]|I{•------» 𝐀𝐂𝐓 𝐎𝐍𝐄 «------•}I|[

↤ 𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐘𝐔 ↦

]|I{•------» 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐎 «------•}I|[

↤ 𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐏𝐔𝐑𝐆𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 ↦

"𝐏𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲: 𝐀 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐡𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐟𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠" ↦ '𝐏𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲', 𝐎𝐱𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐃𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲

↤ Lian Yu, 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐒𝐞𝐚 ↦

'Five Years Later'

𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑S, Rayna Harington, Oliver Queen and Theo Merlyn have followed one goal - to survive. For five years, each one of them have gone through trials of fire, pain and loss. The people they were the moment they washed up on the island named Li Yuan, which is "Purgatory" in mandrian died. The island kept up it's reputation as the lonely and hellish landscpae it's name derived from. They went through trials of fire, leaving their old selves behind and cleansing themselves of their impurities; of fear, attachments and societal concepts of 'normal'.

Five years and they were finally going home - if Oliver's plan actually worked, that is. Theo and Oliver had spotted a boat near Li Yuan's shore (which was bizarre since most locals had the smart idea to stear clear of the island's horrible and haunted rumors). Oliver ran to get his bow and arrows, nodding to Theo who ran the opposite way, jumping over rocks to get Rayna and inform her of the development. Yanfei, Rayna's ward stood behind the blonde women with her usual scowl and rage-filled eyes. It was hard to get accustomed to the small asian brunette girl of the age of fourteen who was a prodigy in hurting and maiming people. Seeing Theo, Rayna stood up, lifting little Shado up into her arms, despite her being able to walk well, Rayna had a hard time leaving her four year old baby out of her sight and Theo couldn't blame her.

Theo tensed when he heard the explosion on the shore meaning Oliver had lit the pyre. "Time to go home," Theo murmured, still wary of the idea of going home. Rayna smiled and they headed off to meet Oliver but not before Rayna gave a wistful smile to the forest as they climbed down the cliff edge. A fisherman boat had saw it and turned to the direction of the island.

They were finally going home and Star City had no idea what was about to be unleashed in its glittering city.

↤ 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐇𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥, 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚 ↦

𝐈𝐓 𝐃𝐈𝐃𝐍'𝐓 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐆 for a plane to be scheduled for all five of the Li Yian survivors once they reached shore, far away from Li Yian. They all had to go to the hospital once they touched down in Star City in the Queen's private plane. Rayna was hesitant to give over Shado to the doctors but Oliver had helped calm her down and convinced her she needed to relax and shower before their families came. Warm water had worked wonders on all of them and Rayna had even given Theo a trim.

After numerous blood tests, immunizations, x-ray scans they were all given the O-K to leave when their families came to pick them up. The doctors and nurses were worried and frightened with them, considering the amount of scar tissue, scond degree burns and fractures all of them had and were curious about the tattoos on them but Rayna had simply given them a glare when they asked.

Rayna had just been given Shado back from one of the nurses, who filled her in on her daughter's condition and immunizations. Shado was completely healthy, just a little hungry and tired and annoyed due to the amount of injections she had received. The nurse, Ashley had gone to get some more food for the pair when a familar blonde rushed into the room.

Her sister, Karla Harrington. Rayna stood in shock at the sight, she was taller, more grown up and had lost all the baby fat she used to have and had clearly gotten a new color scheme in terms of fashion. The girl who used to love wearing pink and whites had changed to a darker asethetic, her eyes covered in eyeliner and Rayna had fully understood how her disappearance could've affected her family.

While she knew her parents would'nt mind that much compared to Oliver's family, she did know Karla would take it rough, being the only person there for her during her young years.

"Rayna!" Karla cried in shock, tears now running down her face as she crushed her older sister's body, unknowingly ignoring her new niece on the bed. Rayna didn't know what to do for a moment with her sister crying and clutching onto her like she would disappear until she sighed in the warmth of her and hugged her tightly. "I-I thought you were dead. I missed you so fucking much."

Rayna didn't want to wake up if this was a dream, she was finally home with her family after so long. The blonde sisters broke apart and Rayna took in Karla's face in her hands, wipping the streaks of black down her sister's face. "I missed you too, little one. I'm so sorry but i'm here now," she whispered with a broken smile and kissed the younger girls forehead who sighed in contentment.

"Mummy, who is this?" Shado broke the scene before her shyly, she didn't like new people. New people meant new threats but her mom looked happy with the girl. Karla gasped at the m-word, breaking away from her older sister and looked between the two. The girl looked so young with dirty brown hair, a bit darker then Rayna's, tanned skin, and dark brown eyes.

Karla was shocked speechless and Rayna carefully pulled the girl into her arms and placed on her the floor and she looked wide-eyed at up at Karla.

"Karla, this is..my daughter, Shado. Shado darling, this is my sister, your aunt Karla," Rayan introduced them almost shyly, and Shado waved with a smile and looked up to her mother, "Like Ollie?"

Rayna smiled lightly and nodded, "Yes, like uncle Ollie."

"Is she Theo's?" Karla finally asked, if the girl was calling Oliver uncle and not mentioning Theo than that meant she was Theo's. The girl did look like a mix between Theo and Rayna and she knew the somewhat relationship between the two. Karla missed the sad look crossing Rayna's face. "Yes," she finally answered after a bout of silence.

Karla kneeled on the gorund before Shado, a odd name, she thought with a smile. "It's nice to meet you, Shadow. I'm going to be the best aunt in the world, you just wait!" She told her new niece and wasn't that a surpise after learning your older sister who you thought was dead, and buried an empty coffin in the family plot who was alive and even had a fricking daughter!

Shado smiled brightly and Rayna patted her on the head and finally asked the question she didn't want to ask to ruin the atmosphere, "Where are mother and father?"

Karla's smile broke as she stopped pinching Shado's cheeks, "At work like usual, you would think you coming back from the dead would make them change but they can't be bothered to come."

"I see that hasn't changed in my absence," Rayna muttered with a scowl, Shado looked up with a frown sensing the change. "Nothing to worry about my darling, let us go see the others instead. I'm ready to leave this god forsaken place," she said, grabbing the only thing in her possession, a black duffle bag filled with her bow and arrow, dual swords, and a orange and black mask, some Yanfei's personal items and her drawing pad.

Karla stood up slowly and asked, "Are you sure your ready to leave? I spoke to your doctor and i'm worried for you."

"Sister, there is nothing more they can do for me. I have healed from my time on the island, now, it's time we all heal," She said looking down at Shado then to her sister who stayed quiet at her words.

"Will you ever tell me what happened over there?" Karla asked sadly, looking over Rayna as if she could see thorugh her clothes and see the scars and burns the doctor had told her she had. Rayna placed a hand on Karla's shoulder and shook her head with a soft murmur, "...I can't Karla, you just wouldn't understand and I would rather not rehash the past when I'm finally home."

Karla nodded quitely and said with a grin, "At least you kept your promise, even if you are five years too late." Rayna smiled at the joke until it wiped off her face as she found herself back on Lian Yu.

↤ 𝐋𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐘𝐮, 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐠𝐨 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐒𝐞𝐚 ↦

'𝟐𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫, 𝟐𝟎𝟎𝟕 - 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠'

It seemed as if the days and nights merged into one another. Soon time became meaningless as the three sat on the beach waiting and praying to see a boat in the distance and wave it over - they would be free.

But it never happened, but hope burned in them all, some brighter than the others.

They were mentally and physically tired, starving and thirsty, but they kept going because they had lives and families to return to, and Robert and Sara were dead.

As soon as they hit the beach, they wrapped his head up with a life jacket and stared blankly at him - his covered body that had sat in the raft on shore for two days. They didn't know what to do with the body. They were in shock and confused. Neither of them had a clue about how to survive and what had transpired the previous days. The thought never crossed their minds; being stranded on an island sounded insane.

Theo thought themselves lucky, trying to bring peace and calm to the turmoil in their minds, but Rayna and Oliver knew they were the unlucky ones. They were trapped and had no idea how to get home to their families. Rayna missed Sara and her little sister, who was probably crying, realizing her idol had broken her promise and would never see her again.

'I'll be back' echoed in her mind, playing like a broken record. How wrong she was to even promise that.

Theo was calm on the outside, but inside was another story. He never should've gotten on the damn boat, nor should he have let Rayna on, either. He was scared, scared of the unknown, and he was afraid of losing her. Robert was gone, but she was so close to slipping through his fingers and drowning on the bottom of the ocean, alone - like Sara.

When they hit the shore, he looked around with narrowed eyes, just waiting for something to come and try and take her away from him. He vowed, vowed to himself that he was keeping her safe and never let harm reach her; her light - the very thing that would keep him moving wouldn't go out, and she wouldn't lose her innocence.

He didn't know that it was gone, she was tainted, and darkness was creeping in on her mind. It had been the moment she saw the determination and relief in Robert's eyes, right before he pulled the trigger and his blood and brain matter splattered on her face, soaking into her pores and hair. She would never be the same. None of them were.

Oliver was heartbroken, and truthfully, they all were. They were bound to be. Robert was an amazing father and father figure. He was sweet and kind despite his wealth. He had taken in Theo and Tommy as his own due to their father - Malcolm's cold attitude.

He had praised Rayna for every achievement she got and thought of her as his own daughter. It was hard not to love him since they had spent most of their lives under his roof, eating dinner with the Queens and on the occasional trip somewhere exotic.

Robert was the best father Oliver could've asked for. He had accepted him for his broken traits and wild and stubborn nature. Robert would always tell him he was like his mother in that aspect. Oliver remembered all the times his father would be there for him, tucking him in bed when he had a nightmare and would read stories of grand imagination and waiting for him to go to bed because he knew he was afraid of being alone - he always had been. He remembered when he saw his father's proud smile when he was on stage accepting his high school diploma but remembered the sad frown and disappointed eyes when he found out he had failed college - each time. He wished he could turn back time to see that proud smile again, but he never would.

The sun beamed angrily against their cold skin, annoying them to no end, even with the makeshift shelter they made when they first washed up there. It was a sad attempt at shelter. Flimsy sticks looked like they would topple at any moment, rocks and sand acted as a poor bed and a small little fire that helped keep them warm through the even colder nights.

Despite the ugliness of their situation, they were happy they had the other. They would be going truly crazy if they were alone. They were each other's ear and shoulder to cry on and kept the other warm during the night, hugging their bodies tight together, scared they would leave.

They had each other, and that's all they needed to survive and return home.

The three of them had grown incredibly close over the long days. They were quiet in their words and voices, just showing their happiness and relief with their actions. They hadn't talked much and avoided the topic of home and Robert, just trying to find a way home and survive. They were curled up under the palm trees trying to escape the blistering sun until the annoying sound of seagulls came unbearing.

Rayna angrily huffed at it and sat up wearing Robert's clothes, the clothes she had taken off softly, trying not to disturb his corpse and whispered sad words. She cursed at her past self for being undressed when it happened and cursed herself for disturbing a corpse she loved.

She hit Oliver's arm when she saw the seagulls pecking at the raft, and, by extension, Robert. He sat up annoyed and yelled when he saw the birds. The three of them quickly got up and ran to the raft, ignoring the pinch in the soles of their feet from the rocks and shooing them away.

"HEY!" Oliver yelled, waving his hands around, and the birds flew away, and he kneeled beside the raft.

"Stupid bloody birds", Rayna hissed as she stood behind Oliver alongside Theo, who nodded in agreement. They were the most annoying additions on the island and an even worse alarm clock.

Oliver looked at his father; tears began to form, and he touched his father's hand, defeated and sighed when he felt the coldness of it. Theo patted his back, and Oliver leaned his head against his leg, breathing in the salty air and trying not to vomit seeing his father like that.

A lone bird landed on the yellow box in the raft, and then more came, so he leapt up and yelled, "Hey! Stay away from him."

Rayna watched Oliver hug his father's cold and wet body and pull him up. Theo helped him lift the heavy body, and Rayna followed behind them as they heaved it up the rocky mountain.

Theo and Oliver lowered him and fixed his shirt and face over while Oliver pulled out a little brown notebook with a quizzical look.

"What is it?" Rayna asked him, crouching near him and seeing him flip through the empty, pristine white pages.

"I don't know," he answered and looked at the first page where a weird lined symbol was on the inner cover of it. Theo and Rayna shared a confused look. Why would he carry an empty notebook with him?

He shoved the book in his dirty cargo pant pocket, and they got together and carried rock after rock, placing them around him and over his body. It was the best they could do without a shovel or anything else like that.

The sun slowly drifted behind the clouds like it was mourning his death along them. They stood around the rock formation, and Theo looked at Oliver, who was staring at his father. "Do you want to say anything?" he asked his lifelong friend softly, trying not to rush him in his grieving process.

Oliver's eyes landed on his slightly dirty and sweaty face, and his black hair resembled Tommy's. Before he could answer, a loud whoosh sound could be heard, and Oliver and Theo were brought to their knees.

Theo and Oliver let out a deep scream and reached to their chests. An arrow had been shot through Oliver, passed through his shoulder, landed in Theos, and stuck out of his back. Rayna let out a shrill scream; seeing them, shock and adrenaline pumped through her, and she wildly looked around for the source of their screams. They weren't alone.

Her dark brown eyes landed on a hooded figure with a bow, and he was reloading, and it was now aimed at her. She shook her head 'no'. She took a step back and nearly tripped over a rock and stared at the arrow in shock as it sailed through the air and landed in her shoulder, and she staggered back with a yell. She fell, hitting her head against the rock, and her back slammed against the rock, pushing the arrow out her front and yelling as heat and pain merged into one. She reached up and fingered the feathered tail and looked at the figure who was once again reloading.

Screams echoed through the area, and birds fleed their nests and trees in fear. She looked at Theo and Oliver with hooded eyes and saw they were out cold from shock and pain. Black clouded her eyes, and was pulled into Morpheus's sweet embrace, her head lulled against the rock.

↤ Star City Hospital, America ↦

𝐑𝐀𝐘𝐍𝐀 𝐒𝐍𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐃 𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐎𝐅 her unpleasant memories with a flinch when Karla's hand touched her shoulder and quickly withdrew it seeing the affect it had on her sister. "You okay? You drifted for a minute there." Karla asked worriedly and Rayna slathered a smile on her face as her heartbeat finally slowed down and nodded. "Lets just go home, yeah?"

Karla nodded, unaware another bomb was going to be dropped on her when they went into the next door hospital room. Theo and Tommy were signing out when the three Harington's left the hospital room.

"I was just coming to see you." Theo said when he looked up from the papers.

"Daddy!" Shado brightly said and ran over to him and Theo laughed lightly, picking her up and kissed her cheek, "Shado, darling."

"Of course you get stranded on a island for five years and become a father," Tommy joked awkwardly, humor and jokes were his defense mechanism but he was truly shocked yet happy to see his older brother become a father. It had been awkward when seeing him in the hospital room, it was small words, grunts and looks but his brother had visibly untensed and lightened up with the arrival of the blonde girl. Their father was going to have a field day.

Theo ignored the quip and held onto Rayna's outreached hand and kissed it lightly and asked, "Where is the other troublemaker of yours?"

Rayna rolled her eyes and answered, "I was just about to get her discharged and talk to the doctors."

"We can leave together, Ms. Queen is having a dinner tonight for Oliver," Theo told her with a look and Rayna nodded. With a pat on Tommy shoulder and a gentle, "It's good to see you Thomas." she was gone, slipping into another room.

"You seriously named your daughter Shadow?" Tommy asked with a raised eyebrow and even Karla had a similar expression, she didn't want to say anything about it to Rayna but it was a strange name.

Theo gave his brother a glare and said, "Watch it. Shado was an old friend." Karla and Tommy kept quiet after hearing the past tense and awkwardly waited for Rayna and whoever was coming and who this troublemaker was. Karla just hoped it wasn't another niece.

Theo and Karla sat in the waiting rooms while Tommy played with Shado with some colorful blocks in the children section. Shado wasn't that impressed with the toy selection but she had never played with blocks before so it was fun. Karla had discharge papers ready for Rayna when she finally left the room she was holed up in for a few minutes, walking out talking to a doctor when a short brunette girl who looked a little younger than Karla followed them out.

Rayna nodded along with the doctor and started signing Yanfei's papers and realized she would have to go to the court tomorrow to start the adoption process for Yanfei. The girl didn't have any parents or family left and she had told the doctor they had met briefly in Hong Kong after they were rescued and the girl had run away from the orphanage and wouldn't leave her side. It was a half-assed backstory but Rayna had enough money to get full guardianship over Yanfei and the others didn't need to know the truth.

Rayna gently guided Yanfei to the group and Shado got up and hugged Yanfei around the waist and Shado just patted her head like one would a dog. "Guys, this is my ward, Yanfei."

"You have a daughter and a ward? What the hell happened on that island?" Tommy muttered in shock.

Karla stared at Yanfei and tried to shake her hand in greeting, "I'm Karla, Rayna'a sister." Yanfei ignored the handshake and murmured to Rayna, "她看起来像你." Rayna who nodded with a smile. Karla just awkwardly rubbed her neck, "Yanfei doesn't like speaking English or speaking in general. She just said that you look like me," Rayna explained and Karla nodded, waving her hand like it wasn't a problem and handed her the papers.

"We can all go after you sign those," Karla said with a smile and Rayna nodded and went to go sign out.

"Awkward," Tommy sang with a grin which changed to grimace when Theo nudged him.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐘𝐍 𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐒 dropped the Haringtons home so they could get ready for the party. Getting Yanfei and Shado settled into the manor was the easy part with the help of the few maids, and Karla anxiously hovering around. Rayna would have to do a big shop the next day to get them both settled, they had plenty of rooms but none were made for children. When Karla and Rayna were old enough their rooms had quickly been changed over to a mature look.

It was strange for Rayna to step foot into her old room, it was clean, not a speck of dust in sight, memories floated around the room, old mentenos scattered around, old drawings littered the walls and the bed sheets had been changed. Rayna slowly walked around the room, almost getting lost in old memories of her friends slacking off while they were supposed to be doing homework or late night troussles with Theo or Sara.

She shook herself out of the memories and focused on getting changed for the dinner. She donned a long white dress, showing some clevege with a slit on the side. It was simple but nice, she thought about wearing a cardiagn to keep the scars and tattoos covered but realized there really wasn't a point in covering them since everyone was bonud to find out.

Thankfully one of the maids had found some of Karla's old clothes for Shado in the attic that were a little big for her. Karla had given some sleep ware for Yanfei, despite having a small age gap they had similar small frames while Yanfei was much more muscular due to her training. Yanfei didn't want to come and took the opportunity to scout out the house. Rayna really didn't want Yanfei around the house without her before explaining the situation to her parents but she knew Yanfei hated new people.

The three Haringtons left the estate and the driver quickly made their way to the Queen Mansion were Theo and Tommy were bound to already be there. There were let in by Raisa, the Queen's head maid who was delighted to see Rayna and fussed over Shado, seeing nothing wrong with the new development.

Rasia led them into the dinning room that was getting set up for dinner, "Apoglies for the late arrival," Rayna said in greeting while Shado clung to her leg.

"I saved a seat for you two. Is Yanfei not joining us?" Oliver asked, getting up and pulling the chairs out next to him for them to sit while Theo sat next to the empty chairs. "Thank you. Yan was not up to meeting more new people."

"Rayna Harington! Is it so good to see you," Moria said, making her way over to give the girl a hug, the woman really wished the woman would become her daughter-in-law, seeing the way the toddler moved to sit in Theo's lap made it aware she was not getting that wish anytime soon.

"Moria, you look as beautiful as ever," Rayna happily stated with a smile and Moria waved her off with a pleased grin. Thea than rushed over to give her a tight hug, "I knew a boat wouldn't take you down!"

"Your so big now, both you and Karla," Rayna patted her back as the hug finally stopped. Oliver guided her over to the chair with a hand on his back and whispered, "You look beautiful."

Rayna smiled at the compliment, it had been a while since she wore such an expensive dress and quite liked it over the rags they wore on the Island. "You've scrapped up well, tonight, too" she responded and he winked at her as she sat down and moved back to the head of the table.

"So who is this little one?" A handsome dark skinned man in a sharp suit asked from his seat next to Moria. Theo placed Shado into the chair inbetween the two and answered, "She's our daughter, Shado."

Thea gasped, staring wide eyed at her best friend, Karla, who sat next to her. Moria smiled gently at the cute toddler and stated, "It must've been painful giving birth without medical care."

Rayna grimaced at the reminder and gently rubbed her stomach and simply nodded in agreement. Thankfully the food started appearing on the table and Tommy moved on to catch the three up on what they missed in the past five years, " Ok. What else did you miss? Super bowl winners... Giants, Steelers, Saints, Packers, Giants again. A black president, that's new. Oh, and "Lost," they were all dead...I think."

The atmosphere was lively with Tommy's crash course of the 2000's culture and delcious food until Thea shattered it with an innocent question, "What was it like there?"

The dinning room was quiet and the tension was palpable as everyone shared awkward glances but were quite curious about the responses.

"Cold." is all Oliver could bring himself to say, Theo stayed quiet and Rayna looked down at the one thing the Island let her have and answered seemingly lost in memories, "Forests of green for as far as the eye could see, animals chittering in the night, the warmth of fire slowly dissipating the cold, silent nights of tears and memories which brought us the most wonderful gift of them all, little Shado."

Rayna glanced up from her daughter's eyes that always took her back into the past and saw the forlorn looks on her friends and family and mentally chatsited herself. She looked over at Oliver whose fists had tensed into balls and she gently laid a hand over them, silently apologizing.

Theo cleared his throat and changed the topic, looking at his brother, "Tommy, you mentioned a tour?" Tommy nodded along with a forced smile, "Yeah! Tomorrow, were all doing the city. You've all got a lot to catch up on. Ray, we can even go for a bout of tennis, if you're up for it."

"That sounds great but we'll need to do some shopping first, I imagine," Rayna said with a smile, looking at Theo and Oliver.

"I was hoping to swing by the office," Oliver stated, looking at his mother and the man - Walter - he had introduced himself as. Walter stopped himself from taking the sip of wine he was about to gulp down and said, "Well, there's plenty of time for all that. Queen Consolidated isn't going anywhere."

Then Raisa went to set a bowl of pears on the table, tripping over the carpet but Oliver caught her, helping her stand straight while taking hold of the bowl. "Oh, I am so sorry, Mr. Oliver," her russian accent tinged in worry.

"It's no worry," Oliver told her in Russian with a soft smile.

Everyone but Theo and Rayna looked at him in asoundment and Tommy spoke up, "Dude, you speak Russian?!"

"I didn't realize you took Russian at college, Oliver," Walter stated with a smile, obviously trying to make a connection which Oliver quickly cut down with his next words, " I didn't realize you wanted to sleep with my mother, Walter."

Silence filled the room, the old tension rushing back in and Theo and Rayna shared a look in surpise. Moria stared at her son then back at Thea who defended herself, "I didn't say anything."

Oliver tilted his head and said softly, "She didn't have to."

Moria nodded slowly and began to explain, "Oliver...Walter and I are married, and I don't want you to think that either one of us did anything to disrespect your father." She took hold of Walters hand who defended themselves, "We both believed that Robert, like you, was, uh, well, gone."

"It's fine," Oliver told them but Rayna could tell he was lying, this revelation had hurt im and he stood up and asked, " May I be excused?"

Moria sighed but nodded, quietly upset she had hurt her son. Oliver grabbed a pear from the bowl and left and Theo stood up, wiping his mouth, "I'll go talk to him. Thank you Moira for the dinner, it was lovely."

"Oliver understands, he'll just need some time adjusting like we all will," Rayan told them, seeing their worry written across their faces. "Is Ollie okay?" Shado quietly asked and Rayna nodded, kissing her forehead.

"You'll remind him about tomorrow? What time do you think you'll start shopping?" Tommy asked with a smile.

Rayna mulled it over and answered, "Of course, perhaps around 1?"

𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐖𝐊𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐃 fiasco called dinner at the Queen Mansion, Rayna, Theo, and Shado made their way back to the Harrington Estate. The tension from the evening lingered, thick and uncomfortable, and all they truly wanted was to retreat to their own spaces and finally rest. But as they arrived, Rayna's parents were waiting for them in the grand, overly-lit foyer, their disappointment palpable in the air.

Rayna's mother, tall and impeccable in her posture, stood with her arms crossed, eyeing her daughter with a mixture of disbelief and anger. "So, after five years, you finally show up at our doorstep. No call, no warning, and now we have to meet... this?" She gestured toward Shado and the small girl at Rayna's side, the latter clutching Rayna's hand nervously.

Her father, who had been standing by the fireplace, looked as if he were trying to hide his concern beneath a veneer of stoic anger. "You've come back with a child." His tone was harsh, his eyes narrowing as he turned to Theo, who was standing in the background, clearly uncomfortable. "And you—what is this? You've been gone for five years and not a word. Your disappearance nearly destroyed your mother."

Rayna held her ground, but she could feel the irritation building inside of her. Her parents hadn't asked about her well-being, about the horrors she'd lived through on the island. All they cared about was their image, their reputation. They didn't know how to relate to her, not anymore, not that they ever had.

"I'm sorry, mother. I wasn't sure how to come back. I didn't know how to tell you I was alive," Rayna said, her voice surprisingly calm despite the anger simmering under her words. She looked at her mother, eyes cold. "I didn't know how to explain what I went through... what happened on that island. You'd never understand."

Her mother's lip curled in disdain. "Understand? Understand? You've been dead for five years, and now you waltz back into our lives like nothing ever happened?" She stepped closer, her voice lowering to a venomous whisper. "And you come back with that... girl and a daughter?. Who are you now, Rayna? Who are you?"

Rayna's father gave a short, sharp laugh. "It's always about your choices, isn't it, darling? Everything has to be on your terms. Do you even care about the damage you've done?"

Rayna felt her patience snap, her fists clenching at her sides. "You think I wanted this? Do you think I chose to disappear?" She stepped forward, her eyes flashing with pent-up frustration. "I had no choice. I was stuck on an island, fighting for my life. And when I finally get back, you're angry because I didn't follow your perfect, sanitized plan for me? Well, too bad. I'm not that person anymore. Shado is my daughter, your granddaughter and you will not speak about her like that ever again!"

The words hung in the air for a long moment, the silence thick with the weight of her truth. Her parents exchanged glances but said nothing more, their faces etched with disappointment.

Rayna didn't wait for another lecture. "I'm going to bed," she said, her voice cool and final. She turned on her heel, walking out of the room with Shado  in her arms and Theo following closely behind.

Later, in her bedroom, Rayna collapsed onto the bed, letting out a long breath as she stared up at the ceiling. Shado, still wide-eyed and quiet from the confrontation, sat at the edge of the bed, her fingers curled around the edge of her blanket. Rayna glanced at her daughter and gave her a small, reassuring smile. "You alright?" she asked softly.

Shado nodded, though the fear still lingered in her eyes. "What's going to happen now, mama?"

Rayna stroked her daughter's hair gently. "Nothing's going to happen. We'll figure it out. Just like we always do."

Shado nodded again, her small form relaxing a bit, but still tense from the unexpected encounter. Rayna then looked over at Theo, who had been silently standing near the window, lost in thought. She beckoned him closer with a nod. "You okay?" she asked.

Theo gave a short nod, then met her gaze. "You've been through a lot. They—" He stopped himself, clearly hesitant. "They don't understand."

Rayna smiled softly, though it wasn't a happy one. "They'll never understand." She let the words hang in the air, a quiet acknowledgment of the gulf between her past life and who she had become.

With a sigh, Theo climbed into the bed next to her, the two of them lying side by side and Theo's arm slipped around Rayna's wasit and pulled her closer. Rayna snuggled closer to him, his warm body heat warming her, reminding her of the cold nights on the Island.

In the quiet of the night, as Theo lay next to her, Rayna tried to drift off to sleep. But as she was just beginning to close her eyes, there was a sudden noise—a scraping sound. The window slid open with a soft creak. A shadow appeared in the frame, walking towards toward the bed.

Rayna's body reacted instinctively, her hand slipped under her pillow case and flung the dagger at the intruder but they caught it before it could plunge into their throat. .

"Who—?" Rayna started, her voice thick with alarm. Theo was already on his feet, his body poised, ready to react if needed.

The figure groaned, his voice hoarse. "It's... it's me," Oliver's voice rasped.

Rayna's heart skipped a beat. "Ollie?" she whispered, confusion and concern filling her voice.

Oliver, disheveled and sweaty, looked up at her, his eyes wide and panicked. "I—I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"

Before he could finish his sentence, he blinked, and the world around him seemed to twist. He staggered toward her, eyes unfocused. "I—I had a nightmare... about Sarah... I thought I was back on the island..." His breath came in ragged gasps, and his eyes were wild, darting around the room.

Rayna's heart went out to him. "Ollie," she whispered, her voice full of a tenderness she didn't expect to feel. "You're home. You're safe."

Oliver's eyes seemed to clear for a moment, and he looked around, noticing Theo standing near the edge of the bed. The two men locked eyes briefly—there was a moment of awkwardness, of understanding, but Oliver didn't seem to have the energy to address it.

He was shaking now, and his hand reached toward his forehead as if trying to steady himself. "I—I couldn't breathe... couldn't..." He cut himself off, unable to finish his thought, and collapsed back against the bed, his body shaking with the aftereffects of the nightmare.

Theo stepped back, giving Rayna a concerned look. She shook her head subtly, silently telling him to back off. She reached out, her fingers brushing Oliver's damp brow, her expression softening. "You don't have to explain," she murmured. "You're safe now."

And for that one moment, despite everything that had changed, it felt like they were a family again.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐗𝐓 𝐃𝐀𝐘, the group found themselves at the mall, a rare opportunity for a bit of normalcy after everything that had happened. Rayna, Theo, and Tommy were wandering through the aisles, picking out clothes for themselves, some baby supplies for Shado, and new phones, since theirs were either broken or outdated. It was one of those mundane errands that made it feel almost as if they were just regular people again, not tangled in the mess of their pasts.

Rayna was holding a baby onesie in her hand, turning it over in her fingers as she carefully chose something for her daughter. "This one's cute, don't you think?" she asked, showing Theo.

Theo glanced over, but his attention quickly shifted. Oliver and Laurel were in the distance, talking—or rather, arguing. The tension between them was practically crackling in the air. Theo sighed, his face darkening as he crossed his arms. "I can't believe he's still hung up on her."

Tommy, walking beside him, gave him an annoyed look, nudging him in the side. "Seriously, man. Don't start."

Rayna just shrugged, keeping a casual hold on the onesie. She glanced at Theo with a small smirk. "First love and all that," she said, her voice a little playful. "You'd be in the same position if it was me."

Theo raised an eyebrow, a confident grin pulling at his lips as he wrapped a possessive arm around her waist, pulling her close. He leaned his cheek against hers, giving her a teasing kiss on the side of her head. "Well, darling," he said, the tone smooth but with a slight edge, "I would never be dumb enough to sleep with your sister, even if Sarah was better in all aspects."

Rayna shot him a look, her expression a mix of mock offense and amusement. "Dude!" Tommy interrupted loudly, stepping forward. "Totally not cool, that's my girlfriend you're talking about!"

Theo, not one to shy away from confrontation, shot Tommy a grin, but before anything else could be said, he added with a disgusted tone, "You're dating Laurel? You could do so much better." He barely got the words out before Tommy was about to lunge at him. A punch was definitely in the air, brother or not, but the confrontation was cut short.

Laurel suddenly stormed toward them, looking absolutely livid. "How did you think that was gonna go, Tommy?" she snapped, eyes blazing with fury. She quickly shifted her focus to Rayna and Theo, scanning them up and down with a sharp, pointed look. Her voice dripped with sarcasm as she said, "I would say it was nice to see you both, but it's not. I don't know what weird relationship you had going on with my sister, but I don't want you hanging around me."

And with that, she turned on her heel, storming off as quickly as she had appeared.

Theo stood there, his jaw clenched, watching her retreating back with an angry scowl. "Who does she think she is? She doesn't know a thing," he muttered under his breath, voice tight with frustration.

Rayna, sensing the storm brewing inside him, leaned closer to him, her fingers lightly brushing against his arm. She whispered softly, her voice calming. "Let her be," she ordered, her tone gentle but firm. She knew that confronting Laurel right now would only make things worse.

Theo grunted in annoyance but took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. He forced himself to relax, turning his gaze away from Laurel's retreating figure and back toward the aisles. "Yeah, fine. But that doesn't mean I have to like her."

Rayna smiled up at him, squeezing his arm lightly. "I know," she said softly. "But let's not let her ruin our day."

Tommy, standing beside them, still had a sour expression on his face but shrugged. "This family, man," he muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. "It's like walking through a minefield."

Rayna chuckled softly, looking between Theo and Tommy. "Tell me about it." She glanced over at Theo with a knowing smile. "At least we're all together now."

Theo smiled back, though it was laced with an underlying sadness. "Yeah," he replied quietly. "We're together. For now, anyway."

As the tension slowly began to ease between them, Rayna continued to browse for baby clothes, and Theo followed, silently keeping an eye on her and Shado. Tommy lingered behind, clearly not sure whether to speak up again or just let things cool off. After a beat, he cleared his throat and grinned, trying to shift the mood.

"Alright, so we're shopping. But tell me you're at least gonna grab a new wardrobe for me too?" Tommy asked with a playful smirk, making an exaggerated motion toward his old, wrinkled shirt.

Rayna laughed and gave him a teasing push. "You seriously think I'm gonna dress you too?" she joked.

Tommy shrugged dramatically. "Well, since I'm surrounded by stylish people now, I figured you'd all want to help out."

Theo grinned, shaking his head as the group continued on their way through the store. Despite the earlier drama, there was a comfortable sense of normalcy in the air—at least for a little while.

The Starling Quartet were finally finished shoppping and were walking back to the care after getting all their new purchases sent to the house with the help of one of Rayna's maid since the car wasn't big enough for the four of them plus all the bags and new furnatine they had brought for Shado's nursery and Yanfei's room.

"Ok, so we took care of that. Now we can make up for lost time. If you're not too sick of fish, I suggest we find some leggy models and eat Sushi all day," Tommy asked his long time friends, wiggling his eyebrows up suggestively as they walked dwon the alleyway. "What do you say?"

Then a van apprioched them from behind with a loud screech as it stopped and armed men in coloured masks and carrying guns come out from behind.

"What the hell?" Tommy asked in fearful disbelief.

Tommy and Theo were the first ones to go down after they were shot with tranquilizers, then Oliver and Rayna passed out after seeing one of them shot an innocnet men who was coming outside to get rid of some trash.

Rayna wakes up in a desolat3e warehouse on the floor, tied up with zipties and laying next to a knocked out Tommy. She looks around discreetly, seeing Theo and Oliver tied up in chairs with hoods over their heads.

After a minute, the hood is yanked off Oliver's head and the leader with a red demon like mask asks, "Mr. Queen! Did your father survive that accident?" Oliver gave him no response, quickly adjusting to the afteraffects of the tranquizlier.

"I ask the questions. You give me the answers," the kidnapper yells at him, and tasers him making Oliver cry out.

"Did he make it to the island? Did he tell you anything?" he asks again and theres no resposne so he moves to Theo and yanks the hood off and says, "Perhaps he can give you some motivation to remember," and tasers him, Theo shudders with a quiet groan.

"It's been a while since I've been tased, I almost missed it," Theo tells the masked men with a grin. Rayna grimaces and quickly makes work of the shotty zip ties holding her hands together.

"Your crazier than me," he tells Theo before moving to Oliver, "Answer the question! Did your father tell you anything?" he asks again and tasers Oliver again.

Oliver groans and finally answers, "Yes, he did."

The masked men leans closer and asks, "What did he tell you, Mr. Queen?"

Oliver looks at Theo and to the floor where Tommy and Rayna and replies, "He told me I'm gonna kill you."

The kidnapper lets out a laugh and tells him, "You're delusional. You're zip-cuffed to that chair."

Oliver shows his free hands, no longer bound by the zipeties and huffs, "Not anymore." The kidnapper takes a step back for attacking him but Oliver dodges and kncoks him out with his chair while Theo gets out and disarms the second kidnapper and use him as a shield from the third man. Seeing that he runs off and Oliver runs after him.

"You okay?" Theo asks Rayna who was rolling her shoulders back to get feeling back in and nodded and looked down at Tommy, "Go help Ollie, I'll check over Tommy."

Theo hestiates for a moment but rushes after Oliver seeing he hadn't come back and was probably on a chase.

𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐁𝐄𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐃 by a seething Detective Lance, who still blamed Oliver and slightly less- Rayna and Theo for the death of his daughter, Sara. Later that night, Oliver found himself walking through the familiar streets of Starling City, the weight of his father's old legacy hanging over him. He made his way to the factory, a place his father once called home—now abandoned, just like everything else from his past.

He threw his bags over the fence, scaling it effortlessly. Inside, the factory was just as he remembered—cold and empty, but it felt like the only place where he could truly focus. He was alone, but not completely, Theo and Rayna were already inside.

The construction of their base was beginning, the floor had been demolished and Rayna was pushing down walls and Yanfai was setting up targets below.

"You're late," Rayna stated when she saw him with knowing eyes.

"The family is one edge," is all he said as an explantion, they both knew how protective the Queens were of Oliver. Oliver began helping and soon enough their base was set up as best as they could in the few hours they had spent, hard at work. Their muscles ached and shined with sweat.

Oliver began the familiar routine: sharpening his bow and arrows, pushing himself in training. The factory became his new lair, the only place where the memories of the island—of survival—seemed to make sense.

Theo worked alongside him, pushing him harder than he thought was possible, always reminding him that on the island, survival was the only goal. Yanfei and Rayna were engaged in a hand to hand combat battle, with Rayna teasing and playing with the young girl who wore anger like a shroud.

Oliver's voice echoed in his mind as he trained, thinking back to the events of the day. The abduction was unexpected. It forced him to move up their plans, but what I told they police was true. The man in the green hood and the man in black were their in that warehouse, and their just beginning.

Elsewhere in the city, Adam Hunt, the businessman with more connections than anyone could count, was walking through the parking lot, a few people accompanied him. As they stopped, Hunt turned to face his assistant, his frustration boiling over. "And this attorney, Laurel Lance... You said she wasn't going to be a problem anymore. I told you to fix that situation."

The man hesitated, clearly unsure of how to respond.

"Why are you still here?" Hunt snapped, then continued walking. His bodyguard followed him, but the moment was interrupted when the parking lot lights suddenly went out.

Before either of them could react, the sound of a bowstring twanging echoed through the air. Guards were falling, incapacitated in moments. Hunt turned, eyes wide with fear, and saw the shadowy figure of The Arrow appear from the darkness, moving faster than a human should. A man in black stood in the shadows, throwing daggers at the guards.

"Get in the car!" one of the bodyguards yelled as he fired into the ceiling. But The Arrow and The Dagger were already there. Their movements were a blur, each shot, each strike, precise and deadly. Hunt's bodyguard was knocked unconscious with a single blow.

"Who—what do you want?" Hunt stammered as the Arrow grabbed him, pulling him from the car.

"$40 million into Starling City's bank account 1141 by 10 P.M. tomorrow night," The Arrow replied with chilling finality. "Or I'm going to take it—and you won't like how."

Hunt's fear was palpable. "If I see you again, you're dead," he threatened, but The Arrow didn't flinch. He only stood there, watching, waiting, as the moment lingered in the air. Then him and the Dagger left Hunt to think about his options or rather the only one good for him.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐎𝐅𝐓 𝐇𝐔𝐌 𝐎𝐅 of a blow dryer filled the room as Rayna Harrington stood in front of the mirror, meticulously brushing her long hair. She was getting ready for the welcome back party that Tommy was throwing for them—her first real taste of the world she'd been thrust back into after years on the island.

The sparkly dress she had picked out glittered in the dim light, a far cry from the worn clothes she'd lived in while surviving on that desolate rock. But tonight, she was going to blend in, to be part of the world she had left behind. She wanted to be ready.

Her younger sister, Karla, perched nervously on the edge of the bed, chewing on her thumbnail. "Ray, I don't know if this is the right time," Karla said, her voice a mix of worry and love. "I get it, you want to jump back in, but..." She hesitated, looking for the right words. "You've been through so much. Maybe it's too soon to be in the spotlight. You don't need to do this for them—or for anyone else."

Rayna looked at her reflection and then met her sister's gaze. There was a softness to her eyes, a sense of calm that hadn't been there before. The woman in the mirror had come a long way from the girl who had been on the island, fighting for every breath, every day.

"I know it's soon," Rayna said, her voice steady but tinged with an edge of excitement. "But this isn't about them." She turned, smoothing the fabric of her dress. "This is about me... finding my place again. I'm not the person I was before I left. But I need to remember how to live in this world again, Karla. I don't want to be hiding in the shadows forever."

Karla sighed, her expression softening as she stood and walked over to her sister. She wrapped her arms around Rayna in a quick, tight hug, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "I just don't want to see you get hurt again. You're all I've got, you know?"

Rayna held her sister tight for a moment, appreciating the rare warmth between them. "I know, I know. I promise, I'll be careful." She pulled back slightly, then gave Karla a teasing smile. "Besides, it's just a party. It's not like I'm about to walk into a war zone."

Karla laughed, shaking her head. "You are a walking war zone, but fine, I'll stop being the overprotective sister. Just... be careful, okay?"

Before Rayna could respond, there was a soft knock at the door. "Is everything ready?" Rayna asked, her voice already taking on a businesslike tone as she turned to the door.

The door creaked open, and Yanfei, Rayna's adopted daughter, walked in, holding Shado, Rayna's daughter, in her arms, the little girl contentedly nuzzled against her.

"Everything's set," Yanfei said, her voice calm but full of purpose. "Shado's asleep, we're ready to move when you are."

Rayna's heart fluttered at the sight of her daughter, safe in Yanfei's arms. It had taken a while to get Shado settled into a new routine, but Rayna had promised herself she would never again let the dangerous life she led affect her daughter. Yanfei had stepped in as a second mother—strong, capable, and absolutely vital to their mission.

Rayna exchanged a nod, her eyes hardening slightly as she asked, "How's Shado? Settling in well?"

Yanfei nodded, her gaze steady. "She's fine. She's stronger than you think." She hesitated for a beat, then added softly, "But we both know why we're here. It's not just about keeping her safe.."

Rayna's expression turned serious, her voice low. "I know but tonight, I need to do this. I need to show I'm still here."

Karla raised an eyebrow. "What are you two talking about?"

Rayna shot her a look that was half playful, half deadly serious. "Just party plans"

Yanfei gave a short nod in agreement, she was awkward around Rayna's family. Rayna took a deep breath, exhaling slowly, as though mentally preparing herself for what lay ahead. The adrenaline of being back, of seeing her daughter safe, of this strange sense of duty—it was all coming together.

"Why do I feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders?" Karla asked softly, concern written all over her face.

Rayna smiled, her heart lighter than it had been in months and patted her head, "Sometimes it is," she stated.

Karla, watching her sister, finally gave in and smiled. "Alright, alright. Go dazzle the world. I'll take care of Shado." She gave Yanfei a pointed look. "And you better not let her get into trouble."

Rayna winked as she reached for her coat. "Trouble is the last thing Shado needs. But, you know—if she does, I'm sure you'll handle it, Karla."

As the sisters shared one last moment of playful banter, Yanfei looked at Rayna with quiet understanding. This was more than a party, more than a mission. This was a fight for the life they had once lost and the one they would build again, together.

"Let's go," Rayna said, taking one last look at her daughter.

At Oliver's welcome-back party, the atmosphere was a mixture of excitement and nostalgia. The expansive building was packed with guests, each eager to celebrate the Starling's heirs miraculous return after five years. Music filled the air, and laughter echoed off the walls, but Oliver felt a gnawing tension deep inside, something he couldn't quite shake.

He descended the grand staircase, his phone in hand as he checked the timer: 9:07 PM. The clock was ticking, and Adam Hunt still hadn't delivered on his promise. Just fifty-three minutes to go. He pocketed his phone, took a deep breath, and straightened his shoulders as Tommy, spotting him from across the room, waved him over.

Tommy was already holding a bottle of tequila, grinning from ear to ear. "The man of the hour is here!" Tommy shouted, his voice cutting through the noise as he raised his glass. "Ladies, give him a proper welcome home!"

The crowd erupted into applause as Oliver made his way to the center of the room, his mind still on the deal he had set in motion. The party was a spectacle, but it was hard to focus on any of it, knowing what was at stake. As he reached the stage, Tommy handed him a shot, and Oliver grinned, lifting it in a quick toast. "I missed tequila," he said, his voice laced with a hint of genuine enjoyment as the crowd cheered.

Meanwhile, the energy in the room had shifted. Theo Meryln,stood near the edge of the dance floor, sipping a drink. His presence still carried the weight of those dark days on the island, but there was an unspoken understanding between him and Oliver. Despite the distance they had kept since returning, there was a shared bond—one forged in blood and survival.

Rayna Harrington,, stood close to Theo, her gaze occasionally drifting to Oliver. She had tried to keep her distance since their return, not wanting to dive back into the tangled emotions of their past-she knew she was an awful reminder of the island. Despite that, they couldn't stray far away from each other, there was an undeniable pull that neither of them could ignore even without the mission lingering in the back of their heads.

As the music slowed to a romantic beat, Rayna turned to Theo with a half-smile. "I guess this is the part where we pretend everything is normal, huh?" she teased, her tone light but carrying a hint of irony.

Theo gave her a wry smile, his eyes lingering a moment too long on her. "Normal? After everything we've been through, I think normal went out the window a long time ago."

Rayna laughed softly, her fingers brushing against his as they shared a brief, unspoken moment of connection. As the music picked up again, she turned toward Oliver, catching his eye across the room. He had just gotten back from talking to Laurel and he was on edge. For a moment, their gazes locked, and the awkwardness between them was palpable. It had been months since they had been a unit, and even though everything had changed, some things hadn't. Oliver, Theo, and Rayna—they had shared more than just survival on that island. But now, back in the world they'd once known, it was hard to pretend those bonds hadn't frayed with time and trauma.

With a quiet exhale, Rayna walked toward Oliver, her heels clicking sharply on the floor. Theo followed a step behind, both of them silently acknowledging the tension in the air. As Rayna reached Oliver, she offered a teasing smile. "I see you're already working the crowd," she said, her voice playful, but her eyes held something deeper—a challenge, perhaps, or maybe a flicker of old affection.

Oliver chuckled, the slight tension in his posture easing as he met her gaze. "The crowd's easier to work than the people I care about," he replied, his tone just a bit sharper than usual.

The dance floor was calling, and she needed something to distract her from the storm brewing beneath the surface. She held out her hand to Oliver with a mischievous smile. "Care for a dance?"

Oliver hesitated for a brief moment, his eyes flicking between her and Theo, but then he took her hand with a small grin. "You know I can't turn down a good dance."

As they moved to the floor, Theo stood nearby, watching them. It wasn't lost on him how easily Oliver slipped into his old self, a part of the man who had been charming and elusive, always just out of reach. But now, after everything, there was a new edge to him—a sharpness that cut through the nostalgia of the past. And yet, in moments like this, with Rayna and the music enveloping them, Oliver looked like the man he once was. Even if neither of them knew how to navigate that anymore.

The dance was brief, the movements familiar, but the atmosphere felt heavy with unspoken words. Rayna couldn't help but tease, "You've gotten a little stiff, Ollie. Maybe all those years of survival on an island weren't as kind to you as you'd like to believe."

Oliver chuckled, his hands still resting lightly on her waist as they swayed. "Very true but of course you've retained your gratefulness on the dance floor."

Theo, who had been watching from the sidelines, gave an exaggerated yawn. "I think it's my turn. You're a sight for sore years on the dance floor, Ollie."

Oliver couldn't help but smile at the banter. But just as the moment seemed to stretch on, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He checked the time—9:25 PM—and his stomach tightened. They were running out of time.

"It's go time," he muttered to Rayna and Theo, pulling away from the dance floor. The moment on the dance floor was gone, only leaving the hard remains of the people on the island, drenched in pain and blood.

]|I{•------» 𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄/𝐒 «------•}I|[

I didn't mean for the slight Laurel hate but Theo is a downright ass if your not Oliver, Rayna and his family. Dudes got anger issues and are slightly unstable. Also not a big fan of Laurel in the show or really any of the female characters, they all got character assasinated which i'm gonna fix. The relationships probably seem a little confusing but Theo and Rayna are together (it's pretty open and relaxed) and Oliver is kinda in on it but he still loves Laurel. Also if your wondering why Rayna hasn't done anything yet it's because she's waiting for the guys to set up their identities because three is a lot at the start and because she's already been established as a vigilante (which will be explored soon)!

vote and comment x

words:  10, 400