing his plans.
Walking round to the back of the church to avoid sympathetic mourners, I bumped into someone.
Merlyn.
'What do you want now?' I said with a sigh.
I only came to the church to think about Isaac, not everything else that had gone wrong in my life.
'Aria,' Merlyn said acknowledging my presence. 'I hope you're alright.'
Merlyn thinking about my feelings? Well, this was a first.
'Not really,' I said truthfully. 'What do you want?'
'What if I told you that death is only an option?' Merlyn asked rhetorically. 'What would you say if I could bring Isaac back?'
'I'd say you live in some weird fantasy,' I retorted. 'Which I wouldn't put past you.'
'Stop with the sarcasm,' Merlyn snapped. 'I'm being serious, Aria. I don't have access to the right... Facilities yet, but soon, I can bring Isaac back from the dead.'
'You can't just bring people back from the dead!' I exclaimed. 'It's impossible!'
'You have no idea what's impossible and what's not, Aria,' Merlyn said philosophically. 'The world is a large and wondrous place, full of abilities no one could ever dream of. And one of them is resurrection.'
'I know that the world is capable of many things,' I said in an exasperated tone. 'I've seen serum that can create super soldiers. I've seen time travel. I've stared death in the face and still survived. Don't tell me that there's stuff of legends, because I know there is.'
After my mini rant, I realised my mistake. I just told Merlyn about the Mirakuru. And I'd hinted about the Flash. But he probably knew about it all anyway.
'I know, Aria,' Merlyn nodded slightly. 'I know all about that. But I know even more than what you have seen. I'm willing to show you, if you'll join me.'
What did he mean, join him? I wasn't launching myself back into one of Merlyn's contracts again.
'What?' I asked confusedly.
'Join me in my scheme,' Merlyn said, as though he was trying to plead without sounding desperate. 'To make Starling City great again.'
'Never,' I refused, turning away from him. 'I don't want to be part of anything. I thought I was supposed to be looking out for Tommy, anyway?'
'You would be protecting Tommy by being in this with me,' Merlyn explained vaguely.
'I'm sorry, but no,' I shook my head. 'Never.'
'You'll be sorry you never agreed to this,' Merlyn said threateningly. 'You will regret this.'
Merlyn soon disappeared, and I was left on my own again to drown in my sorrows. First Tommy, and now Merlyn, bringing back past emotions I had buried away to be forgotten. They really weren't helping.
Like father like son, I suppose.
Suddenly, without warning, I was dragged in a blur of red.
The Flash.
It seemed like all the ghosts of my past had come to pay their respects.
'You have to believe him, Aria,' the Flash said in his vibrating, almost autonomous voice. 'Merlyn's telling the truth.'
'About what?' I asked, even more confused than before.
Was he talking about Merlyn's crazy idea about resurrection, or about me suffering whilst Merlyn made Starling a better place?
'Merlyn will be able to bring Isaac back,' the Flash replied definitely. 'And he won't be the same person you knew yesterday. Stop him, Aria. Don't let him do it.'
'But it's impossible!' I exclaimed. 'How? Just how?'
'I can time travel, remember,' the Flash told me. 'I've seen what he can do. You'll want him to bring Isaac back, and if you let him, it won't be good.'
'You've warned me about the future before,' I remembered. 'I thought I stopped something from happening when I went to the Island. I thought I fixed everything.'
'What you did had a... Knock on effect,' the Flash said, as though he was ashamed of his advice. 'And now you have to stop that.'
'But if I stop Merlyn bringing Isaac back, won't something else happen?' I asked rationally. 'Another consequence?'
'Yes,' the Flash agreed with me. 'But in this version of the future, something terrible happens... To you.'
Before I could ask him what, he vanished. I guessed he had returned back to his time, but I just hoped my future self had fixed the problem my past self had created.
But what happened to me in the future? Did I die a valiant death, or become some evil version of myself?
I had a bad feeling about the future.
---
I found Elliot later that day in our apartment, solitary sat and looking through the window in darkness from the inner most corner of his bed. He looked as though he was drained of liveliness and happiness, as though he couldn't muster any strength.
I sat by him and held his hand to let him know I was there for him. He needed human company after Isaac's passing, and so I was reaching out the hand of friendship for Elliot of he wanted it.
It looked so lonely, where Elliot was in his brain. His sombre expression and stance made me feel saddened, and I didn't know how I could help him overcome his state. I felt powerless.
'Elliot,' I uttered quietly after using my mere presence to reassure him.
'Thank you,' Elliot replied in a whisper. 'Thank you.'
'If you need anything, just tell me,' I told Elliot helpfully. 'If you need someone to listen to you, or a helping hand, just say my name.'
Elliot slightly nodded at me, and I left his room swiftly.
'How is he doing?' Helena asked as I joined her and Ted in the lounge area of the apartment.
'Not great,' I bowed my head sadly. 'How are you both?'
'We're holding up,' Ted smiled slightly, trying to hold back his tears.
I knew exactly how he felt.
Trying to look away from them both as my eyes started to sting, I felt Helena's hand on my arm.
'It's okay,' she says sympathetically. 'You can cry if you want to.'
'But it's been a week!' I exclaimed sadly. 'A week, and I still haven't accepted the fact he's not here. I keep thinking, just maybe, he'll walk through those doors again and say hello one more time.'
Before I could get any more distraught, Helena helped me down to the sofa, where she and Ted tried to calm me down. I couldn't cope with loss, and Isaac had grown to be someone I had held close to my heart. We had shared the same living space; of course I was going to miss him like he was family.
---
The loss of Isaac wasn't the only thing I'd lose that fortnight. Helena resigned from her job in the SCPD and left Starling City due to some 'family problems' she remained vague about. It was sad her leaving us, but it didn't compare to Isaac's passing.
To my delight, Ted and Elliot decided to stay and we formed a trio of vigilantes, Elliot staying in the Wildcat laid while Ted and I battled on the frontline. We became even more well known, our skills improving dramatically across the years.
We would always fight to remember the dead, honouring Isaac especially. I always thought back to him and how he would want us to continue our work despite the sadness we had endured.
I just wished I'd saved him. I wished I'd fatally shot his killer before he could kill Isaac instead. I wish I'd done more to prevent his death. And now I was looking back in deep regret.
I just wished he was still alive.