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Oliver walked into his room, he was mentally going over his trip to Kasnia with Slade. Slade wasn’t a man of many words, but those moments when he thought Joe was dead or being tortured, Slade looked inconsolable, distraught. That trip just cemented that Oliver made the right decision, giving up the Hood to be a father to William. He wouldn’t be able to handle William looking at him with the intense hatred and loathing Kane looked at Slade with. How Kane held his father at gunpoint two separate times and didn’t seem bothered by the fact that if he pulled the trigger he would be killing his father. Maybe it was the fact that his father died for him and he would give anything to have a few more minutes with him, but he didn’t understand what could drive someone to be so angry with their father to drive them to patricide.
Oliver threw his bag on the bed and began to unpack as Felicity walked in,”Hey, can we talk?”
Oliver sank into the mattress, his elbows on his knees,”Sure.”
Felicity sat next to him, resting her head on his shoulder,”About Slade. Mind telling me what happened? Did he find Joe?”
“For a bit, but I think it’s going to take a long time for Slade to be okay again.”
“What happened?” Felicity asked holding his hand.
“Joe was apparently held in a Kasnian prison for a bit. He was supposed to be serving life. Slade full intended on a diplomatic solution, bribery. Gave me an alias passport to give to Joe, he wasn’t even going to see him. Said he was warned to stay away. I went to the prison to bargain for Joe’s release and the warden told me he died.” Oliver rubbed his eyes, it’s been a stressful couple of days,”I told Slade, and God, Felicity….. you should’ve seen his face, it was like I punched him in the stomach. He was destroyed. I eventually convinced him to see the body and we met with the warden again, he said he didn’t have the body anymore. Slade being Slade pressed him, coming rather close to losing his temper. After I called Slade off we found out a truer version of the story. The Jackals took Joe from prison to torture him.”
“Because he was Deathstroke’s son?” Felicity asked noticing that Oliver grew more haggard as he recounted the story; based off of Oliver’s face, Felicity knew they weren’t even at the halfway point.
“No, because he was a spy. They wanted to torture him for information, or that’s what the warden was told. Slade went to get his son back, he tried to keep me out of it but I couldn’t let him go at it alone, so he drugged me-“
“Slade drugged you?!” Felicity exclaimed.
Oliver waved it off,”THat’s not the point. He did try to keep me as the diplomat and knew that I wouldn’t listen, so he drugged me. I didn’t give him many options.”
“I still don’t like it.”
Oliver sighed,”While I was out-“
“Drugged, while you were drugged.”
“While I was out, Slade went to the Jackals base, tore through them. He offered to join them an exchange for Joe's life. I followed him and saw the reunion between him and Joe. It turns out that Joe was leader of the Jackals, he held Slade at gunpoint but Slade was able to talk him down, said he was going to explain what happened. Joe hates Slade because Slade lied to him or there is something else Slade isn’t telling me. But I tried to find out what Joe was doing in Kasnia, Slade said it was a reassignment of resources, Joe wanted to blow up the water treatment plant, I found the plans while Slade went with Joe to get semtex, one of Joe’s men caught me. Took me to the two of them, Joe tied me to a chair, unaware that Slade and I were friendly again or what happened between us. He was saying that I owed Slade a debt. It didn’t feel like it did on Lian Yu. I thought for a split second that Slade might’ve actually killed me. He snapped out of it, but not without a cost.”
“What was the cost? Are you okay?” Felicity asked looking over Oliver concerned.
“I’m fine, I’m okay. Joe and Slade had a big showdown at the water treatment plant. Joe said that he had a brother that he killed. I’m not sure if that part was true. I feel like Joe was just saying that to hurt Slade and it worked. Slade was distraught. Joe was going to kill him, so I shot the sword out of Joe’s hand. But Slade asked me to lower my weapon, so I did and Joe threw a grenade so he could escape. He’s in the wind now and Slade is still searching for him, for both his sons.” Oliver pinched the bridge of his nose,”I worry because I think if given the opportunity Joe might kill him.”
Felicity squeezed Oliver’s hand,”Slade’s a tough guy. He can handle himself.”
Oliver shook his head,”Not when it comes to Joe, he would do anything for Joe, but I’m worried about what that would mean. Slade’s willing to die for Joe, but I’m a little worried that that wouldn’t be enough for Joe, he was so angry at him. I remember standing there thinking about what I would do if WIlliam looked at me with that much loathing and hatred, and I don’t know what I’d do.”
Felicity took a deep breath,”That’s a lot to take in. Are you okay?”
Oliver shrugged,”Relatively. I told Slade I’d keep an eye out for him.”
“Want me to help?” Felicity watched as Oliver stood up and stretched, before walking to the dresser and getting ready for bed.
“No, I wouldn’t consider him a threat, we have higher priorities like Vigilante and Dragon.” Oliver stretched as he walked to the bed,”I’ll touch base with him in the morning see how he feels about bringing the team in on this, he doesn’t trust easily.”
“I don’t understand why you constantly stick up for him.” Felicity said,”In all the time I known him, he’s been awful to you.”
“If it wasn’t for Slade, I wouldn’t have gotten off Lian Yu.”
“You don’t know that for sure. You had Yao Fei and Shado.” Oliver rolled his shoulders when Shado was mentioned.
“Yao Fei taught me how to hunt and survive, and Shado taught me how to shoot a bow, but Slade taught me how to fight. I owe him my life.” Oliver said turning to look at Felicity.
“He nearly killed you several times over.” Felicity didn’t understand Oliver’s utter attachment to Slade, in the few times she’s seen Slade without Mirakuru in his veins he didn’t seem to share the same level of attachment to Oliver, often calling him an idiot before retreating back into silence.
“He wasn’t in his right mind.” Oliver rubbed his face,”I should’ve told him the truth from the beginning. He trusted me, and I betrayed that trust by lying to him. I should’ve told him what happened. If there was one thing Slade hated, hates it is traitors, people who betrayed his trust.”
“So why didn’t you tell him the truth?”
“Sara, she convinced me not to. She knew what Mirakuru was capable of doing to people. But I knew Slade, I knew that he was a good man. I might’ve prevented this if I just told him the truth.” Oliver sighed.
“You don’t know that, Slade was hellbent on revenge.”
“He told me something when I was on Lian Yu with Thea. That maybe if I told him the truth, the siege could’ve been avoided. He didn’t trust people easily especially after the man he came to Lian Yu with betrayed him.” Felicity wrapped her arms around and Oliver turned to hug her back,”I’m not asking you to trust him or like him, just trust me. I can get him to listen me.”