The Rise of Athena (An Arrow: Season 1 Fanfiction)

Chapter 32: The Undertaking

Evelyn Queen's POV 

Oliver stood in front of his box with his suit and whatever was left in it, looking down in sadness, shock and what I could sense was a little anger radiating off of him, but he kept it mostly buried behind shock and sadness. 

'Oliver,' Felicity said softly, 'I'm sorry.' 

'Don't be,' he replied just as softly. He opened his box. 'She gave those people a chance.' 

'I thought Merlyn broke your bow,' Diggle said. 

'He did,' I replied, going over to my separate box and opening it to reveal my suit and twin daggers. 

'I have another,' Oliver said. He reached in and pulled out one of the same bows he'd had before, a recurve bow. He turned to Felicity, Diggle and I. 

'I was going over the device schematics,' Felicity said. 'The device can be set for a timed detonation or can be remote activated by a mobile transmitter.'

'Merlyn could have that on his person,' I said. 

'Listen, Oliver, if we can just get our hands on this transmitter, maybe we don't need to track down the device,' Diggle said. 

'That's a big 'if', Diggle,' Oliver replied. 'I need you in the subway. Find the device, disarm it.'

'So you can take on Merlyn by yourself?' I snapped. 

'I have to.'

'Oh, he'll kill you, Oliver,' Diggle said. 

'I know. He's beaten me twice, and I don't know how to stop him.' I walked up to him, going around Felicity and Diggle. 

'Okay. Well, how about this time, you bring along something you didn't have, or didn't choose to bring, the last time you two fought - me.' 

'I can't let you,' he said quietly. 'I won't let you be in harm's way.' 

'We can't let you do this by yourself, man,' Diggle said, coming up next to me and placing a hand on my shoulder. 'Oliver, you are not alone, not since you brought me into this.' He looked back at Felicity. 'Us - into this. Besides, army regulations - a soldier never lets a brother go into battle alone.' He stretched out his hand, and Oliver clasped it. He clasped my hand as well. 

'I'm out of bows,' he said. I nudged him. 

'Remember, brother, I have my daggers.' 

'I got my gun,' Diggle volunteered. 

'I guess it's up to me to do the dismantling,' Felicity said, a small smile on her face. 

'This whole area is Ground Zero. I want you out of here,' Oliver said to her. She got a look of steel on her face as she marched up to Oliver. 

'If you're not leaving, I'm not leaving. Besides, if I don't deactivate the device, who will?' He went past them and took the phone that he'd been using to contact Detective Lance off of the bench. He came over and placed the phone in my hand. 

'What do you want me to do with this?' 

'Call Detective Lance. Tell him about the device.' 

'Right,' I said and punched in the number to call him, placing my voice modulator on. 

'You were right,' Detective Lance said. 

'The Hood and I need one more thing from you.' 

'Yeah? What do I got left to give?' 

'I know where Merlyn is keeping the device. It's in a abandoned subway station near Puckett Street.'