And now we're getting to "Lian Yu." I hope everyone enjoys!
I also want people's opinions. If there's an interaction on Oliver's team you want to happen, who do you want Kara to speak with: Malcolm, Slade, Harkness, or Nyssa? I already know one I'm definitely doing, but I want your opinions as well.
Enjoy chapter three!
***
Slade got to his feet, approaching Oliver cautiously. "What brought you back to the island?" he asked.
"Like I said," Oliver looked at him as he unlocked the cell. "I need your help."
"What the hell's going on here?" a voice from behind said.
Oliver turned to see the ARGUS guard on duty approach. "We have a problem, and I need you to get off the island," he answered.
"I'm not going anywhere," the guard shook his head, glaring at Slade. "Neither is he."
"I'm taking him, and I'm taking Digger Harkness," Oliver shook his head. "There's an ARGUS supply boat that is docked on the eastern shore. You take it, and you go."
"I'm not abandoning my post!"
Oliver just barely refrained from rolling his eyes. "Suit yourself."
With one sharp movement, he had knocked the guard out, sending him down the hall. He heard the door click behind him, and he turned as Slade let himself out of the cell, still looking at him cautiously. "Would you like to explain what's going on?" his former friend asked.
"I'd like to talk about you for a minute," Oliver looked him over. "You seem – "
"What, in possession of all my marbles?" Slade raised an eyebrow. "The mirakuru wore off a long time ago, kid. I mean, I remember everything that happened. I'm not trying to escape that . . . but it feels like some bad dream." Oliver nodded slowly, and Slade took a deep breath. "Now, regardless of my sanity . . . why do you want to help me after everything I've done?"
"There is a man here named Adrian Chase," Oliver answered. "He's holding my friends and my family hostage, including Thea . . . and my son."
Slade blinked. "Since when do you have a son?"
Oliver groaned in annoyance. "Slade, are you gonna help me or not?"
Slade gave him a pointed look. "I think I'm stating the obvious when I say I killed your mother, and for that alone, you should have killed me."
"Maybe what's happening now is the reason I didn't," Oliver walked forward, handing over a flash drive. "This is all the intel that I've been able to gather on your son Joe, including his present whereabouts."
Slade stared at the drive in shock, then looked at Oliver in disbelief. "Are you offering to help me find my son?"
Oliver dug through the duffel and pulled out a familiar mask. "I want us to find both of our sons."
Slade took the orange and black mask Oliver handed him, then looked back up at him. "You and me, kid. Like old times."
***
Kara worked with Malcolm to unload what Oliver had packed for the island, then heard Nyssa say, "You know, if we're going to fight side by side, you're going to have to at least speak with me."
"I know," Malcolm snorted. "It's awful."
Kara blinked, looking between Malcolm and Nyssa, and the other woman scoffed. "Pity. By now, I thought you'd realize that by disbanding the League of Assassins, I freed us both."
"Are you looking for applause?" Malcolm raised an eyebrow, then held up his hand, one Kara had noticed earlier was not flesh and blood. "Clapping is a little more difficult for me these days."
"What happened?" Kara asked curiously.
Malcolm turned to her. "Oliver cut if off."
"Because Malcolm took a place in the League that he shouldn't have," Nyssa cut in. "Oliver stood in for me to win my rightful place. When it was over, I disbanded the League."
"So you hate each other because of a position that's long gone now?" Kara asked to double check. When Malcolm and Nyssa exchanged looks, she rolled her eyes. "Great. Just checking. Just try to avoid hurting each other before this is over."
"Where did Oliver get you from, anyway?" Malcolm asked as Kara walked back over with Oliver's suit in a case. "I knew about the Flash, I know about the Legends. I've never seen you in my life."
Kara raised an eyebrow. "The first time I met Oliver – the only time I saw him before this – your Earth was being invaded by aliens called Dominators. The Flash jumped to my universe and asked me to help."
"And she saved my life during the fight, too!" Oliver's voice called, and the three of them turned to see Oliver approaching with two men. Kara tilted her head, noting one of them was in a long trench coat, the other in blue padded armor with orange accents and loaded with weapons, his face hidden by a mask that was black on one half, orange on the other. "Kara, have you offloaded the supplies."
"Uh, yeah, most," she nodded. "Guns and ammo are still on the plane. By the way, what do you need an RPG for?"
"Well, it's like I told them," Oliver checked on his suit. "Chase has Talia, an army of her students, Evelyn Sharp, and a metahuman. I have no interest in this being a fair fight."
"What kind of meta?" Kara blinked.
"The screaming kind."
Kara groaned. "Great."
"Is that why you released the animals from their cages?" Nyssa glared at the two men with Oliver.
"Oh, come on, luv," the one in the coat said with a predatory grin. "That is no way to start a new friendship."
Nyssa stepped forward and glared. "Look at me like that again," she hissed, "and I'll feed you your eyes."
Malcolm leaned over her shoulder and added, "You're not her type, anyway."
"All right, that's enough," Oliver interrupted, splitting the group up. "Let's offload the rest of the gear – "
Kara looked up suddenly. "Oliver, incoming!"
"I don't hear – " Nyssa began.
"Wait," Oliver held up a hand.
The sound of a rocket suddenly got louder, and Kara leapt away from the plane when the rocket hit it. "Hoo," the one in the coat whistled. "So much for our gear."
"There goes our ride home, kid," the man in the mask said.
Kara looked at Oliver, who just looked at her in exasperation. "Is there anything else?" he asked her.
Kara ran up onto one of the higher rocks, peering through the tops of the trees. "How could she – ?" the man in the coat began.
"Nothing," she replied, walking back down. "That's the only thing they're throwing at us. They want us stuck on the island."
"Great," Oliver grabbed his case. "I'm suiting up. Make sure none of them," he gestured around to the rest of the team, "get in a fight."
"Well, that's gonna be tough," Malcolm snorted, eyeing Nyssa, who was still glaring at the man in the coat.
"Uh . . . sure," Kara nodded slowly.
Oliver nodded at her and left to find a place to change. "He trusts you an awful lot for someone he only met once," Nyssa remarked.
"I was surprised he even came," Kara admitted, folding her arms. "Of course I was ready to help. Then he mentioned his son . . . " She shook her head. "Getting innocent family involved in your fight should never happen."
"Sounds like you're speaking from experience, cheerleader," the man in the coat looked her over.
"OK, first of all, call me that again, and I'll tear your eyes out for Nyssa to feed them to you," Kara warned, making Nyssa smirk. "Second of all . . . I would be speaking more from experience if I had any blood related family besides my cousin left."
Malcolm looked at her in surprise. "You lost them?" the man in the mask asked.
"Yeah, I did," Kara muttered. "And when Oliver asked for my help, the city was still recovering from an alien invasion perfectly capable of killing the family I have now. So you'll pardon me if I'm a bit hesitant to speak on the topic considering I barely know any of you. I don't even know your names."
"Kara Danvers, meet Slade Wilson and Digger Harkness," Malcolm made the introductions. "Prisoners of Lian Yu."
"What for?" Kara frowned. "Do I want to know?"
"Mr. Wilson went on a serum-enhanced rage on Starling City a few years ago and killed Oliver's mother," Nyssa said dryly.
"What?" Kara looked at Slade in surprise.
"The mirakuru is gone," Slade turned to Nyssa.
"As for Harkness, well, he got on the wrong side of the Arrow and the Flash," Malcolm shrugged.
" . . . OK," Kara shook her head. "So now Team Arrow is composed of one girl from an alternate universe, two assassins who hate each other because of an organization long gone, one ex-serum soldier, and . . . him."
"I think I've been insulted," Harkness raised an eyebrow.
"OK," Kara blew out a breath. "This . . . this will be interesting." She looked past Slade and Harkness, nodding when Oliver reemerged from the trees. "Let's go."
***
To try and extend the book as much as I can, I'm only going about three to four pages at a time. It's going to be nowhere as long as my other books, but hey, I can try and have some good "in between" bits.
Next up, finding some hostages!